Thawing The Frozen Heart

by Nameless Narrator

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Original Character
Length: 77063

After everything Cromach, Blaze, and Choking went through they decide to go on a vacation to the most expensive beach resort Griffon Empire coast has to offer. What can possibly go wrong for an ex-wanted griffon, sex-crazed batpony, and a blind pony?

It's been a long ride, it really has, and even heroes need a break from time to time. Unfortunately, some heroes are just so hated by fate that even the most innocent of days have to turn into an experience leaving lasting wounds.

After the events in Manehattan Mistake has to get used to a life of blindess and the reliance on the help of his friends who decide to make things more bearable by leaving Equestrian winter and visiting a sunny beach in the Griffon Empire with all expenses paid by the crown.

NOTE: Readable as a sequel or a single story with a reeeeeally long prologue summarizing what has happened until now.

Published 2014-10-06 18:40:05 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-04 09:25:00 UTC

Packing: Too Much To Handle

All enemies are gone and I can rest at long last. There might be some aftermath and there might not. Well, there will surely be but it's not my fight anymore. There are other problems I'll have to deal with but they are minor.

Blindness, future... all those are meaningless. Crom, Chokey, and Heavy are alive and well, Equestria is temporarily safe, thanks to the offer of military assistance from mirror Twilight, and the royal sisters can deal with anything mundane.

Finally, my tomorrow doesn't matter.

It was a normal day in the Griffon Empire. Black Ops were plotting taking over the entire world, normal citizens were terrified of possible pony invasion, and in one small border fortress situated on the Imperial coastline a commander of said garrison was clutching a pen in his talons and filling out a form requesting more supplies of toilet paper. Well, someone had to do it and if that was the worst thing today had in store for the griffon then he would be happy.

Do I really have to continue that line of thought? I doubt it.

The first new problem came with the knocking on the door of his office which interrupted his zen-like focus, causing him to twitch his arm and completely screw the entire form up. The second problem, or the same one suddenly getting much worse, came in the form of a griffon opening said door without waiting for the commander's permission. Before the fortress leader could start yelling at the disruptive intruder he fortunately had the presence of mind to look up from the paper ripped into pieces by his claws first.

The insult sending the entering griffon to evaluate the potential usage of toilet paper after chilli night stopped before leaving the commander's beak. The entering griffon was wearing the official black jacket with golden embroidery belonging to the Imperial Secret Service meaning that if the commander said something inappropriate the Black Ops agent could have had HIM gather all the information about bathroom accessories including their taste... after being used. Freeing the talons stuck in the wooden workdesk, the commander stood up and saluted.

"What brings you here, sir?"

The Black Ops griffon smiled widely at the commander's barely concealed rage.

"Agent Pranks, at your service. I come bearing ill news for the area under your watch. According to our intelligence, there will be a group of possible Equestrian spies arriving to your region in about a week."

The commander paled. So the rumors were true... ponies repelled the griffon attack and wanted revenge.

"F-for what reason, sir?"

"Officially, just a vacation. Unofficially... we're not sure but one of them is a unicorn potentially on the power level of Equestrian princesses."

"WHAT?" the commander jumped and his wings swiped everything from his desk, "We're not equipped to deal with that! What do you want us to do? Wait... aren't you supposed to have some ID or something?"

The agent scowled.

"You don't need to see any ID," he looked the commander into his eyes.

The terrified griffon behind the desk shook his head and rubbed his temples.

"I don't need... what were you saying, sir? I must have dazed off for a second there, too much patrolling to do, not enough soldiers."

"Keep an eye on the spies, they might attract attention of someone else. If they prove a threat then capture or kill them."

"But how, sir? I mean... magic."

"A distraction and a bullet from behind works on everyone, magic or not. Capture and interrogation is preferred though, don't be afraid of using some mild torture just to push them over the edge."

"What does that mean, sir?"

"I want to see him break again, heh... that was fun."

"What?"

"Nothing. Get on with it!"

"Yes, sir."

Smiling to himself, agent Pranks left the office. Finding a toy that wouldn't break after one use was so difficult these days.

Back in the office, the commander stood and watched the small coast town under his guard through a conveniently placed window. He wasn't too scared of ponies, unlike most uneducated citizens, because the little town was called Golden Sands and served mostly as a luxury holiday resort for wealthy patrons. Species didn't matter after all, only gold did.

Cursing to noone in particular, the commander stepped out of his office to take a short break. He wasn't in the mood to abuse the poor guard staring blankly at the wall and ignoring him so he just knocked on his helmet.

"Up for some chocolate milk, private?"

"Huh? Sorry, sir, blanked out for a second there. Thank you for the offer but no, I hate that stuff."

"Funny... so do I. I just feel like I should give it another try for some reason. If the Black Ops guy comes again tell him I'm grabbing a drink."

"Black Ops guy?" the private asked but didn't get an answer.

Humming to himself, the commander left for the mess hall.

Entering the protected laboratory in the Canterlot castle dungeons, I look around just to see bits and pieces of projects in progress making me think the owner of this place is interested in EVERYTHING. Speaking of the owner, Twilight Sparkle is currently breathing heavily and staring at a blue-maned black unicorn with twitching ears looking in my direction with faded pink eyes. Twilight's frown tells me the experiments she wanted to perform on Mistake didn't go too well.

"Hello, your Highness. You sent for me?" I ask the purple alicorn princess.

"Hi, Crom!" Mistake waves at me. The gesture is a bit off but the heart is there and that's what counts.

"Yes, I'm done. Tell your friend I hate him," Twilight groans at Mistake's amused snort hidden behind a hoof.

"I'm blind, not deaf, your Highness," the unicorn's grin fades when he says that and he 'looks' at the tiled floor.

Mistake, me, and Darky returned from Manehattan yesterday and princess Luna spent her day interrogating the other two while I went home and had a rest. I didn't feel that bad about it because, to be honest, Darky and Mistake have known each other for way longer and actually had an idea what happened while I was basically trying not to die while facing way more magic than a simple griffon ever should.

"What were you doing here anyway?" I try not to laugh at the disgruntled alicorn princess wearing a lab coat and the black unicorn whose coat is really nicely contrasting with the pink socks and a scarf he's wearing. He spent his first night blind at Darky's place so she had the honor of putting something to protect him from winter on and this is how it ended. Not that he looks bad in it, pink just doesn't fit his... personality.

Princess Twilight waves to one of many workbenches on which something very similar to the husks I fought in the mirror world lies. On closer examination there are noticeable differences but it still seems to be a pony made of metal and cables. It doesn't have anything resembling a mane or a tail but the grey steel plates imitate pony shape quite nicely.

"I'm building a robotic pony capable of independent thinking, it's not going too well. Your friend was just lending a hoof with some magic dampening experiments."

"Didn't work? I thought Mistake was practically immune to magic."

"HE IS! That's the problem. I can't perform tests on him when he disperses anything I can throw at him with a single thought."

"Actually, I have to know how you are building the spell to disassemble it. If you use a process I can't identify in time your magic will work just fine. From what Betty told me earthpony ancestry itself doesn't grant you even minor magic resistance"

"I know, princess Luna told me about your encounter when her old bodyguard was trying to stop you. The thing is that even she has trouble using spells against you. Nevermind, I'll just have to find a better testing method. Thank you for the help anyway, I think I'll be able to use some energy crystals to allow the robopony absorb small amounts of magic if necessary."

"No problem, your Highness."

"Just call me Twilight. By the way, sorry for not being able to help you with your eyes."

"It's okay, princess. I'll just have to buy a thick bumper and hang it on my neck."

"I've got the leash right here," I interject and grin at Mistake's immediate blush, "I might even make you wear it at home."

Twilight's horn shoots out sparks and her wings burst out with an audible 'pomf'. Mistake's face could now melt the steel of the workbench.

"Well, ehm, good. As per our arrangement I'll persuade princess Luna you deserve something for your efforts in Manehattan," Twilight pushes both of us out of the lab, "Now go! I need to do some research... alone... right now."

The door slams shut and I fasten the leash to the choker around Mistake's neck. Tugging at it carefully, I slowly lead the unicorn through the castle halls.

"I didn't need eyes to see that wingboner," Mistake comments.

"Let the young princess enjoy her pony on griffon fantasy. Too much time locked up down here can't be healthy. Speaking of which, how are you feeling? We didn't have any time to talk since Manehattan."

Aside from the show I gave the other recruits I had to attend Heavy's training session and Darky led Mistake to Twilight's lab. I gotta admit two hours of physical training have never felt so long.

Mistake sighs, something he does way too much for being so young.

"Terrified, Cro. I've never wanted to be a bother and that's all I am now."

...useless trash...

Was I the only one who heard the whisper?

"Nonsense, buddy. It's gonna get better, it always does," I realize I'm telling it to a unicorn whose life got gradually darker until this point. I cough, "I'll take care of you as long as you need it."

"I don't want to- to bring you down. I'm just-"

...a cripple...

"No!" I quickly interrupt him. Does the air suddenly feel colder? "It's just the first day, that's all. You've been through so much dumb stuff that this is literally nothing and I'll stay by your side."

"-"

"No, shut up, I'm not done!" something about the situation frightens me and I can't help raising my voice, "I know you and I know you are your worst enemy. I know none of what I'm going to say will get into that thick skull of yours but I have to say it anyway. I WILL be by your side, I WILL help you, and I WILL get you through this even if it means carrying you day after day on my back. Heck, at least Heavy's physical exercise will be a bit more challenging. Just, please, stop resisting."

I know how meaningless saying it is... I'll just have to show you, honey.

Mistake takes a step forward, slips on the frozen cobblestones, and plants his face into the snow.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

...for being an idiot...

He's not saying it so what is it?

The chilly air of the evening suddenly seems to warm up a little.

"-I'm just not used to things being like this. I've always tried to avoid ponies but things just kept happening. I suppose I'll have to come to terms with having somepony who actually likes me around."

"That's the spirit, buddy," I tug at the leash and wrap a wing around his back, enjoying every muscle movement under his coat, "We're almost home and all I want is to have a shower and curl into bed. You're welcome to join at any point."

He nuzzles my neck.

"Glad you're... well, you. Thanks for keeping me around."

"Can't leave the big hero hanging. Well," I look at the unicorn just over half of my size, "small and cuddly hero."

At least he seems to have cheered up a little.

...until you find somepony better...

Or not.

This is going to be difficult.

Packing: Glorious Morning

There are two sides to every coin. Whenever somepony falls too deep they need somepony to pick them up and when success seems to be coming from every direction there MUST be somepony or something to keep their hooves on the ground.

What if there truly isn't anypony there in the time of need?

Loneliness can inspire the greatest resourcefulness but also bring the darkest shadows. Some ponies call it insanity but all that means is a different and unusual point of view. The conflict between objective and subjective reality can't last forever though and has to be resolved somehow.

However, that is in the past. I'm not alone...

...as long as I recognize my responsibility.

My friends are giving me the care I don't deserve in the slightest so the least I can do is give what little is in my power back.

"Look at my whorse," I sing to myself and wave a fork while watching eggs sizzle on a frying pan, "My whorse is amazing."

*Thud*

"OW! DAMMIT!" Mistake falls from the bed, yawns, and rubs his muzzle.

"Give him a lick," I continue, unphased, walk to the unicorn, and lick his horn from the bottom to the tip slowly, "Mmmm, he tastes just like Blazing."

"Wazawawhoo?" he leans back so far his hind legs slip and he lands on his plot.

Mmmmm plot.

"Have a stroke of his mane," I help him up and scratch him behind an ear, "He turns into a..."

Rhyming's too hard.

"...flame! Got it!"

"Do I smell eggs and, hmm, burning flesh?" he smacks his lips and sniffs the air.

"Eggs and bacon. I finally had the time to visit a griffon trader here in Canterlot," I flip the sizzling bacon over, "...and he turns back again when you tug on his humm humm."

"What was that?"

"NOTHING!" I snatch some more salt and spread it on the egg whites. Mistake likes eggs sunny side up, strangely enough for a pony, but the amount of salt he enjoys in his food makes me wonder what sort of military-grade armor is his mouth lined with, "Look at my whorse, my whorse is amazing..."

"I'm not a whorse," he puffs his cheeks when he finally realizes the context of the tune.

"Not the fastest in the morning, are you?"

"Oh shut up," he sticks his tongue out, "Thanks for making breakfast."

"You know, you get breakfast, I get to grope you at night," busy with looking for the seasonings I enjoy, I get back to my fun, "Look at my-"

"I'll stick my tentacles so far down your throat not even Celestia will find them!"

"Told you, you're a terrible kisser."

"GAAH!" he grunts and throws his forelegs to the sky, "You're insufferable when you are in a good mood-"

"And you're cute when you're trying to find something to complain about."

"-Grrrr. What's so special today anyway?"

"Well, I woke up by myself. Living with you, that's an achievement. No guards knocking on our door, no panicked screams, no magical mishap, and no horrible nightmare about what evil is coming after us next. That tells me today is gonna be just fine."

Both of us go silent and look around. Nothing happens.

"Hope you didn't jinx it," Mistake mumbles.

"Look at my-"

*Thud*

"OH FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE! Who moved the damn door?" Mistake rubs his muzzle again and walks into the bathroom, leaving me to my joyful morning.

Wouldn't trade it for the world.

Now, since princess Twilight said she would send us on a vacation with all expenses paid we should ask her the details.

The breakfast is done. It's nothing fancy but bacon, eggs, and some bread is about as much as I can make without a cookbook. Holding a tray in one arm, I set it on the table. As much as I like the coziness of this place we might need something with at least two rooms soon, or one room and a small kitchen. Having to cook with an electric pan lying on a small wardrobe filled with cutlery and spice is starting to feel a bit too improvised. Perhaps I should have stuck with sandwiches.

Heavy's practice session starts in just over an hour so even a bigger breakfast like this won't be troubling as I'll walk it off on the way to the castle.

"I wonder," I say while chewing, "are you going to continue your guard training?"

Mistake sighs.

"I doubt it. Kicking and punching was the only thing I was good at and now it's sort of useless."

"Well, how about becoming a masseuse?"

"What? First of all, I have no official training and I'm not sure I'd be any good at it, and the second thing is that I can't afford going to a class or something. When I helped you enlist in the Royal Guard I sort of had no idea I would end up going to the mirror world again and then not actually attending any practice sessions. I don't think I'm eligible for a recruit salary anyway."

"I'm sure if you ask princess Luna she'll-"

"I don't want to beg for help."

"You need it and it's not begging. The sisters know you deserve their attention and, as little as I know princess Luna, she'll help you if you just open your mouth. If you really don't want to talk about it then let me arrange it for you."

He thoughtfully chews the eggs for a moment. He gulps.

"Do you think I have a chance?"

"Yeah. You have great feel for muscle tension and I know a pegasus who could teach you."

Don't ask about it! Don't ask about it!

"I sense a catch incoming. How did YOU get to know a masseuse with all that was happening after you arrived in Canterlot?"

"The usual way, of course. I saw Jones in the castle lobby with a griffon ambassador, I wanted to look different so I found the first cheap manedresser I could, I flirted a little with her, she bathed me in a dye and slipped in herself. You have no idea how attractive mares find a tall griffon who could overpower them and fulfill their submission fantasy. It turned out she used to work in a pervy massage parlor and one night we had a lot of fun. She was pretty tiny and she could slip her hooves inside my-"

"And you'd like me to do that to somepony?"

"YES."

"Somepony other than you."

"YES! Under my... supervision."

"And you, of course."

"Yessssss."

"You really have a one track mind."

"And that track leads to a dark tunnel. It's important to be consistent. So, what do you say?"

"If you're comfortable with me groping other ponies for money."

"As long as I get to grope you for free."

"Fine then..."

"Don't look as if I'm forcing you to eat broccoli."

"It's important to be consistent."

"You're trying my patience, buddy."

"Sorry. It's just that now I'm scared I'll fail at the massage thing, that I'll fail you... and so on."

"That's nonsense."

"I keep telling myself but there's nothing I can do. It doesn't just go away."

"It's either my pegasus friend or I'll find a psychiatrist."

"Nooooooope."

"An EXPENSIVE ONE!"

"Dirtbag."

"And I'll pay for therapy with my life savings."

"You wouldn't!"

"And then you'll REALLY feel bad!"

"Buck you!"

"Now we're talking. Care to elaborate?-"

He just growls and bites into a slice of bread.

"-Perfect! Angry sex, best sex. Speaking of burning calories, I should go to the morning session. Are you coming as well?"

"Yeah. I've got to talk to Heavy and Chokey about some special training suitable for me so I don't get fat."

"More of you to love."

"You don't mean that."

"Actually, you're right, I don't. If you're out of shape you won't be able to work me harder than a-"

"How much do I have to pay to ransom your brain from your cock? I'm starting to get them mixed up."

"A kiss should do it."

He leans in but given his lack of practice I take charge.

Emperor's titanum claws! The tentacles. It's like kissing four chicks at once. Four chicks who aren't sure what they're doing but quantity over quality.

"Tomorrownight!" Mistake blurts out after the magical appendages slip back in.

I blink, still processing the unnatural mouth to mouth.

"Are you talking about what I'm thinking?"

"I'm talking about the only thing you think about," he grins.

I open my mouth, wave my talons in the air, shut my mouth.

"Can you stay tonight at Darky's place?"

"Uhm, sure. Why?"

"I'm going shopping."

Reins? Yes. Latex? Maybe later. Riding crop? Yes. Double-sided implements? Sure, it's important to do things together. Lube? Lots of lube.

"Your drool is splashing around," the black unicorn snickers.

"It's the breakfast. I just loooove meat. Bacon, I mean. Medical sausages are good too though."

"The hay is a medical saus-"

"Taken rectally."

"I may have made a mistake."

Packing: Light Shines

Things are looking up, I guess.

To be honest, Royal Guard recruit training feels more and more pointless with every misadventure I have to go through. As far as physical practice is concerned the Griffon Legion desert trips were more than enough to surpass anything Heavy and Rising make us do. As for the weapon training though, where griffons rely on weapons, gadgets, natural strength and size, ponies rely on pure skill in their chosen aspect.

I wonder about my chances as once again Heavy Hoof's blue mane passes my peripheral vision, my world spins, and I end up on my back. When I blink the minor concussion off, the white, blue-maned earthpony is standing above me with hoof outstretched.

"Is there anything wrong? You seem even less focused than usual," Heavy raises an eyebrow when I grab his leg and jump back up.

"Sorry, my mind is just elsewhere."

"Trouble at home?"

We both might have things we dislike about one another - I, for one, still can't forgive him how he betrayed Mistake in Manehattan and he, erm, errrrm. Is there really nothing? - but there's no reason to point those out. Thinking about it, he's a good friend who just suffered a lapse of judgement.

"More like the exact opposite."

"Oh? Oooh!" he looks at Mistake who is doing some light exercises under the supervision of Darky while Rising Thunder is torturing the normal recruits, "Going to the next level?"

"Yeeeep!"

"Well then," Heavy grins sadistically, "I can't let my old sargeant and a good friend get bedded by some loser, right? Best three out of five, Cromach. If you lose I'll put in a good word for Darky and Blazing might just change his mind."

"You wouldn't..."

"Maybe, maybe not. Do you want to find out? Blazing has been after Darky for ages and now, with you in the picture, she finally realizes she has to start trying herself otherwise he'll drift away from her."

I take everything back. Deep down he doesn't like me and right now I hate him. Good motivation though.

"His name is Mistake," I growl, "You could at least use it! Shows how much you respect him and his choices."

Grabbing my practice mace I previously dropped on the ground, a training weapon closest in size and shape to my chosen battleaxe, my talons rip out bits of frozen earth that follow my upswing. Heavy doesn't bother dodging and just rears on his hind legs and spins his staff in the air, one end deflecting my strike and the following end sending me back on the ground.

"I made enough wrong choices in the past, Cromach, and I will do and say what I think is right. Blazing lies about his name because he believes anything he does will end up a failure. I've known him much longer than you and I know he is wrong. That's why I will NEVER use the name Mistake."

Jumping back up, I grab the large mace in both arms, get ready to swing and charge, and throw it at him. Normally, getting rid of my weapon would be suicide but this is a practice and a fight to prove my point. If Heavy doesn't believe I can be by Mistake's side and steer him right I will just make him unable to say anything. Following the flying weapon, I jump straight at where Heavy will dodge.

My charge knocks the wind out of him and when my talons lock around his neck I squeeze.

"One for me... friend," I heave and the titan's hind legs leave the ground. He might be huge even for an earthpony but I am a griffon trained by the Legion in the desert, taller, stronger, unbreakable. Letting him choke a little, I throw him on the icy ground.

Heavy's easy smile fades completely as he coughs and readies his combat stance.

"A suicidal charge? Is that the best you can do?" he taunts.

"Just so you know how far I'm willing to go," I turn my back to him and walk to the weapon I threw, ready to jump away at the sound of any movement. Heavy just stands there, watching me. That's his biggest flaw, the incurable sense of fairness... something I admire and despise at the same time.

With both of us facing one another, Darky finishes Mistake's exercises and leads him to our 'practice'. I wonder whether they're really done or whether she heard us. Batponies, am I right?

Today all of them will know the strength of my convictions. I swing wide with the mace and Heavy gets ready to block it. He avoids the blow at the last second just by pulling his staff back and stabs straight at me. Letting my weapon go again I take the blow, grip the staff, pull towards me. Ponies, not having the gripping ability of griffons, are usually easy to disarm. Aside from unicorns, damn unicorns. The staff slides out of his hooves but it's enough to make him stumble. Gripping his weapon, I stab him in the chest, grab the end of the staff in both arms, swing.

"Two out of five. If you don't think I'm the right one then you sure as hell should start trying, Heavy."

"Okay," he turns to Mistake, "Hey, Blazing! Stop hiding behind a false name and accept who you really are."

That motherplucker! How dare he?

This time I'm not waiting for him to get ready and just rush to him while his weapon is still gone. Heavy's never been a stupid pony though. I, on the other sharp-taloned arm, get overconfident from time to time. Just like now. I fall right into Heavy's trap as he turns back to me, kicking up faster than a staff would go without any wind-up. The followup is no less painful as the earthpony who must have been carved out of rock by gods themselves punches me so hard I think for a moment I've been banished to the moon. So much for being stronger.

"Heavy, I-" Mistake begins.

"Yes?"

"I chose the name because it fit me. It still fits so I'm still using it."

"And it will fit you as long as you believe it. Do you know the magic behind pony names?"

"Never heard about it."

"A pony's name, whether given or chosen, affects their fate. It's very simple and I, for one, believe it to be true."

"Pfff, as if anything I've ever done fit the name Blazing Light."

"You were the torch that showed me the path when everypony hated me for being a colt cuddler. When Darky thought she'd never get out of Valiant's hooves you helped without any regard for yourself and your presence burned away any lingering shadows of his presence. Am I right, Darky?"

"Sort of, yeah," the batpony smiles.

"You destroyed the shadow king, giving Equestria brighter future and, from what I heard, your and Sharp's influence were the biggest things that made queen Chrysalis accept the peace offer. Do you now understand why I think you shouldn't be ashamed?"

"You just picked some of the good stuff out of all the bad things I've done," Mistake mumbles but there is something missing in his voice.

"I picked the ends I could recall at the moment. You fought your way through the darkness and emerged victorious. I am your friend and it's my duty to show you where you went wrong."

"Oh shut up!" I descend from the heights where Heavy's hoof sent me, "Friends support each other even if they disagree. You just think you know better than everypony else which you don't. Ehm, ehm, Manehattan."

"Calm down, Cro," Mistake says, "Friends forgive each other."

"And try to make amends," Heavy finishes his sentence.

Why do I get the feeling the situation turned against me? Am I really wrong?

"You gonna talk or fight, Heavy?" I arm myself again.

"Right, we have a little bet going," Heavy grins again and picks his staff up.

"Woo. Stakes high?" Darky's eyes sparkle.

"Everything's on the line," I growl, "I mustn't lose."

"You will," Heavy says assuredly, "Am I right, Blazing?"

Mistake sighs.

"Yes, in both your assumptions."

NO!

I swing. Heavy blurs. World spins.

"Giving something your all is fine, Cromach. Being reckless isn't. Neither is being thoughtless."

"I've won against you before. I can do it again," I groan, picking myself back up.

"Use Blazing's real name and I'll let you win."

"Not-"

I swing my mace right into his block. His legs budge a little.

"-until-"

Another blow. Another patient block.

"-he-"

The practice staff cracks.

"-tells-"

The staff breaks but Heavy dodges by leaning back.

"-me-"

My weapon hits the ground so hard it breaks as well.

"-himself!"

Heavy's hoof reaches my face at the speed of a comet. I can't lose here. I can't-

"OW!" Heavy's strike stops, blocked by a small shield made of pieces of black crystal.

"Enough, guys. This is just a practice," says Mistake and turns to Darky, "Did I nail it?"

"Yep," Darky chuckles, "Pretty accurate for a blind pony."

"Heavy," Mistake says and Darky turns his head in the correct direction, "I'm not sure about the magic of names or whatever but you are the smart one, not me. You're right about me just running away though. Cro, if you don't mind, can you call me Blazing? If it bothers you I won't mind going by Mistake just for you."

I don't know whether to feel betrayed or... vindicated.

"Buddy, I don't care how I call you. You're still the unicorn I want to protect and see happy."

"Ya're not the only one," Darky steps in.

"You've had enough chances already," I hiss back at her.

"Enough!" Mistake says firmly, "I need all of you. It took me long enough to realize it but you got on this train wreck with me willingly. Well, let's leave that topic because I'm here to ask something more pleasant. Heavy, do you want to go with us on a vacation? Princess Luna is paying."

"Sorry, Blazing, I have a ton of work here. A new batch of recruits will be arriving after Heart's Warming and since we have almost no trainers it'll be up to me and Rising to get the Royal Guard back up and running. Also, I think the two lovestruck morons wouldn't take kindly to me being a distraction."

Successfully embarrassing all three of us, Heavy picks the broken practice weapons up and puts them back into the equipment box. Hauling the box away, he resumes assisting Rising Thunder with the recruit training.

"Blazing," I stick my tongue out, "Doesn't roll out of the beak too well."

"That's why I call him Blaze," Darky winks at me.

This might be a terrible idea.

"Ehhh, I have to ask for a favor, Darky."

"Blaze has already told me. Ya want me to take him in for tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Did-did he tell you why?"

"No, he was uncharacteristically secretive."

We look at each other. We burst out laughing.

"Yes, yes, I get it," Mist- Blaze scowls but I know he's not mad.

Now, why would he agree out of the blue? Why does it suddenly bother me?

Damn Heavy Hoof, too smart for his own good. Well, Heart's Warming is coming, as he said, and I might have a much better chance to make our night memorable. I'm much less sure about my decision now.

Of course it has to be still gnawing him from the inside.

"I wanted to do something for you but I didn't have anything."

That's what he said and I refused then. Now, though, he feels firmer and more sure of himself than ever before. If I let it grow a little then things can only get better in the long run.

I hope I'm not making a mistake.

"Ehm, Blaze?" I mumble the unfamiliar name, "About our... arrangement. Can we leave it for later?"

"Eh? Sure, but why? I thought you were crazy about it."

"Meh, maybe Heavy finally managed to beat some sense into my head."

"So, should I stay tonight at Chokey's place or what?"

"Yes, please. I think she deserves to enjoy you a little. Can't be too greedy, can I?" I smile at him.

"MAKEOVERS!" Darky yells.

"You're kidding me," Blaze's jaw drops.

"Of course I am," she hits him softly with a hoof, "I'm not thirteen. We'll be banging, right?"

How can she say it so easily when I have to gather courage and think about every step?

"Stop teasing, Chokey. I doubt I was much good in bed before and when I can't even see what I'm doing it's not going to get better."

Oh right, I forgot they lived together for a while.

"Well, yeah," Darky admits, "I just love seeing Cromach steam so hard he melts the snow around him. I'm pretty sure I get what your 'arrangement' was. Ya're saving it for Heart's Warming evening, aren't ya?"

"Maybe," I squeak weakly.

"Good luck. I'll just have to settle for somepony I meet at the end of the year party. I'll be thinking of both of ya during the night though. With any luck, twice."

I think we might be very similar. Perhaps that's why both of us are in this situation.

"Darky, I solemnly promise that the next time it'll be the three of us in one bed and we'll do anything-"

I catch Blaze shaking his head violently and making cutthroat gestures with his hoof.

"-some things you want us to do. It's just that I want the first time together to be special."

"First time?" Darky gasps, "I thought you- wow, I had no idea."

"Well, we didn't have much time to do anything with all that was happening."

"Guys, sorry. I just thought you wanted to spend the festival together. I thought you've already- nevermind. I promise not to bother you and I'll sort all the packing out myself. I'll buy all the necessary stuff, I'm sure I know both of your sizes well enough. We'll be leaving two days after Heart's Warming so just have fun and leave everything to me."

"Thanks, Darky."

"No biggie. We'll have two weeks on the beach to 'play' to our heart's content."

She might be my rival but all that means is that we have a common goal. I should just let things go for now, enjoy myself, and relax. Next step, find a good love hotel and reserve a spot. After that - the Griffon Empire.

Let the good times begin!

Sands Of Gold And Red: Almost There

Scary, scary, scary.

"Okay, that's enough. Ya two are telling me what's going on immediately!" Darky walks into our coupé, carrying a tray with cups. The confined space gets filled with various scents instantly.

"Hmm?" I stop daydreaming and realize there's a thin streak of saliva running down my cheek.

"Mrmmmm?" Blaze groans, yawns, and blinks at Darky.

She sets the tray on the table and fastens it into a groove fitting the pattern on the bottom of the tray to stop it from shaking due to train movement.

"Both of ya are acting way too weird. Blaze is sleeping all the damn time and he almost passed out during one practice while ya keep staring into space and grinning."

"Oh, that, well, ehm..." is the best I can do before shutting up and scratching my head while avoiding her gaze. To finish it off I bury my face into my cup.

"Blaze?" she turns to the unicorn trying over and over to wake up.

"Eeeeerm-"

"NOPE!" she sits next to him on the bench serving as a bed and bites his ear hard, "Ya're talking!"

"-OW, that hurt!"

"I'll pour cold water on ya!"

"Okay, okay! I just wanted to surprise you when I stopped screwing it up," Blaze grabs Darky's head, wraps his hind legs around her waist, and makes her look him in the eyes.

"What is 'it'?" Darky blushes profusely but aside from propping her front legs against his chest she doesn't object.

"Well, does anything look different?" Blaze furrows his brows in concentration and twitches slightly.

Darky leans her head in, backs off, then sticks her muzzle close enough to feel his breath.

"Your eyes are glowing? Not glowing glowing but it's as if light was reflecting off them from time to time... flickering, that's the word."

"Yeah. I've been working on this since Heart's Warming. It's not a spell as such but just throwing magic out and seeing what bounces back. It kept me from walking into walls at home over and over. The downside is that with my magic being limited by my resistance it's tiring as heck. I've been trying to polish it up so I could use it for longer without falling flat on my face but it's still too difficult."

"Wow! So ya can see again? Sorta makes me sad, I liked parading ya around on a leash."

"You'll still have enough fun with that. I can't really 'see'. I just get some outlines and shapes so I can't recognize anypony until they talk to me. Plus, everypony looks scary as, well, something really scary. Hard to explain. It also has extremely short range. I can barely see the wall on the other side," Blaze slumps back on the bench and groans, "The headaches aren't helping either."

"It's like echolocation, I guess," Darky opens her mouth and I shake my head to get rid of sudden very annoying feeling, "I can do that too!"

"Eh, yeah. I just don't think everypony you meet looks like something from a really bad dream."

"Huh?"

"See, Darky," I explain, seeing a time for me to step in, "He tried it the evening after Heart's Warming for the first time and I still can't get rid of the face and the scream. I believe he told me I looked like an uncooked breakfast."

"Eyes like dribbling egg whites and fur resembling straw, if I remember correctly. Sorry about that again. If it helps, ponies look even worse," Blaze laughs nervously.

"No problem, buddy."

"So, what about my pretty face?" Darky overexaggerates her gasp.

"Well, white outline, black coat, white holes where eyes should be, and strands of white which I suppose are mane and tail."

"That's not that great then."

"It's a start. Now I can do this without poking your eye out despite you looking as if somepony's already done that," Blaze grins, pushes Darky down on her back, and kisses her muzzle, "Plus, we save on bandages for my face."

"Sweet, ya think ya're in charge," Darky smiles devilishly, grabs his head, and pushes it against her chest, refusing to let Blaze move no matter how much he struggles. When he stops and just rests against her she turns to me, "Jealous?"

I just raise an eyebrow.

"Darky, you're having a nibble. I've already had the whole thing, both vanilla and chocolate."

"Good analogy. Have ya been working on your oraltory skills?" she laughs when I groan at her bat puns, "What's your problem then? Ya've been out of it as well last two days."

"Hm? It's nothing, just thinking about my past relationships. About what I did right and wrong."

"That's unusually deep for ya."

"I'm not an idiot, Darky, in the same way you aren't just a giggly airhead. I want to do things right this time. At least that's what I always start with, then I remember the Heart's Warming night and drool."

"Good for ya, I can't say I was so smitten from his performance when we were together. Sorry, Blaze," she lets go of his head but he just keeps lying there, breathing slowly, "Nevermind, he's out again."

I nod, hoping Blaze really is asleep.

"Heh, it's not that he's good. I've had way better partners before, both male and female, pony and griffon, but this time there was one difference that made it worth it. He tried too hard to please me without-"

"Without thinking about his needs, am I right?" Darky interrupts and I nod again, "It's been the same with us. I remember him asking me if I had a specific toy I liked because he was better with his hooves than his own 'toy'. Our first night together, that was."

"Wow, that's awful. You know what I mean then."

"Yeah, but that's not healthy. Everypony needs to be a little selfish from time to time."

"Well, good thing we have enough time to fix him then."

"We... right," Darky drifts off.

"What's your problem now?"

"I'm just jealous. Jealous that you succeeded so easily in what I wasn't able to do for years. Jealous of his every smile aimed at you, every look you exchange while grinning like total morons, everything!" she raises her voice and lowers it immediately when Blaze moves a little.

I facehoo- facepal- facetalon, maybe?

"I've had the same problem, exactly the same, right until you said that. I was worried I could never match up to what you've been through together. Even now I can't really look at him sleeping like that without grinding my beak. You have no idea - well, maybe you do - how scared I am that he'll finally end up with you."

"So, how do we solve this?"

"We can't, he has to," I nod to the sleeping unicorn.

"That's gonna hurt, a lot. Eventually."

"Maybe... maybe not," I thoughtfully drum my talons on the table.

"What do ya mean?"

"That I might believe in him a little more than you do. Nevermind that though, it's not as if we have to do something right here and now. Wanna go grab a bite while he's sleeping?"

"Nah, I think I'll enjoy this while it lasts," she smiles at me.

"I'll leave you alone then. I think a walk through the train might do me good."

"Thanks."

When I come back there are two sleeping ponies in our little room. Blaze's hind legs are slowly moving as if he was walking, a habit he's had for as long as I've known him, and his mechanical griffon arm prosthesis in place of his left front leg is clicking its talons from time to time. Darky is a similarly strange sight - black batpony with red mane flowing gently with every movement of the train and two unnatural wings looking exactly the same as both of Blaze's forms, phoenix fire and black ice, but while Blaze's appear only when he wants them to Darky's pair is firmly fixed to her as a result of Void's divine power.

My weak reflection in the window is very... normal compared to them. I'm not sure whether to be thankful or jealous.

...she will win...

Huh? The voice that tortured Blaze again?

...he will betray you. It's in his soul...

No.

...you will be alone in the end...

NO!

Taking a deep breath, I grab my solar seal which allows me to get anything I want on the account of the Canterlot royal treasury and storm out again. Perhaps the VIP section of the train might have something to calm me down.

Once again, a Saddle Arabian dancer and some hot chocolate do the trick. In some aspects I am very easy to please.

The train ride ends surprisingly quickly and, leading Blaze carrying most of our bags on a leash like a dignified packmule, we end up in a slightly larger room on a cross-ocean ferry where we're going to spend the night. Since it is a ship travelling between the Empire and Equestria there are some unique griffon treats upon which I am gorging infinitely.

"Ya're gonna get fat and then Blaze won't sleep with ya ever again!" Darky makes various puking noises while watching me eat a bucket of spicy grilled chicken wings, "Plus, the entire room smells like a funeral pyre."

Telling that to me, whose parents got shot and burned to death in their own house, seems very insensitive but I'm way too hungry to argue.

"Twelve herbs and spices funeral pyre, Darky. Cut me some slack, will you? The griffon merchants in Canterlot can't sell any of this stuff and it's impossible to make it at home."

"How come? Ya buy the raw materials, pop them on a pan and ya're done."

"Noone aside from IFC employees knows the secret herbs and spices and you can't even begin to compare a pan and a deep fryer."

She groans as I keep stuffing my face, floating on cloud nine. Well, if I keep eating the way I'm now then I'm gonna be dropping from said cloud rather quickly.

"Blaze, say something to him!" she cheats, turning to higher authority.

"Seen worse, smelled worse," Blaze just waves his hoof and keeps staring at Darky.

"Come on! We can't sleep like this."

"I'll open the window later," I offer a diplomatic solution.

"It's freezing outside!"

"No, it's not. The closer we get to the Empire the warmer it's going to be."

"Ehhh, it's winter, Cromach. Ya know, snow and sleet?"

"And you think princess Luna would send us to a seaside resort to build snow griffons? Think for a second, you've been to the Empire before."

"Yeah, I wondered why it was so sunny there."

"The pegasi in Equestria create artificial winter to allow the land to recover. The Empire works around it by focusing the water flowing from underground streams into various areas and filling the soil with tons of fertilizer. Since the sun is raised slightly higher than usual during winter the Empire won't be as hot as it is during the rest of the year but it's not going to ruin our vacation."

Blaze slides closer to Darky and starts touching her wings, making her shiver with each preened feather. Strange, being this forward. It's possible Blaze doesn't know but preening one's feathers is akin to a rather serious foreplay for griffons and pegasi, not sure about batponies though.

"Should I leave you two alone for a while?" I ask.

"Eh, what? Why?" Blaze turns in my direction. If I understand it correctly he can't see me in this larger room.

"Basically, if ya were doing this to Cromach he'd be diamond hard right now," Darky explains, smiling smugly.

"Oh, sorry. I should have asked then. It's just that the wings that Void made seem wrong. I can 'see' it now and they are... incomplete."

"Ya DO realize ya're talking about the alicorn of Death, the oldest living alicorn, and the probably most powerful one on top of that. Are ya saying he did a crappy job?"

"You are right only partially. Thanks to his age, and his marefriend mostly, he possesses the most knowledge about the workings of magic in the world but his divine power is so vast it completely breaks his ability to use normal magic. He has to use his suppressed form to be able to use at least some standard spells. I thought your wings were magical but they are divine, and wrong. Can't really explain it."

"What does it matter anyway?"

"His divine power is tied to destruction, not creation. He... he tried to imitate magic of life with divine power so the spell isn't complete. I might be able to finish it."

"Whoa there! Ya and magic don't go well together, Blaze."

"That's not exactly true, Chokey. Mirror Twilight taught me a lot about how magic works so I could break enemy spells mid-cast. Don't forget I was supposed to fight mirror Sombra, Scream's apprentice. I can't use spells but I can direct the flow of magic in a different way."

"Darky!" I get her attention and wave my talons around without making a sound. Since Blaze can't see this far I spread my wings, point to them, and nod.

She takes a deep breath and covers Blaze's ears, pretending to rub them.

"Perhaps you believe in him more than I do, eh?" she whispers and bites her lip. Releasing him, she closes her eyes and spreads her wings, "Go for it then."

Blaze's horn glows and a pair of fire wings sprouts from his back.

"I-I-I know h-how you love flying. If anything starts going wrong I'll stop-"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Fire for what?" Blaze mumbles to himself, "Hope? Fire for hope... phoenix, rebirth. Blackfrost for... the opposite? Lack of hope, end, true death... just like Void's. Despair. Must go away first then..."

Darky's black ice wing shimmers and turns into vapor from the tips of the shards. Blaze's fire wings wrap around Darky, one melds together with her remaining fire wing and the other one touches the spot where her ice wing was, setting her coat on fire.

...you will fail and hurt her, useless creature...

The fire rages and Darky groans in pain.

...your betters failed before you so what can you do?

I walk over to Blaze and rub the tips of his ears.

"You're doing fine, buddy. Keep going."

The fire stops spreading over Darky's coat and focuses. A second fire wing completes the pair on Darky's back, mirroring Blaze's.

YOU ARE POWERLESS AND YOU WILL FAIL! YOU WILL BURN BOTH OF THEM!

I doubt Darky can hear the hissing voice and I'm not sure Blaze can but he sure reacts as if it had some influence.

"Buddy, Darky trusts you completely. You would never take her flight away from her."

His phoenix wings hiss and disappear. Darky's wings suddenly go obsidian black and leathery while Blaze collapses on the bed, breathing heavily.

"Hehe," Blaze wipes sweat from his face, "he really DID muck it up. Void just wanted to give you your real wings back, Chokey."

Darky flaps her new old wings experimentally, eyes wide and smile growing.

"I-something-I mean the magic ones were really cool but... they felt unreal. These... flap and strain, hurt and stretch. I-I have to go!" she runs out of the room with tears streaking from her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Blaze asks, fear in his every word.

"Well, if she doesn't come back tonight it's because she's flying to the Crystal Empire and back thanks to you."

"Weird, she could fly just fine before."

"I don't know how to explain but flying is in the bones of all creatures who can do it naturally. I doubt a unicorn using a flight spell can feel the same way and I guess Darky's magical wings felt unnatural. Now she's a real batpony again."

"Hehehe... perhaps I can fix at least some things I screwed up in the past."

"Buddy, the better I know you the more I'm sure you can make things better in the end... even if you make them worse over and over before you succeed."

"Explorer of blind alleys, am I?"

The ferry rocks and an explosion rings through the air.

No... that is not happening now!

I stick my head out of the cabin window just to see the lights of a smaller ship getting closer.

"NO, YOU'RE NOT FUCKING THIS EVENING UP!" I roar.

A beam of light cast by the ship ends on my face. I stare back, daring the pirates to do something.

"Emperor's titanium talons, it's him again! We're all gonna die!" someone on the smaller ship screams.

"Is the crazy earthpony with you again?" a pirate yells at me.

"NO!" I answer.

"Good! Attack-"

"HE'S SWIMMING TO YOUR SHIP ALREADY!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the pirate ship collectively explodes with screams, turns around, and drives away into the darkness.

I close the window and get back to my food. It's gone cold already.

"What was it?" Blaze asks.

"Some old acquaintances I met during my first trip to Equestria. They just wanted to say hi."

"Good. Damn, I'm tired."

"Seeing Darky isn't around... wanna rock the boat?"

"Can we just cuddle? I can barely move."

"Pfff, you're like an old girlfriend."

"Sorry," he starts getting up.

"I'm kidding, idiot, but when we get to Golden Sands you're paying with interest."

"No need to rock a boat when we can rock a continent, Cro."

Dark influence - overcome.

Mistakes of the past - corrected.

Future - bright.

Body pillow - fluffed, cuddly, reacting to me nibbling his ears.

Nothing can possibly go wrong.

...you shouldn't have thought that...

Sands Of Gold And Red: Cromach Wins

I could have done without all the rumpkissing from the hotel staff but as special guests we were 'entitled' to hear about the history of the best place in Golden Sands, all the tourist attractions, the activities we could do, and all the probably usual stuff. I've never been to a place like this so I can only guess what was just good manners and what was blatant 'we will drain all your money' behaviour.

To start things off, Golden Sands is a beautiful town, a strange mix between complex buildings of Manehattan and griffon village architecture thrown together in a way that does not hurt the eye. At least that's what I heard from Cromach. Even when I could still see I didn't care much about the beauty of buildings and architecture in general.

The location spell is getting more refined which is a fancy term for me not using my power continuously but in longer intervals which isn't as exhausting as it was before. Speaking of longer intervals, the Nightmare tried to get through last night again. I guess the failed attack on Luna wasn't enough to teach it a lesson. The power is slowly becoming mine though and it shouldn't take long and the pathway for the god should be closed again. With Luna's mind now made of steel and me gradually assimilating the Nightmare's power the two main pathways for the god to reach this world will soon be gone.

Nevermind that. As things stand, Cro is making all the masseuses cream themselves and Chokey's new 'librarian skank' look works on the other half of the resort staff. I think they are just used to older nobles spending their money here rather than ponies like my friends.

By the way, the sunny beach in the Empire is absolutely amazing compared to Equestrian winter. Too bad I keep slipping on the shifting sands even while leashed. The coconut milk cocktails make it worth it though.

We enter a hotel lobby where mahagony is apparently the name of the game. The large hall with pillars strewn around possibly more as a decoration than a building element smells faintly of vanilla and the distant humming explains the much colder air than it was outside. Two figures that are chatting at the receptionist's desk mean our arrival is expected.

"Welcome to Emperor's Embrace!" a chubby griffon in a suit stops talking to a receptionist and throws his arms in the air when he sees us, "The best hotel in Golden Sands. We were told to expect your arrival and we've prepared everything we have to offer. My name is Wilson and I'm the hotel's manager and co-owner which means that if you ever need anything all you have to do is ask for me."

I look at Blaze, who is still carrying most of our bags, and cough nervously.

"Perhaps a shower or something. Our friend here has some trouble walking on unstable surfaces."

Wilson, seemingly filled with enough energy to power a lamp store, walks to Blaze and looks him up and down. He immediately notices that lower parts of Blaze's body as well as his face are covered in sand.

"I fell few times," Blaze admits, taking a step back from the examining griffon, "It's the height difference between two points of sand, too difficult to make it out effectively. You see-"

"You are blind and you are using magic to see, right?" Wilson asks, nodding his head.

"Eeeh, yes?"

"Don't worry, sir. You are not the first and I'm positive you're not the last unicorn with the same circumstances. I take it from your collar and leash that this has been going on for some time."

"About a week, give or take."

"Sorry to hear that. Well, we are well prepared for such situation and a member of our staff can take care of you whenever you aren't accompanied by your friends. Would you prefer a griffon, pony, male or female?"

"Probably a female, species doesn't matter. It'll be less embarrassing than being led around by a complete stallion," Blaze hangs his head.

"HEY, we can take care of him just fine!" Darky bursts out.

"I am sure you can," Wilson raises an eyebrow and looks meaningfully at Blaze covered in sand, "but Golden Sands offers a variety of enjoyable sights and activities so it is quite possible you will not be by your friend's side at all times."

Darky grumbles something but doesn't continue.

"We also offer a wide selection of blood for thestrals-"

Her glare makes Wilson step backwards and fiddle with the collar of his suit.

"Fruit eater," Darky hisses coldly, "Perhaps you'd like to talk about your wide selection of kinds of mango now."

"I apologize deeply," Wilson bows, "I assumed from the longer fangs your preference was different and I was wrong."

"No harm done," Darky smiles brightly, all conflict forgotten.

"Thank you. Now then, feel free to leave all your luggage here in the lobby and I'll show you to your suites. Would you like me to arrange a guide for you?"

"No, thanks," I unload the few bags we have from Blaze, "We like to explore on our own."

"As you wish. If you ever get lost just ask about Emperor's Embrace. Everyone in the town can guide you back here. There are maps with some more interesting tourist spots waiting for you in your suites. Now to address one final concern. There are three single VIP suites prepared for you but if you'd like we could prepare one double in case you want to stay close to your blind friend."

"How about a triple?" I grin.

"Even that could be arranged," Wilson says calmly.

"It's fine," Blaze decides, "Just give us ones next to each other so my bumping into walls doesn't bother your other guests."

Wilson looks at me and Darky for confirmation.

"What are you waiting for?" I let him stew a little for unknowingly insulting Blaze.

"Um, nothing. I'll keep things as they are then. Follow me, please, and be careful on the stairs."

Our suites are simple in design but everything inside is of the highest quality. Every one consists of a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. In comparison, the same apartment in Canterlot would cost far more than both me and Blaze make monthly even without the amazing furniture and everything else inside. The beds are soft, the blankets thin, warm, but allowing you to breathe easily, and there's more than enough space to comfortably put all our things into.

I open a door made of pure crystal and step out on a balcony. Blaze took the middle suite and he's standing up, front legs propped against the gilded railings, and breathing in the warm air by huge lungfuls. Darky's waving at us from her balcony. It seems all of us got captivated by the same thing - the view. Well, maybe not Blaze. The fifth floor we're on is by far the highest vantage point of the town and from up here it's possible to see the true life of this place. While the beach isn't packed there are a lot of groups, mostly ponies, strewn here and there and I realize a ton of Equestrian nobles are here to escape winter. Griffons, surprisingly, are the guest minority here.

A thought crosses my mind.

"Wilson, are you there?" I yell towards Darky's balcony. A griffon's head pops out of the crystal door.

"Yes?"

"Any chance of a massage? We were cooped up on the train and in the ferry and at least I am sore all over."

"Of course. Come here, please."

I walk out of my suite and spot Blaze walking as close to a wall as possible towards Darky's place where Wilson is waiting.

"Do you wish to go together?" Wilson asks when we group.

"No," I say.

"No," Darky agrees immediately.

Blaze just shrugs.

"I can send a masseuse to your rooms or," he looks meaningfully at me and winks, "you can go to our main parlor underground for more rare requests."

"Parlor," I grin. My eyes must be glowing.

"Parlor," Darky understands as well.

"Room service," Blaze blurts out, grey coat stained with blush.

"If you will follow me then," Wilson turns to leave.

"One more thing," I remember something from home, "Do you have somepony who could teach Blaze about massages? If there are no objections, of course."

"I'm fine with it. It could kill some time while you're at your orgy," Blaze shrugs again.

Wilson gasps, takes a breath to object, and deflates.

"That's quite... accurate, if I have to be honest. We aim to please all of our guests. Your straightforwardness just took me by surprise. My apologies, I can easily arrange a teacher for you," he gathers himself.

"Thanks," Blaze smiles.

"Well then, follow me. Emperor's Embrace is all about pleasure, physical and mental. I hope you enjoy your stay."

I haven't seen the others for past two days. The reason I'm noticing this just now is that those two days were packed. When I emerged, legs wobbling, from the 'massage' parlor I hoped they'd teach Blaze at least tiny bit of what they did to me. The experience taught me that I was far more puritanic that I've ever thought. Let's just say that some things nobles with too much free time, money, and overactive imagination want done to them were way past my acceptance level. Not that I wouldn't want to do some of those things to Blaze, I just don't want them done to me.

Well, when I got out, completely spent and satisfied out of my mind I was hungry like a mountain lion. Fortunately, food is the smallest issue here and I had a gigantic lunch delivered to my room immediately. Blaze's suite was empty and Darky was nowhere to be found so I explored the town on my own... well, when I woke up again in the evening.

The night life is where it's at, here in Golden Sands. The hard-working ponies and griffons who serve the tourists during the day need to wind down as well and, thanks to mother nature, my pure white coat is unusual even for a griffon, in a good way I mean, so I attracted attention quite easily. Fast forward two days, I've now had enough physical contact for a yea- mont- few days at least. I should feel guilty about not even bothering to check up on the others during that time but all that is drowned by my complete exhaustion.

...congratulations...

The feeling of voice in my head works better than a cold shower. Ignoring my aching body, I get up from the bed and walk on the balcony. Blaze is sitting on a chair there, calm wind playing with his blue mane, with muzzle propped on the railings. Is he asleep?

"Buddy?" I ask quietly. His hearing is pretty good so he'll hear me if he's awake and I won't wake him up if he isn't.

He turns to me and yawns.

"Oh, hi. Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Buddy, if last two days were heaven, the only thing missing was you."

"Hehe. I must admit I have few things I want to try out on you myself."

"Were you with Darky all that time?"

"Not really. She's kept to herself... until about two hours ago. I've been sitting here since, thinking."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Funny you should say that. It's good for you in every respect."

"What do you mean?"

"She... she gave up."

"I don't understand."

"She said she wasn't not going to stand between us anymore. She said you were better for me in every way. She said she'll stay my friend but get out of the way."

...aren't you happy?

Now that's nonsense, Darky's crazy about him.

...admit it...

"Why so suddenly?"

"She said that something Heavy said back in Canterlot weighed on her mind a lot, the thing about names. She... she admitted something I had no idea about and I was so close to her for so long."

"Spit it out, Blaze!"

"She's a blood drinker. She's been filing her teeth short all this time. The reason for her sleeping around every few days wasn't just her sex addiction but the easy access to blood. She admitted to cheating on me when we lived together."

Oh dear.

"Buddy," I lower my voice, "what did you do?"

"What do you think?"

...take a guess...

"You didn't..."

"I forgave her. Nothing changed from those days, I still want her to be happy and if this is what it takes then I don't mind."

I breathe out and smile. No, he didn't. He would never do something like that. He wouldn't lash out, call her names, and drive her away.

"I'll talk to her. Heck, I don't mind her being a blood drinker. I know you wouldn't mind being her juicebox. Perhaps she just overreacted under pressure, right? You said it was bothering her for a while."

...don't act as if you're not ecstatic, liar...

"If you can raise her spirits I'll show you the best trick I've learned until now, Cro."

...of course he can do better job than you, trash...

I shiver. Ponies who overthink things are out of ideas. A griffon thinking with his body has one, the one that washed away all my worries of past days at least temporarily.

"Blaze, come to Darky's suite right now."

"Why?"

"Stop asking and just do what I say!"

I rush inside and hear a click of Blaze's door. Together we knock on Darky's.

"Coming to gloat?" she smiles but her eyes betray it's not a joke.

"Not really. Coming to celebrate having one great friend and one even better pillow," I push her inside and reach for the room service button. The intercom rings.

[What can we offer you?]

"A bottle of sweet wine, a cup of B negative, and some banana daikiri. Grab some sandwhiches as well, pony variety."

[It'll be there in few minutes, sir.]

"What are ya doing?" Darky scowls at me.

"I'm trying to get both of you to drink until we pass out. A night together would do us good."

"Blaze," she looks at the unicorn pleadingly, "I want to be alone tonight."

"Chokey, nothing good ever came out of me trying to be alone. It gets too difficult to resist the little voice telling you things look worse than they are. I... have to say something as well. Cro?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know how the two of you imagine the future but I don't plan anything. All I know is that both of you are my world. There is no 'standing between us', Chokey. Without either of you I am incomplete. This isn't a relationship between two partners but between three."

...the imprint of customs and society is too strong. Your effort will fail...

Everything clicks and makes sense to me now. There is only one course of action.

"Darky, I know Blaze would love you to suck him in more way than one. I know you want to be held down and screwed hard from time to time which is something Blaze will never do. It's the same with me. I have moods when I want to be rough, brutal, in control, but I'm afraid I'll hurt the unicorn idiot who would let me do anything to him. Sometimes I need to be bound up, controlled, and whipped which his head doesn't allow him to do while you have no problem doing so. I mean it's not just sex but it's the best simile I have."

Darky takes a breath to say something but Blaze talks first.

"Somepony told me something relevant once - It's easy to be happy, just stop resisting. Chokey, there's a pony and a griffon who want you happy, just let us make you."

Darky sniffs and wipes her eyes.

"If ya keep growing like that, Blaze, I'll poison Cromach and make ya my husband, just mine," she squeaks.

*knock knock*

"Room service!" comes from the door.

I jump up, smile at the griffon hostess with the tray, and get our orders. Darky takes a sip, scowls, and sticks her tongue out.

"Bleh, disgusting. I prefer B positive," she gets a glass from a mini bar and mixes the wine with the blood, "Much sweeter."

"So," I ask, "What have you two been doing while I was 'busy'?" I take a sip from my banana drink.

"Well, ehm, I've sort of been 'busy' myself. There's this noblemare, she's like forty-five or something, who likes to get her servants into rubber suits and pretend they are her dogs as she walks them. We started talking, I mean she was talking while I was busy lower, and she-"

"Nope!"

"Maybe..."

I look at Blaze trying to hide behind a glass of wine.

"Ooookay, maybe. Only if you don't go too far then," I accept defeat, "What about you, buddy?"

"How did I spend my time? Since I can't just walk into a group of ponies and get then to start screwing each other on the spot like you can, I asked for somepony to show me around. Wilson hired a guide for me who talked my ears off. Right, I wanted to ask you something, Cro. How many Legion soldiers are usually patrolling towns?"

I rummage through the memories half a year away.

"There was usually about five or ten groups patrolling the port where I was stationed at any given time. A small town like this, even with this many wealthy tourists around, can't have that many soldiers on duty at the same time. Most of the time we were sitting in the city fortress, watching sand."

"Hmmm," Blaze scratches his chin and shakes his head, "Nevermind that now. Since I'm boring anyway, care to tell me some details about you having fun?"

Darky's eyes go wide.

"I remembered something cool. One young mare got her coltfriend's horn as a birthday present, filed into a shape to fit her-"

Horrified and fascinated at the same time, we listen to Darky talking about how pent-up unicorns can go completely crazy with lust. As disgusting as some of those stories seem I can't help noticing Blaze's tentative arousal. Perhaps he wouldn't mind having his horn filed away bit by bit and turned into a love potion that would bind him forever to serve me, ehm, us.

...you think you've won, griffon? You have no idea how fragile they really are. All you can see is a mask that works one day but fails the next. You cannot rely on base instincts to keep you together. The thestral is out now, no matter what she pretends. Now it's your time.

Whatever you are, I will stay with my friends and keep them safe.

...what a strong protective instinct, something pegasi and griffons have in abundance. If you rely on instincts to save you from me I will show you what really is ingrained in your bones. There is one thing griffons fear more than anything else.

Heh, thanks for warning me first.

...prepare as much as you like. You cannot resist what you've been told since birth. The enemy that can be anywhere, anyone, anything.

What are you?

I am your worst Nightmare.

That was unoriginal.

One down, one to go.

Sands Of Gold And Red: Every Armor Has Got Holes

It's difficult to believe that Chokey could have been so stupid. I mean I understand that thestrals had it difficult before princess Luna's return and fruit eaters were just a little bit more accepted. By the few ponies who were able to tell the difference or bothered to ask, that was.

However, I think Cromach's idea worked. Chokey cheered up and embraced the vacation wholeheartedly. I think she's playing beach volleyball or something at the moment with Cromach and few other guests. As for me, I'm enjoying the sound of the sea and thinking. I know I should stop but when your head is your only company it gets rather difficult.

Choking Darkness... the dark, wannabe scary names have been in the old vampony families forever although I still believe the story about Chokey's mother choosing the name considering how pervy her daughter is.

Honestly, with how much magic I've been a victim of and with how many forms I've been changed into she should have told me. It's not like I would have felt any different about her for it. She couldn't trust herself to deal with it though so how could she have trusted anypony else?

...yes, I'm fully aware of the irony of ME saying that.

You can't just get rid of things that have been with you for as long as you can remember. Heck, no matter what happens, no matter what I do I'll be ashamed of myself probably forever so I can understand her.

We're halfway through our vacation and feel like a new griffon. All the remnants of worries from Manehattan are gone, the evil voice has been silent since the incident with Darky, and the batpony herself isn't just throwing out innuendos but seems genuinely happy.

Speaking of Darky, she changed her look for the vacation but after yesterday's shopping spree she's finally done. I must admit I feel bad for Blaze not seeing that because, I swear on Emperor's wings, she looks hotter than ever before. To explain things, she looks like a cheap crack whorse with the porn charm but without the abuse. Ehm, that doesn't say much, does it?

As she punts the ball over a net on the beach to the group playing against the two of us, I can't help noticing her bloodthirsty smile. It's two against five and we're smashing them. My gaze travels up to her mane which she almost completely shaved on one side, creating a long strand on the other side of her face. The second big change was her sudden interest in glasses. I'm not sure whether she's been hiding eyesight problems or she just likes the look but the thin, red-rimmed spectacles fit her colors perfectly. She completed the look with a white Saddle Arabian see-through skirt covering her flank from one side and leaving it open on the other. Black, white, and red - a somber colour scheme which she somehow managed to turn into sexy, yet casual, decoration. The sweat glistening all over her fur and matting her mane is just the frosting on the cake.

The ball drops on the sand and I shake my head.

"Oops, sorry, Darky. Got lost in thought for a moment there," I apologize, tearing my eyes away from the wet fur of her plot.

"Better hide that baseball bat, Crom!" she looks at my crotch, grinning. While I'm not showing anything she knows where I was looking.

Few whistles from the stallions on the other team tell me I wasn't the only one. Few more withering looks from the other mares aimed at them show they knew.

"How are you not spontaneously combusting with that black coat?" I ask, noticing Darky isn't even breathing heavily.

"Heh, as one of few batponies who like flying outside during the day I used to join the pegasi a lot. This is a cinch compared to flying above the clouds in summer. Ya tired?"

"A little. I didn't get too much sleep last night," I smile smugly.

Darky laughs and slaps my back. When griffons do it it's fine but the hooves kinda hurt.

"Good for ya!" she turns to the other group, "How about we take a short break? Two against five is hardly fair."

"Yeah, you have too big of an advantage!" a middle-aged pegasus yells, grinning, "Let's take a breather, friends."

"Not jealous? I'm honestly impressed," I look at Darky.

"I'm over it, Blaze is yours."

"I thought we talked this through with you."

"Ya did, then I thought about it a lot, then I decided. It's not about him forgiving me, it's about me forgiving myself. I can't really look at him without remembering I cheated on him, drugged him for my own benefit, left him to die out of fear, and a lot of other things."

"Does he know?"

"Of course I told him. I owed him at least that. I told him I'd be by his side as a friend and if one day I get over how I feel I might try again. He said he was fine with it."

I look at her again, hard.

"Darky, you could cut his heart out, deep-fry it, and he would be fine with it. I think you should-"

"And I think ya should shut up, Crom. Trust me, I know I hurt him deep down but I think he can deal with it now thanks to ya. I'll still be around, I'm still open to a threesome, I just won't come between ya when ya want to be together. One day I'll come to terms with all of that and then ya'll have to be scared I'll steal him."

"So... yet another selfish move on your part?"

"If ya see it that way," she shrugs, "I don't, Blaze doesn't."

I guess she's not budging no matter what so I just sigh. Maybe Blaze sighs so much not because of himself but because of her and now she's making me do the same.

"Let's just take a break. Where's the victim?"

Darky points towards a parasol stabbed into the beach and a unicorn lying with his head in the shade but the rest of his body in the direct sun. His dark grey coat must be extremely uncomfortable but he doesn't seem to be troubled in any way. Ponies are weird.

"Aren't you hot, Blaze?" I ask as I sit down in the shade, "I mean any griffon unfortunate enough to be born with black fur would be melting right now."

Blaze yawns.

"Part-zombie. Crappy blood flow when I'm not moving. Besides, I hated cold even while alive."

Hmm... that DOES make me a necrophile, technically. Considering how many forms Blaze went through according to his journal I'd be a-lot-of-phile so I don't really mind.

"So you're fine with just lying here the entire day?"

"Nah, few hours at most. Aren't you playing water polo or something?"

"Beach volleyball, buddy. We're having a break because Darky was beating them too much."

"A bunch of forty-something nobles against two young royal guards... that can't be legal."

"Well, it's more that the guys stare at Darky, the mares stare at me, I stare at Darky, the mares stare daggers at their partners so sharp the baloon pops when it gets close. Everyone gets something, noone really loses. Too bad you can't see it."

"Chokey, come over here, will you?" Blaze chuckles when she sits down next to him, wraps his hooves around her, and plants his face right into her almost invisible cutie mark.

"Hey, that's cheating!" I object at the blind pony touching another pony in order to... I can't win this one, can I?

"Aw, don't be sad!" Darky unwraps Blaze from herself and wiggles her plot in my face, "Kiss it and magically ya'll feel better."

Who am I to argue with magic, right?

"OW!" Darky scowls as my sharp beak nibbles her rump.

"What do you know," I mumble, "It really works."

Blaze yawns again, his mouth open so wide the three blackfrost tendrils taste the air.

"Sorry, guys. I'm afraid I won't be much fun today, too tired. How about we stroll through the town in the evening?"

"Sounds cool," I nod, "We could pile something more on the royal bill. Especially something other than food and drinks. Got anything in mind?"

"Not really. I just want to wander around. I like walking through places... once... then I get bored."

"Darky, you coming as well?"

"Not going for a romantic date?" she sticks her tongue out.

"We COULD end it with an adult group hug," I sweeten the deal, "I'm pretty sure that this resort of rest, pleasure, and decadence can offer us something."

"I'd hate to be the royal treasurer when he reads the bill," Blaze snorts, "Enough wine to drink a minotaur camp under the table, at least one of literally every food available here, some minor expenses for the actual services, and, to top it off, few crates of bondage equipment."

"All expenses paid they said," Darky shrugs.

"Well, when we're on our next vacation on the moon we'll have enough time to rest."

"Better enjoy this while it lasts then," I join Darky, all morals forgotten.

"Okay," Blaze rolls his eyes, "Wake me up when you're done with the water polo."

"Beach volleyball, also called beachball-"

"Don't know, don't care!" the tentacles from his mouth escape again and wave us goodbye.

The day passes way too fast but that's just a proof I'm enjoying myself way too much. First of all, I'm home. Not that I don't like Equestria but the sands of the Empire with their dry air rustling through my wings are where I was born and raised. The second biggest thing is that for the first time in weeks noone is going after me and I'm surrounded by ponies who aren't just colleagues, acquaintances, or casual friends but more, so much more.

The evening walk should be boring but it isn't. Watching Darky try various dresses and accessories out is an interesting way to pass time, especially when she has the fashion sense of a rave girl and even less inhibitions. Blaze, so he wouldn't feel left out, models some stallion wear for us with an expression of mild disgust, when he realizes what the clothes accentuate, and utter horror, when the griffon girl selling the stuff says it looks made for him.

I must admit Blaze was right when he wondered about the griffon patrols everywhere. There certainly is an unhealthy amount of soldiers around but that still could just show that the Empire cares about their high profile guests. Funnily enough, it turns out he just likes walking around and mapping new places for himself, perhaps he should have been a cartographer instead of a guard. Also, he hates seafood and mushrooms, a little detail that made my dinner order of shiitake squid a bit awkward. Oh right, we're banned from that place now because he pretended his tentacles were the remains of his still alive dinner trying to choke him and some guests ran away.

To finish the evening off we give Darky a free reign, heh, in choosing the right things for tonight. We regret it as soon as each of us gets to carry a crate on our backs.

Before passing out in Darky's room after an evening of debauchery I have to admit that in terms of mare on stallion on griffon affairs I've just been thoroughly schooled. On the other paw, mine and Darky's combined efforts made Blaze collapse while being our plaything. No amount of effort made him wake up again so we had to resort to some mundane interracial playtime. Up until today I thought I was experienced but tonight I was just a mere student.

...wake up...

I grunt as I toss myself in sleep and my muscles complain after being too abused. My right arm flaps around and squeezes something soft.

"Mmmmmm... insatiable griffons," Darky mumbles in deep voice and snores.

...you are in danger...

To complete my collection of yielding flesh to grope, my left arm reaches out to touch something rock hard...

...and not in the good way.

What's going on? Enemies.

My eyes shoot wide open. I sit up, ready to rip any threat apart.

What lies in front of me, in the same bed as me and Darky, is a disgusting creature. I know that form, every griffon does. It's a poor impression of a pony with sharp, hard chitin surface where coat should be. The colours are what makes it even worse as the last time I saw that colour scheme I almost died. Blonde mane, something none of those abominations should have and a bronze plating instead of normal black one is what I can't get rid of ever since Manehattan.

To think I touched that thing last night. It's pure evil. I must kill it get out.

"What's going- BLAZE?" Darky's voice is neither disgusted nor scared.

"Wzmlpf?" the changeling mumbles, opening its eyes.

Where are the pink eyes I love? What is this grey nonsense?

I growl ferociously. That bug has to disappear.

Darky rushes into the bathroom while I keep the monster at bay. She returns quickly after rummaging through a drawer for a mirror. The changeling looks at me, eyes wide, and carefully shuffles backwards. My wings flare and talons rip the blanket. The changeling then looks at Darky who is holding a mirror in her mouth.

"Oh wow! What the hay? How? Not that I'm complaining but..." it trails off, understanding dawning as it looks at me, "Oh no. Cro, I'll think of something."

"What. Are. You?" I stop myself from ripping the thing apart and the effort makes me tremble all over.

"Hey, it's me, Blaze. You knew I used to be a changeling temporarily, Chrysalis cursed me, and I thought you were fine with it."

It's dangerous!

"I need fresh air," I groan.

"It's still me!" the liar, traitor, monster wails, "I can wear a bag over my head or something if it's too bad!"

I rush out and slam the door shut.

"First Chokey and then... you?" is a whisper I shouldn't hear but I can feel it in my bones.

I stumble, shake, and run. My head goes completely blank.

Good job, griffon! I knew you'd be useful.

Gasping for breath, I collapse in a dark alley.

All that's left is to watch Hope die.

A griffon armed with a pistol and wearing traditional white nomad robes walked into a blind alley containing dumpsters and a white pile of feathers that on the second glance proved to be a griffon cowering in a corner with wings wrapped around his head, sobbing. Black smoke swirled around the armed nomad as he loaded something big into his gun, aimed into the air, and with a hiss released a charge that burst into bright flames above Golden Sands. After reloading he aimed at the wretch in the corner.

...not yet. He will live his own nightmare...

The smoke entered the nomad and a loud sound from the distance answered the flare.

...at least until we devour everything...

Sands Of Gold And Red: Alone

I was fine with being alone after running away from home. I was fine with being alone while in the mirror world. I was fine with being alone while having to deal with the remnants of Sombra.

After getting a taste of what it feels not to be alone it hurts even more. I should have never accepted their company. I should have stayed, well, myself.

I don't want divine powers, fame, nor friends. All I want is a roof over my head and something to eat from time to time. I know I don't deserve even a cardboard box and moldy bread.

Screams, fire and smoke.

Where am I?

Shaking my head to stop the random ringing, I try to blink through the darkness. Failing that, I realize it might be just around midnight. Normally, Golden Sands is alive into the hours of early morning but not THIS much.

"Owwww," I pick myself up from the ground, aching all over and trying to remember why.

I say a swearword so hardcore a nearby building bursts into flames. Even in my dazed state I realize that shouldn't be happening.

Sweat and smoke. The sweat is me, the smoke is everything else. Why am I sweating so much?

The events, one event in particular, of this evening make themselves get remembered. I shake my head again.

Why did I freak out so much? It's not as if I wasn't working around changelings ever since the peace treaty. I don't mind changelings, it was just a shock.

No, it wasn't. My entire being revolted. I remember my stomach churning, I remember the rage building, and I remember the fear, the fear reflected in his blue eyes. Not all of that was me.

I growl and my talons grind sparks against the stones of the road.

I have to find Blaze and promise I'll somehow make him forget that moment. After all, we'll have a lifetime to make things right... I hope.

Oh right, the town is on fire. That one might take some explaining.

As I run, surrounded by pillars of smoke, I spot a griffon in white robes throwing a bottle through a window of a nearby building I recognize as a souvenir shop we visited just few hours earlier. A moment later flames burst out of the window.

Raiders are attacking the town! At first I thought he might be just a member of a long distance desert caravan but now it's clear. Without a second thought I charge the nomad and wrestle him to the ground. I run my talons right through his arm as he reaches for a sword sheathed on his belt and procure that for myself. It's a curved one-handed scimitar, not exactly my type of weapon but it will have to do. A moment later the nomad feels the touch of steel against the feathers of his neck.

"Who are you and why are you in the town? I'll ask only once so think carefully!"

I must look deranged enough because his eyes go wide and breathing quickens.

"We're the Wide Sea Company, mercenaries. Some nomads hiding in the desert to the east of here hired us four days ago, paid cash up front. The orders said to torch the town, take anyone who isn't resisting, kill all soldiers. Our main goal is to find two Equestrian bigwigs, one of those vampires and a white... griffon... deserter..."

"Who is behind this?" I press the blade harder.

"I don't know! The leader of the nomads I guess. He just wanted to ransom the villagers back to the Empire. It's standard business."

I have to admit he's right. Small villages are often raided and the citizens ransomed back to the Empire. As far as I know the officials don't mind that much as most of the nomad bands require weapons made in the Empire to fight more separatist groups... who also buy weapons from the Empire. Money isn't an issue under these circumstances.

"How many of you are there?"

"About thirty mercs and fifty nomads."

"That's suicide!"

"There's supposed to be some sort of magic or something protecting us."

"You have a unicorn with you?"

"No, it's something else. I saw it," his trembling gets worse, "Will you, please, help me get out of the town? I don't care where, just get me out!"

"You've just thrown a molotov cocktail into a building with griffons inside. You're lucky I need information otherwise I'd cut your damn head off!"

"You think I'm afraid of YOU? I'm a merc, kid, been one longer than you've been alive, I'm ready to die. I don't want to but I know it's gonna happen one day. I don't know who the nomads made what pact with but this city was pretty heavily defended."

"Was?" I choke.

"Yeah, was. Couple of us broke into the city fortress and opened the main gate. We believed the magic supposed to protect us but the Legion soldiers' guns cut them down... then they got back up, drew their swords and charged."

"Necromancy?"

"You mean voodoo like zombies and stuff? I don't think so. I talked to one of them when we cleared the fortress and he seemed normal but something was off, as if something else was watching me through his eyes. I don't want that to happen to me."

"Give me your gun, robe, and all other weapons!"

The mercenary nods, disrobes, and gives me his belt with a pistol and a dagger. I give him his quite heavy money pouch back.

"Emperor bless you! I think I might join the Legion for a tour or two, they'd never mess with some unnatural darkness."

"Follow me then, I have to make a stop at Emperor's Embrace first. If something comes from behind either yell or I'll cut you down with it!"

"I get it, you don't like me."

"No, I just don't care about you and have more important things to do. You can either be useful or a burden and one of those I'll leave behind."

"Sure, let's go."

Running through the town, I see there are almost no defenders left, just civilians running away. My robes protect me from being discovered as long as I don't rush to help any townsfolk. As much as leaving them to their fate pains me, I know they'll be fine as long as they don't make much commotion. While I was in the Legion we had quite a few hostage situations and it seems the experienced nomads know how things are supposed to go.

I keep my composure right until I reach the square in front of Emperor's Embrace and see the massacre.

Dead soldiers are everywhere. The nomad force and the Legion soldiers must have clashed here and the fight is still going. I can't see who the defenders are through the surrouding attackers but they seem to be holding up. I grab a large two-hander from a corpse nearby. That's much better than the tiny thing I have.

"Got you," the dead soldier growls, opens his eyes, grabs my paw, and immediately gets decapitated. His grip doesn't relent so I cut his arm off as well. The body rises, uses one remaining arm to drag itself up, readies its hind paws to jump, and gets sliced in half. That finally stops it.

Unfortunately, the dead soldiers and nomads are rising as well. Not the best trap but a certainly unexpected one. So, I either make them unable to move or destroy the body completely.

With a wide swing I cause significant discomfort to all undead around me. Not that it stops any of them but the force of the blow slows them down.

All right, focus on one, cut a leg or two off, go to the next one, move back, repeat. It works for a while.

Suddenly, they all charge at once. These guys are definitely not zombies. They are fast like normal griffons but without any fear for their lives. My swing clears some space in front of me but one hits me from the side and trips me up.

"NOOOOOOO!" a high-pitched scream grabs the zombies' attention. A second later they get blasted away from me, some shredded to bits by black blurs in the air.

A blue-eyed, bronze armored, blonde maned changeling with blackfrost wings on his back... who am I kidding?

Blaze is there, looking at me and stretching his front leg to help me get up. The black shards from his wings swirl around him, stick to his armor, and for a blissful moment I can recognize the form I used to call Mistake. The shards swirl again and grind an approaching nomad to red paste.

Red and black blur grabs my attention before I can reach for Blaze's hoof. Darky's getting overrun by attackers. Not that she's a bad fighter but she can't deal with an enemy who ignores normal wounds.

...she'll die...

Right, I can stick with Blaze, help her, leave the alive mercenary here, and get out of the town.

...the changeling can take care of himself. She needs help RIGHT NOW...

Right, right.

I shake my head, ignore Blaze, jump up, and run towards Darky. Halfway there the nomads notice me which gives Darky a chance to get out of the circle surrounding her and slit one attacker's throat. Not much happens so she starts running towards me with the nomads right behind her. When I dismember the last one I realize... I've made... a terrible... choice.

The world slows down as I take a deep breath and try to untangle my thoughts. It got me again.

Idiot!

Idiot!

Idiot!

I can't move.

Blaze is still standing where I left him, head hung low and hoof stretched out. He shakes his head, quietly sits down, and wipes his face. His ice wings turn into steam and disappear. A nomad rises, grabs an axe, comes to him from the front, holds the axe up, swings, hits.

"Blaze!" I try to scream but I can only groan. All this is MY FAULT. MINE AND MINE ONLY.

...well realized, griffon.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

...you were the only one able to hear me directly, I wonder why...

OUT!

...oh no, I'm not done with you yet. Killing the unicorn is too difficult but you can help...

That's not going to happen, whoever you are.

...you cannot stop a god...

"Be careful, Crom," Darky's voice gets me out of the paralysis.

There is no way I'm letting it hurt Blaze even more and there's only one way to do it.

Sorry, Darky. Sorry, Blaze. This is all I can do now to prevent it from winning.

I take the mercenary's pistol from my belt and put it to my head.

Sands Of Gold And Red: Hope Dies (At) Last

Before I gather the courage to pull the trigger a nomad punches the gun away and two other jump straight at me. Unable to move under the pile of bodies, I spot a hilt of a sword rapidly getting closer.

Darkness.

Dizzy.

Getting carried.

Can't move.

Desert all around.

Parched.

Head hurts.

Night again.

Too cold.

Whip noises.

Drinking.

Poison or something.

Sleep.

Dizzy.

Warmer.

Fires.

Cold floor.

Real sleep.

Voices.

"I'm telling you the new guys are weird," whispers someone.

"I know but we're not supposed to ask questions," is a hushed answer.

"Well yeah, we get paid crazy money for a super easy job, the guys return confused and keep staring at walls, and some soldiers join us."

"Don't think about it too much. I asked the boss and if anything goes wrong we're getting out via the back tunnel. That goes only for us who stayed here."

"Phew, that's a relief. What about the prisoners?"

"Aside from the weird mare and the big griffon they'll be ransomed out. Those two are supposed to stay here. Don't know anything else."

"Thanks. I'm now pissing myself whenever I go through the barracks."

"Don't worry. When we get the money we can scram and join some other group. Emperor knows there are tons of wannabe warlords out there."

In the light of recent events there is only one thing I can and want to do right now. I sit down in the corner, hug myself, and cry. I'm sure Blaze isn't dead otherwise the voice wouldn't want me alive, I just can't handle what I did. I believed Darky hurt him over and over and deep down I hated her for it and now I'm the same.

I sleep and sleep and sleep. I train till I feel like throwing up. I eat the scraps they feed the prisoners.

Unlike Darky I won't run. I will find him again and I will face a god if that's what I have to do. Love will prevail, love and sharp weapons.

Pain means nothing. Broken bones mean nothing. Soldiers around you are everything.

The mantra of Imperial Legion comes to mind as a griffon holding a plate of food in one hand opens the door and a second one behind him aims a gun at me.

You want to keep me alive? Well then...

Punching the plate into the griffon's face, I twitch to the right and feel a bullet graze my shoulder. The shocked jailor can't react as I effortlessly pick him up and throw him at the armed one.

"I don't care if you are alive or undead, you aren't standing between me and Blaze!" I slit the throat of one griffon with the claws on my hind paw and the other one with talons on my arm.

Black smoke swirls around them.

"Not this time!"

Few swings of a stolen sword is enough to dismember and decapitate the jailors.

I'd like to look around but there's no time as the fortified door leading into the large hall with doors on the sides where I'm now explodes.

Jumping backwards, I raise my sword just to see a group of well armed griffons enter the room in a pattern I know very well. One blows the door up and hides on the side. At the same time a different one throws a flashbang inside which should blind anyone unprepared. My reflexes save me the use of my eyes when the remaining griffons charge inside.

"Beta to delta! Primary target A found. Moving in to secure him. Getting him on comms. Over," a griffon soldier says sharply into his earpiece, waves at me, and hands me a spare headset.

The coordination of these griffons is way beyond Legion standard and the equipment proves it.

"Alright," I say as I put the headset on, "whoever is there, listen up! You gotta get out or you're fucked. The thing spreads either if you're near death or if you lose your head. It's a magical influence. As for this place, there's an escape tunnel leading east behind the leader's suite. Are you here to kill the nomads or save the townsfolk?"

[Delta here. Cromach, I suppose?]

"Yeah. Equestrian Royal Guard."

[We know who you are. We're here to secure you, Choking Darkness, and Mistake and get you to the Holy City.]

"The Emperor and the Black Ops want to see us? I hate to break it to you but unless you really want to piss princess Luna off I wouldn't try to force anything."

[Let me be straight for a while, soldier to soldier. I don't give a fuck about you and the others, especially after my guys turned against me. Let the diplomats sort all that nonsense out later and let's all get out of here as fast as we can.]

"Sounds cool. What about the villagers though?"

[They are already out and being led by a group of my soldiers back to Golden Sands.]

"Good. Let's get Darky and leave. Mistake wasn't captured with us, no clue where he is,"

The leading griffon curses.

"Alright, let's set this place ablaze and get out."

"YYYYYYYYYYAAARGIEEEEE!" a nomad screams and gets gunned down by the soldiers outside.

I can hear a voice in my headset.

[Moving in to dismember.]

"Guess you know what you're doing then?" I ask the leader.

"A survivor of the attack on Golden Sands told us what happened. Agent Smith sent us to find and secure this base."

"Okay," I turn to the empty room and yell, "DARKY? DARKY!"

"In here!" comes from behind one of the doors but I can't tell which one.

"Good, got anything to open those?" I ask the leader.

"Acid, explosives, or a crowbar."

I examine the nearest door. The design is simple but durable. Forcing it open would take too much time and I'm not gonna use acid or, even worse, try to blow it up.

"I'll check the nomads for a key."

"We'll hold anyone incoming off."

Fortunately, there's a keyring on one of the dead nomads and there seems to be a universal key for all the cells.

[Multiple hostiles approaching.]

The doorway bursts in flames and the soldiers get away to douse the fires on their armor. Too slow. The burst from fireboms hits a large bag on the back of one of the griffons.

The explosion shakes the entire place and deafens me. Shaking away the ringing in my ears, I open another door and feel a blade on my neck. Darky bares her fangs and pushes me away, hidden blade sliding back into her horseshoe. The entrance is burnt black but the fires are dying unnaturally fast including the torches on the walls.

Darky says something.

"CAN'T HEAR YOU!" I tap my ears and she points towards the entrance where someone seems to be moving.

Sure that no soldier could have survived the short-lived hellfire, I walk over, ready to cut anyone to bits. Darky disappears into the shadows.

A griffon with charred face drags himself up and grins at me. His head falls to the floor instantly. Now completely positive about noone surviving, I start hacking the undead to bits before they can get up but there's too many of them.

Darky kicks one revived soldier or nomad away from me, it's too difficult to recognize in the dark, but a different one grabs her and throws her face first into the nearest cell, a still locked one. Let's say I wasn't too systematic in opening them.

"Ow! Bucking door!" she curses and rubs her muzzle.

"HEY, MOM!" yells an unknown but happy voice from the outside.

The zombies' lack of attention gives me a second to get my bearings and start thoughtlessly swinging my sword around again.

A snarling shadow smaller than me jumps through the entrance and I reflexively swing at it. The impact sends a tremor though my arms as if I hit something made of metal and the shower of sparks only solidifies the guess.

The shadow jumps away and I can hear it sniffing the air.

New light shines through the entrance, revealing a tall minotaur carrying a warhammer and few faces that are very familiar. The minotaur looks sharply at me but doesn't seem unfriendly.

The unicorn walking into the hall after him makes me jump backwards. He looks exactly like Searing Light, only much older - broad shoulders, blindingly white coat, and a long, blonde mane. Also, a sword levitating next to him surrounded in golden glow which is also the light illuminating the area and reflecting off his blue eyes.

The third pony walking inside is a familiar pegasus whom I met aboard the Lightbringer when Blaze saved me from being executed by Jones. What was his name? Chilly Look or something. All I know is that Darky can't stand him. Icy Gaze, right.

The last unicorn, completely black with glowing yellow eyes makes me breathe out in relief.

"Void? The hell are you doing here?"

"Apparently doing what Luna could not - saving you, Cromach," the black 'unicorn' smiles, "Where is miss Darkness?"

"Right here," a blade slides out of Darky's horseshoe as she steps out of the shadows and puts it to Icy Gaze's neck, "and she's pretty curious what this sack of crap is doing here."

Icy freezes. Heh.

"MOM!" the shadow sniffing around is revealed to be a nightmare changeling and waves his hoof at Darky. He is smaller than Three and doesn't emit the crazy pressure she does but still, he's dangerous.

"I'm not that good at recognizing your bunch. Which one are ya?" Darky slides her blade back again.

"The Crystal Empire one!" the changeling answers cheerily.

Darky finally seems to notice the white unicorn and bares her fangs.

"We're not enemies, guys, at least compared to the rest of the griffons here," Icy Gaze raises his hooves, "Remember the Lightbringer? I've got a ship here ready to take you back to Equestria."

"There WILL be questions later," Darky hisses.

"Calm down, Darky," I nod towards the doorway, "Let's blow this joint."

"I will have words with you as well later, idiot," she growls.

"You can't tell me anything I haven't told myself while sitting here."

"Don't worry, I'll find something."

The rescuers seem to know their way around so I just follow them through the stone halls of the dungeon. Right before we take long stairs leading outside we pass an empty area that has to be some sort of guard room which is nonetheless slick with blood. Noone is inside though.

"Aw shit!" I raise my sword as we get out into the desert and spot the figures waiting for us at the edge of light cast by the white unicorn's horn.

Soldiers and bandits alike are standing around, smiling and watching us.

"Those two belong to me," every beak says at once, "They've helped me break him once already and will be his complete downfall soon."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I can't help screaming.

Choking growls again... at me, not at the horde of enemies. Everyone can hear the dark whisper floating over the sand dunes.

Get the two... kill the rest...

"Don't hold back," Icy commands, "They're already dead! Cut them to bits."

The enemies charge from all sides but this time I'm ready and immediately cut the arms of griffons holding weapons around. I don't bother with immobilizing them or anything, that can wait until they can't kill us. That proves a mistake as my legs get grabbed and I fall into the heap of bodies who start crawling over me.

I didn't realize how many of them there were. The Legion soldiers from Golden Sands, the nomads, the rescue unit, everyone is there and just the pressure is overwhelming. On top of that, Icy Gaze is armed with a freaking lance - very useful in this situation. The rest of the group is holding their own...

...until lights flash and most of them drop to the ground.

The rescue unit griffons reload their guns and shoot again, obliterating all our chances of winning. From what I can see while being held down by the undead Darky's suffering the same fate and the only one able to fight is the changeling who is facing impossible odds.

"You have intruded upon my realm for far too long," roars a deep voice and the desert lights up with blue glimmer, "Thankfully, you chose the wrong place to defy me!"

Pressure hits me and I feel something being torn out of my soul. It's getting harder and harder to breathe. The undead lose all grip on me and with my quickly fading strength I push myself up.

Void, the alicorn of Death is standing there in all his glory. Purple flames of his mane cast eerie light on the desert and his black wings burn with the same power.

The changeling looks at Void and collapses immediately.

Blue glimmer lights the desert and ethereal wisps escape out of every dead body around. The light bathes the undead who rot away and when they're gone the wisps gather around Void and turn into the spirit shapes of the dead. The keeper of the underworld protects his subjects against all those who would try to abuse them and in turn they give him power beyond the understanding of other alicorns. Here and now, there is nothing the dark god that has been haunting us can do.

Void shoots a golden flare out of his horn and looks at the leader of the group trying to rescue us who is gasping for breath and holding his gun wound.

"This is not over, Icy Gaze. You have one more pony to save."

You cannot win, Void... I have agents everywhere.

Void smiles and disappears. The oppressive presence of the unescapable end fades with him.

Rumbling comes from above as I struggle to stay conscious and soon I can see small dots of light getting closer.

Oh right, Icy said he had an airship with him.

Everyone around is out like a light, at least I hope they aren't dead but that depends on the wounds. Void's presence can't have helped as either. With my life not being unnaturally sapped away anymore I get up. A pegasus props me when my muscles, weak as strings, make me wobble.

A mixed group of ponies picks everyone up and fly or drag them up on a wooden deck of an airship built reminiscent of the Lightbringer but in slightly different shape. I can't see much in the dark of the night so I just follow a nearby crew member downstairs into the ship and through narrow halls in style of griffon submarines. As soon as we enter a large room with hammocks hanging everywhere I just climb into one and let the world fade. Complaints will be handled later.

I'm not sure how long I was asleep and I don't want to get up but I have to in the face of an annoyed pegasus whose hammock I'm thoughtlessly using.

"Fine, fine," I grumble and untangle myself from the net.

The spacious room is undoubtedly the common area of the ship. The crew members are sitting around, drinking or eating, and in the back I can see Darky talking to the Searing Light lookalike and the changeling. Finding out about our situation seems like a good idea.

"Hi," I walk up to them and wave meekly.

"You..." Darky looks at me but doesn't continue.

"Don't bother, I know what I did."

"Well I hope ya do because-"

"Because it was the same thing you did to him for four years," I cut her off coldly.

She growls, her eyes bulge, she hisses, bares her fangs, takes a deep breath... shuts up.

"Don't talk to mom like that!" the changeling objects.

"He's right... a little," Darky grimaces.

"You're one of Guiding Light's nightmare folk, right?" I ask," My name is Cromach."

"Yeah, I'm Five and I'll tell the queen to try the name dreamlings."

"Better than nightmare changelings," I shrug, "I've met Three, she's serving as a Royal Guard and an official ambassador of Guiding's hive. She beat me up really hard once."

"Just once? She used to hit me few times every day. She's pretty short-tempered."

"Well, Five, what are you doing tagging alongside Icy Gaze?"

"Is that his real name? He's been using Frosty Stare in front of the crew. Similar enough."

"A prisoner, foalnapper, and a traitor not using his real name? What a novelty," Darky spits out.

"He's not THAT bad," Five mutters, "He promised me I could see the world with him and hey, now I'm in the Empire. The queen told us to bring information about different parts of this world anyway."

"No comment," Darky rolls her eyes.

"What about you?" I turn to the blonde-maned, white unicorn, "Forgive me if I'm not too ecstatic to see you. You look exactly like-"

"My younger brother? I get that a lot, especially from the thestral lady who tried to bite my head off when she woke up. Name's Holy Light," he stretches a hoof out which I promptly shake.

"Another member of the Light family?"

"Disowned, so not exactly. Me and Searing have our amazing looks after our father while little Blazing took after mother."

"Disowned is okay in my book," I shrug, nodding to Darky "Searing tried to kill us in Canterlot. Didn't work out well for him."

"She told me," he scratches his head and grins apologetically, "He took Blinding Light's racism too seriously. I think that after I got kicked out of home and joined Stalliongrad military Blinding tried to raise his second son 'properly'."

"You said little Blazing," Darky looks at him suspiciously, "I thought you lost contact with the rest of the family."

Holy thinks for a moment.

"With Blinding, to be precise. Mother kept sending me letters from time to time and I visited sometimes when Blinding was out of the mansion for longer."

"I wonder why Blaze never talked about you?"

"Did he talk about his family whatsoever?" he retorts smugly.

"Well, no," Darky admits.

"There you have it."

"Weird," Five sniffs around, "You don't smell like dad. Mom does, Cromach does... you don't."

"I, ehm, was away from the family for a long time."

"I guess," Five shrugs.

"We'll save some tales from his youth ya could use against Blaze for later, Crom. Go check this ship out just in case. I'm not exactly keen on a prisoner having an access to a weapon like this," Darky says in the most official voice I've ever heard.

"Sure," I nod. I'm positive she just wants to talk to Holy and Five by herself but her suggestion can't be bad.

Working from memory, I find my way to the captain's quarters which is locked and then to the bridge.

A strange duo is sitting in front of various levers, buttons, and screens. An old, greying unicorn is watching the screens on the sides and a grey batpony with silvery mane is holding the levers meaning he's probably the pilot.

"Huh, the interior is really exactly the same. Did our Equestria finally get some mirror world designs?"

"Hey, one of the guys we picked up! On top of that, one who knows about the mysterious mirror world," the old unicorn smiles widely, "I'm Cogwheel Ivan and I built this thing... based on somepony else's blueprints."

"Yeah, I wonder how you got your hooves on those."

"Details details."

"Icy somehow stole them, didn't he?" I comment with absolute certainty.

"Maaaaaybe?"

"Good, after seeing the mirror technology with my own eyes I'm pretty sure we need some of it in case our relationship goes sour."

"Hahaaa, that's the spirit! A bit of smuggling never hurt anypony."

"You're talking to an ex-Legion soldier and currently a Royal Guard recruit and a special agent of princess Luna. Care to say that again?"

"For Equestria and the sisters!" the unicorn salutes.

"Much better."

We come to a mutual understanding.

"You're being awfully quiet, Fail," Ivan turns the batpony's chair to face me.

The batpony looks very... VERY feminine but is definitely a stallion. After living with Blaze I'm trained enough to easily spot it.

"Eeeeeeeeerm," Fail gulps, looking at me.

"He's just shy," Ivan turns him back to the ship controls, "So, about the mirror world. Care to tell me more?"

I tell him about everything I've seen of the mirror world, the husks, the transport, the unified nations under Twilight Sparkle's hoof. He seems to love it, especially the explosives.

Fail, listening in horror, looks behind me and smiles.

"Hello, captain!" he breathes out in relief, "Feeling better?"

"Worse," Icy Gaze, entering the bridge, mumbles, "but that doesn't matter. How far is the signal, Ivan?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," says Ivan, obviously not too excited about the interruption, "At this speed we should be there by sunrise. I advise having a rest, kid."

"Same goes for you, grandpa."

"I'll have a nap soon. This young griffon has just been telling me about the husks he saw when he was in that mirror world you talked about. Do you know they sacrifice prisoners to create them and use them for law enforcement?"

"They do all sorts of useful tasks," I correct him, "but mostly they are used in the military."

"Heh, I should go there. Perhaps finally somepony might find use for me," Fail mumbles and I turn to him, "Eeerm, sorry."

He tries to look as small as possible as I examine him carefully. I seem to have a talent at meeting stallions with super low self-esteem. Well, it's not like I don't know what to do.

"You remind me of a very good... friend whom I have horribly failed. He said stupid things like that quite often too. Also, he was completely wrong and so are you. I think you just need the right pony to tell you."

"Exactly," Ivan grins, "You might be weird but you learned to fly this thing way faster than I expected so you can't be that dumb. That, or I'm an excellent teacher."

"Yeah," Icy adds, "Without you I wouldn't have found the cheapest crew I could in such a short time and I would now be lying in my bed covered in motor oil and duct tape because Ivan is better with machinery than ponies."

Fail chuckles despite being red as a tomato and his ears twitch when I scratch his head. He seems to have found his friends already even though they are bit of the shady sort.

"Trust yourself a little. Or if you can't, trust those around you and hope they don't fail you," I stand up to leave, "Sorry, Ivan, let's talk later. I need a bit of peace and quiet to think about things."

"Sure thing. Don't forget to think about bombs though! I need better BOMBS!"

Before I fall asleep in the common room again Icy walks in and tells us he's found a second group of Equestrians stuck in the Empire and he's going to need help getting them out of wherever they are.

Well, there's a chance it's Blaze so I don't complain and just close my eyes.

We're hovering hidden in the clouds over a small town on the edge of the desert and thinking about our next step.

"So?" I say, standing on the top deck and looking into the distance, as I hear hoofsteps behind me.

"Crom?" the hoofsteps stop. It's Darky, "Did ya mean what ya said yesterday?"

"Yes," is all I can say.

"I-"

"Stop right there, Darky. You may have screwed up for a short while but you have enough time to make it up to him if you want to. I will try. Subject closed."

"Heh," she leans over the railings on the edges of the ship next to me, "What if it isn't him down there? What if he's really... gone?"

"Somepony from Equestria taken by griffon Black Ops led by an agent investigating the Golden Sands raid, at least according to Icy? Is there anypony else unlucky enough? Plus, the enemy wanted to keep us alive to torture Blaze which means he is still alive and kicking."

"Got a point there. Well, we'll be going down in a moment."

"You're coming as well? I mean if it was able to take the soldiers in the desert what's stopping it from taking the ones who will undoubtedly try to stop us?"

"I can still stop the living ones easily."

Before I can comment on her fighting prowess Icy Gaze, followed by the combat part of his crew, walks on the deck.

"Okay, the plan is so simple even Skully here won't mess it up," he slaps the minotaur on his back, well, waist, "We walk inside and wreck anypony trying to stop us. According to our scanner the signal is coming from the upper floor of the tavern so whoever the group down are they are in one of the guest rooms. Don't hesitate to crack some heads, you know what happened in the desert."

"NOT SURE-" the minotaur starts and shuts up when Icy kicks his leg.

"Get ready!" yells Icy when the ship starts going straight down. Just like the Lightbringer it's more a powerful hovercraft than a standard Equestrian zeppelin.

So...

...a pegasus, a minotaur, a griffon, a dreamling, a batpony, and a unicorn walk into a bar.

Inconspicuously.

It works for about three seconds before I notice a griffon wearing the same armor as the ones in the bandit base... and he notices me, reaching for an earpiece which I now know is a wireless headset.

"Five, get him!" I point.

The dreamling's reaction time and speed are godlike and he slams the soldier's head into the nearest table before a single word is said.

"Now, stay here, enjoy your drinks, and noone will get hurt," I say pleasantly while Icy, Holy, and Skully go up the stairs.

A different griffon tries to stand up and I greet him with an aimed gun. He sits back down.

The silence goes on and on until a loud crack comes from upstairs.

"I MEANT SEARCH THE GUARDS FOR THE DAMN KEY!" Icy's frustrated yell from above breaks the silence.

The guard kept at bay by Five suddenly hits the dreamling and gets his neck broken immediately. All hell breaks loose as the tavern patrons all get up and try to get to the door while some other griffons grab large wooden clubs and rush at us.

"THIS ONE'S GETTING BACK UP!" screams Darky over the sound of breaking furniture and general panic.

Golden beam from top of the stairs burns the rising soldier's head clean off and Holy Light trots down to help us.

"Cromach! Come help Skullbreaker with the stretcher. CAREFULLY!" yells Icy again.

Stretcher? Is Blaze hurt too badly?

I run upward and jump into a rather large room with five new ponies inside. A quick gaze makes my heart stop.

Heavy Hoof is standing there, entire chest bandaged, and judging the situation. The mechanical pony from Twilight's Canterlot laboratory is there as well, complete and staring at me. The third pony is a brown earthpony mare on the stretcher Icy was yelling about.  The remaining two are the cause of my distress.

Mistake, the black, blue-maned unicorn is smiling at me. Next to him there's Blaze, the bronze-armored, blonde-maned part-changeling. Honestly, I have no clue what's going on.

"I-" I open my beak.

Blaze hesitantly takes a step towards me.

"No time, lovebirds," Icy breaks the frozen moment, "Get Dawn and there are other soldiers outside who need to be stopped."

Both Mistake and Blaze run past me into the hall. Guess I deserved that. Heavy walks up to me, raises his hoof, and I can see stars for a moment.

"That's just the first one, you pile of crap! Now grab the other end of the stretcher," he points to where the brown mare is lying and Skullbreaker is waiting, "and pull your head out of your ass. If a minotaur thinks faster than you I wonder how you're still alive."

Guess I deserved that one as well. Letting Skullbreaker fasten one end of the stretcher on my back and grab the other one, we follow Icy downstairs.

More soldiers must have come from outside as I see way more limbs on the floor than before I left the main room. I leave the low-grade horror movie scene and the light of the sun outside bathes me again. Icy's already there, giving orders to everyone. Two pegasi fly down from the ship and take the stretcher.

Something taps my side.

"I can't climb due to internal damage," says a raspy voice behind me. It's the mechanical pony whom I pick up and put on my back. Being the last flying member on the ground, I grin at Heavy Hoof climbing the rope ladder to the ship and land on the top deck.

"Ivan, get us out of here!" Icy yells to the stolen griffon soldier headset.

The airship starts humming loudly as Icy scowls and turns his head.

"How the heck should I know where... south... is..."

He recovers and screams.

"GET US OUT OF HERE!" he taps the earpiece again and looks at everpony around, "TO THE CANNONS, RIGHT NOW!"

I look into the distance where something black is rapidly coming towards us.

Just like the Lightbringer, there are small cannon station on the edges of the ship and I slip into one.

Aiming my cannon at the black cloud, I look around. Most of the artillery stations are primed and after Icy chats with the robopony for a second the machine slips into the last empty one.

I fire an experimental charge to check the alignment and timers on the cannon. It seems to be working fine as the charge detonates near the black cloud.

"The black smoke around the dragon shields it from all damage but the explosive charges still make it stumble and slow down!" the robot shouts.

A dragon? I squint but can't really make the rapidly growing shape out.

I shoot twice but fail to slow the approaching dragon. Yes, now I can see it well enough and it's flying much faster than we are.

"Everypony focus fire right under the dragon's left wing!" orders the robot again.

"LISTEN TO HIM!" Icy supports him and I refocus my aim.

"Four second timer. Fire!"

The chain explosion throws the dragon into a spiral but it recovers quickly. Someone tries that again but the dragon doesn't even twitch.

"Shoot a charge exploding behind the dragon! Bucket will give you the timer," Icy orders again.

...got you...

No! I've got Blaze back, Heavy is safe from Legion soldiers, and we're going home. YOU'RE NOT WINNING NOW!

"Two point five seconds. Fire!"

Aim, set the timed charge, push the button.

The explosion behind him only propels the dragon surrounded in black smoke towards us and it lands on the deck, sinking its talons into the wood.

An orange beam of light strikes the dragon that screeches and reels back. The shadow shroud disappears around the stricken spot and the scales of a limp red dragon become visible.

Blaze is standing there, bronze armor plates shimmering with reflection of his fire wings, and blonde mane slightly singed by the flames.

And so the champion himself stands up.

The massive taloned arm of the dragon moves with unexpected speed to squash the unicorn who doesn't seem to notice. He must be having vision problems up here.

"Swipe from the left!" the robopony shouts.

A long shard of black ice drops from above and pins the arm to the deck, ruining even more of the airship.

"Thank you for the sentiment," yells a shadow from above, "but it's unnecessary."

Mistake bombards the shadow dragon with a shower of ice. The dragon roars again and raises a wing, each icicle causing him to budge a little lower.

It's a trap though. With the dragon protecting himself from the assault from above, Blaze charges his horn again and blasts the wing as well. The shadows disperse.

Seeing his chance, Holy Light takes his place next to Blaze and his sword glows with golden aura. Making few practice swings in the air, the unicorn's horn burns, the sword seems to lengthen, and in a shower of golden sparks cuts the dragon's wing clean off.

"WOOO, BRO POWER, ACTIVATE!" cheers Darky hiding behind one of the cannon shields.

Mistake lands next to Holy and looks at him questioningly.

"Searing?" he tilts his head and leans closer, "You do look like Searing Light."

"Wrong!" the unicorn grins, "Holy Light's the name. I think there's a more pressing matter at hoof, right?"

Both Mistake and Blaze aim their horns at the dragon. Holy Light's sword glows again...

...and stabs Mistake cleanly through.

My mind stops.

Blaze screams in shared pain as Holy twists the weapon. Mistake's bones crack when Holy slams the unsuspecting unicorn with a shield fastened to his leg. Holy's blade continues in a fluid curve and shatters Mistake's wing. The blackfrost unicorn slams into the steel railings of the airship and slowly, too slowly, keels over into the clouds.

Blaze turns his head in utter disbelief towards Holy Light. A fatal mistake as the dragon pounces and slams my love into the floor with his hand.

"What are you doing, Holy?" Icy yells.

"Told you I had agents everywhere," the dragon laughs and the destroyed wing grows back.

"Don't tell me even you believed that bullshit lost brother story?" Holy snickers, "The smart mercenary though he could talk me into helping him basically for free by pretending he knew something about my 'long lost brother'. You were so easy to manipulate yourself. All I had to do was drop the name Blazing Light and you jumped at the opportunity to lie to me. Your changeling pet didn't trust me that fast but it was sooo much fun to listen to the idiotic batpony mare pour her heart out about Blazing."

Heavy charges Holy Light but a telekinetic blow sends him sliding back.

"You were a problem though, mudpony. Everypony was easy enough to fool but you wouldn't even entertain the though your friend was a corrupted monstrosity. Damn, the griffon was easier than you. Well, too late."

The dragon's talons squeeze Blaze and throw him into the air where the fire wings form a shield which stops the dragon's teeth... for a moment. In the next second the mouth slams shut just to stop again, this time much closer to Blaze's body.

"Stop struggling," Holy snorts, "Your death is a long time coming."

"NO!" I howl louder than the dragon roared and rush at Holy who, lack of interest in his face, just conjures a shield around him.

My vision goes blood red.

His amused expression turns to shock as I roar again, swipe with my arm, break the barrier, and rip his head clean off.

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

The dragon's mouth drops open, leaving Blaze hanging between his teeth.

"Nice try," Holy's head smacks its lips and my crotch explodes with pain. Stumbling around for a second, the body picks the head up and screws it effortlessly back, "Gonna need to take a bath to clean the mess up."

"What?" I groan and look at Blaze hanging limply in the dragon's mouth, fire wings flopping around and fading. He catches my gaze and smiles.

"Sorry... that I wasn't strong enough... that I couldn't change back into the pony you... wanted."

No... take me, anyone, anything but him.

...oh I will, eventually...

"Touching," Holy kicks me again and the dragon finally bites down, "I forgot to thank you for your role in all this. Suffice to say, it wouldn't have been possible without you. It was so easy considering how you proclaimed your undying love over and over, pfff. All I had to do was to play your griffon instincts a bit."

"You... bastard," I growl and Holy's hoof sends me back down.

"Shhh, I have some parting words for all of you," Holy Light looks around at everypony hiding behind things or lying stunned on the deck, "So, I'm not one for long speeches but I have to practice my evil monologuing. Well, here it goes."

He clears his throat.

"Your champion is dead and your world will soon follow-"

"You're full of shit," I drag my talons over the wooden floor, "The princesses will-"

"The princesses can kiss my corrupted ass. Why do you think nopony cares about your little alicorn sisters? Luna has served the Nightmare and we know her every weakness, Celestia is too soft-hearted. On top of that her power can't even scratch a god. The only two capable of doing so were Void, whose power is returning quickly but that means his mere presence is killing the world, and your unicorn friend."

"Why Mistake... Blaze?" I look at the grinning dragon.

"You had no idea? You HONESTLY had no idea? That's rich! He had the potential to become the alicorn of Hope, too bad you managed to dash it just by yourself, griffon. I know hope doesn't sound too scary but when all hope dies, despair comes, and despair prevents even the slightest chance of success, bearing similar effects to Void's power."

Holy clears his throat again.

"So, mortals, let's try again. Your champion is dead and your world will soon follow. The Nightmare thrives on fear though so I'll let you go now so you have enough time to tremble, cower, and turn against each other," Holy Light jumps on the dragon's back, "The Element Bearers are weak, the hero is dead and our time is coming. Thank you, Cromach, murderer of Hope."

Holy Light laughs from the dragon's back and the shadow wings give the creature enough drag to get in the air again.

"Ivan," Icy says stunnedly into his headset as the dragon flies away, "We're going home."

I hear Holy Light's laughter over someone screaming, begging, and sobbing.

Oh... it's me.

Gathering Storm: Days After

The desert wasn't searing considering the time of the year but it definitely was still hot. Scorpions scuttled into the shade of any occasional rock and cacti spent their time catching as much sunlight they possibly could. This particular stretch of desert was in the western part of the massive hegemony called the Griffon Empire not too far away from the ocean and the most visible nearby landmark was a small town about which noone could say anything other than that it was a train station.

A griffon as common as sand walked through the dunes, looking for something. The feathers on his head were white, the fur on the rest of his body would not be noticeable when surrounded by sand. Aside from a black jacket he was wearing there was nothing unusual or memorable about the griffon... if one didn't count the small snowflakes falling around him and melting as soon as they touched the sand.

The griffon put an arm to his eyes and pulled an old-fashioned sailor's spyglass out of nowhere. Grunting in obvious disappointment, he flew upwards to get a better view of the area. When he was high enough the spyglass turned into a high-tech griffon Black Ops binocuars and he smiled.

With a burst of speed not even Rainbow Dash on crack could achieve the griffon dove towards a small crater in the sand with something black in it. His spread wings stopped the fast dive so quickly that if the griffon bothered obeying the laws of physics the wings would have been torn off from air friction and he would have made a second crater in the area, although much bigger one.

Agent Pranks, as the griffon ironically called himself, was not one for obeying rules though. Landing easily near the anomaly in the sand, he sighed and shook his head. There was a black unicorn lying in the middle of the crater, shards of something black and shiny scattered in a wide circle around him, with a gaping wound in his chest. His blue mane shifted in a random gust of wind but his open eyes, pink and faded, didn't even twitch.

"Knock knock, anypony there?" Pranks asked playfully.

The unicorn didn't answer. He couldn't. Considering his limbs were sticking out in weird angles and his chest wasn't moving there was no way he was alive.

"Not in the mood for talking, eh?" Pranks scratched his head nervously, walking in circles around the body, "I thought you wouldn't be. You know, being kicked away by everypony around you and, particularly that, dropping from the clouds. Heh, from cloud nine right on the hard ground. Well, soft ground in your case. Not that it helped."

The body didn't move. Neither did the half-open mouth with tongue sticking out of it.

"Still giving me the old silent treatment? Hey, at least I tried to help, right?" the griffon frowned, "I mean I couldn't act directly. Well, I COULD but where would be the fun in that? Mortals fighting gods, standing against impossible odds, and finally getting the love of their life... it is so much fun to watch. Yet, the catch is that sometimes they fail, I guess. Books don't end that way though."

The broken neck of the unicorn disagreed with agent Pranks.

"You see, I could revive you... again. Heck, I could do it again and again but you know the drill - you do it for one pony and then you have to do it for everypony. Heh, just like you. You got lucky and got rid of an almost unstoppable threat from the mirror world by yourself and suddenly, when it reappeared, all of them looked up to you to do it again as if it was now your responsibility."

The body did give Pranks the silent treatment again. It didn't have much choice.

"And you know what I liked the most? No spouting of that friendship nonsense, no 'love will conquer all' pink goggles, and the best thing - you paid for it. For EVERY step of the journey you paid and now... now it seems you are out of things to give."

The corpse agreed by not moving a muscle.

"I had high hopes for you though. You ALMOST made my victory complete. Harmony put her trust into the Element bearers and the Elements are gone for now, locked until the little fillies become older and more powerful. Nightmare was almost nonexistent until Luna went bonkers a millenium ago and allowed it to overcome the Pact of Harmony. Celestia thought she was doing a good job by sealing Luna away but she only gave Nightmare time to grow and the hate to fester."

The broken body and the shards of black ice listened to the history lecture without interrupting.

"You might think I'm evil or whatnot but I like Equus. I like all the races no matter whether they walk on four, two, eight legs, or no legs at all. Oh, right. You've never seen snake ponies. I like how life develops and, most of all, I like the STRUGGLE. Nightmare wants to end it all. But look who am I talking to, you know all that... you SAW what's going to happen if it wins. You unknowingly brought the last remnants of the race Nightmare used to wipe a world out here and you made this place a home for them. Yes yes, I'm sure the 'dreamlings'," Pranks' claws made a set of air quotes click in the air, "will fight to their last breath but they will fail. Your daughter will die."

Pranks stopped and looked at the dead unicorn questioningly.

"Nothing? You're a bad, bad father. Can't blame you though, your father isn't the cream of the crop either. Let's take it from a different perspective then. Your lovers wil die. Probably as one of the last victims but the rest of their life's not going to be much better. One might say they'll be jealous of the dead. I think the griffon will be the last unless he kills himself after seeing what his failure led to. Wanna know the funny part? He actually blames HIMSELF. In a conflict of a griffon and a god, albeit a quite gutted one, he blames himself for losing. Talk about an oversized ego, heh. Speaking of oversized, that bat of yours must have taken a telegraph pole during her wilder days, am I right?"

Half of Blazing Light's corpse suffered the stab at his friend's life without twitching. The other half had been devoured by a shadow dragon days earlier so there was no angry retort there either.

"The thing is that you made Luna more determined than ever to resist Nightmare's influence and thus closed the biggest gateway it had to this world. If only you held on few weeks longer and absorbed its power completely things could have been so much more neat. Few emo souls here and there wouldn't have been enough for Nightmare to give anypony the power to, well, corrupt a dragon and raise an undead army. Oh well, that's why I can't have nice things, I guess."

For some strange reason being this close to victory and failing didn't phase Blaze. Maybe it had something to do with him being beyond first aid and, coincidentially, also last rites.

"Still not moving, eh? You know what? I'm tired of trying to persuade you to get back up. I need a rest," Pranks stretched his arms, dropped on the sand, yawned, and fell asleep.

When he woke up, Blaze's body was still there.

"Come on, at least this one has to make your blood boil," Pranks looked around, "if there's any still around, that is. Your father is still alive. He was pissed at the fake, or real, you in Manehattan and left for a fishing trip with your butler. I know, I know, fishing is boring as heck but ponies get strange when they get old. When he returned he found out he had no family anymore and no upper class 'friends' to help him. He's currently hiding in Manehattan. Anypony related to your family and the Order of the Silver Sun is branded a traitor and to be executed upon capture. Not you, of course," Pranks poked the body, "Come ooooon, wake up! You can watch the old bastard die in horrible agonyyyy. I'll even resurrect him for you two or three times so you can kick the stool from under him when they hang him over and over."

As tempting as the offer was, Blaze was in no position to accept. What position he was in was one that would make a trained yoga instructor go green with envy... and probably nausea.

"Screw this, I'm reviving you!" Pranks stomped the sand annoyedly and snapped his talons, "You can thank me later."

Nothing happened.

"Come on, Void isn't powerful enough to render all necromancy worldwide ineffective... yet."

He snapped his talons again with the same result.

"No way! Magic resistance so high even I can't get you back up? That's so cool!" Pranks nodded his head approvingly, "And so is your body. Get it? Cool! Ha ha ha."

Pranks focused his will. There was nothing, NOTHING he couldn't do even despite the Pact of Harmony disallowing him to do everything everywhere at once. Harmony had sacrificed herself to stop him playing with his creations too carelessly. Nightmare could only interact with the world through an agent. He... he could do most of what he used to be able to, only in a small area, and he was also subject to the Elements being usable against him if he crossed the line. NOTHING could stop him from forcibly bringing a single soul back to life if he wanted to... aside from Void.

His second creation had somehow over eons gained enough power to rival his. Yet, he didn't feel the alicorn of Death interfering.

Strangely enough, a totally random griffon's snapping of claws for the third time didn't bring dead back to life.

"FINE, be that way!" he sulked, glaring at Blaze's body, "I don't have time to be talking to you the whole day, Fluttershy's making cupcakes."

Agent Pranks snapped his claws again and disappeared in a flash of blinding white light. When he reappeared in a small wooden cottage he muttered to himself in a vastly different voice:

"Well, that could have gone better."

Princess Luna's face twisted into a grimace of pure horror as she listened to a report given by four ponies - one mech, two earthponies, and a thestral - and one griffon.

It wasn't the fact that an escaped prisoner SAVED both groups just to hold them hostage and make Luna pay a fairly insignificant, if she had to be honest, sum of money. It wasn't the fact that said prisoner had at his disposal a warship never before built in Equestria, her Equestria. It wasn't the regrettable death of a unicorn who fascinated her and had on occasion helped her immensely. I wasn't even, very surprisingly, the coming end of days.

No, it also wasn't the bill from Golden Sands that somehow managed to get to Canterlot despite the entire town being levelled. Mere death was but a nuisance to accountants apparently.

It was the fact that three out of her five subordinates looked completely dead inside.

Luna knew grief. Every alicorn knew grief so deep mortals couldn't even begin to imagine. That's what she believed until the point when Choking Darkness, Cromach, and Heavy Hoof walked into her office. In their faces there was the knowledge that there was one true chance in anypony's life to find happiness and meaning... and their one chance was gone, leaving the rest of their days an empty existence.

"Anything else?" Luna asked.

"I request a temporary leave of absence in order to get my armor repaired," said Bucket, the mechanical pony, whose steel armor plates looked as if he had spent a night in a blender.

"Request accepted," Luna nodded and looked at a brown earthpony mare covered in bandages and barely standing, "First escort Dawn to the castle infirmary though."

The duo left and Luna sighed.

"The rest of you..." she started.

"I assume full responsibility for everything that's happened," said a green-eyed griffon whose body was completely white, both feathers and fur. He didn't make eye contact with the princess and the tone of his voice made it clear he wasn't saying it out of some royal responsibility. He wanted to suffer the consequences.

"Cromach, you are hereby promoted to the rank of drill sargeant. That, coupled with you being directly under my command, makes your rank even with Heavy Hoof," Luna nodded towards a white earthpony with light blue mane and patches of long blue fur on his legs just above his hooves, "You will also join him, Rising Thunder, and Choking Darkness in training new recruits."

"I have a request," said the red-maned thestral mare whose coat was black as charcoal. She was still wearing the thin red-rimmed glasses she'd worn in Golden Sands but there was nothing carefree about her. A new addition to her arsenal was a strange bracelet with tubes on it that Cromach knew was a mirror world hoof-operated gun, a short-ranged and inaccurate cannon capable of blowing a hole in an armored knight. How she'd managed to get Icy Gaze to give it to her was beyond him but he suspected it had something to do with them not trying to run away during the ransom dealings.

"Yes, miss Darkness?"

"I want magic. Sharpie was able to use magic to a limited degree and I want to know how. Blaze told me once ya knew how to make enchanted horseshoes."

"Ah, the horseshoes serving as a magic focus akin to unicorn horns. That is... correct. I can have them made for you but I cannot teach you to use them outside of some basic rules."

"That'll be enough, princess. I... I've never felt so useless in my life. Too bad that now I realize it it's too late," Choking bit her lip and sniffed.

Luna had nothing comforting to say. Anything she could say now seemed trite and pointless. She turned to business.

"Heavy, got anything to say?"

"Nothing, your Highness, at least not to you," his eyes darted from Cromach to Choking. Luna understood.

In any normal case she would give all of them some time to recover but neither of them could be left alone in their state. What they needed was to put some distance between what happened and themselves.

"All three of you," Luna ordered, standing up from her desk, "take an evening off. You have lessons tomorrow and I'll expect you to be there. After I talk to my sister about our next step you'll be in charge of telling our military about the situation. Dismissed!"

The trio saluted and left. Luna regretted putting three ponies in their early twenties in such position but she didn't have a choice. It was also the only way to help them deal with their loss.

After all, diamonds were created under pressure.

Gathering Storm: Setting Things In Motion

"What are we going to do now?" mumbled a rust-colored unicorn with brown mane to himself.

He was sitting in a bar somewhere in the depths of Zebrica. The exact name of the country mattered little to him for two reasons. The first one was that thanks to crazy warlords the countries around here changed their names on monthly basis and the second, more important one, revolved around the fact that ponies and countries would soon be completely irrelevant. For now, though, he was enjoying his beer. It wasn't too good but it was cheap and in large quantities.

We have to get Void out of the picture.

"I thought you were a god. Can't you just summon some army of darkness and kill everything?"

If that was the case I wouldn't need you.

The unicorn had to admit it made sense. After his success in the Griffon Empire he'd dropped his Holy Light disguise and flew south as the voice who had been leading him up to this point ordered him to. His real name was unimportant and so was his past life. He'd suffered scars beyond healing and over time he'd come to a conclusion that there was nothing in this world to live for.

The voice had told him he was wrong. There was always revenge on those whose fault it was his life ended in such state. Having nothing and nopony to rely on, he had accepted the offer. Not for the shortest moment had he believed his life might have been his fault.

"So? How do we deal with the alicorn of Death? He stopped us in the desert rather easily."

Yes. Not even I know the source of his power but there are ways to work around it. Void spends most of his time in the underworld where souls pass through after making amends in Tartarus. He has to stay in a place detached from Equus otherwise his power would turn it into ruin even without our interference.

"He unleashed himself in the desert. I've never thought sand could rot. Can't we, I don't know, just lure him out, lock him on the face of Equus, and watch the world die?"

Good idea but one that needs a lot of preparation. When elder alicorns grow too powerful they usually build a pocket dimension for themselves where they can really, let's say, stretch their muscles. Void, however, cannot do that on his own. Such feat requires either a massive amount of magic or a power centered around creation. He is the only living alicorn who has neither.

"You said he lived in the underworld."

Indeed. He wasn't the one who created that place though. Out of the few alicorns who still choose to interact with the 'real' world the only one powerful enough to make something stable enough for Void to reside in is his marefriend - Scream, the alicorn of Lust.

"Can we actually go against a magic user this powerful directly?"

Yes, we can. Fortunately, Scream's last engagement with me ended up rather poorly for her and now she's just a mindless piece of meat who follows Void around. The magic is linked to her and if she disappears Void will either have to use his weakened form and not be a threat or eventually wipe all life out.

"I suppose you know where to find this Scream."

Yes. However we'll have to go back to Equestria for that. Your magic isn't sufficient enough to break into her own pocket dimension from anywhere. We'll have to find a point where the dimension is linked to Equus. Just like Tartarus is linked to a cave in the Equestrian mainland and the underworld access point is somewhere in the griffon deserts the entrance to Scream's home is in the Everfree Forest.

"Are we going right now or...?"

As much as I hate giving Void time to analyze the situation we have other things to do. This is just a backup plan, we still have the world to ruin on our own.

"Alright. How about we start with an army of undead? Will Void stop you here?"

Not a chance unless he wants the underworld to suddenly become very overcrowded.

"Good," Holy Light stood up from his table, looked around at zebras relaxing after hard day's work, and drew his sword.

"Sir, please, put that away," said a muscular bartender in a heavy accent, "We don't like our customers getting hurt."

A flick of Holy's horn later his golden-glowing sword pierced the bartender's chest. Unlike anywhere in Equestria, the patrons didn't try to run away but charged the rusty unicorn.

Few minutes later Holy walked outside of the tavern into the streets of a small town. A group of zebras previously drinking beer and various brain cell killers followed him on unsteady legs.

Well, he needed to amass a force big enough to attack Equestria. Why not start right here and now?

In a different bar, in a different city, and on a different continent Heavy Hoof waved at Brick the bouncer and looked around. This mercenary bar in Canterlot went by the name Sole Regret and used to be a frequent place of solitude for Blazing Light. Now, though, Heavy was looking here for somepony else. For once he didn't wonder about how a place where everypony was armed and most of the patrons must have come against one another on various jobs could be so peaceful. Few unicorns in the back were playing darts, a group of mercenaries were telling a story about their exploits, often correcting one another about who really killed which monster, while being listened to by several young colts with eyes wide as soup plates, and a griffon accompanied by a thestral sitting quietly in a corner table.

"Evening," Heavy greeted the duo and sat down, "Never pegged the two of you to come here. I thought Lucky Horseshoe was more your taste."

"Liar," Choking Darkness smirked, "What do ya want?"

"He wants to yell at me," Cromach mumbled into his beer, "for messing everything up. Rightfully so."

"Come on," Choking smiled at him but he wasn't looking, "Ya couldn't have known."

"Actually, Crom, I'm not here to chew you out," Heavy nodded at the passing bartender, "One Sister's Grace, please."

"Thanks, I guess," the griffon sighed gloomily, "but all I really want to do now is drink until that little voice in the back of my head shuts up."

Heavy took Cromach's head into his hooves and forced him to look him in the eyes. Green met brown and Heavy smiled.

"You did all you could. You did nothing wrong. Blazing told me exactly what happened in Golden Sands and you were strong enough to resist the Nightmare and make him happy for as long as you did."

"I could have done so much more if only I wasn't so hot-headed."

"If you weren't you, you mean. Well, if you weren't you then Blazing wouldn't have been happy around you. You are also forgetting one important thing. Most of what happened was HIS fault, not yours."

The blow caught Heavy by surprise but he recovered quickly and continued.

"Cromach, you told me what bothered you the most was that you left him hanging in the town square but you did the right thing. Darky couldn't have handled the situation while Blazing was smashing the undying soldiers. If he wasn't an emotional idiot seeing the worst in everything he wouldn't have given up there and then."

"Shut up!" Cromach growled.

"HE told me that. I'm not making things up. He understood what went wrong and came to terms with it. All he wanted was to talk to you about the transformation but... things happened."

The bartender brought a cocktail the upper half of which was white while the bottom half was dark blue. Heavy downed it in one go.

"All I wanted," Cromach covered his eyes, sobbing, "All I wanted was..."

"All you wanted was what all of us wanted at one point in time," Heavy smiled comfortingly, "Listen to me, Crom. You too, Darky. You might be forgetting one thing - Blazing killed my coltfriend. It wasn't exactly his fault but he did. Crom, you have no idea how I felt after Sharp died, Darky does. Both of us came to terms with it and loved our idiot even more after knowing HE took it the hardest. What I'm trying to say is that things will get better. You will find somepony else and you will never make the same mistake thanks to this experience."

Cromach sighed.

"I just... every time I'm sitting back in our... my apartment I think of him. I can't help blaming myself."

"Why don't the two of you stay together for a while?" Heavy suggested, "It's not like you aren't friends with benefits anyway and not being in an empty room alone might help."

Cromach shook his head but Choking nodded.

"Hey, not a bad idea. It's not as if I have no experience in fixing broken guys," she nudged the griffon.

"I don't know... it feels like I'm betraying him."

"Pfff," Darky waved her hoof, "And sitting here being miserable doesn't? He wanted ya to be happy so ya can't just throw it away like this."

"Don't dwell on what will never be and just remember the good times," quoted Heavy.

"Hey, who said that?" Darky grinned and withered when both of them stared at her, "That was a joke, a joke. I listened to Blaze too from time to time. Stop looking at me like that!"

Cromach smiled weakly.

"Fine, I'll move in for a while. I wanted to get rid of my place for a while anyway and now I'm actually getting paid enough to afford something bigger."

"And I know a place that sells custom life-sized plushies," Heavy added. This time he was the focus of two scorching stares, "What? I gave Tio one of me to keep around in the camp."

Choking was glad to see the conversation shift elsewhere.

"Is he still staying with his unit in Ponyville?"

"Well, Chrysalis' order to monitor the Bearers is still in order and prince Shining Armor keeps visiting from time to time to play whatever the pen and paper thingy is called."

"Damp cellars and firebreathing lizards or something," Darky coughed, admitting said knowledge.

"Yeah, that. They play it live, Tio changes into the monsters and Shining fights him. Starlight does the succubi and desire demons while Shadowstep does the boss fights."

"Princess Cadance doesn't object?"

"I'm not sure Shining told her about how he wrestled the six-breasted hippogriff broodmother with his bare hooves... in blueberry jello. Anyway, it's not like anypony actually has a chance with the prince, he loves his wife way too much."

"So, just a little bit of spice in their lives."

"Exactly."

Not for the first time Cromach wondered about the strangeness of living among ponies but, as he listened to Heavy's story about Shining subduing the enchantress of Zanzebra in her tentacle pit, he suddenly didn't feel the need to order another drink.

Piles of skulls filled a cavern on top of an unnamed mountain. A black alicorn was resting atop one of them, carefully observing multiple squares with flickering images floating in mid-air around him. As he stretched and turned around to find a better position the bones didn't crack or break but just shifted into a comfortable shape.Contrary to observation this place wasn't the underworld although the decor and the company hinted at it.

Void moved his hoof and some of the images floated away and disappeared while the others sat still. Something felt off. It was simple enough to spot the disturbance in Zebrica but there was nothing he could do about it. Void didn't have an army at his disposal and he couldn't rely on his power unless attacked directly. His best choice was to steer events towards a favourable engagement between what would become Nightmare's army and whoever was willing to defend the world of living.

The images around him showed various parts of Equus where Nightmare's agents began their campaign to gather forces which would eventually head... where? To Equestria, obviously. Zebrica was too shattered to form a united front against the growing army. The Griffon Empire was crippled by politics to decide quickly enough on a reasonable course of action. The northern minotaur tribes were barely civilized enough to understand the threat and no other faction was strong enough to fight. Equestria would have to be the final stand unless he found a way to stop things before they got serious.

There was one thing he could do though. Nightmare wasn't subtle in its efforts and its agents were hotpots of dark magic and divine power. Even if he was using his sealed form he should be enough to clear all but the strongest agents and at least give Nightmare only one way to attack. Direct threat, although devastating, was still easier to read and react to than multiple revolutions and areas of growing corruption. Void's form changed from a blackfire alicorn into a purple-maned black unicorn and he stood up and cracked his neck.

Before he could teleport outside though something nudged his neck gently. He smiled and looked at a golden alicorn with platinum mane whose thin black streaks in her coat made it look like changeling armor. Scream licked his face as his muzzle booped hers.

Void might forget friends and he might forget allies but in front of him there was the one and only reason he wasn't allowed to fail.

The grim reaper picked his metaphorical scythe up and disappeared.

Scream just tilted her head as her lover suddenly wasn't there. She was calm. Even in her simple mind she knew he went away and came back often. He always came back to her.

"Well well well," a voice laughed from the entrance to the cavern, "The timing couldn't have been better."

Gathering Storm: Allies, Old And New

Steps echoed through the high, white and gold decorated, hall of the throne room in the Holy City. At this time of the day there was noone allowed inside and the Emperor was alone with his thoughts. Not many griffons have ever seen someone of the imperial bloodline but those who knew the Emperor in person weren't surprised by his appearance.

In the old days the griffon rulership was given to those with power and leader's charisma and the tradition survived even to the present. Despite some nobles disputing the decision to keep the leadership of the Empire in one bloodline they couldn't ignore one key thing - the imperial family wasn't so weak it couldn't compete with external influences concerning the Imperial leaderhip and had to forcibly keep the title within. They kept the Emperor title because, simply, they bred and raised the best of the best to lead their country.

The one most suited to becoming the leader became the Emperor while the other sons had the choice to either serve the Empire further in the Black Ops or get stripped of their ruling rights, given a nobility title of their choice, and be free to live their lives as they saw fit.

The tall, grey griffon on the throne was a warrior, no amount of soft clothes of the highest quality could hide that fact. He wasn't a clerk, he wasn't a politician, and he wasn't a strategist. He had those of such necessary skills serving under him. He was a shining beacon to all those who followed him, he was their morale, he was their banner, and he was the symbol of their unity.

He was also staring in utter disgust at agent Pranks smiling at him from behind one of the white pillars on the sides of of the long hall.

"Who are you?" the Emperor asked the intruder.

"I doubt you really care so let me be direct," Pranks put his talons together, "Your little Empire is in danger and I want to know how far you are willing to go to protect it."

"I will do anything to keep my griffons safe," proclaimed the Emperor proudly.

"Good to know. Well, there's a massive army gathering in Zebrica which will invade Equestria given enough time. With pony military being in complete disarray you have the only force capable of stopping things before they get out of hand."

"And I should care because...?" the Emperor raised his talons.

"If Equestria falls then your supernatural protection will also fall and no amount of technology and brute force will help you then."

"You are not a secret service member," the Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"And you are not a typical bird brain, kitty. So, do I have your support in this matter?"

The Emperor's laughter echoed through the empty throne room.

"I do not care about your agenda. I do not know how you got here and who you are but get out of my sight! The Empire will stand strong against any enemy. The Empire will break the sides weakened by war and spread to Equestria. The Empire will-"

Blood began streaming from the Emperor's beak as Pranks appeared in front of him without moving and stabbed a thin stilleto right into his neck.

"The Empire," agent Pranks grinned evilly, "will be leaderless for a while. As they say, the strong prey on the weak and your bad decision has just made you the weak link."

The Emperor's stamina and tenacity was admirable as he moved his arms and gripped Pranks' neck tightly. Pranks didn't flinch and stared the Emperor directly in his eyes.

"If you're not with me than you are against me, you old fart," Pranks grunted, "We can't have a second evil army messing everything up, can we? So, we'll get the Black Ops to cooperate and temporarily rule this land while they find someone not so... set in his ways. That, or I can just gut you in front of the palace and shatter your Empire with only few cuts. You know that EVERYONE will want a piece of the fertile land once your ruling arm is gone. What'll it be, birdie? Either you tell me the name of someone more peaceful and smarter than you or this land will enjoy some delicious war and chaos."

The Emperor groaned.

"What was it? Didn't really hear you over all that blood gushing out."

"Vargaz," the Emperor's eyes glazed over, "Find agent Vargaz."

Pranks let the Emperor's body slump on the delicately crafted floor tiles.

"I knew griffons didn't go for stupid leaders."

"AAAAAAAIGEEEREREFRAGHR-BERGHIR MAERGHIN!" Choking Darkness cursed as lightning rushed through her body and left her smoking slightly on the floor of princess Luna's Canterlot office.

"I had no idea you spoke the old tongue," Luna smiled, "although I do not approve your choice of words."

Choking twitched and few sparks jumped between her stiff mane and the carpet. When her eyes finally rolled back and become more than just white blanks she stood back up and sneezed.

"Sharpie went through all that as well?" she shook her head again to get rid of the feeling that her brain was melting out of her ears.

"Yes, although with less severity and much less swearing."

"I believe my tits were shooting lightning for a while there. I thought the horseshoes focused the magic themselves."

"Of course not, the horseshoes are just meteoric iron with your blood caked into it. You have to feel them and use them to focus your energy. Don't worry, it took Sharp Biscuit several months to learn to use them correctly. You seem to be harnessing a lot of raw power though."

Choking couldn't get rid of the rush of magic coursing through her body. It was like flying but faster, so much faster. She wanted to try again and not only because every time she fell on the carpet her crotch left a damp spot. First of all, she needed all the power she could get to be able to protect herself and everypony around her. The second reason? The flow of energy felt so damn gooooood.

Raising her hooves in front of her and standing on her hind legs, she felt her core get warmer and warmer unil the heat and fullness in her every vein was unbearable and screamed:

"UNLIMITED POWEEEER!"

Small bolts of lightning reaching few inches out of Choking's horseshoes lit the dark office and made Luna's mane slightly wobble with static electricity.

"Very limited," Luna raised an eyebrow, watching the mare pointing her hooves at Luna's face with an expression of indecisiveness between insanity and orgasm.

Few moments later Choking's legs gave up on her effort to look evil and she slumped on Luna's carpet with a wet squelch. Luna sniffed the air.

"It smells like a house of moderately priced affection in here. I dread the gossip the cleaning maids will spread about me. Still, she learns rather quickly."

The paperwork ordering the draft of everypony between the age of eighteen and twenty-five still burned Luna inside. Of course it wasn't her sister's fault this thing got through the legislation process. Somepony just got news of a possible unrest and wanted to use the law against her sister to portray her as a ruler sending foals to war.

She smiled to herself and her horn glowed. The official document burst in flames and disappeared into a heap of ash.

"You are very useful, miss Darkness, although you lack self-control. I might even have to punish you for ruining such an important piece of legislation."

Luna slid her hoof across Choking's crotch and sent a small bolt of electricity through. Choking smiled, twitched, and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

"Consider yourself punished."

With that, Luna teleported out of her office into her private suite in the castle and walked straight into the bathroom. A long shower was in order. As the steaming water flowed through her coat she realized she was going to need allies. Allies didn't always mean friends though. Money bought mercenaries but some mercenaries worked for different currency as well.

Perhaps it was time to stop dwelling on details and admit her fault. Still sitting in the spacious tub, she focused on a quill in the main room which began writing.

Her head hurt. Her head hurt so much. The nice pony wasn't around. The weird pony was making noises. Truth be told, he didn't look much like the nice pony. The nice pony's colours were dim and didn't hurt her eyes like the weird one's did. She also liked when the nice pony nuzzled and hugged her from time to time. The weird one's strange sharp muzzle was hard when she tried to boop him and he recoiled at the touch. The feathers on his head felt cold unlike the dark pony's fur.

She didn't like the new pony. He made a lot of noises in too high pitch, jumped around a lot which made her head hurt even more, and laughed. Not in the nice way like the dark pony did. The nice pony made quiet noises and rubbed her ears while the weird one pointed at her and laughed over and over while making more noises.

Where did the nice pony go?

Moving was difficult but she managed. Sometimes she moved too fast and bumped into things. The nice pony always smiled at her and led her at her pace where she wanted to go. She loved when the nice pony made pictures move around, especially the one where a smaller black pony was eating something brown and crunchy a gold pony gave him. She could never look at the picture for long because her vision became blurry but the nice pony didn't mind and showed her more pictures. He was in some of them, most of the time alone but sometimes with the gold pony.

The weird pony was yelling at her now. The pain from her head now pulsated in her bones as well. She laid down on the soft red carpet and covered her head with her legs.

She was scared and wished the nice pony would come back.

The weird pony knocked on her head and rolled his eyes. She felt dizzy as the stream of noises never seemed to stop coming from her companion. She felt connections grow slowly and began to recognize the noises he kept repeating.

Words, those were called words. The nice pony used words as well, one more often than others. She tried to make that noise, perhaps it would make him come back.

"...Creamy," she croaked and looked at the weird pony who stopped making her head hurt.

She repeated the word few times and the ringing in her head stopped. It still hurt, even more than before, but she could recognize the noises the weird pony made.

"Come on! I've been here for an hour! You know what is an hour to a dog? It's like seven hours and I'm partly one... or whatever the griffons are. They look as if a lion tried to eat a chicken and it got stuck in its throat."

"Many... words," she shook her head but that just made it worse.

"Oh my god... well, oh my me then," the weird pony slapped his face with his leg... arm... hoof... no hoof, pointy.

Why would he do that? Didn't it hurt?

"It's like scrambled eggs in there, a complete chaos. Of course, not as high-quality as I'd have made but it's a start. You know? I would have made you a chicken, just to see Void fume, not an unthinking blob of flesh and fur."

Void... that was the nice pony. Did the weird pony know why he'd left?

"Void... where?"

"Not here, my braindead pony, which is a good thing-"

She didn't believe him for a second. Void being here was good. He was nice, he protected her...

...from what?

"-otherwise he would tear me a new one. Seriously, that alicorn has some real trust issues."

She focused on what was making her legs tremble. Void was protecting her from something. Something dark not in colour but in existence.

"Void... good. You... speak... bad... of him. You bad."

"Well, that's rich coming from you. You were the one who tried to kill everything alive just to teach Celestia a lesson."

The nice... Void had never told her about that but it did spark something. The spark was raw hatred aimed at the name Celestia. It faded fast. Void was a nice pony. Void liked her. She was a nice pony then.

The weird pony wasn't lying though. She remembered something - Void being angry at her and her cowering before him. She had been bad but Void had forgiven her. She was a nice pony for him.

Yes, she became a nice pony. She tried to help him, help those who helped him find his way back to her. She had helped, she had protected a secret, a key to Void's location. A bad pony had asked her and she hadn't told her anything. She fought but the bad pony called upon her bad dreams, nightmares. She fought Nightmare Moon and almost won. She was proud of such feat - standing up to a god and going even. She was proud that her sacrifice gave Void the chance to almost destroy Nightmare Moon.

The air in the cavern crackled with enough magic to give Twilight Sparkle an eternal wingboner and make Luna reevaluate how weak a mage she truly was.

She was a powerful, proud, lustful, and greedy alicorn.

Her name was Scream and what she wanted RIGHT NOW the most was her beloved pet.

"Discord..." she looked sternly at the griffon smiling widely at her, "What do you want?"

"Oh? Can't poor old me just help a friend of a friend?" the griffon currently known to few inhabitants of the Griffon Empire as agent Pranks clutched his chest, "I am hurt, HURT that you could even suggest-"

"I am the alicorn of Lust and Desire, not Patience, and I can feel your need. It must be something serious if you can't do it yourself."

"Alright, I admit I have a desire I cannot fulfill myself. I wish to give the poor mortals currently in grave danger a fighting chance but I'm not sure how. I need your second sight."

Scream nodded.

"You know the rules. Ask and I will answer as long as you pay the price."

"I believe I may have given you enough for now?" agent Pranks bowed.

Scream's eyes glowed bright green and in turn did Discord's. His griffon disguise shattered before the alicorn who could see into the deepest and darkest corners of hearts and drag out the hidden desires of all creatures.

Discord saw a horde of undead, slaves, and nightmarish abominations cross the ocean from Zebrica to Equestria. He saw what little defending forces of ponies and griffons there were in the future. He saw his gambit in the Empire paying off even more than he'd expected. He saw friends fighting against friends.

He saw utter chaos but for the first time he wasn't happy. The chaos was way too short-lived and what followed was emptiness... and boredom.

Finally the vision turned white as it passed through frozen wastes north of the Crystal Empire where minotaur tribes celebrated their new warlord who would unite them into a nation and upon whose efforts a new culture would be built. The warlord who would take the land of ponies by storm and crush their last stand against the armies of darkness. The Dark Prophet.

The vision moved to show the warlord up close...

...and failed. The image became blurred and the entire vision ended. Discord was once again faced with the sight of an alicorn whom any creature would consider the most desirable being in existence.

"Hmmmm," Discord put his griffon disguise back on and rubbed his temples.

"Anyhing else?" Scream asked impatiently.

"Meh, your magic sucks. I still have to think how... to... " he drifted off.

His sudden outburst of laughter only made Scream raise an eyebrow but he ignored her and disappeared.

Scream focused. Her head still hurt but there remained the main matter of importance. The world could go screw itself but she wanted to screw somepony else right here and now.

*fwomp*

Void's unicorn form appeared back in the mountaintop cave and looked around in confusion. He was painfully small compared to Scream's alicorn size.

"What the infinity?" his ears perked.

"Welcome home, Voidie," Scream grinned widely, "Bed. Now!"

Agent Pranks reappeared back in the Holy City. He wasn't sure how to tip the scales in his favor any more. The mortals and immortals were going to clash and he could only hope it would work out the way he wanted.

It was time to find agent Vargaz and see why the dead Emperor wanted him to.

Gathering Storm: Black Ops Agent Cromach

With months passing the winter was almost over.

"What are our victory conditions, sister?" asked princess Celestia over a cup of tea during one of their evening meetings.

Princess Luna though long and hard about that question. Past three months had been filled with spying, gathering information, and negotiating with any ally she could think of and it still was nowhere near enough. Equestrian military, despite calling for concerned citizens to join their intense training regime, hadn't gotten too many applicants, leaving Luna wondering about the scrapped law ordering a draft. The military forces had excellent individuals but those had no chance of standing against what Luna's scrying magic had shown was gathering in Zebrica and southern parts of Equestria.

Their main hope lay in various magical orders and institutions capable of using tactical spells - tornadoes, force strikes, meteors - anything capable of reducing the enemy numbers. Unfortunately, they didn't have the political power or opportunity to test those spells first. The Nightmare's army was still too far away to use those to test their defensive magical capabilities and using tactical spells would definitely not go unnoticed by griffons. Considering the Empire had refused any and all recent diplomatic contacts they probably knew Equestria was in trouble.

In short, a victory in a direct conflict was unlikely.

"Not dying sounds like a good one," Luna took a sip and shrugged, "I don't see any tangible goal aside from fighting Holy Light's army. If we were to do that then the best time would be when they try to land on our southern shores. I don't see a way to survive the onslaught of their force when they are at full power."

"Any help from elsewhere?" Celestia rubbed her horn, "I'm having enough trouble preventing panic in Equestria and stopping the nobles from tearing the country to pieces from the inside. Perhaps I should just kill Blueblood."

"What did he do?"

"Was born, mainly, but I can't stand his ramblings on unicorn superiority. Funnily enough, his latest idea of forcing earthpony mares to become breeding and morale-raising facilities during wartime would probably help us."

"Hmmmm... how does General Blueblood sound?" Luna grinned, "Hero of the first royal light brigade. I'm sure trying to dodge arrows from the front AND the back would help him improve his views."

"At least both armies would have a common goal," Celestia chuckled, "Good idea though. As a unicorn who is undoubtedly superior to his earthpony and pegasi brethren he would be a paragon of - damn, can't say that with a straight face. So, nothing? What about mirror Twilight Sparkle, the iron hoof of Equus?"

"They don't really call her that. She was very direct during our last meeting in saying that the only piece of advanced technology she sent here got immediately copied and she LOST her own flagship trying to help us fight it and as such she wasn't too inclined to help. When I explained who the enemy was she said she was going to close the portal as soon as things started looking grim."

"Aaaand the helping part?"

"They can't help us with any research because the Nightmare Moon on their side was killed instead of purified, thank you by the way, but she will send some of her forces to bolster ours. Her problem is that, just like on our side of the portal, as soon as she shows weakness the various unstable factions might try to break the unified world into pieces."

"How many?"

"Not enough although her husks make an excellent front line."

"Any word from the griffons?"

"Nothing outside of gossip. Our changeling agents claim the Emperor is dead and the Black Ops are sorting the politics out in a way which wouldn't break the Empire back into small countries and city states. We should be happy they are still trading with us at least. In short, they have enough trouble of their own."

"What about the Crystal Empire?"

"Probably our best asset, surprisingly. Crystal ponies are related to earthponies and they don't take darkness trying to enslave them lightly. Shining Armor has his hooves full with turning basically the entire city state into an army."

"How is Cadance taking it? She's never been the combat sort."

"Are you joking, sister? Shining Armor used her as a projectile during Sombra's return. Cadance is helping him by gathering mares, both in and outside of the army, willing to pose for suggestive photos to get the 'colts in uniform' to perform better."

"Stars above us!"

"Should I bring Cadance's personal edition of 'Princess of Love spread like a lotus' tomorrow? She sent me a signed copy."

"Honestly, that sounds borderline exploitive."

"No, it's not!" Luna objected hotly, "Shining is doing the same thing. His photoset of 'Defenders at arms' actually sold more copies than Cadance's. Guard mares need motivation just like everypony else."

Celestia took a deep breath and finished her tea.

"I think we need all the good news we can get. I'm surprised that Holy Light's forces are coming from only one side."

"Not exactly," Luna shook her head, "Our Twilight's research hints at something interesting. It seems that Nightmare's power grows stronger the more desperate souls accept its influence and the number of those controlled agents has dwindled in past three months. Twilight managed to create spells capable of targeting these agents and I went to visit one of the stronger points and you wouldn't believe who I found."

"Listening."

"Void. It turns out he's been eliminating these minor gateways of Nightmare's power into this world. According to what he said there are only two remaining but those are the main ones. One is in Zebrica which must be Holy Light. The other one is somewhere in the land of minotaurs. Both of these locations are heavily protected from scrying magic so I can't gather much more without sending somepony there."

"A two-pronged attack then?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm... Twilight and her friends aren't ready to face war. They are still just fillies no matter their experience with the supernatural. They might be able to face Holy Light just like they fought you but they can't use the power of the Elements against normal soldiers. Can we hide them for the time being?"

"No point. If we do that then Holy Light's army will just march straight to the Tree of Harmony and force a fight there."

"Why is that a problem? It is an area we know while the enemy won't. We can bait them there and have a minor chance against their numbers advantage. Plus, mirror Twilight's army will be close at hoof."

Luna looked at Celestia sadly.

"I've never expected to see the day you offer to sacrifice the entire southern part of Equestria. I've always believed you had all the answers and that you would never waste a single life."

"Luna, I have to protect my ponies and I ask very little of them. Sometimes though, they have to do their part. However, we still have time. Prepare the prediction of the enemy's march. Order the evacuation of danger zones and get us ready for a guerrila war. We'll need to slow Holy Light's army down as much as possible and make them lose as many poni- soldiers as we can."

"What about the northern force?"

"We'll leave that to Shining Armor and Cadance for now. I hope their porn-strenghtened forces can handle the situation. Last thing - send a team to rebuild our old castle in the Everfree and station the united forces of mages there. It is closer to the southern coast than Canterlot so we might be able to ruin a decent part of Holy's forces with some large-scale tactical spells while they are crossing the ocean."

"I don't like relying on the Elements so much," Luna frowned.

"Have you got a better idea?"

"No, sorry, sister."

"I love you, Luna. No matter what happens never forget that."

"I love you too, Tia. We stand together, we fall together."

Darkness fell and they appeared in Canterlot from nowhere. There were no traces of their progress and nopony knew about their coming. The unlucky guard currently stationed in front of the castle entrance gulped as he saw a group of twenty serious-looking griffons approach and salute. Each one of them was wearing only a black, gold-embroidered jacket, and a headgear of their choice. Some had cowls, some barrets, and some scarves, but none of them looked to be bothered by the snow coming down from the sky. The accessories seemed purely a fashion choice.

"We bring tidings from the Griffon Empire," said the group's leader when all griffons stood at attention at once, "and we request an audience with princess Celestia."

"I-it's after visiting hours. You'll have to wait for tomorrow to make an appointment."

"We... insist," the leading griffon kept staring. The others spread out around the entrance and their clothes and natural colouring allowed them to merge with the darkness.

"L-l-l-let me get my commander, sir... sirs. Stay here, please," the guard rushed inside and slammed the door shut.

"The security here is a joke, sir," a griffon turned to the one leading the group.

"It seems that way and yet no assassination attempt has ever worked."

"Definitely not because of skilled personnel," the griffon snorted and some other joined from the shadows, "The twenty of us could take this entire city by ourselves. Discounting the alicorns, of course."

"It seems that way," the leader nodded, "Don't forget the investigation of agent Jones' death and the incident in Golden Sands. We shouldn't underestimate any enemy, not even those who might be our current allies."

Few moments later the guard returned. The griffons were still there, at least he could see a few of them. He wanted his shift to be over but he shouldn't have slacked off during the surprise inspection earlier. Now he was one of the few unlucky Royal Guards on night shift.

They stood in silence and made the guard feel even smaller than he physically was compared to them. He almost soiled himself when the door behind him clicked again, first with shock and then with relief. Not that he liked batponies but right now anything was better than the creepy griffons.

A group of five Nightguards led by a red-maned mare marched out. She raised her hoof and a small ball of light appeared, illuminating the griffons hiding around. The guard didn't question a batpony using magic because his mind was in his happy place.

"The princesses will see you immediately," the mare simply said.

The griffons followed the thestrals through the empty halls of Canterlot castle. The griffon leader smiled as he watched the practiced march and the ponies ready to pounce at him at any time. The elite met the elite and both sides knew it immediately. When the door to the throne room opened his expression remained the same but his eyes betrayed him. He was relieved.

The princesses weren't alone. The griffon leader recognized the ponies around as the targets of several Black Ops operations before, unsuccessful operations.

The leader bowed curtly before the sisters but it felt more like a greeting between equals.

"What do we owe the honor?" asked princess Celestia coldly but politely, "Forgive us for being surprised at this unscheduled visit, especially after all of our diplomats being denied any contact."

"My name is Vargaz, the leader of Imperial Secret Service and a temporary steward of the Griffon Empire," the grey-coated griffon leader announced and watched the composure of both sisters break as they gasped, "I come with an offer of cooperation during the incoming crisis."

"What do you offer?" Luna recovered faster.

"A hundred fully-equipped and experienced Black Ops members."

"We were hoping for a more significant part of your Imperial Legion. The incoming enemy is stronger than-"

"Mind if I say something, princess?" a green-eyed white griffon interrupted the princess who raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Cromach."

"You underestimate the Black Ops. A hundred of their guys with guns, explosives, and mobile radio stations can wreak havoc behind enemy lines. This offer is better than sending few thousand Legion soldiers, if only because we don't have to bother with logistics."

"Aah, mister Cromach," Vargaz smiled pleasantly, "You spared me the trouble of looking for you."

"Not sure if I should be flattered or terrified," Cromach tilted his head, portraying neither of those emotions.

"I have an offer for you which, also, is the price for our help. We want you to become our direct link to the princesses as well as a member of Black Ops."

"Eehm, isn't this supposed to be some sort of a shady deal where you pay me and I spy on them? If so then by asking me that in front of the princesses you're doing it wrong. You might also be forgetting that the last time one of your guys offered that to me he tried to have me publicly executed."

"I am fully aware of your situation, mister Cromach, but my intentions are more practical. The Empire has, under the leadership of my brother, thrived in all aspects but one - respect for our neighbours. I am also sure that as soon as the succession rites are finished my steward status will be revoked unless the new Emperor is too young. Before that happens I would like to correct my brother's mistake and estabilish a means of contact which would, if situation called for it, bypass... politics," Vargaz scowled at the word.

Cromach looked at princess Luna who nodded and then at princess Celestia.

"We cannot afford to refuse your offer, as you undoubtedly know,-"

Vargaz smiled.

"-but you have to realize that your 'link' will be under heavy scrutiny from everypony."

Taking a deep breath, Vargaz looked directly at Celestia.

"I understand your concern and have only one thing to add. The more we know about one another the more we understand. Knowledge in itself isn't dangerous, the griffons or ponies determine how it will be used. You have to examine the messenger rather than the message this time."

"Do not forget our subjects have their own will, agent," Celestia looked at Cromach, "which is something I treasure the most. I could order Cromach to accept your offer just to gain access to your resources but I doubt he'd do a good job under duress. That means the final choice is yours, Cromach."

Cromach shrugged.

"I don't really mind arranging the occasional meeting as long as it doesn't interfere with my job. I want to ask something though. Do you have access to the files about Golden Sands investigation?"

"As a steward of the Empire I am currently the most powerful griffon alive. I'm sure I can have a look at them. What do you want to know? As the leader of the Black Ops I made sure to acquaint myself with most of the details about the incident before coming here."

"Did you... by any chance... find an unusual piece of technology inside the ruins of Emperor's Embrace hotel?"

"Unusual?" Vargaz hummed to himself, "Aah! A very advanced piece of engineering and neurosurgery?"

"Yes, I want it. No questions, no negotiating, no excuses. As soon as possible."

Vargaz went through what he remembered from various reports about Cromach ever since his escape from the desert... and smiled warmly at the young griffon.

"I shall arrange that. Do you mind if we make a copy or at least blueprints first?"

"I don't care but you aren't disassembling it or anything. I want the original."

"Deal. I'm sure we can get enough information without breaking it."

Cromach and Vargaz shook hands.

Gathering Storm: Cold Weather, Cold Steel

To say that princess Luna wasn't happy would be a ridiculous understatement. As she continued to read a very long report from the Crystal Empire she looked more and more as if her world shattered completely and last bastions of hope fell. Between the ever increasing number of refugees from Zebrica bringing news about a gigantic army heading to the north coast and the growing unrest within the ranks of nobility who wanted the right to form their own armies and militias she wasn't getting much good news to brighten her days.

Luna sent a small prayer of thanks to the newfound griffon allies for the amount of information they brought her and marvelled at the endurance of Black Ops field agents. Not that Equestrian Intelligence Service members were any less skilled but just the devotion to duty of the griffons now under her command was astonishing.

The report ruining her day had come from the secret service members in the north and had included the testimony of Shining Armor's spies and few pony witnesses of the described events.

The minotaurs had always been a dangerous faction of Equus. With their innate strength outclassing both griffons and earthponies, their sturdiness gained through living in the harshest environment of the planet, and their natural magic resistance akin to earthponies it was only good luck they weren't exactly social species and thus the various tribes didn't look kindly on mutual cooperation. They weren't barbarians, as most of the uneducated thought, but the amount of threats from everywhere around, including themselves, had in past given them a very narrow-minded approach to the unknown. That didn't mean they were stupid, at least not all of them. The minotaurs who came south from the wastes had no trouble accustoming themselves to society thanks to their open and honest nature. The ones who stayed and fought for their lives in arctic blizzards... weren't so friendly.

In past month or so, somepony had managed to unite almost half of the clans and was on a good way to unite the entirety of northern tribes. Luna had to rely on spies and informants because, in the same way as Holy Light's army in Zebrica, no amount of magic allowed her see past the Crystal Empire with any clarity. Her previous attempts had only given her few images of minotaurs fighting and hunting.

Her most useful informant was one she would have never expected - a certain pegasus, a pirate one might say, who had, after recieving a decent sum of money, told her that there were various companies from Manehattan, Crystal Empire, and other big cities who were interested in paying in money, goods, or services for the raw resources the minotaurs laid their hands on. Thanks to caravan travel being very unreliable and slow in the arctic weather, the pirate's airship protection services bloomed due to being the only group with the technology to transport the resources quickly and safely. Said resources were mostly very precious crystals difficult and dangerous to mine to such extent that the Crystal Empire exported only a minor fraction of their gains. Whoever was leading the minotaurs must have had no respect for their lives to force them to work in such conditions.

According to the transport manifests and accounting ledgers the pirate had copied for her the minotaurs were hiring mercenaries and artisans, buying timber and steel, and still had enough trading potential to grow. It didn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that timber and steel meant housing and war machines produced by craftsmen and artisans who would also teach the minotaurs to do it themselves. The amount of hired mercenary companies was far too small to increase the threat so Luna had to guess they came north as trainers and strategy advisors.

In short, somepony had managed to raise a small nation under an iron rule into a slowly growing power by slave labour and no respect for life. How did that happen though? Such feat would require relocation of known minotaur settlements into mining areas and subjugation of more and more tribes which just wasn't feasible.

She needed more information. The threat was still fairly insignificant, at least compared to the army in Zebrica, but it could grow out of proportions very quickly. Looking at the clock in her office, Luna realized that Royal Guard morning training session would commence in few minutes and that she was way overdue for bed. Stretching her wings, she needed one last thing before she could afford the blissful embrace of sleep so she flew down to the training grounds.

Military bases all over Equestria were filling their training schedule with new recruits but if Canterlot was any indication the projected force, while not lacking in quality, would be... tiny.

Four groups of recruits, twenty to thirty recruits per group. Cromach, Rising Thunder, Choking Darkness, and Heavy Hoof were working hard to make the newbies into a presentable bunch and they were doing a great job considering the recruits were only three or four months old and before that most of them were just volunteers without previous combat experience. So, just over a hundred recruits, about the same amount of Nightguards, and some three hundred Royal Guards. In any normal situation she wouldn't be overly worried about Equestria's military strength but she knew that zebra forces were only a minor part of Holy Light's army. How would the soldiers deal with undead, hydras, tentacle abominations, and monstrosities invading their minds was anypony's guess. Actually, it was her responsibility. She had no doubts that when the time came to defend the Tree of Harmony Celestia would be there in the front lines whereas Luna would be sitting back and shielding the minds of her subjects from the horrors of Nightmare's influence.

"What do we owe this pleasure, your Highness?" asked Heavy Hoof after noticing his group weren't doing the exercises they should.

"Don't let us disturb you, sargeant," Luna didn't dwell on protocol behind closed doors but here, in the open, she was one of the royal rulers and had to behave as such, "We have official business with our bodyguard."

"Of course, princess," Heavy bowed, "Darky should be here any moment. Her recruits are doing their warm-up run around the castle."

"Indeed. Keep going then, sargeant. I will wait here."

What proved Heavy's professionalism was that he simply turned back to his group and started his session as if there wasn't the highest authority standing behind him and watching. The same couldn't be said about the recruits who either tried to outdo one another or were barely able to stand thanks to shaking legs.

Luna smiled as she turned away and walked to the returning group led by a red-maned thestral. She could sense the mood and the relief of the recruits washed over her like a warm wave. The slight stab of admiration was just the cherry on top ensuring Luna that, despite her age, the eyes of young stallions were still drawn to her behind. She had been getting worried that all the sitting inside and doing paperwork was making her pudgy. Not anymore.

"Miss Darkness," she nodded and so did Darky. Luna knew why Choking would never bow deeply before her and as such she didn't force it, "I am going to sleep but I need you to tell Solid Steel to come see me and bring one of his experienced spies capable of independent survival in arctic conditions. Nine o'clock in the evening would be a good time."

"Sure," Darky waved at her group, "Don't just stand there coughing, ya lazy buggers! Keep moving or ya'll get pneumonia. Today we'll be doing a little combat tournament and whoever wins gets a set of photos of me in the gym showers."

The feeling of confidence from the group hit Luna like a tsunami. Young stallions with hormones coming out of their ears, all of them. Oh, wrong! Few mares were also looking for a challenge now.

"HEY, HEAVY!" Darky yelled, "CARE TO JOIN?"

Blue mane shook as he nodded but didn't answer.

"GOOD! GET CROM AS WELL!"

Darky then turned back to her group and grinned at the larger part of mares who weren't really interested in the contest.

"Ladies, if any of you win... let's just say that Cromach lives temporarily at my place and I have a camera. As for Heavy, I think I can be pretty persuasive."

All ears in her group were now perked.

"I see you have heard about the new methods of motivation coming from the Crystal Empire," Luna snickered.

"Are ya kidding? I have multiple signed copies sent directly from the royal couple."

"I didn't know you were on such good terms with Shining Armor and Cadance."

"I swiped them from Heavy. Long story short, his changeling coltfriend is a really good friend of prince Shining so I pulled some strings."

"You have no morals whatsoever!"

"Oh, look at the time! We have to organize our little tournament. Have a good night, princess!" Darky rushed off to where the three recruit groups were looking for their practice weapons.

Luna shook her head but Choking's idea was good. Skill, motivation, and morale were all foundations of a good army. She just wished... she just wished Choking couldn't make even 'hello' sound so dirty. Walking over to the only group blissfully unaware of the perverted competition, Luna greeted Rising Thunder.

"You are doing a great job, sargeant."

"Thank you. Giving me a second chance means a lot to me."

"I was the one who called for your punishment. Thank my sister who stopped me. I will not forgive you but I understand why you did what you did. We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment."

"I... I talked to Heavy Hoof about what happened. I didn't have the chance to apologize to sargeant Light. My daughter liked him a lot as an instructor."

"Speaking of Rolling Thunder, how is she?"

"She's working for Fillydelphia police force. She comes home once a month for a weekend. Last time we went hiking on top of Canterlot mountain."

"Aren't you too old for that?"

"I'm forty-three, your Highness. I still have enough strength to teach all of them," he looks at his group and then at some of the dueling ponies participating in Choking's tournament, "a lesson."

"Well, why don't you join their little competition?" Luna smiled, "I heard there's a pretty tempting prize for the winner."

"I don't see why not," Rising shrugged and instructed his group.

He would, eventually, and Luna wound enjoy watching him find out but she was too tired.

A bulky, grey earthpony knocked on a large double door decorated with moon and stars. He was wearing a black eyepatch which was partially hidden under his mane of the same colour and aside from an aura of absolute confidence there wasn't much about him that would stick in memory.

His companion, a light blue unicorn mare with white mane was stomping her hooves nervously. The quiet tapping didn't seem to bother either of them. The cutie mark of the mare was a white cloud slowly dissipating into vapor symbolizing her ability to blend and remain unnoticed.

The earthpony bowed when princess Luna opened the door of her room but the unicorn almost jumped at the click of the handle.

"Good evening, your Highness. I heard you called for me," Solid Steel rose and looked at Luna.

"Yes, Solid, and I suppose this is your recommended subordinate."

"Morning Mist, your Highness, pleased to meet you!" the unicorn mare calmed down a little but there still was a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Morning Mist," Luna smiled and walked inside her office, gesturing the duo of secret service agents to follow her, "Now, let me make myself clear that you can refuse to accept this mission and I won't think any less of you."

"I live to serve, your Highness!" Morning Mist chanted the intelligence service motto.

"Good, my offer still stands though. Solid, the reason why I asked the combat branch of the intelligence agency for help instead of those serving under me is simple. I need an expert on gathering information, survival, and a potential assassin."

"All in one, your Highness!" Morning Mist saluted.

"Your goal will be to destabilize the northern minotaur union by eventually killing their leader or anypony who is behind their recent rise to power whether it be one central figure or a leading group. Before that happens, however, you will need to infiltrate the enemy ranks, observe the situation, and report to me," Luna pushed a binder across her workdesk towards Mist, "Everything we know is in here."

"That's not much," Mist whistled as she skimmed through the report summary, "Most of this is just accountancy data and shipment information. Also, Dark Prophet is an overly dramatic name, if I may say."

"Indeed. Your mission will start immediately and will stay in effect until fulfilled or until I myself tell you. You will accept no orders from any other authority aside from those necessary to fulfilling your goal."

"Any suggestion where I should start? My best bet would be going north, finding the biggest minotaur I can, punch him in the nuts, and make a name for myself. That should make the leader notice me."

"We have no idea where the Dark Prophet's base is," Luna shook her head, "While minotaurs respect strength I believe you should offer their leader your services. Work on your cover story while you go there."

Solid Steel softly hit Mist in the face with the binder.

"It says here they're hiring warfare professionals. Every secret service agent is extensively trained in military strategy. You could start with that and work your way up. There are mercenary companies in the Crystal Empire area who have recieved an offer but didn't bother replying. It should be easy to pose as a freelancer."

"Can I punch a minotaur in the face?" Mist smiled, "You know, future diplomatic relationships or something like that."

"Right now diplomacy is our last concern," Luna sighed, "I hate to say it but I do not care how you do it. Work for the leader, sleep with him if necessary, just get us all knowledge you can so we can get rid of that threat for now. You have complete freedom of action."

"I will station a communication agent in the Crystal Empire so you wouldn't have to go back to Canterlot and leave a trail," Solid laid the binder down on the table, "You'll have a set of nondescript mercenary equipment at your place in an hour along with some gold. You can request further equipment in your reports."

"Yes, sir!" Mist saluted and looked at Luna, "Anything else, your Highness?"

"Just be careful. We cannot afford to lose anypony right now. Dismissed."

*knock knock knock*

Back in Darky's apartment, Cromach was reading a small black book. Well, not exactly reading but skimming over random paragraphs and smiling to himself. The smile was part nostalgia, part despair, but also part new hope. He had to admit Heavy's advice had been sound and him moving to Darky's place had helped him get over the worst of his loss.

He was alone despite it being late evening as Darky was hunting for a voluntary blood donor tonight.

His small inward smile stayed as he closed the book and greeted the duo of black-jacketed griffons outside.

"Agent Cromach," was their statement rather than a question.

"Yes," Crom nodded, looking at a long package in one of the griffon's arms, "I guess that's all the Black Ops stuff I'm getting. Should I sign something or..?"

"No documents, no signatures, brother, only service," the griffons saluted as one, nodded, and left.

The package was fairly light for its size which was, as Cromach realized quickly, because it was mostly filled with paper to prevent it from damaging the contents.

There were only three things inside two of which made his heart heavy. They were a black, gold embroidered jacket fitting him perfectly, and a brown notepad which upon examination proved to be full of agent Vargaz's instructions and requests. He would have to talk to princess Luna about most of them because he sure has heck wasn't going to be a griffon spy. If the temporary Emperor wanted a link then a link he would have, one going both ways.

The last item...

Cromach didn't know if he actually wanted it now but... he had asked for it.

No, he needed it. He needed to touch the long, steel construction, he needed to hold it against his chest, and he needed the claws on its end to bury his face into. What he didn't need was to be heard so he grabbed the prosthesis, collapsed into bed, and put a pillow over his head.

The griffon arm prosthesis Blaze lost after the transformation wasn't the unicorn himself but it was the only thing Crom had left of him.

Frozen Heart: That Failed Quickly

Frozen Heart: That Failed Quickly

The breath leaving the light blue unicorn's mouth crystallized in the air and her mane was almost invisible against the white blankets of snow covering the ground. Despite all that, Morning Mist trodded onwards to her destination while following a small caravan transporting blacksmithing equipment from the Crystal Empire. It was surprising to her how close to the Crystal Empire was one of the enemy drop-off points supposed to be. It was as if there had been some unofficial trade between the minotaurs and the crystal ponies before Dark Prophet arrived. Trusting her sense of 'some ponies being utter bastards' Mist came to the conclusion that some Equestrian companies had been using minotaurs as a source of cheap labour before.

She was travelling, as Solid Steel had suggested, disguised as a mercenary looking for a job as a combat tactician specializing in sieges. Not that she knew much past the standard secret service training but she'd spent the entire day's worth ride from Canterlot to the Empire by reading up on the subject. After all, minotaurs weren't THAT smart and throwing around few slang expressions could earn her a better first impression. That was just the plan though and she knew no plan had ever survived first contact so she'd just have to improvise. As a member of the combat branch of the intelligence service she was used to that.

She had talked to few of the mercnaries also travelling with the caravan but there was very little to find out from them. For them this was simply an opportunity to get some gold for subjugating the minotaur tribes that had not yet joined Dark Prophet's campaign. Apparently, no visitors were aware of the ultimate goal of invading the rest of Equestria. Considering how low-grade most of the mercenary companies around were Mist didn't think they'd care. That was an another strange thing, the Prophet seemed more concerned about the quantity of soldiers than quality which was why she had to keep reminding herself that this place was a hotspot of dark magic, not just some short-sighted wannabe monarch's kingdom.

Shadows appeared out of the soft snowstorm all around and without a sound the caravan in front of her stopped. A hand grabbed Mist's mane and tugged at it firmly but not too hard. She turned around and saw a deep-purple minotaur twice as tall as her looking at her sternly and putting one of his fingers to his mouth. The first thing she noticed was that the minotaur wasn't wearing pelts or cloth tatters as most ponies believed the state of affairs here in the north was. He was wearing a perfectly fitting suit of grey plate mail and a cape. Mist tried to swat his hand away with magic but her effort failed. It wasn't that the minotaur was too strong for her telekinesis, she just couldn't get a grasp on him whatsoever. The minotaur let go of her mane, pointed at the caravan, and shoved her forward.

The caravan turned sharply to the left and left the road. With the falling snow dampening all sounds Mist wasn't sure whether things were going the way they should or that some tribe of minotaurs opposing the Prophet got hold of them and wanted to cut one of his supply routes off. The minotaur guarding her and the back of the caravan was calm and collected so Mist just followed and watched things unfurl. Even if the minotaur was protected against her telekinesis somehow there were ways to deal with magic reistance of a subject. While princess Luna was said to be able to directly overcome the ability with her raw power, any smart spellcaster would realize that the simplest way was not to attack the subject directly. With that in mind, a small dagger levitated out of one of her boots without her seemingly noticing and followed the minotaur at neck height. A very important thing that unicorns in the secret service learned was to hide the aura following the use of their magic.

The one and only reason for Mist not to sit inside one of the caravan wagons was to be able to run away if something of exactly this sort happened. That, and to keep watch on the surroundings which she wouldn't be able to do from the inside. The approach of the minotaurs had caught her off guard though and she wasn't happy about that. She had underestimated the enemy and now she wasn't in a comfortable position. With no commotion coming from the caravan, it looked like this was a normal thing though. Should she take it quietly? Probably, causing trouble would bring everypony's attention to her. On the other hoof...

She pretended to stumble in the snow and took several quick steps forward. Before the minotaur could close the distance she kicked up a cloud of snow with her hind legs. Temporarily blinded, the minotaur jumped backwards to buy himself some time but Mist was faster and ran behind him. No matter the plate armor, there were weak spots she could abuse. She kicked the minotaur into the back of his knees with her front legs and as he lost his balance and fell into the snow her dagger slid to his neck. She wasn't going to kill him, she just wanted to show off a little to possibly get a higher mark than the other sheep-like mercs who mindlessly obeyed the minotaurs. With a victorious grin-

*crunch*

-she collapsed right on top of the minotaur.

"You're getting old, Darkhorn," a white-cloaked minotaur helped the purple one back up.

"Unicorns are always unpredictable. That's why we take precautions," Darkhorn slapped the other minotaur's shoulder heartily, "I'll take care of this, you keep watching our tail."

"Yes, sir!" the second minotaur nodded, waited a while, and became invisible in the falling snow again.

Darkhorn picked the unconscious mare up and followed the caravan. It didn't take long and shadows became visible nearby which gradually turned into mountains. Herding the caravan into a small valley, the eight minotaurs made sure the next shipment for their Dark Prophet arrived safely.

Morning Mist woke up on solid ground with an unsurprising headache. Forcing her shaking limbs into submission, she stood up and her jaw dropped. Everypony knew that minotaurs lived in small villages on the open plains, hunting for pelts and gathering flora that survived arctic conditions. The luckier tribes managing to find their way a little more south even herded cows for leather and meat to trade with griffons. She'd never before hear of minotaurs living in a city cut inside of a mountain. Well, city was a slightly generous expression but the marks were there. The masonry was crude and more focused on building a livable place rather than concerned with its looks but here, in a large ravine presumably splitting the mountain in half, it could definitely be seen that the northern tribes managed to outgrow the village stage.

She was in the middle-ish point of the place, seeing the bottom of the ravine covered in some crystalline substance and various minotaurs milling around down there. The top of the ruptured mountain was far too high to be visible but since no snow was falling down here Mist had to surmise this entire colony was inside of the mountain. With small houses cut into the sides of the ravine and long rope bridges crossing it at various heights like a spider's web she realized she had no idea where the other mercenaries were or what she was supposed to do in a large place like this. All doubts aside, she was in and that's what she needed. The city was quiet, or at least spread out enough for everypony to have their peace so aside from some mining noises there was nothing.

The minotaurs wouldn't have brought her here needlessly and upon examining her side of the ravine there was only one 'house' nearby. The door was just a set of planks hammered to each other and the smaller holes serving as windows were covered by thick cloth. Glass must have been too difficult to ship here and completely unnecessary given the noiselessness of this place. Somepony was talking inside the house so she did what anypony in her position would - hid behind the wall and put an ear to the door.

"Will it be enough?" she recognized the deep, booming voice of the minotaur who had guarded her.

"In theory, yes," the second male voice sounded normal. At least she wouldn't have thought anything to be strange about it if she heard it in any Canterlot cafe, "To be on the safe side we should make at least few dozen more. Numbers are not our advantage so we need to get as many well-equipped soldiers as we can."

"Our mining efforts are going well but the material causes trouble even to the braves of our kind. The ponies who we're hiring can't even go close without collapsing."

"You minotaurs are admirable beings. I trust you not to become lazy so whenever somepony feels they need to rest just let them. As I said, we have most of what we need for the assault."

"Don't worry, sir. We won't fail you."

"And I hope I do not fail you, Darkhorn. If this works your kind might regain their place as more than just savages. Sorry."

"No offense taken, I know how you ponies percieve us. One last thing, sir. I brought a unicorn to see you. She was the only one in a while who had the courage or stupidity to keep a firm grasp on the situation."

"A pony having a firm grasp?" the voice chuckled, "I wonder..."

After a moment of silence the door opened, leaving Morning Mist's ear pressed not against wood but almost against a second pony's neck.

"A troublemaker, eh?" the pony said, obviously amused as Mist jumped backwards and assumed a fight or flight pose. He examined her slowly, "Hmmmm."

The pony was a unicorn, male, and slightly taller than her. That was all she could say about him because every part of his body was covered by purple and dark blue clothing. The style looked saddle arabian as far as Mist could tell with the exception of cloth covering his entire muzzle and a standard horn warmer anypony could buy in any city in Equestria. Her spy sense was screaming at her to just pretend to trip, tear away any piece of cloth to find out at least something about the unicorn, and, if necessary, run but she kept her calm. As things were she knew nothing.

"Name?" the unicorn asked sternly.

"Evening Gloom," said Morning Mist openly, "I served in the Arctic Wolves mercenary company."

"Ah," Darkhorn interrupted, "I remember them protecting the first trade caravans heading south. They made a lot of money catching on the northern business first."

Mist looked surprisedly at Darkhorn. Was everything she knew about minotaurs wrong?

"Yeah," she recovered, "the boss retired and left us hanging so I wanted to join as a freelancer."

"Sir?" Darkhorn ignored her remark and looked at the unicorn.

Mist couldn't see anything under the unicorn's cowl but he was staring at her intently, that much she knew.

"I have my hooves full with running all this so I could use a little help. Darkhorn here commands the minotaurs who decided to join us but I need somepony to keep an eye on the mercenaries."

"Running all this?" Mist couldn't believe her luck.

"The Dark Prophet will lead us to a brighter tomorrow," Darkhorn stomped the rocky floor.

"Unless I mess up and we all die," the unicorn added, "Welcome, Evening Gloom, to my service."

Walking back inside the house and returning with a necklace which was simply a red crystal on a steel chain, the Dark Prophet gave her the same thing she saw on Darkhorn's neck.

"I won't fail you, sir," she saluted.

"Not more than once," the Prophet said darkly, "Now go ask around where the mercenaries' section of the mine is and get a place for yourself. There is enough empty livable caves for three times the amount of forces here. Darkhorn will find you later and instruct you."

Mist nodded and picked a random direction to go. She couldn't believe her luck. She was inside, the Prophet himself was close to her, and she would have a private place where she could think and prepare her plan. Plus, with some persuading she could easily manipulate the Prophet to allow her to escort the recruiting caravan back to the Crystal Empire and drop off her report to princess Luna. Granted, the Prophet was a unicorn and as such probably capable of unknown magic but she could protect herself from, or at least detect, scrying spells and nothing was present here.

This was going to be easy.

"You don't seem happy, sir," Darkhorn commented as Mist cleared most of the path leading to the more inhabited part of the city.

"She is a member of the Equestrian Intelligence Service or at least she used to be. I have no doubt that our steps will be closely monitored."

"How do you know?"

"I have met her before. Thankfully, she did not recognize me."

"Then why let her in? It's not as if she could run away."

"Solid Steel's underlings are very resourceful. I believe we can use her to our advantage in more ways then one."

"I disagree, sir."

"Darkhorn, if she reports to Luna that your kind is capable of living up here and bringing the resources nopony dares to mine in the Crystal Empire than you are sitting on years of golden future for your foals. Celestia or Cadance could build a trade agreement with you based on that."

"My children."

"Same thing. The first few ponies I hired with what little gold your village had were traders who taught your villagers how to conduct proper business without being screwed hard. You can pass that knowledge further and rebuild from scratch when this is over."

"Have faith in us, sir."

"I do. I am just afraid most of you will die if even the smallest thing goes wrong."

"We are ready to lay our lives for the future."

"You shame me with your trust, Darkhorn."

"I am a good judge of character," the minotaur said simply and the Prophet sighed.

"Well, first things first. We must force the few remaining tribes to join. How should we go about it?"

"You could always do what you did in my village - kick the leader's balls and assume his position as the strongest. It should work with the more tradition-bound tribes. The rest will need to be taken by force."

"Can the force we have here do it?"

"Easily. The problem is finding them because not even I know the locations of all the neutral tribes. Can't we just leave them alone? There can't be more than a thousand minotaurs remaining out there," Darkhorn pointed to where the mountain cavern exit was.

"With the materials we mine here a thousand minotaurs could take Canterlot easily. Discounting the princess' interference. We are going to need everypony we can get even if they have to pay with their blood."

"Sacrifices must be made, sir."

"It is not our choice though to force it on others. However, we need to march to Equestria eventually."

"Where and when?"

"Now, that is something we need our little spy to arrange for us," the Prophet looked around his house, "Go deal with the tribes, Darkhorn, and bring me some paper and pencils. I need to rest if I have to make the new crystals grow faster. Don't forget to talk to Evening Gloom."

"As you wish, sir."

When Darkhorn left the Prophet mumbled to himself.

"Just to be safe, Shining Armor's forces must not leave the Crystal Empire. Unless Luna became terminally stupid in past months she is going to engage Holy Light either when his troops dock in Equestria or she is going to force the Bearers to fight at the Tree of Harmony where they would be the strongest. We would prefer the second option. That is just a guess though... I need some real information."

Frozen Heart: Preparations

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow when a clerk brought her an unmarked letter on which she felt the protection of various spells. Magic discouraging everypony from reading the letter, magic instilling fear and doubt to those thinking about reading it, or even the touch of destruction magic aimed at the letter didn't bother the princess and with a flick of her horn she dispelled all those effects. Inside there was a rather large sheet of paper, unsigned but covered in writing.

Luna smiled. Four days after she'd left Canterlot and Morning Mist was already sending her a report. She read through the estimates of combat threat and some notes on probable minotaur trading partners and came to Mist's personal assessment of the situation.

First things first, the Dark Prophet is a unicorn. The minotaurs seem to revere him as a bringer of a new age of prosperity. This semi-religion formed around him in past months after he'd appeared for the first time in one of the villages in the southern part of the frozen lands. He doesn't seem to be holding anypony hostage using magic so all I can say is that he's promising the minos something they couldn't achieve on their own. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how he looks or anything about his cutie mark. He always wears clothes and never uses his magic in public so even the colour of his magic aura is unknown to me. I will continue to observe him which is easy because I'm now his right hoof alongside a minotaur named Darkhorn.

According to the few minotaurs willing to talk to me the Prophet appeared about two months ago at Darkhorn's village. None of the minotaurs who met him at the time told me anything so I guess the Prophet told them to keep everything about his looks secret. What he did there, on the other hoof, is a well-known matter. The minotaurs allowed him to rest up, thinking he might have been sent by one of the mining companies hiring minotaurs at low prices(included in the list). He turned out not to be and he challenged Darkhorn to a duel for village leadership. The thing is, minotaurs frown on magic users outside of their shamans who are just glorified alchemists. From what I've heard the Prophet didn't use magic to defeat Darkhorn so he gained the chieftain status in accordance with the rules.

Declining the calls for Darkhorn's death as an inferior leader, the Prophet used the ex-chieftain as a source of knowledge about things in the north. Several weeks later he was travelling around with a small group of warriors and conquering other villages. Where the minotaurs submitted after the traditional duel he sworn them to his service and took some strong members to follow him in his travelling group. The villages that resisted fell. I don't have much information but a tribe of rather nasty headhunters living in a hidden village near the polar cap got wiped out completely by a blizzard. The only thing I got out of one of my sources was that the blizzard pulverized buildings and minotaurs alike into an unrecognizable mess.

After uniting most of the northern tribes in this way the Prophet moved Darkhorn's village into a partially hollow mountain and forced his new subjects to mine crystals for him instead of the pony companies. The negotiators sent to him to muscle him into honoring the previous trade agreements failed and the minotaurs follow without questions. Some say the life in the mountain is better than on the plains because they have the freedom to go out as they see fit and engage in hunting and all the tribal activities they used to do before moving. To this mountain he moved almost all the tribal population of the north and transformed the place into a large city. As far as I know there's only one entry point inside the mountain so collapsing it could end the entire threat in case the Prophet's unseen magic is just a hoax.

Speaking of magic, I can't use mine inside the mountain. The minotaurs say it's because of some new sort of crystal being mined that they somehow use to enhance their armors to nullify any magic used near them. I can't tell you about its properties, look, or growing patterns because only minotaurs are allowed to go into the mining area. It's not the only thing they mine though. The standard underground resources list is included as well. As far as I know, all the trade money goes into hiring mercenary companies and specialists at teaching minotaurs about various subjects, mostly economics, world-lore, and warfare. My guess is that spending money on not war-related subjects reinforces the minotaurs' belief about the Prophet leading them to a better future rather than using them just as an extremely potent fighting force.

For now I will try to earn the Prophet's trust and find out more about him. As for the mission objective, the Prophet is single-hoofedly running the northern uprising so his assassination is a possibility.

Luna had always suspected that minotaurs had the potential to become a force to be reckoned with but unfortunately the circumstances of these days were the worst possible for diplomacy. On the other hoof, freeing them from the Nightmare's influence could earn her few points towards future endeavor. Well, none of that would matter if Holy Light succeeded in reaching the Tree of Harmony, his suspected goal. What Luna was lacking the most was information, both on Holy's goals and the Prophet's.

With that in mind she wrote a single word on a letter that would be dropped off in the Crystal Empire.

Observe.

Heavy Hoof was exhausted. He wouldn't ever let it show but in addition to his recruit lessons he'd decided to add something more to his regime and it was driving him to the ground. As soon as the morning training sessions ended he had a quick rest, something light to eat, and headed back to the castle gardens to continue his own training.

He'd asked commander Shadowstep for help because her unit of changelings were steeled by old wars and experienced with just about anything that could happen in combat. Shadowstep had agreed when Tio Cross insisted and them going temporary AWOL went completely unnoticed by queen Chrysalis, at least that's what Heavy hoped. Cross and Shadowstep didn't really care because their loyalty lay mostly to each other rather than the changeling queen who carried very little authority to them.

So, with Shadowstep agreeing to allow Cross help with Heavy's training the only remaining members of her unit - Starlight and private Expendable - were taking care of the weekly reports from observing the life of the Element bearers. Heavy was grateful for the opportunity and took the training seriously but...

"We can have a short break if you need it," said a tall, purple-maned thestral with grey coat and yellow eyes standing calmly above the blue and white heap collapsed on the ground and breathing raggedly. The thestral looked fairly young considering he had over four hundred years of experience serving in the changeling military. Horatio Carmac Refrigerator Cross had trouble remembering parts of his name and preferred his batpony form to his 'changeling' one. Now, he was looking worriedly at Heavy Hoof and thinking he might have overdone it this time.

As Heavy's eyes rolled back from the back of his head and his hearing returned he, on about third attempt, managed to stand up.

"That..." Heavy spat a bit of blood out, "that... was cheating."

Cross just raised an eyebrow.

"An infantrypony buying time for the spellcaster in the back to blast your fine and toned rump so hard you don't get back up? That's the most basic of combat tactics, Heavy."

Heavy shook his head and got surrounded by purple aura as his front legs failed to hold him up.

"Yeeees," he admitted hesitantly. He didn't mind Shadowstep holding him up with her magic because, if he had to be honest, most of their sessions ended like that, "but when the spellcaster is an almost immortal changeling queen from times shortly after Luna's imprisonment and the other enemy is an ultimate warrior created from the essence of the most powerful creatures living on Equus a simple earthpony like me could use a small break."

"Don't grumble," Cross smiled, "it's a good excuse for a shower together. Besides, I doubt that in a real fight the enemy would care in the slightest."

Heavy sighed. He'd been training since the return from the Griffon Empire and it was paying off. One on one he could hold his own against Cross and, if the changeling wasn't using his vast magic/love reserves to make his armor impenetrable by normal weapons, he could win. In that, Heavy had no doubt that with a teacher blessed with so much experience he could fight against anypony. Unfortunately, war wasn't decided by solo action. As good as Heavy could get he wasn't a changeling and as such he couldn't go on fighting as long as the unnatural love energy reserves lasted. The problem was stamina and magic. Heavy had plenty of the first but what use would fighting off ten or twenty enemies be when hundred more took their place.

Every time princess Luna briefed him about some report from Zebrica he felt disheartened and small. Alicorns like Luna or Celestia could wipe entire armies out by themselves unless they were protected by a similar power. All that said, he couldn't deny growing in ways he'd never expected.

"Tio... you do realize that every practice will end in the same way no matter what I do, do you? I can't do much more than I'm already doing."

"Don't underestimate my sargeant," Shadowstep, a changeling queen very similar to queen Chrysalis but bulkier, without a crown ornament on her head, and in purple colours rather than green, commented, "he believes in you and, after seeing how you progress, so do I."

"I just think you enjoy setting me on fire, commander."

"True," Shadowstep grinned, "but I also heal you back up."

"Just so you could electrocute me next time," Heavy objected.

"Indeed," Shadowstep's smile grew wider, "and yet, you get up faster every time and we don't even have to carry you to the infirmary anymore. That means your earthpony body is getting used to quite high amounts of magic."

Suddenly, Heavy understood. Pegasi magic changed them, allowed them to control weather, fly, and made their bones lighter but more brittle to take less damage when falling. That's why pegasi had never been the best frontline warriors. Unicorn magic transformed part of their body to serve as a focus for their will, allowing them to change world as they saw fit as long as the magic in their bodies lasted. Earthponies became tough, adaptable, and strong. The adaptability was what served as a magic resistance, the ability to absorb magic thrown their way and either use it to replenish theirs or just harmlessly expel it out of their bodies later.

It had been right before his eyes all the time and he'd never bothered to explore the possibility. He'd thought Blazing Light's magic stealing and immunity was just a part of his unicorn magic but that wasn't true. His mother had been an earthpony which must have allowed his unicorn ability to steal magic to grow. Heavy knew it would be impossible to reach that level of anti-mage capability but now he knew he could improve even more.

"Thanks, guys," Heavy smiled and moved his legs. As soon as he did Shadowstep's levitation stopped and he had to take his steps for himself again, "I hope it'll be enough to make the difference when the time comes."

Cross wrapped his wing around Heavy and kissed him, earning a half-amused, half-jealous look from Shadowstep.

"You never know. As they say, hope dies last."

Changelings generally weren't too liked among normal ponies but the few dreamlings who kept to themselves and their only friends reached slightly higher status. Three was one of the last ones to stay single and devoted to her duty as the dreamling ambassador at princess Celestia's court. It wasn't a bad job and despite her being fairly low on the old love gain she, as a dreamling, had no trouble surviving by feeding on fear. It wasn't as tasty as love, it wasn't as nutritious as love, but it kept her going day after day as long as she sold her body in some bar somewhere for a quick refill from time to time. These days, with the changeling peace treaty in effect, most ponies looking for one-night stand would opt for a changeling who gladly agreed.

Dreamlings, unfortunately, were limited to only one disguise and she didn't even have that so most of her 'partners' were those weird enough to enjoy the touch of chitinous armor during the night. Three didn't mind her being the only remaining dreamling without a disguised form. She served queen Guiding Light with her whole being and that was the only important thing. As much as other dreamlings tried to forget about the old days in their native dimension where Nightmare successfully managed to destroy all life and fit in, she did her best to remember and punish all those who would threaten this new world by such tragedy. For now it meant cooperating with princess Celestia but Three was flexible. Her queen, her brothers and sisters, and all those powerless to defend themselves deserved a life without the horrors her hive had seen before using the dimension jumping spell to end up here in this version of Equus.

Right now it looked as if the massacre was going to repeat itself. The dreamlings would fight and fall for a world where they had nothing left. The news of their father's death had hit the dreamlings hard and queen Guiding had completely broken contact with the world outside of the small hive in Pine Hills. Three's idea for the best course of action was to persuade the queen to use the jumping spell again and save the ten dreamlings remaining from her hive. After all, why should they fight for a place that had turned its back on their father and caused his death. A place that... accepted them and gave them a chance for independence.

"Well, that was a pointless line of thought," Three mumbled to herself, sitting in Sole Regret and sipping her drink. She liked the mercenary bar because most patrons told stories about different parts of the world and Three had the chance to gather some information for her queen from those. She also loved the wine the bartender was selling. From what she'd heard her father also liked the place which only sweetened the deal.

Staring into a glass she slowly realized the sound of the story she'd been listening to died away mid-word. Come to think of it, all sounds did. Glancing to the sides, her excellent vision showed her that nopony around was moving. The bartender was stuck with his hoof holding a cloth inside a dirty beer glass. The young colts sitting around listening to experienced mercenaries had their excited expression frozen on their faces.

With the temperuature taking a dive and the coats of ponies around taking on a crystalline sheen, Three quickly assumed she was the only one able to move. The door opened and she turned her head in its direction, pretending to freeze as well. A unicorn wearing a purple cloak hiding all his features aside from the tip of his horn walked inside, looked around, and aimed straight towards Three.

She sniffed the air and tilted her head. Contrary to the entire situation she didn't feel threatened but that didn't stop her from hardening her armor and causing sharp blades to appear on the back of her legs.

The unicorn took his cowl off and unwrapped a bandana from his muzzle. Three froze on the spot. Her legs shook, she breathed quickly, and her vision became blurry.

"I need information," the unicorn revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth.

A moment later she reevaluated her loyalty to princess Celestia and came to a new result.

Frozen Heart: Corruption

Canterlot, this early in the morning, was covered in hovering mist and while spring was almost ready to take over and dispel most of the snow remaining on the slippery cobblestones it wasn't just there yet. Ponies with half-closed eyes rushed, or hobbled, to their jobs, all of them completely unaware that Morning Mist, the pony not the daily occurence, was walking through the city on a mission from her temporary 'boss'. As little as she liked leaving the north unattended she had to earn the Prophet's trust and he'd sent her to steal something apparently crucial to his success.

A book, or a set of books to be precise.

She'd been given only two instructions - to return back with the books and to not harm anypony and attract unnecessary attention - and an address of a house in Canterlot alongside a recommendation to break inside during the day. Mist, being trained in the art of burglary, decided that a weak scrying spell should give her the information she might need about somepony guarding the place. She changed her mind as soon as she found the address. It wasn't an official building or a treasury or anything. It was just an apartment building, one of the better sort to be found in Canterlot. That would explain the second part of the address - 2nd fl. 211.

Breaking into somepony's apartment just to steal some books felt more and more like an excuse to get rid of her and prepare a trap for her when she came back. Perhaps she was being watched? She couldn't feel any magic in particular but that didn't mean that a dark warlord ruling the north with an iron hoof didn't have the skill to mask his presence. Well, that meant she couldn't just go and visit Luna to give her all the details by herself. She'd just have to rely on pen and paper like before.

Mist hid in an alley next to the building and focused on weaving her magic. She wasn't much good in protective and offensive spells but illusions were her forte. A moment later her body slumped on the ground and disappeared, hidden by an invisibility enchantment. She hated using mental projection when she didn't have a good place to hide her physical body. Shrugging, her invisible magical form trotted out of the alley and entered the apartment building. The halls were narrow but clean, revealing the builders of this place had been instructed to make enough room for the tenants rather than wasting empty space on hallways. All in all, while this entire building looked as large as any other, there would be more space for anypony living there for the same price, ensuring a high demand.

All that flashed through Mist's head as she made it to the second floor and phased through the door of her target apartment. The magic she was using served just as a scouting tool as she had no ability to take anything away but the information that the apartment was empty was more than enough. She checked the two next door apartments as well and upon seeing that there would be nopony to bother her while picking the lock she stopped the spell and in few moments she was standing in front of the apartment again, this time for real. She quickly pondered teleportation since the apartment didn't seem protected from magic in any way but there might be alarms which were easy to hide and difficult to detect. The same went for spells crafted directly to open any non-magical lock. Fortunately, unicorns still had their mouths and could pick a lock just like any other pony. On top of that those with very sensitive telekinesis could explore the shape of the lock and open it from the inside. She was exactly that sort.

Still, the lock was of as high quality as the rest of this place so breaking inside was slightly more difficult than expected but to Mist it meant only about a minute more of standing in front of the door pretending to look out of the window into a gradually filling street. The door clicked and she was inside.

The apartment... was a mess. Whoever lived here had no desire to keep things in order. There were four rooms - a living room filled with random articles of clothing, female by the looks of it, a kitchen, the only place not looking as if an explosion had wrecked it seconds earlier, a bathroom, sparkling clean and leading to a definite conclusion of a mare living here, and a bedroom.

Mist gagged.

The bedroom smelled like a low-grade whorsehouse. Mist's guess was that the mare had overslept after a night with a partner and tried to mask the overpowering smell of sex by some sort of sweet scent. The overall effect made Mist's head spin.

"Bleh," she shivered, looking at the bed, "Talon marks. Was she screwing a griffon or something similar? Disgusting."

Thankfully for Mist, the owner of this place didn't seem to be as smitten with books as she was with music.

"Justin the Beaver?" Mist read one of the newer posters on the walls. She'd never been into forest metal but Fluttershy's trained animals were becoming a thing even in larger cities. If only she laid off the black and white makeup.

The only small bookshelf contained a cookbook which Mist understandably misread as a cockbook on the first attempt. The smell was making her warm and dizzy. She wanted to get out as quickly as possible. As she was reading the rest of the titles her hoof moved to her nethers without her permission. Mist grit her teeth and forced her legs into submission. Oh Celestia, now she was grinding her hind legs together. The last two things on the bookshelf weren't books but two black notebooks of the cheapest sort that could be found in any general store anywhere. The writing on the covers proved they were what she was looking for. Grabbing them, she rushed out of the room to take a breath of fresher air.

Magical aphrodisiac. The mare must have drugged both her poor partner and herself to go all night. Mist knew the aftereffects of magical potions lasted only short while but now she wasn't in a position to think clearly. Thankfully, the next-door apartments being empty meant nopony heard her scream from the bathroom. Several minutes later she emerged out of the bathroom, refreshed and furious at whoever made her lose self-control. Perhaps she could vandalize this place just a bit? No, she had more important things to do... like mastu-

Covering her nose, she ran out of the apartment and into the cold streets.

"Aaaah, much better," she slowly breathed in and out.

The chilly air swirling around her allowed her to regain her composure and she was ready to delve into the secrets of the notebooks during the train ride back to the Crystal Empire.

The journal of Blazing Light

She knew the name, most Equestrian Intelligence Service agents did. Despite Mist coming into contact with the unicorn's case only once he was a fascinating talk between gifted unicorn mages. Their nightmare, to be precise. A unicorn capable of bending magic against the user, seeing through illusions, and, as the rumors went, beating the crap out of princess Luna was something to be concerned about.

She read all about the rise of the young unicorn but nothing in the books gave her any idea why the Prophet would want it. There weren't any magical secrets to his power he could exploit, at least she couldn't find any.

When a day later she walked back to the mountain city and asked Darkhorn where the Prophet was so she could give him the books she was given the answer that the Prophet was in the mining zone. The mining zone was a place where only minotaurs were allowed to go but Mist now had a very good reason. The Prophet needed to hear about the result of her mission as soon as possible to continue his evil plans after all.

A duo of minotaurs outside of a mine shaft tried to stop her but showing the red crystal pendant Darkhorn also had and her growing reputation as the Prophet's assistant gave her word the weight she needed to get inside. Aside from minotaurs with pickaxes and mine carts here and there nothing felt out of place and a reason for ponies to be banned from coming here.

The mine shaft opened into an another crevice, smaller but filled with various gems flickering in the light of torches set in the walls and several large sources of light of Crystal Empire origin. This had to be the current vein the minotaurs were mining. The minotaurs around her looked at her questioningly. She flashed her pendant and nodded at them.

"Where's the boss?" she asked a minotaur resting nearby. He just pointed his hand further into the crevice.

Eventually a pony silouhette came to view and Mist coughed politely.

"Yes?" the Prophet turned around, "Ah, Evening Gloom. What are you doing here?"

"Brought you the books, sir," she answered chipperly, "If I may ask, why aren't ponies mining this stuff as well?"

"Several reasons," said the Prophet as Mist levitated the stolen journals to him, "Minotaur stamina gained through years of living in this harsh environment allows them to go for longer. The ponies here are barely used to this weather and have trouble even living inside the mountain. The main reason though is this."

One of the books opened in front of him and he flipped few pages, mumbled to himself, and shook his head.

Lights faded, a touch of cold chilled Mist to the bone, and her legs started shaking. A large black crystal tore the ground in front of the Prophet and the walls of the crevice darkened with the same substance.

In growing panic Mist tried to teleport away, tried to gather some sort of magic to help her get out. Nothing worked. She whimpered. How could have she even though about taking this mission? A small mare like her trying to outsmart a pony instilling fear into princess Luna and uniting the fiercest race of all Equus was like an ant laughing at a tsunami. She had no hope of succeeding. She should just run away and hide. It wouldn't help though. The darkness would come and take her.

There was no way to win.

She woke up in a bed with fire roaring somewhere close to her. Her head immediately started working out what had happened. Here and now it felt like a panic attack but she knew it had been something else. The Prophet had managed to get something out of the diaries, something that gave him the power to break one's will and imitate the power to wipe all magic out.

Mist was shaking inside. The alicorns weren't safe from the Prophet now. It was all up to her, she had to kill him before it came to fighting.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a rust-coloured unicorn smiled widely at a zebra shackled in the cell in front of him, "A zebra asking way too many questions for a simple mercenary."

The captured zebra was quickly spinning a believable lie in his head just like any good spy would and was nearly ready to confuse the living hell out of Holy Light when a hissing whisper from nowhere said:

Luna's agent. I can see into him.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Holy Light bowed overexaggeratedly, "Mister spy, this is the Nightmare, a god set on wiping this land clean and trying again. Nightmare, Luna's spy, as you said. What should we do with him?"

The zebra was fiddling with the chains holding him. This place was a cell in a city near the northern coast of Zebrica and as such the chains had little chance of holding a well-trained agent for long. If only he was able to persuade them to give him few more minutes without their attention he'd be out of this place and on his way back to Canterlot.

You will be on your way back soon enough.

"What?" the shocked agent looked at grinning Holy Light.

"You see, we could simply kill you right now but you are a valuable resource-"

"I'm not telling you anything!"

"Telling us?" dark mist swirled around Holy's horn and a black beam hit the agent's forehead, "Your name is Wideleaf, your parents came from Zebrica to Appleloosa twenty-one years ago while you were a young colt. During the bison threat to the city four years ago you were asked by the local sheriff to examine the situation. Following your assessment princess Celestia sent the Elements of Harmony there to defuse the situation, earning you a chance to join the EIS. You weren't too excited when the EIS leadership was given to princess Luna but you eventually got over it because you were a professional. Should I continue?"

Wideleaf shook his head. He had to get out and warn princess Luna that Holy Light drew information out of his head. Wideleaf wasn't sure how much Holy knew. Agents on dangerous assignments like him had protective spells place inside their heads in order to protect sensitive information.

Break him!

"What would it change?" Holy asked, "It's not as if some details about the internal structure of the Intelligence Service would change our course of action. No, I think we have a more interesting use for you, mister agent. You will get out of here alive, you have my word for it."

Wideleaf looked suspiciously at Holy who just shrugged.

"If you don't believe me you just have to wait. I would like you to issue Celestia and Luna a challenge. It must have dawned on them that the point of this attack is to break the Pact of Harmony so I challenge them to pull everything they can to the Tree, gather all their allies, and face us. At least that way we won't have to hunt any stragglers down."

"You can't be serious," Wideleaf stuttered out, "No amount of forces will stand against the sisters."

"There are gods, below them there are alicorns, and then... waaaay down the ladder there are ponies like us. So, you see, the ultimate power is on my side. With the alicorns at least weakened the nearly half a million soldiers under my command will roll over what little amount you've managed to gather in past months. I'm telling you this only because I want to see your hope break when you see what's against you, to know you're resigned to your inescapable fate."

"Why? You are a pony, how can you want that?"

"Because life is not worth living when you have no control over it. You are nothing to the alicorns ruling over every aspect of your existence. There is no freedom, only an illusion. You can't create your fate. Try to stick out a little and you'll see how the ones above you fear the growing power and stomp you into the ground. Everything has to start over on an equal playing field. The gods now know they made the mistake of creating alicorns before allowing life to bloom and die on its own."

"You are insane."

Holy just waved his hoof.

"Anypony not thinking in the way they've been indoctrinated to is considered insane. That doesn't mean they are wrong. It only means that somepony up there doesn't want them to break the precious system enslaving the weak forever. Now, since I see my words have no value for you and that you're too far gone I'll do what I promised."

Holy's horn glowed and the cell door opened.

"Go and tell the corrupt diarchs what you've heard and seen. My army will soon march on the northern shipyards and start the preparations for the invasion. I dare the sisters to waste their forces trying to stop me."

Wideleaf considered using the unlocked shackles to try and choke Holy Light to death.

"Go, shoo!" Holy waved him off, "Steal a ship or something. I'm sure you are resourceful like that."

BEGONE!

In a second the zebra was outside, planning his return to Canterlot.

That was unwise.

"Heck no. The message he'll deliver will be slightly different than he thinks. Our good old 'friend' Blazing Light, the insane one not the goody-goody one we killed in the desert, invented an anti-magic bomb with your help. I just turned the spell into a curse. The spell will go off and drain his life to fuel an explosion devouring magic to fuel itself further. It might be useless against Celestia but I think Luna will find it so delightful she'll melt on the spot."

You ponies are interesting creatures. Now I see why Discord enjoys just observing you.

"Observing is fine," Holy growled, "Being utterly helpless against a higher power is not. The Pact of Harmony is an abomination giving alicorns more power than the gods have. Discord SHOULD watch and play games from time to time. You, Nightmare, SHOULD exist to break the pony utopia and make them struggle. Harmony messed up in creating the Pact. That is the conflict of three gods two of which are now simply slaves to the Elements and the will of alicorns who can use all of them to subdue you and their own power to break any resistance from their 'little' ponies. Stupid euphemism."

The good old days. This time though it will be only two rightful gods. Life and Death, Creation and Destruction, Chaos and Order. Discord and Me.

Frozen Heart: Traitors

Void was sitting on a throne in the middle of a temple made of obsidian. Blue lights floated through the entirety of his home and periodically the old ones disappeared and new ones flickered to life. The temple didn't have walls, instead it was simply a tiled, ornate floor and a roof with pillars holding it on the sides. From his throne Void could see into the desert of silvery sand reaching far and wide away from the building. The underworld and Scream's mountain were the only places where he could be himself these days. His power was reaching unprecedented levels and he himself wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if he wanted it. Void was more than happy with just watching and occasionally visiting the real world, at least whenever Scream wasn't bugging him about something. Her constant efforts to keep both of them more involved with mortals were keeping him in touch although the two of them travelling to the Griffon Empire as a pair of unicorns and pretending to look for a suitable set of furniture for their nonexistent house may have been a little too much. Still, Void was grateful to her for trying.

Unlike him, the alicorn of Lust was way more tied to the ponies living in the real world and would fade away without them for far too long for Void to handle. Death was omnipresent and granted him the resilience unknown to anypony else other than the alicorns of Life, Magic, and Time. Even if Nightmare succeeded in its attempt to create a new, clean slate it wouldn't affect him too much. Scream, though, would have no chance of surviving without emotions to feed her aspect. That's why, despite risking the possibility of his future engagement, he decided he had to take one final step. That, and the vision of Holy Light's forces getting ready to cross the ocean to Equestria. Almost a million soldiers under his command would trash what little forces Luna and Celestia had managed to get up till now. At this rate, Holy Light would win even without magic or the possibility of Nightmare summoning things from the depths of Equus. Unlike Luna, Void had a pretty clear line of sight at Holy's army as death was a daily occurence wherever they marched.

What he was more concerned about was the northern force getting ready to invade. While the numbers weren't anywhere close to Holy Light's army the inability of Void, Scream, or anypony to see what was going on there made the alicorn of Death interested and worried. All he knew was that one of the gateways of Nightmare's power was there and that meant trouble. Void stepped down from his throne, spread his wings which dwarfed anypony else's and in some respects reached into infinity, and focused. Instead of the blackfire alicorn a black unicorn appeared, ready to once again step out into the real world. The unicorn dispersed into black mist and the temple was once again empty aside from the blue souls coming to terms with their departure.

Void's sealed form reformed on the edge of the barrier preventing him from going further and he was quickly blinded by snow falling everywhere around him, not that he needed eyes to find his way around. The Nightmare's presence was extremely strong and would easily lead him through the northern wastes.

"I guess I will be walking the rest of the way then," his just shrugged and plodded through the blizzard towards the minotaur mountain city.

Heavy Hoof looked at a letter on his desk. It was different from any other that found its way into his small office in the Canterlot castle in the respect that there was no return address, no seal or signature, and nothing explaining the reason for it to be on the desk of a simple drill sargeant. Granted, Heavy's status as princess Luna's occasional agent could put him on somepony's list of targets to be eliminated but the letter was too thin to be a bomb and his office was protected from magical 'gifts' of that sort.

So... poison? Possibly something completely harmless?

With a careful stroke of a letter knife in his mouth, Heavy rolled his eyes at the paranoia and opened it. Inside there was a simple note saying:

I need your help. My messenger will wait for you every day from dusk until midnight for the entirety of next week on the roof of Sole Regret. I know you know the place. If you choose to ignore this letter then I wish you the best of luck in the future.

A polite threat or possibly just an innocent request? Definitely not innocent if the sender was going through the trouble of setting the meeting up in such complicated fashion. Well, if said 'messenger' part was true then Heavy would have a very easy time preparing a trap to catch him.

On the other hoof, why would somepony want him? That was the important question. Heavy had no legal power over any important stuff in Canterlot. He wasn't... useful in any way a criminal would want to use him, not to mention he would fight till death before he became somepony's lawless puppet. No, whoever had sent this knew exactly what made Heavy different from anypony else in the castle. The earthpony didn't know what it was but as a cold smile grew on his face he was determined to find out.

The timeframe gave him enough comfort to have a shower at the castle gym where he greeted Royal Guards unwinding after a long day and Nightguards getting ready to take care of Luna's nighttime dominion. Heavy believed that being in the best shape possible was important at any point in time and relaxation was part of it. That's why as warm water made his fur hug his body he let everything go and focused only on the pleasant moment. Things like these took a self-control of steel and, as most ponies around him found out fast enough, he had it. Unfortunately, he couldn't stave off the strange request forever and in about half an hour he was trotting to Sole Regret.

The mercenary bar was filled to the brim at this time of evening and while it was easy to notice Heavy in a crowd thanks to his snow-white coat and blue mane which made others mistake him for prince Shining Armor from time to time the ponies in Sole Regret were experts at not noticing things that didn't concern them.

"Evening, Singer," Heavy greeted the bartender, "Mind if I take a look around the roof?"

"No problem, just don't make a mess. There's a scaffolding covering the entire back part of the building because of renovations. Guard business, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Possibly," Heavy's expression darkened, "If I don't come back within twenty minutes call for the nearest patrol and send them up."

"That bad? I can give you a backup if need be. Most of the guys here owe me a favor and wouldn't mind getting into a little scrap."

"That won't be necessary. Somepony just asked specifically for me and I want to know why."

"Well," Singer explored a keyring hanging on a wall nearby and gave Heavy an unremarkably normal key, "I'll be counting minutes. Hope nothing bad happens to you. Speaking of which, some of the young colts coming here from time to time asked for you. They like it when you talk about your time in Ponyville with the bugponies. It helps teach them not to be scared of them."

"I'm surprised you are so accepting of them. Sole Regret was one of the hotspots of resistance during queen Chrysalis' invasion."

"The way I see it, we broke their skulls, or exoskeletons, and they broke some of ours. Their queen doesn't want to roll us all into cocoons anymore and, honestly, changelings looking for a quick snack are the best companions for mercs who don't have time for family or a relationship."

"I wish everypony had the same insight, Singer. Even now things aren't so civilized everywhere."

"It always takes time. A century ago we would have hanged your griffon friend and probably stoned the batpony he lives with were thestrals not protected by a royal decree. Things change, slowly but they do."

Heavy looked at the clock hanging on the wall and, the roof key in his mouth, nodded at Singer as he walked up the stairs. The bulding wasn't too tall by Canterlot standards but it was more than just the bar. As Heavy passed the apartments and offices he was thinking about him being somepony's target over and over. When the roof door clicked before him he put the key to his saddlebag and unsheathed his metal staff, ready to defend himself.

Nothing.

The wind was rushing above Canterlot but with winter fading the night sky was clear and Heavy could easily see the flat roof around him. Near the scaffolding on the back of the building there was a very tall shadow which might have been just a stack of equipment or...

...somepony quickly walking on their hind legs towards him.

Heavy stood up himself and twirled his staff. Even while standing upright Heavy's head was at about shoulder height of the second figure. He couldn't help noticing the figure was obviously much more used to walking in such abnormal fashion, leading him to a conclusion which was proven right when it withdrew its hood.

It was a minotaur, tall, purple-coated, and armed a shield on his back and a one-handed mace on his belt. In his right arm he was carrying a satchel which he carefully put down on the roof. He had to know who Heavy was and how he looked otherwise he would have given whatever he was giving to him to anypony. Not breaking eye contact, Heavy put his staff back on his back and picked the satchel up.

He bit his lip when he opened it. Inside there were two black notebooks, a black crystal, and a second note. He looked at the minotaur.

"What if I refuse?"

"Then my lord only asks you not to talk about this and I am to take everything in the bag back. He also told me to tell you this: I know you will not betray me again."

Heavy read the note in the dim light coming from downstairs. He took a deep breath. His next choice could make him several very powerful enemies but... there was one thing he'd regretted for a long time.

He had a debt to pay.

"I'm in. Tell him I'll talk to Shadowstep and Tio as soon as possible."

This bar in Stalliongrad was the offical unofficial center of its black market. Potential buyers and sellers could meet here and there were enough experts on certain facets of law concerning various parts of the country living on the upper floors who were happy to make sure no client would be cheated. After all, good reputation meant so much more than contracts in a place where law wasn't allowed to go.

Burning Brand, a bartender and a pony knowing almost everypony in Stalliongrad, knew trouble when he saw it and the two dreamlings walking through the door with determined expressions felt like it immediately. It possibly had something to do with one of them having been in the bar before, the female one walking like a panther stalking her prey. The second one, less predatory although arguably even more dangerous, drew gazes and surprised gasps from other guests who happened to look her way. Brand had seen pictures of queen Chrysalis in the newspapers and as such was able to guess that the entering 'pony' was the dreamling queen herself. She wasn't menacing in size and looked slightly uncomfortable in the crowd but her dark-blue belly armor with glowing orange veins coursing through it made Brand shiver.

His suspicion proved correct when the duo walked over to a tall, blonde-maned pegasus with coat so brilliantly white it seemed to shine in the dark atmosphere of the estabilishment. The pegasus had only one wing but, as Brand knew, it didn't stop him from soaring.

The blue-eyed pegasus looked up from his drink, his jaw dropped, and his nervous twitch toppled the glass in his hooves. Brand got ready to call for Brick the bouncer and several other well-armed 'friends' because he knew that captain Icy Gaze was a magnet for trouble.

"W-w-w-what can the boss... I mean I do for you?" Icy Gaze's trembling made his wooden chair quickly tap against the floor.

"Greeeeeeeat save, Five," the non-queen dreamling snickered, "You're a terrible body double and Icy Gaze should fire you. Where is he?"

"He-he-he's n-n-not here-"

"Where is he, Five?" the queen asked softly and Five looked around, his teeth chattering.

"My queen," Five pleaded, shooting out words with machine gun speed, "If I tell you then he'll kick me out. I've led Three to him once already and he was mad at me. I'll have to go back to the Crystal Empire and I won't be able to send you the letters about the world. Don't get me wrong, I like princess of food but-"

"Stop rambling," the normal dreamling slammed the table hard enough to get Five's attention but nopony else's, "drop the disguise, and get going!"

"Yes, Three," green glimmer passed through the white pegasus' coat and a much smaller creature, similar to the huntery dreamling known as Three appeared instead. Five hanged his head and started walking to a corner of the bar where a hooded pony sighed heavily and shook his head.

Icy Gaze, this time the real one, facehoofed when Three, somepony who he'd hoped never to see again, Five, his apparently extremely incompetent dreamling body double, and a dreamling he suspected to be queen Guiding Light approached him. He knew changelings and dreamlings could sense one another even when disguised and considering there was about ten dreamlings left in the world their queen would see through Five's disguise easily but that still didn't change the fact that he was in mortal danger. He was in no position to fight. His past experience with Three taught him that she could single-hoofedly break the skulls of everypony currently inside the bar. Icy had never met queen Guiding but he'd heard rumours.

"You know, Five," Icy rolled his eyes theatrically, "If you keep doing that I will have to load you into a cannon and fire you into the sun one day."

Five slinked back as if Icy had punched him.

"Sorry, cap," Five reached into a bag on his back, pulled out a discoloured wooly red cap, and drew it over his ears, "It's just-"

"I would prefer you didn't do that," Guiding Light smiled, "Although he might make a better cannonball than a bodyguard. Now, let's get straight to business, mister pirate."

"I am just an honorable businesspony," Icy locked stares with Three who snarled at him. He just smiled smugly.

"Five's letters say something else," Guiding commented dryly and as Icy grit his teeth, looking at Five, Three unpleasantly smiled back.

"You will be helping Fail with his makeup for a MONTH!" Icy whispered angrily to Five.

"Cool!" Five lightened up and Icy had to facehoof again at the image of his pilot looking like a kabuki hooker after the dreamling's curious attempts.

Burning Brand decided to help his if not friend then at least a very good customer.

"Would you like a drink, sir, for you and your company?" he asked Icy the usual cryptic question.

"No, thanks. We're doing business and need to stay sober," was Icy's answer meaning that while things were civil now that could change very quickly.

Brand nodded and returned back behind the counter. Several unnoticeable gestures later there was a group of ponies ready to rush to Icy Gaze's side to help.

"Enough with this nonsense, pirate," Three walked behind Icy's chair and growled into his ear, "You either do what we say or your career is over."

"Oh really?" Icy booped Three's muzzle with his hoof, "I wonder how ponies would look at the dreamling queen and her lapdog causing a lot of trouble in one of the big cities in Equestria, possibly murdering an innocent airship captain. That might cause some image problems... torches and pitchforks image problems."

Three slapped Icy's hoof away from her muzzle.

"Worth it..."

"Really? I've heard about your cozy village of Pine Hills where ponies actually like you. How would they look at the incident? They might just get worried about their safety and get your little hive evicted. I believe the Everfree forest is quite inhabitable this time of year. Few hydras should't be too much trouble for a cute little warrior like you," Icy's hoof scratched Three behind her ear.

Icy knew he was dancing on thin ice but what he said was technically true. According to Five's stories the dreamlings were officially in a worse spot than the changelings. The murdering force of Nightmare Moon from a different dimension was under heavy oversight of both royal sisters and they couldn't afford trouble like this. On top of that, it looked like Guiding Light wasn't too bothered by his cheekiness and he jumped at the opportunity to make Three boil inside. He just had to suppress every bit of self-preservation instinct that kept yelling at him that Three could dismember him, disembowel him, and disassemble him faster than his head would stop breathing.

Guiding's chuckle strangely resonated within his skull and he had to shake off his sudden dizziness.

"My queen," Five whimpered.

"Be quiet," Guiding didn't look away from Icy who realized his body wasn't listening to him, "Now, captain... I need something you stole from Canterlot castle vault. Two somethings to be precise. A pair of swords that should rightfully belong to my father as the only unicorn capable of using them effectively."

"Why... don't... they... work?" Icy groaned.

"Let me explain, just so you don't see me as an enemy," Guiding said seriously, "The Blades of Balance completely protect their wielder from magic and, to a small extent, divine power. The branches of changelings have never relied on magic to subdue their prey though. Pheromones, hypnotic voice, pitch you ponies can't hear but accept straight to your heads... magic is just the tip of the iceberg, as they say."

Icy was horrified but everything in his body was telling him things were absolutely fine. His breathing was relaxed and he was smiling and nodding happily. He barely felt Three's hooves take his cloak off and subsequently two sheaths on his sides containing two greatswords. The blades capable of completely nullifying princess Luna's magic were powerless against Guiding Light's mind control. There was nothing unnatural involved in Icy's body's reaction.

"Excellent," Guiding levitated the sheaths and put them on, groaning, "Stopping my own flow of magic, painful. Now I understand the warning that wielding the two kills the really powerful unicorns outright. Thank you for your cooperation, mister pirate, these will find their way into much better hooves than yours. Take care of yourself and of Five, one my precious brothers."

Followed by Three, Guiding Light left with a pair of most treasured artefacts in Equestria in her possession.

"Are you okay?" Five looked apologetically at Icy who was slowly regaining control of his limbs.

Icy was nothing if not cool-headed. As much as he wanted to punch the dreamling, to yell at him, he couldn't when he saw his devastated face.

"You'll have to choose where your loyalties lie, Five," Icy groaned.

"Hey, you said loyalties. That means more than one so it's you, my queen, and-"

"Shut up," Icy couldn't help smiling bitterly. He knew Five would protect him in any situation barring few exceptions. After all, it was the leader's fault if he couldn't find use for his assets, "and get back to your table. Who knows? There might be somepony tonight who actually wants to do business and not just mindrape me."

"Sorry, cap."

Frozen Heart: Dark Prophet

The air inside the yet-to-be-named minotaur mountain city chilled its inhabitants to the bone. To the minotaurs and ponies sitting around or doing their jobs it felt like, well, nothing. None of them noticed because time had stopped for them as soon as the black unicorn walked through the main entrance.

It had taken Void over three days to find the entrance despite his ability to sense the Nightmare's power but he was finally here. The second gateway threatening Equestria's future was somewhere around. Following his senses, he walked through the main crevice where the city was located and then through a mine shaft leading to the area where minotaurs were currently mining. He wasn't sure his sealed form could fight somepony with so much divine power on his side but he knew he had to. If he could take care of the northern threat right here and now that would leave the sisters free to focus on Holy Light's army.

As soon as he exited the mine shaft and walked into another cavern he found himself facing three minotaurs, armed and not frozen. The most noticeable detail about the trio were their ashen grey breastplates that, to Void's unnatural senses, seemed to distort space around them.

So, someone or something taught them how to craft magic nullifying armor. It wasn't unheard of materials partially capable of weakening magic around them but the ability felt much stronger than anything Void had ever seen before.

Wait... not anything.

"Stand back."

As soon as Void heard the command aimed at minotaurs and recognized the voice a lot of things suddenly made sense. He knew who was behind this. It became clear the pony wrapped in purple clothes of eastern origin knew who he was dealing with as well.

"I must admit I was not expecting you here," the purple hood got drawn back, revealing a blonde mane with several strands of grey and a well-known bronze colored coat.

Void recalled the days after Blazing Light's presumed death of him trying to find his departing soul to give him some final words of assurance. There had been no soul to be found at the time.

"Same goes, Blazing," Void was trying to regain his bearings. The situation didn't make sense, "I have heard half of you got eaten and the other half thrown down from the sky."

Blazing twitched.

"Let me tell you something about life, Void. Not life in any metaphorical sense but the nature of life, something alicorns have hard time understanding. Life is change. Immortality, your unchanging nature, is its direct opposite. You die, you get back up, you die, you get back up, you die, you get back up, you die, yougetbackupyoudieyougetbackup..."

Blaze's words became garbled as his voice went quieter and he continued to mutter to himself.

"Blazing?" Void asked softly, "Are you all right?"

"Of course I am NOT!" Blaze hissed,  "When Scream resurrected me in my reality using the alicorn of Life's magic my body stole the divine power for myself. When I got sent into this reality I died again but now I know I would have came back even if Scream did not do it again. After that I had so much Life in me I would die over and over and over but I couldn't pass on. My every choice ended with me alone and my life slipping away after being crushed, stabbed, devoured, burned. I AM DONE WITH IT!"

"I know most of the alicorns who are still around, we can help you."

"What do you immortals know about death?" raging flames burst out of Blazing's back and his phoenix wings lit the cave, "You can only lose your physical body but you still stay around. You do not feel the cold, you know you will come back no matter what, and you know you will be able to continue what you started a century ago. PONIES DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY! Can you imagine the fear I felt every time I thought I wouldn't have a chance to come back? I doubt it."

"Life is a struggle-"

"SHUT! UP!" Blaze cut the avatar of Death off, "Do you know the funny thing? Both Luna and you thought I was supposed to become an alicorn. What a load of crap! The divine power both of you felt was just the remains of the gift of Life which allowed me to steal the Nightmare's power while fighting Luna in Ponyville."

"I felt power similar to mine in you. The power you stole and the power which you still hold in yourself. You are the second gateway and if you get rid of it the Nightmare's hold over this world will be much weaker. Possibly weak enough for Equestrian army to defeat Holy Light."

"Why would I want to get rid of it?" Blaze grinned.

"What? You cannot be serious."

"How a loser like me percieves victory is different, Void. If I cannot win on my own I just have to put myself in position where every result is at least positive. The way I see it, Holy Light will reach the Tree of Harmony, the Elements will be used against him, and I will steal their power just like I did with Nightmare and just like I did when Discord tried to resurrect me in the desert. I will gain the power of all three gods and then the pain will finally stop."

"You are broken beyond repair..."

Ignoring Void's remark, Blaze continued.

"And if I fail? Simple! Holy Light will just destroy all life on Equus. There will be nothing and nopony to hurt me anymore. Sweet victory."

"If you see it that way then I have to stop you."

"Stop me?" Blaze's eyes focused again and Void found himself a victim of a calm smile, "You think death scares me? I have the power that gave BIRTH to you. Your small form cannot even touch me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I guess it is too far for you to remember clearly. The gods are beings of energy and power. Their physical form is just something they use to interact with the world more directly. When you steal a part of their power, you gain everything they are - personality, nature, memories. It took everything I had to suppress the first two but the knowledge I gained from the last one was quite something."

"Mortals do not have the ability to handle eons of memories."

"They do when they have no other choice. Let me refresh you then. In the beginning there were the forces of creation, destruction, and existence in between. Chaos, order, and will. Life, death, magic. Discord, Nightmare, Harmony, as they have been given names. Eventually Discord got bored with creating empty rocks, balls of plasma, and other celestial mess which existed just to be destroyed in a large explosion. He tried to create something imitating him and poured a lot of his divine power into it. To keep it safe from the devouring nature of Nightmare he sheltered it on a lifeless rock. That 'something' was the alicorn of Life and Discord was happy to just observe her attempts at creating smaller things, serving greatly to kill his boredom. The Nightmare tried to destroy her but you cannot destroy divine power, you can just transform it, and Discord found out. The original pact thus became that the gods would not fight each other but rather compete. The Nightmare, not being a force of creation, had only one choice and that was to imitate Discord's project and fill it with its power to do its bidding. The alicorn of... care to finish the phrase?"

"Death," Void breathed out. His memory was hazy but there were moments returning to him.

"Bingo! One thing went wrong though. In the same way Nightmare was jealous of Discord's ability to weave life in new patters and create, the little black alicorn was jealous of the pure white creation of Discord and did not want to destroy her but learn to do things she did. That was when Harmony saw an opportunity and created her own experiment, the alicorn of Will, Fate, and Magic. With him as a friend you understood the nature of change, stopped being a mindless natural force, and the three of you built places and eventually some other living things. Discord got bored with just you because you were too divine though, too untouchable, and created some smaller versions of you. Even that was not enough to amuse the god and, thinking he had made a mistake, he tried to wipe the slate clean. Nightmare, considering that the sign of the original pact being over, gladly helped."

Void's memores were rushing as Blazing spoke.

"You three fought and fought and the more power the gods threw at you the more you gained but it was not enough. Discord knew he could recreate anything but his attention span was akin to an ADHD filly so he did not notice Harmony protecting all of you and, on the verge of losing, sacrificing herself to lock the other gods' power away. Discord lost his absolute control but Harmony considered the power of creation too precious to limit too much. Nightmare became able only to control creatures which stumbled too close to its nature, the broken, the sad, the insane, and remains a power only manifesting in the natural end of life of most beings. The price for it was the Harmony's inability to interact with the world in any way anymore. It broke into shards of massive divine power and, true to it being the manifestation of will, these Elements became usable by the small creatures when they gathered enough courage to stand against forces of other gods or their creations."

Void looked sadly at the unicorn in front of him. Too much knowledge, too much power, too much pain, too much responsibility.

"There was enough divine power left in the world and it surfaced when a belief became strong enough," Void muttered to himself, "The belief in the sun, the moon, love, wind, desires."

"Perhaps YOU should have been writing a journal," Blaze snickered.

"That does not matter," Void shook his head and a sharp purple aura surrounded his horn, "Your course of action threatens all of that. You must be stopped."

"I was lying in the desert for weeks in a decomposing and regenerating body. I have had time to think about things. I must get to the Tree of Harmony and destroy Holy Light to become the only gateway to Nightmare's power. I will BECOME a god! No more suffering, no more... anything."

One of Blaze's wings solidified and turned to black ice. A sphere of swirling darkness appeared above it and Void felt his entire body tingle. The broken unicorn before him was on par with him but Void knew he had more experience. Strenghtening his resolve, Void promised himself to end Blaze's pain quickly and forever.

Black aura appeared around Blaze's body and burned away instantly. Above Blaze's phoenix wing there remained a sphere of shifting bright colours dissolving Void's divine power.

"I have control over both Life and Death, Void," Blaze smiled, "You cannot stop me."

Void felt the power in his body being forcefully torn away. Every tendon snapped, every hair in his coat burned, and everything that made him him disintegrated in the colourful flames of his counter aspect.

"Perhaps knowing how death feels will make you a better reaper one day," Blaze said just before Void's sealed form turned to ash.

When Void's sight returned and his mind stopped screaming in bodyless pain he was breathing heavily and sitting in his alicorn form back in Scream's mountaintop dimension. Sweat was trickling through his coat and the black fire burning in his mane and wings was much weaker than usual. He needed to go back but going in his alicorn form would kill all innocents along the way and he was willing to do it only if there was no other choice.

"Creamy, can you make me a temporary body? You know it takes me forever to do it myself," Void turned to the golden alicorn watching him thoughtfully.

"No, you eat magic like dragons eat gems. Nothing I can make will hold your power long enough to even get out of here."

"Then I need you to summon Celestia and Luna here. We are in deep trouble."

"Can't I just blast whoever is bothering you into oblivion? I hate cooperating with Celestia."

"I doubt it is in your power, honey."

Scream puffed her cheeks.

"Fiiiine."

Darkhorn walked over to the trembling bronze unicorn.

"Are you okay, Prophet?"

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-"

Blaze whimpered when Darkhorn's hand patted him on the back.

"That was quite the story."

"All true. Well, most of it," Blaze shook his head, "You have no idea how terrified I was."

"You were hiding it well."

"I'm surprised you don't just cut my head off now and brand me a coward."

Darkhorn nodded at the other two minotaurs who'd been present during Void's 'visit' to check if noone got hurt.

"You stood up to the grim reaper himself, Prophet, and didn't falter. Having to wash yourself afterwards is not a shame. A coward is not one who is afraid, it is the one who lets his fear take over. In the same way a brave minotaur is not one who is fearless, that one is stupid. The truly courageous acknowledge their fear and march through the darkness anyway."

"I wish I could believe it but I can still barely move my legs. If I was a little bit better none of this had to happen- HEY!"

Darkhorn picked the unicorn half his size up in both arms and watched his magical wings flop weakly.

"Your worst enemy is not the avatar of death or the doombringer in the south," Darkhorn left Blaze hanging in his single arm and poked Blaze's chest with one finger, "It is right here. Conquer it and you can defeat anyone."

"Could you, eehm, put me down? I hate heights."

"You have wings and yet you are afraid to soar," Darkhorn shook his head and put Blaze back down.

"Shut up," Blazing mumbled, "You are a warlord, not a shaman."

"Wisdom comes in many forms."

"So it does and it keeps telling me our time is running out. Void will tell the princesses about my involvement. How many suits of anti-magic armor have we got?"

"About sixty."

"Just that? Damn, I should have tried harded and summoned more crystals. Damn! Damn! Damn-"

Darkhorn put a finger to Blaze's mouth.

"We have enough raw material. Our blacksmiths just can't craft the items fast enough. Your power breaks the will of non-warriors rather fast and they need to rest often. It is our fault, not yours."

"Damn it! It will be more dangerous then. How are we with the siege machines and equipment?"

"I have all the numbers written down. Let's talk about it after you rest."

"No. Resting after defending myself from Void will take few days and I need to make sure things will be ready in time. Your warriors who can wear the armor will go down south with me. We can hire a caravan that will take us to the Everfree within a week. You will stay here and lead the army stopping Shining Armor's forces from moving, they would only serve as something for Nightmare to corrupt and to impede my progress."

"No."

"Good, then- wait, what?"

"I will be coming with you. My son will remain in charge of the northern tribes while I'm gone. He is smart, wise, and educated. All he lacks is practical experience."

"But-"

"Do you not trust my flesh and blood?"

Blaze sighed. This was going to give him even more grey hair.

"I was really hoping that even if I failed down there and things worked out somehow anyway the minotaurs would have an experienced leader capable of dealing with the rest of the world."

"Then you better make sure things work out the right way," Darkhorn said simply and watched Blaze squirm with a smile. The Prophet was weird but had good ideas sometimes.

"Well, Void's appearance is a mixed bag considering that."

"How come?"

"Did you not listen to the story?"

"I did, but I do not see any positives in his visit. Your old friend is now your enemy and our intentions will be known to the side opposing us."

"True, true. The thing is that Void presumed there were only two gateways of Nightmare's power. Quite stupid of HIM, was it not?"

"Oh," Darkhorn smiled.

"Exactly, now that his sealed form is gone from this world the truly biggest gateway is gone as well. Holy Light should feel his power waning soon enough. Once Holy Light is dead and Nightmare's pressure is gone Void might be able to walk on Equus in his real form again."

"How about you?"

"If things go my way I will either be a god or dead. As I said, a win-win situation."

"Then it's up to us to keep you safe, Prophet," Darkhorn bowed.

Frozen Heart: Darkness Approaches

"Terrible news, your highness!" a Crystal Guard slammed the door to prince Shining Armor's office open.

"Why am I not surprised?" mumbled the prince from his cup of morning coffee.

The news coming to the Crystal Empire from all parts of Equestria for past weeks were less than great and the influx of ponies evacuated from the entire area between the southern coastline and Canterlot was exhausting to manage. The incoming threat of the Dark Prophet was just the cherry on top.

"We are cut off from the rest of Equestria, your Highness."

Shining choked on his coffee.

"What do you mean? Has the enemy army surrounded us on all sides during the night?"

"No, sir. All train tracks leading out of the Empire have been disassembled. Our scouts report barricades and artificially brought mess to prevent us from rebuilding them quickly."

"Damn it!" Shining grit his teeth, "How many wounded?"

"That's it. Nopony," the guard shrugged, "The tracks were gone in the morning and there were warning signs in safe braking distance posted on both sides. I don't know about the trains coming from Equestria but nopony is hurt on our side and the trains have returned already."

Shining rubbed his temples. It made zero sense.

"Why?"

"I suppose you're asking why was nopony hurt rather than why is our only means of quick transportation gone."

The stare from Shining could melt steel at that point.

"How observant of you," the prince rolled his eyes, "The smart tactical move would be to wreck the tracks in a way which would derail trains and cause as much havoc as possible to have us deal with saving the wounded and fill the hooves of our doctors. That way we wouldn't be at our full power when the enemy attacked."

"About that, a letter sealed with the EIS seal came during the night," the guard presented an unmarked, aside from a small ornate wax seal, envelope.

"You could have woken me up."

"With all due respect, sir, we didn't want to. You've been running yourself ragged for the past month and you need all the rest you can get. We can't have you collapse on us during the siege."

The prince smiled to himself. Ever since leaving Canterlot it had been paperwork on paperwork with barely enough time to practice with his fellow guards.

"Next time something like this happens tell me immediately, right?" Shining said, knowing his order was pointless.

"Of course!" lied the guard and saluted.

Both of them tried to suppress a snicker. Shining opened the letter. The writing inside was hurried and shaky but he recognized the penmanship of Morning Mist, one of princess Luna's agents within the Dark Prophet's ranks. She had sent the reports about the Prophet's army before but this time the content was different.

Your Highness,

This might be my last report so I'll try to compile all I've found out until now. The identity of the Dark Prophet is still unknown. None of the minotaurs want to talk to me or any other outsider about him.

What I do know is that he is immensely powerful and capable of erasing all magic himself. Not only that but he can create and infuse crystals with properties similar to his power which the minotaurs are using to forge resistant sets of armor. The second trait of his power is the ability to instill terror in his enemies. The crystals have the same effect and the minotaurs are the only ones able to wear the infused armor.

Something strange happened three days ago which made the Prophet hurry up with the preparations for the Crystal Empire siege. I'm not sure what but I remember all mercenaries and minotaurs suddenly freezing on the spot. It was as if we fell asleep while standing up for several minutes. When I woke up the armored minotaurs were checking up on everypony and their state. The Prophet emerged out of the mining area exhausted and escorted by Darkhorn, his second in command. Since then the Prophet hasn't been seen.

After feeling the effects of his spell myself I know his forces will cut through any magic barriers you put up and the support of princess of Love might not be enough against his will-shattering power. I will attempt to seduce him tonight and, if possible, kill him.

If I fail, I wish you good luck in protecting Equestria and, you know, tell my dad I died fighting a bunch of minotaurs, not whorseing myself to some cult leader.

"Damn!" Shining scowled, "Send scout parties further out. We need to know when the enemy starts moving."

"Yes, sir!"

"We have new information, Prophet!" Darkhorn entered the room cut into the side of the mountain crevice belonging to the highest warlord of northern wastes.

The pile of clothes under a blanket lying next to the fireplace didn't as much as move. Darkhorn looked around. Ever since the time the half-dead unicorn had walked into his village, frozen and covered in blood, he'd wanted to know what drove him to help a completely unknown tribe of a species ponies were usually terrified of. Now, after Void's attack, he knew but he couldn't bring himself to believe what the Prophet had said was his reasoning.

He examined the table with scrolls strewn around and then the two sheaths with greatswords supposedly able to harm any being no matter their protection. With these even the Prophet would be defenseless against him and he could become the sole leader of the united minotaur tribes. Darkhorn smiled to himself and held one of the swords close to his face. Its blade was pure white while the hilt was ebony coloured. What interested him more was the fact that the hilt had the shape as if it was made for someone with fingers.

The Prophet had told him the pair of blades had been created for earthponies to protect them from magic during wars against unicorns but Darkhorn had seen weapons made to be held in the mouth and the shape was too different. The second strange thing was that while the swords would be considered too large for ponies to comfortably carry even just for the passive magical protection their size was just right for him to use with one hand.

There was little doubt that Starswirl the Beared, the mage Prophet had mentioned once, made these to be used by minotaurs, not by ponies or griffons.

With these and the infused sets of platemail his tribes could take the world by storm. Alicorns would tremble before his might, kingdoms would bow before the minotaurs and pay tribute, his tribes would not have to be afraid of being wiped by too strong of a blizzard...

...and would become weaklings.

Smiling to himself, Darkhorn carefully sheated the blade again and hid it behind the table along with its twin.

"Prophet?" he poked the pile under the blanket. It shifted and a blinking pair of blue eyes looked at him while a mouth full of sharp teeth yawned loudly.

"Y-ye-yeeeee-ah?"

"Your friend Three sent another letter. It seems our time to move is coming," Darkhorn presented a clean envelope with Guiding Light's seal.

Heya, dad!

According to Luna's spies Holy Light's forces are done with building ships and are preparing to cross the ocean. As far as I know Luna and the orders of mages are going to use some large-scale spells to sink the entire force. Your earthpony friend and the changelings are ready to put the plan in motion. Thankfully, Celestia has no trouble telling me all that because she thinks our hive needs the info to help efficiently.

Holy Light himself is strange though. No amount of digging revealed who he was before joining Icy Gaze's crew. That sort of gives me the idea that he really was nopony special, just another unlucky soul whose life got screwed and who turned to Nightmare's voice for help.

Well, the entire south of Equestria has evacuated to cities and temporary camps north of Everfree so unless Holy Light drives his soldiers insanely hard he should be on our southern coast in two or three days and, according to caravan leaders, he should enter the Everfree forest in nine days tops. The united orders of wizardry are stationed in the old castle of two sisters which has turned into a fortress keeping the Tree of Harmony safe under magical barriers.

As for mirror Twilight Sparkle, the benevolent tyrant, (Hey! I enjoy making fun of her as well) Heavy contacted her and said she agreed to let mirror Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash help. She herself promised to try to wield the Elements of the dead Bearers herself when the time comes.

The firstborn and me are the only ones who are involved in the plan in order to protect the rest of our kind from revenge if we fail or are branded traitors. We can't allow the ones who already have a partner and possibly a future to pay for what we, the expendable ones, have to do. I would never consider the firstborn expendable but apparently your direct daughter is more similar to you than you think.

We'll be going after this world's Bearers next and getting them through the rift.

Hope to see you soon!

Three

"Yeah," Blaze nodded, "Start getting things ready. All your son has to do is keep Shining's army locked down, nothing stupid."

"When are we leaving?"

"I am still exhausted thanks to Void but I'm getting better. We will leave in two days so we have enough time to get fresh news from Three and Heavy and plan accordingly."

"I'll get the final details sorted out," Darkhorn nodded and left.

Blaze looked into a mirror, the only piece of glass in the entire city. A unicorn of his age shouldn't have grey strands in his blonde mane and his bronze coat shouldn't have patches of fur falling out in places but there he was... a shipwreck of a life.

The image in the mirror changed into a pink-eyed unicorn with blue mane and black fur.

"Stop sighing," Mistake smiled, "We're almost done and things are going pretty well."

"That's only because what we did up to now doesn't matter at all."

"Do you really intend to go through with it?"

"You know I do," Blaze smiled sadly at his unreal reflection, "None of this would have happened if I didn't appear in this world in the first place. I accepted it and tried to make things better but my presence only killed Sharp Biscuit, drove Luna to summon the Nightmare again, made me a gateway, and now all I did might cause doomsday. All in all, not a great result, eh?"

"You could still go for the greedy option - kill Holy Light, stay alive-"

"And then what? Heavy will probably get executed for betraying the crown and helping me no matter whether we win or not. My daughter will in some way or other pay for doing the same although probably not as harshly since she's not Celestia's underling. Chokey decided she-"

"She what? She wants just to be your friend instead of your lover? What a 'terrible' result. I don't doubt for a second she'll fall into your hooves as soon as you appear. So will Cromach now that you aren't a changeling anymore."

"After what Void surely told them about me... right. No, I can't be greedy and threaten everything. Celestia and Luna have to believe we are the enemy so that Holy Light doesn't bother with us and Nightmare doesn't suspect we aren't a destructive force. Plus, our Bearers have to believe I'm a threat so that they use the Elements on me in full force."

"There is still hope for us."

"I doubt it. I can barely hold the power of Discord and Nightmare. With Harmony on the scales the sheer amount will... do something to me. I just hope Holy Light suffers the same fate. With how weak our Element bearers are it will be up to me to bait Holy into a vulnerable position and I'm sure that means me getting hit as well."

"You could stop trying to die!"

"Well, that's sort of my thing by now."

Holy Light observed the bustle around in the port from the roof of one of the warehouses. Nearly a million soldiers were under his command. Some were going willingly, dreaming of riches stolen from ponies. Some of them were just animated corpses of those who had fallen in skirmishes leading up to today. Last but not least there were the few slaves and sailors needed to get the bloodthirsty army where it needed to be.

The rusty unicorn didn't care much about those who didn't follow his empty promises and there was no need to force them and threaten the integrity of the devoted forces. In fact, he didn't care much about anypony currently boarding one of many ships in the harbor. Traitors would fall and get revived by Nightmare's power as obedient undying soldiers. Such things were taxing for the god apparently though and Holy Light couldn't count on it to work every time.

As little as he liked to admit it he wasn't a strategist or a warrior, he was just a nopony to whom the deity turned for help when nopony else seemed to be close enough. One thing that had interested him when Nightmare told him about Blazing Light was that he'd started out just like him, screwed over by fate and left alone. His journey to power was quite something as well but what made Holy Light seethe was that the stupid unicorn had the power to do anything, to MAKE the world work the way he wanted. Holy Light was sure that if he was in Blazing's position he wouldn't be a whiny wretch but a force to be reckoned with.

Well, he had the power to fulfill his resolution now. The world would end. All who had hurt him would get their due and all those who had rejected him would regret it.

He realized he was gritting his teeth and his vision was blurry.

"Focus!" he hissed, "There is no other way to make things right."

Doubts?

"No," he said sternly.

Good. I need you in your best shape. Unlikely things happened. You are the last useful avatar for me.

"What do you mean? I thought there were ways for you to force your power through to this world."

Somepony found out about Void's connection and shut it down. I need you to become stronger to be a better conduit.

"What do I need to do?"

Don't die.

Sharp black spikes came from the roof, pierced Holy Light's legs, and began pumping something inside his body. The veins on his legs bulged as they struggled to contain the influx of power in physical form. Some ruptured but some endured, turning black and allowing the power to go further. Black lines grew in his rusty coat and reached his back. His chest muscles bulged, his entire body grew, and-

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAWRGH!"

-a pair of rusty, black-veined, wings sprouted on his back. His horn lenghtened, matching princess Celestia's one, black aura began to seep out of Holy Light and turn the wooden roof of the warehouse into mold. When the transformation was over Holy looked at the world through a new set of completely black eyes.

"I've always wanted to be taller," the snarky, cynical voice was still there though although a bit more growly.

With just a thought Holy's point of view changed and he now looked at himself from outside.

"Alicorn, eh? Do I get to call myself a prince or something? What am I the aspect of anyway?"

Corruption.

Holy grinned evilly, looked between his legs, and focused. A set of tentacles sprouted out in accordance with his wish.

"Tonight I'm getting a mare or two... or ten. Tomorrow we're flying to Equestria. Get the dragon ready. The army will undoubtedly be attacked by magic which is why we'll be nowhere around."

It is forcing our greatest ally to join us as we speak. It will be ready in several days.

"Okay then," Holy shrugged, "More time to gorge myself. I'm now going to fulfill every wish ever since I was old enough to think. Food, drinks, mares, games, you name it. When your pet returns I'll have no regrets. The army will go ahead of us but we move faster anyway."

With that, Holy jumped down from the roof without even stretching his newfound wings and laughed as the impact shattered the bones in his legs which healed immediately thanks to alicorn powers in full swing. He found the closest female which proved to be a zebra mare and, in the middle of mercenaries rapidly clearing the area, brutally claimed her for himself.

Not much remained of her when he got bored so he went to find somepony more interesting and less... screamy.

"Your Highness!" Wideleaf, the zebra spy, knocked on the door of Luna's office in Canterlot. He was carrying a binder full of details he'd been able to gather about Holy Light's forces.

The door didn't open.

"Do. Not. Move," said a cold voice next to him.

With his peripheral vision he noticed the air near him wobble and a thestral mare appeared from nowhere. He recognized the effect of fading invisibility spell or potion. She was pointing a device known as the mirror world hoof gun at him.

"I have an urgent message for princess Luna," said Wideleaf, "Why are you stopping me?"

"I have my serious doubts princess Luna would deal with assassins."

"WHAT?" Wideleaf growled at the mare and dropped the binder.

A see-through image of princess Luna appeared nearby.

"Why are you not in Holy Light's camp?" Luna's projection asked.

"I was found out and imprisoned. Holy Light got into my head and dragged out information about me. After that he let me go to tell you all I've seen and heard in order to issue you a challenge..." Wideleaf stopped as the stupidity finally registered in his brain, "I have failed you, haven't I?"

The genuine misery in his voice made Choking lower her gun and Luna shake her head sadly.

"There is a curse on you, young Wideleaf, one I cannot stop without triggering it in the process. It is a curse which will kill you and everypony around you when it goes off. Not even I would be able to protect myself."

"What can I do, your Highness?"

"Nothing. All previous assassins died without leaving a trace. Luckily, we were able to create an alarm spell to warn us."

"That's good. You can lock me up somewhere and examine, ri-?" he coughed and green goo splattered on the floor. Wideleaf's body began shimmering green, "Grrrngh..."

"Not again!" Choking started running.

"STAY!" Luna ordered. Choking stopped. Luna's image leaned close to Wideleaf, "My dear servant. The castle is protected by magical fields your spell will devour to become stronger. The only way out of the castle is through there."

Wideleaf threw up a little more but looked where Luna was pointing and understood. The protective spells were only on the inside of the castle and the window Luna was pointing at wasn't locked.

"Your family will be taken care of and the information you brought will not be lost."

"I under-GRK-stnngh," Wideleaf's muzzle started melting, green goo making even more mess on the floor. He stumbled towards the window.

Choking opened it and helped him climb.

"Sfrry fghnr failghg yuugnh," Wideleaf pushed himself out and fell.

"You haven't failed me in the slightest," said Luna's image.

Wideleaf's body exploded into a pure green ball which didn't shatter things but cleanly disintegrated small part of the castle's wall.

"How did Holy Light get access to a curse like that?" Choking picked the binder up and unlocked the door to Luna's office.

"The spell is simple enough otherwise the Silver Sun assassins wouldn't have been able to use it. I guess the curse triggered when Wideleaf saw me," Luna, sitting behind her table, took a guess.

"But that's good, right?"

"You don't mourn the loss of a devoted servant to the crown?"

"Of course I do. What I meant is that if Holy Light has to resort to this then he can't be as sure of himself as we consider him to be."

"You can be cold when you want to be, miss Darkness."

"If he'd succeeded he would have killed you. I hold very little sympathy for you, your Highness, as you know. Same goes for those who mindlessly trust you without knowing what you are capable of."

"Yes," Luna nodded bitterly, "I know. Now, leave me to study what poor Wideleaf brought."

"I will be outside," Choking nodded.

When she shut the door Luna gave herself a minute to quietly cry. She had sent Wideleaf to spy on Holy Light knowing he probably wouldn't return but seeing it happen in front of her...

...no, the problem was Choking Darkness' cold stare judging the deep devotion. Luna knew Choking didn't consider her worth protecting ever since Sharp Biscuit's death and this incident only made the deep-seated resentment grow. Luna was sure Choking wouldn't let anypony kill her though. She was the most watchful bodyguard she could hope to have because killing Luna, in the mind of the young mare, was her job.

Morning Mist was trembling as she cleared the path to the Dark Prophet's house. Partially because of nerves but partially because of her clothes. She wasn't wearing her usual high boots and chainmail underlaid with fur to keep the cold away but a rather tight cloak with some figure-hugging underwear she'd purchased in the Crystal Empire just for this occasion. Tonight she would either get close to the Prophet to kill him or die trying.

She quietly knocked on the door. When nopony answered she pushed at it, surprised as it opened at her touch. There he was, lying on the bed and wrapped in his hooded clothes and a blanket. Mist carefully dropped her cloak and made sure the hidden blades in her hooves worked. As she sat her flank right next to Prophet's head and the mattress groaned under the strain she heard a mumbled 'huh?'.

"Do you need a little relief, sir?" she moved her legs and put his head between her thighs, "It must be taxing running all this by yourself."

The blue eyes glowing with power looked up at her and she had to muster all her self-control not to look away.

"Eeeeerm," he turned his head but the only result it brought was his muzzle being planted in the soft inner side of Mist's thigh. His eyes grew wide.

Mist tightened her grip, unrolled the blanket from him, moved forward, and sat her plot on his face.

"MMMMMHM!"

Mist was grabbed in orange telekinetic aura, pulled upwards, turned around, and put back down, facing the Prophet.

"If you like it this way better," she put her hooves on his shoulders and rubbed her muzzle against his.

Blaze felt extremely uncomfortable, understandably so. Mist was just a normal mare with nothing much special about her aside from body toned from service in the EIS and as such had to resort to a rather forward approach where seduction was involved. Blaze was unused, an understatement of the year, to the attention of mares and had no idea what to do. As usual, he did the worst possible thing.

"I doubt I am worth your time, miss Mist," Blaze drew his hood and watched the growing realization contort Mist's features.

Not even a second later blood was gushing from his neck as Mist slashed precisely with her hoof-blade and jumped backwards from the bed.

Orange fire cauterized the wound instantly and Mist got frozen in place, hooves glued to the floor with black ice.

"That... could have been avoided," Blaze coughed and rubbed his neck. He realized he was looking at a naked mare wearing only few pieces of see-through clothing drawing eyes where nopony's eyes would normally be drawn with Mist's physique, "Although I should have guessed the only way a mare would want something with me would not be- nevermind."

The look of pure misery didn't go unnoticed by Mist. As usual, none of her magic worked so she couldn't do much aside from standing and staring.

"What to do with you?" Blaze asked with a bitter smile.

"I can honestly promise I'll be gone out of here in minutes if you let me go and don't eat me, or freeze me, or something worse," Mist giggled nervously, still looking for a way out.

"Something worse than sleeping with me?" Blaze mumbled to himself, "Hardly. You know what? Fine. There are no more secrets left to keep anyway. Go!"

"What?" Mist shook her legs as the ice melted and she could move again.

"Go away. Now! I'll let the guards know you were a spy in a while. If you leave immediately you will not get into trouble."

Mist's hoof blades clicked and she pounced at Blaze.

Her head stopped ringing quite quickly, perhaps in only few seconds. He'd tripped her up and thrown her at the wall even before all her legs had left the ground.

"Okay," she groaned and smiled sheepishly, "I'll be going now."

"Good," Blaze yawned and followed the dizzy mare out.

She wasn't too bothered with him walking into her house and watching her get dressed, mostly because he was turning his head away and blushing a lot. She wasn't really expecting that from an evil warlord but the knowledge that he was just a unicorn few years younger than her confused her greatly.

As he followed her to the main entrance to the mountain city she had to ask.

"You know I will tell everything to princess Luna, why let me go?"

"I've recognized you the day you came. When I fought you and other Solid Steel's underlings on the train from Crystal Empire to Canterlot after the first invasion I was scared sh-witless and memories like that stick. Plus, I think Luna already knows the state of affairs."

"I tried to kill you."

The her surprise Blaze just laughed.

"The queue for that is full, young lady, and I can't blame you. It's no less than I deserve."

Looking into Blaze's eyes she just shook her head.

"You're weird."

Just with that she was gone.

"That was the dumbest thing you could have done."

"I could have slept with her."

"Retracted."

"Good, time to get some more sleep while we still can. The caravan to the Everfree is leaving tomorrow."

Trinity's End: Discord's Effort

I watch the flying screen showing an eagle-eye view of hundreds of ships crossing the ocean. Princess Luna's horn is glowing and controlling the vision as I stare at the failure that happened while I was organizing the movement of five thousand Imperial Legion soldiers sent to our aid from Vargaz as a bonus to the Black Ops spies. Seemingly, I missed the entire march of Holy Light's army during my visit to the east coast.

"Wait, your Highness, I thought you couldn't scry on them," I recall one very important detail.

Princess Luna lets the vision continue and looks around her tent. I recieved her message to lead the soldiers not to Canterlot but right here to the barricaded encampment near the Everfree forest where all the forces from Equestria were relocating. If I count out almost getting attacked by scouting groups on the way back there were no real problems and now our force is much larger than before.

As I keep watching the amount of soldiers under Holy Light's command I realize we actually have a good chance to win... if our every soldier can kill about fifty of theirs... and the dark magic doesn't wipe us out... and the mere presence of the Nightmare doesn't break our morale completely... and a lot more things.

"I wasn't able to up until about week and a half ago. Something happened that stopped the scrying protection, I have no idea what," Luna shrugs, "We took it as a sign to attempt tactical spell strikes against the enemy. It didn't work out as planned."

The image blurs and now shows beams of light that, according to how small the ships are from this vantage point, must be gigantic. Each of them hits an invisible dome spreading above the entire fleet. Bolts of lightning, meteors, and various other beams have exactly the same effect. The fleet, bothered only by waves slightly higher than normal, continues its progress.

"Are they immune to magic then?" I ponder the worst case scenario. After all, the princesses and the orders of wizardry are our greatest asset. No matter how good our soldiers are the number advantage seems insurmountable.

"No, thankfully. The protection only works against spells of certain scale," Luna shakes her head and moves the vision again.

It now shows the army marching through Equestria. With all cities and towns evacuated nothing is hindering the soldiers and they are moving quickly towards us. Out of the blue, the ranks walking in the front explode, causing the march to slow down for a while. The explosions are followed by smaller lightning strikes that connect this time and scatter the soldiers around the point of contact.

Luna explains:

"Your Black Ops colleagues planted mines along the projected path which took out several hundred enemies. When our unicorns limited themselves to using small scale destruction magic it worked but it was like trying to empty an ocean with a spoon."

"So, how many?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"Close to a million of them and about fifty thousand of us."

"That's bad but not THAT bad. If we use our defender's advantage correctly then the raw numbers might not be ehough."

"That is what we are hoping for. We have spent over a month making this battleground a deathtrap and they will pay for every step they take but there are three things bothering me more."

"More than a million soldiers protected by divine power?"

"Yes. I told this to miss Darkness but I haven't yet had the chance to talk to you. Void tried to end the northern upising by himself and challenged the minotaur leader to battle."

I've been to the underworld only once but I saw and felt Void's power.

"So, no trouble from there anymore?" I ask hopefully.

Luna sighs and bites her lip.

"I don't know how to tell you, Cromach."

"Moving lips helps," I try to lighten the mood since the issue obviously bothers the princess.

"First of all, I cannot find Holy Light. I believe he's not with his army. The second thing which we've been trying to keep secret is that the Element bearers disappeared without a trace, only princess Twilight remains and she's currently in our old castle in the Everfree being protected by the heads of mages from the entire country and my elite Nightguards. The two seem connected logically but nothing we found supports the claim."

"That's terrible but what does any of that have to do with me personally?"

"The northern uprising and as such the minotaur army is led by Blazing Light who has apparently gone insane and is trying to become a god."

The sheer nonsense stops my brain from forming any coherent followup. The first and only thing I do is touch the mechanical arm strapped on my back for good luck.

"What...?"

"Void summoned me and Celestia to his marefriend's pocket dimension and told us he lost his physical body during the encounter which means he's not able to walk on Equus without his power ruining parts of it forever."

"Blaze beat Void," is all I can croak.

"His sealed form, to be exact. It appears that Discord tried to resurrect him when half of him fell from the sky after your first run-in with Holy Light. We talked to Discord but he said his magic failed and I believe he wasn't lying. Your 'friend' somehow made the chaos magic a part of him and upon calling on it it teleported him to a different part of Equus. At least that was Discord's guess."

"The polar cap," I breathe out.

"Yes. The minotaurs patched him up and he took over their village, became their warlord, united the clans, forced them to build a city in a hollow mountain, made an army equipped with armor COMPLETELY nullifying magic, and is currently mounting a siege on the Crystal Empire."

"W-why?"

Luna looks sadly at me.

"As I said, he is trying to become a god in order to rule the world. Before Void attacked him he said it's either that or that he'll help Holy Light destroy everything."

LIAR! I don't need to think clearly to know it's utter bullshit. Blaze would never do that. Impossible. Not happening.

"Perhaps... perhaps it's somepony impersonating him?"

"No, his powers match what we know about the young unicorn. It definitely is him, at least something of him."

With just that the reality finally trickles into my head. I pull the steel arm from my back and stare at it.

"I'm sorry," I pull the arm to my beak, "I could have been there for you when you needed it the most. I wasn't."

Gone insane. I could have told Icy Gaze to land and look for Blaze's body but I was terrified at the time. I was scared Holy Light would come back if we did that. I was scared of seeing him dead... for real this time.

No, what I was scared the most was him being alive, him telling me what my failure led to. Deep down I wanted him to be dead because I knew I couldn't look him in the eye ever again.

"Cromach!" Luna's sharp tone drags me from my well of memories.

"Can... can you look at him? With your magic."

"Of course not," Luna shakes her head and flicks her horn. The image shifts and is now showing a tiny group, in comparison to what Holy Light leads, "I can see the army just fine but-"

Luna stops.

"Your Highness?" I ask the princess staring blankly.

"Even after I was able to scry on Holy Light's army the north was closed to me. I had to rely on spy reports and Cadance's messages sent via phoenix fire. A while ago the minotaurs broke the only way for Shining Armor's army to get here in time to help and we supposed it was because they didn't want SHINING to get help."

"Eeerm?"

"I can SEE up there. The minotaur army isn't moving or trying to break through the Crystal Empire shield. All the time they just wanted US to be cut off. There will be no attack on Shining's army. In fact, I think-"

The earth trembles and the walls of Luna's tent wobble. My ears pop.

"-Blazing Light is nowhere around there," she finishes, lights her horn up, and I'm magically dragged out of the tent by the princess running outside.

I spot princess Celestia, her tall form towering above the soldiers, looking with a deadpan expression towards Everfree forest. Smoke is spreading from the treetops and there are small pieces of rubble still falling to the ground. I'm dragged by Luna who, seemingly completely forgetting about me, runs to her sister.

"Twilight?" princess Celestia whispers when Luna's touch breaks her shock.

"Cromach!" Luna drops me on the ground, "Fly to our old castle immediately, or what is left of it. I'll send miss Darkness as soon as she returns. She will lead a squad of soldiers there."

"Yes, your Highness!" I salute.

The cloud of smoke above what presumably was the old castle moves upwards. I recognize it.

"That's Holy Light's shadow dragon," I say and both princesses turn towards me, "His army was just stalling so he could attack the wizards."

Celestia facehoofs.

"We were so concerned with watching the huge army we forgot what the real threat was."

Horns roar and screams penetrate the air. Different kind of shaking passes through the ground. Holy Light's army which was waiting and watching us for over a day without moving starts approaching.

"UNICORNS! ARCHERS!" Celestia's royal voice booms over the ranks of defenders and everypony hastily gets in position.

First barrage is fired and the front lines of the first wave break. Luna conjures an image of eagle-eye view of the battlefield to look at the caused damage. Miniscule, like blowing against a tornado. Explosions fill the air and the smell of gunpowder proves it's not magic this time but good old-fashioned mines of my kin.

The air above the army wobbles. An enormous charge of magic makes my feathers and hair stand up. I stare intently at the shifting image of Luna's view of the marching army. Suddenly, everything turns white. I blink.

"Whaaa?" princess Celestia's jaw drops as the image zooms in just to see that every enemy soldier now looks like a pony-sized version of her.

"A trick to confuse our soldiers, no doubt," Luna scowls.

"I'm not sure," I look closely at the enemy soldiers milling around, obviously as confused as we are, "I don't think Holy Light needs a trick like this and-"

I have to turn away as the vision turns fiery red. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a direct look at the army.

A small dot is flying above and leaving scorched scars filled with melted armor and ash where enemies used to be.

"A dragon?" I ask, narrowing my eyes to see.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, CELESTIA! DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE! HAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Uh oh," says princess Celestia. As I look at her she has trouble stopping the giggling coming from her mouth. Luna just looks indignantly at the flying dot setting fire to the marching transformed zebras trying pointlessly to dodge.

The first wave doesn't even get halfway to us before the few remaining soldiers turn tails and run. The killer dot gets closer and closer and soon I can recognize a pony shape.

A golden alicorn touches the ground and blows out few sparks of fire swarming around her platinum mane. Every cell in my body tells me I need to bow before her, that I should become her property and give her all control. The reward would be my every desire fulfilled to the maximum. I would mount her and she'd give me her power to satisfy her lust. It would never end, an alicorn and a griffon locked in a mating dance for all eternity.

"Calm down, horny griffon," princess Luna's voice inside my head clears my thoughts.

I look around and see all surrounding soldiers slowly slip out of their trance as well.

"Stop arousing my army, Scream," princess Celestia grimaces.

"Prude," Scream grins.

"How did you get past my mental protection?" Luna asks, fascinated, "Not even Nightmare can do more than cause shivers going down our soldiers' spines."

"Oh," Scream just waves her hoof dismissively, "I know what they want. I know what everypony wants. Even you."

"Well, erm," Luna blushes like a fangirl seeing her idol, "Nice to see you got better, Scream. Sorry for breaking you in the first place."

Scream's stare turns cold as Luna reminds her of the past. In a moment she laughs again.

"HAH! You, little Luna? Nightmare Moon did all that. You still have a lot to learn before you can go even with me."

"Not to look the gift pony in the mouth but what are you doing here?" Celestia asks, still looking at Scream with suspicion.

"Your friend Discord helped cure me. I'm not in the best shape ever but I'm willing to repay him for that. Well, I wouldn't really care if it was only him but Voidie insisted and you know I can't say no to his puppy eyes."

"It is good to know Discord is on our side even if he will not help us directly. One less thing to worry about," Luna breathes out, "Why the transformation spell though? Why not a tornado or something?"

Scream looks into the sky and takes a deep breath, the lecturing voice comes soon after.

"You should know, miss 'I am the best mage on the face of Equus', that the army is protected only from big spells with negative effects. The Nightmare is powerful but its efforts are not very complex. As for why I did that," Scream looks at Celestia and her evil smile makes the solar princess take a step back, "Motivation."

The loud sound of horns announces the second wave coming.

"Aaand there's my cue to have a bit more fun. Can't blow them up all at once but hey, Luna!"

"Yeeees?"

"Wanna see you sister's head melt from the inside?"

"NO!"

"Too bad, I do!" she flies back up to the sky, "MELT, CELESTIA, MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELT! HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAAAAA!"

"Is she an ally or?" I have to ask.

"Probably," Celestia shakes her head and facehoofs again, "I know Void thinks he's doing us a favor but..."

Luna's magical image shows the heads of small Celestias bubble one by one into green mess and bodies fall on the ground.

"She's doing a good job though even when she has to limit herself. Holy Light doesn't seem to care much about his army although we haven't even made a dent in their numbers yet."

A heavily breathing pegasus crashes from the sky and gets up quickly.

"Y-your Highness, the mirror portal, no contact, magic barrier, castle gone, rubble."

"Calm down, soldier," Celestia says softly and wraps her wings around the pegasus who, few seconds later, emerges much more composed, "Now explain."

"The castle with unicorns has been levelled completely. There are no signs of princess Sparkle. The dreamling queen arrived about two hours ago with the ambassador to help us with the defense but it wasn't enough. I was just returning with your answer to her message when I saw the dragon land on the roof, break the barriers, and... and then the alicorn riding him blew the entire castle up as if he was ripping a sheet of paper."

"Alicorn?"

"Rusty coat with black stuff all over."

The princesses exchange glances but both of them shrug and shake their heads.

"We need more information, sister," says Luna, "I'm sending Cromach first to investigate. My scrying isn't working on the area again."

"Blaze might be there then," I comment, "The Tree is underneath the castle. What happens if he or Holy Light reach it?"

"Nothing as such. The power of Harmony isn't in the Tree itself but in the Bearers. If-if they die then the Tree will regain it. Oh Twilight..."

Celestia closes her eyes and continues.

"I have to go there as well. Luna, can you help Scream thin the enemy numbers in addition to protecting the sanity of our army?"

"No problem, sister, just be-"

Shadows appear on the horizon, closing rapidly.

"-safe..."

Big shadows. Luna's observation spell shifts focus again.

Dozens of dragons flying our way. Several of them split and start chasing Scream through the sky. A green beam splits on of them in half. Black blood bursts out of the body which keeps flying as the darkness knits it back together. The unpleasant memory of Golden Sands comes back.

"Yeah, that's why Holy doesn't care about his zebra army. He's got a better one," I mumble.

The main force of dragons comes closer and is greeted by a hail of arrows which bounce mostly harmlessly off their scales.

"We had to cut their heads off and dismember them before they finally fell," I explain.

The head of one of the dragons falls down from the sky. Somepony evidently knows about that. More shadows descend from the clouds hovering above the battlefield but these are larger and triangular. I count nineteen of them.

"I was hoping he would honor his part of the deal," Luna breathes a sigh of relief.

"Who?" asks Celestia.

The spell blurs again and all of us recognize the pegasus on the deck of the largest of the ships.

"GET YOUR FILTHY CLAWS OFFA MY SKY, YOU DAMN DIRTY DRAGONS!" yells Icy Gaze and shoots from his hoof gun into the air. As a response a flurry of saw-bladed discs from each ship targets one of the dragons, ripping it to shreds mid-air.

"Griffons, Icy Gaze, Scream," Celestia smiles, "That's a lot of frienemies helping us here. Good job, sister."

"Aside from the pirate all that is the result of Discord's involvement. Now you can go and search for Twilight while we hold-"

Two of Icy's ships are already gone as the dragons swarm them.

"It's fine, your Highness," I grit my beak, "I can investigate alone while you hold them off. Perhaps... maybe... if Blaze is there I can get him to... see again."

"Cromach," Celestia looks directly at me, "You have responsibility towards Equestria and the Empire now. You cannot let yourself be blinded by your emotions. If it works it works but if talking to him won't bring your friend back... just remember the weight on your shoulders."

I touch the two-handed battleaxe on my back and salute. I'm painfully aware both sisters are staring at the mechanical arm strapped right next to it.

"I'll see what I can do," I take to the air and fly towards the black smoke where the castle of two sisters and our main magical protection used to be.

Trinity's End: Nightmare's Avatar

As I fly towards the Everfree I turn my head to see princess Celestia's horn glow with brilliance. A flare of pure white energy hits the invisible dome above the army and sends ripples from the point of contact. Princess Celestia fires a second shot, weaker this time. The mini-Celestias panicking while bubbling acid melts their bodies from inside have no chance to even think about dodging the blast scattering the living and undead alike. Scream seems to have lost interest in punishing Holy Light's forces further and is now playing with the dragons trying to incinerate her. The more scaly destroyers fall from the sky the more the aerial force shifts its focus from Icy Gaze's airships to the flying alicorn.

For now, I have to leave the battle behind me though and focus. The smoke rising in the distance is my destination.

Blaze can be there.

Holy Light is there.

I don't have a plan, I've never been that sort. Don't you need enough information to formulate one anyway? Probably. I've got nothing aside from princess Luna's rushed explanation.

I shake my head. My goals is to find out the state of affairs. We've lost the mirror world portal and the castle so it's up to me to make sure the Nightguard force led by Darky has a chance to succeed in retaking those areas.

Trees rush under me as my wings mercilessly beat the air. The changelings led by queen Chrysalis are swarming through the forest, ready to join the defenders of princess Celestia's encampment. My focus breaks when I see a purple bubble contrasting sharply with the dark trees around. Perhaps some mages from the castle survived and need help with the wounded?

No. I don't now the area well enough to realize where I am until it's too late. This is the clearing where the mirror world rift is, protected by portable barricades. Nightguards and Royal Guards are lying everywhere but as I descend I can't make out any wounds. What I can make out is the earthpony standing inside the magical shield and watching me land.

"Heavy? What the hell happened here?" I yell.

"Well," he scratches his head, "Shadowstep and Guiding Light put these guys to sleep and Starlight is keeping the barrier up to stop anypony from entering."

Once again I feel as if I missed half of the events necessary to understand what's going on.

"Holy Light's army is finally moving, Heavy. We need all the help we can get."

"And I am in the best position to offer help... to the right side."

The information clicks together. Blaze is here, Heavy took out the mirror world portal defenders, Element bearers disappeared without making fuss.

Just like in Manehattan, Heavy Hoof chose the wrong side.

"Are you willing to see Equestria and the rest of the world ruined just because you feel guilty?!" I burst out.

Heavy just tilts his head.

"ANSWER!" I slam my talons into the bubble protecting the area.

"So Blazing was right. You wouldn't have helped," Heavy sighs and shakes his head.

"Helped him what? Ruin everything? I loved him more than you can imagine and-"

"And yet you left him as soon as things weren't going your way. Cromach, you keep barking but there's no bite. Empty promises all the way."

"Yes, I screwed up! I know but there's way too much on the line now. Fine, stay here behind the shield and don't help. Just tell me why is the mirror portal so important."

"I guess that's not classified," Heavy shrugs and I boil on the inside with lack of power to do anything, "The Element bearers me and Guiding captured are on the other side. We're just waiting for the last one and then you can come to watch what you helped happen."

"Heavy," I growl.

"Yeeees?" he grins and his ears twitch as strange high-pitched screaming comes from the forest.

"-fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-"

"Yeah, that should be it," Heavy takes a deep breath, "Tio, commander, get ready!"

"-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

Splintering of wood and a mix of screaming voices gets closer.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!"

The physical impact of the roar makes my heart race. I know the feeling of icy river flowing in my veins. Nightmare is close.

"NOW!" Heavy orders. The barrier disappears for a moment just to allow three ponies inside. I take the opportunity and jump into the clearing myself.

"-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

*CRACK*

The entire purple bubble shakes as something crashes into it a second later.

Three, Guiding Light, and princess Twilight Sparkle strapped to Guiding's back can't slow down fast enough and end up in a ball of fur and chiting on the ground.

"BLRHGEEGHAHG LETflr THEhehehe DARKssss IN! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!" the bubble shakes again.

"Starlight, how long?" Heavy yells again.

A white unicorn mare with purple mane wearing strange, glowing jewels on her legs and neck shakes as next impact sends cracks through the bubble.

"If he keeps doing that not even a minute. Go there and make him hit you instead of my shield!" the mare's sarcastic and snappy voice answers.

I listen to all that while watching the beast mindlessly ramming himself into the barrier. It's a rust-colored alicorn, drooling black goo everywhere and covered in dust. As he notices me looking ar him he smiles widely and bares his fangs.

"Heh, tHe GriFfoN tRaItOr, MuRdErEr... friend," his pupil-less black eyes go wide to match his smile.

Ally.

"I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT!" I scream, realizing the abomination must be Holy Light.

You are... nothing.

"FrIeNd," he laughs again, growling voice distorted by the second voice talking directly to our heads.

"FIRE!"

A barrage of explosive rounds hits Holy Light who just laughs again as black blood knits the scorched fur on his body back together.

"Spread out!" I hear the voice of Darky.

The reinforcements I've been waiting for are here. Fifty Nightguards led by Choking Darkness, all of them armed with hoof guns and trained in their use. All of them proving completely useless as black tentacles rise from the ground and drag every single one of them down. Granted, they keep dodging for a while but the tendrils not bound by physics pluck them from the sky one by one and straight towards Holy.

The barrier disappears completely and as I look at the unicorn attempting to keep it up she's turning her head in panic.

"What?" Starlight runs and hides behind Shadowstep.

"Guiding, Three, GO! Grab the princess and go! We'll buy you some time," Heavy orders, unsheathing his staff from his back, "Tio, I hate to ask you for this but-"

"Stallions don't dance around the subject, stallions ACT!" Cross smiles and a swarm of weapons appears around him. Axes, swords, polearms, all held in his telekinetic aura spread out to give the ultimate supersoldier infinite amount of options how to attack the Nightmare's chosen.

As some of those bury into Holy Light the tendrils dragging the Nightguards disappear and Cross now has Holy's undivided attention.

Holy screams as purple flames spread through his fur.

Correction, not just Cross but also Shadowstep, horn flaring with amethyst glow.

*Whoosh*

The mirror world portal ripples as Guiding drags princess Twilight through and Three follows. I rush after them. Heavy said the Bearers were there and they are our only hope. I've heard stories about the combat ability of Shadowstep's group but against a truly immortal creature they won't last too long.

Ribs. Pain.

I rise from the ground where Heavy's staff sent me.

"You're not going anywhere, Crom," Heavy spins his staff, "At least not until somepony explains to the princess what she has to do. The Elements need to be used in the right way."

Yeah, so Blaze becomes an insane god, you traitor. If you weren't involved then the Bearers would have destroyed Holy Light already.

"Darky!" I unsheathe my axe, "We need to get through the portal to save the Bearers. Heavy is a traitor. Help me out here!"

Several Nightguards split up from helping Cross with the common enemy and, led by Darky, join me in facing Heavy Hoof.

"Well, that's not good," Heavy scowls, "Starlight! Any protection spells in your backpack?"

"NOT. WORKING."

"Get him!" I point at Heavy, "I'm going to the other side."

The Nightguards move as one.

The Nightguards turn as one when a groan comes from behind us. The batpony closest to the forest wall falls to the ground, a bola binding his legs. Many more fly through the air and take some others out.

"Defensive formation!" Darky commands, "Take care of the attackers!"

She rubs her hooves together and points at Heavy.

"I'm sorry."

The smell of ozone assails my nostrils as a bolt of lightning strikes Heavy and raises a cloud of dust.

"You're getting better," I smile at Darky and rush to the portal.

More pain. Need to stop running blindly into danger.

Heavy is standing there, looking unimpressed, with his fur just slightly singed.

"Nowhere close enough," he twirls his staff and clears the distance to Darky at blinding speed. Darky is not as fast but she's way more agile and ducks the wide swing easily.

Running to help her, I notice the Nightguards are fighting tall bipedal shapes. The minotaurs are here and they definitely aren't on our side.

Or...?

Some of the clansmen join the Nightguards in slowing down Holy Light.

Changeling magic isn't working. Darky's magical charge was so small it didn't even bother Heavy. Minotaurs are charging out of the forest.

Blaze is coming.

I need to get to the Bearers and protect them while they prepare to use their power. That means going through the rift ASAP. That means through Heavy.

A wave of force sends Nightguards and minotaurs flying everywhere.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" Holy Light finally manages to free himself and charges right through the melee, ignoring all weapons and fighters between him and the portal.

With no more hesitation I swing my battleaxe at Heavy from behind as he's messing with Darky, hoping Guiding Light and Three can keep the princess alive until I bring help and not talk her into doing something terrible.

He spins on one hind leg, kicks Darky with the other, and still has enough strength and balance to block my axe swing with his staff directly above his head.

"Neglecting your training, both of you?" Heavy smirks and spins again, this time forcing me to block a swing from the side.

The blades in Darky's horseshoes slip out.

"I didn't want to use these on ya, Heavy," Darky says sadly, aiming a hoof gun at him "Don't make me, please."

"He isn't, Chokey."

The calm voice rings through the small battlefield, instilling peace and calm into Nightguards and minotaurs alike. Everypony stops moving, black sheen appearing in their fur.

The bronze unicorn is walking between the statue-like combatants who can only turn heads to look at him.

He looks older, so tired that my heart skips a beat just from pity. Grey strands litter the blonde mane and patches of fur are missing from his coat. The blue eyes are different though. They resemble Void's so much. Both the alicorn of Death and the young unicorn have eyes positively glowing with power beyond measure.

"Blaze," I whisper to myself, "What happened to you?"

He just shakes his head and keeps walking to the portal, followed by a purple minotaur.

"How much time have we got, Heavy?" Blaze asks.

"Holy Light has just crossed."

"Take the portal stabilizing catalyst with us," Blaze orders and Heavy just pats the saddlebag on his side, "Darkhorn and his forces will hold the Nightguards here."

Heavy nods and both of them enter the mirror portal.

The freeze holding everpony breaks and I charge the minotaur standing in front of the portal. Lights start flashing as Starlight, Shadowstep, and Cross turn against the Nightguards alongside the minotaurs.

"Darky, go back and tell Luna-URK!"

Darkhorn's shield slams into my face with the force of a train.

"Like hell I am," several bullets pepper the minotaur's platemail and make him move away with his shield ready. That's all Darky needs to fly through the portal with me, still recovering from the blow and acting more on instinct than anything else, right behind her.

One short falling sensation later we arrive in a large round room with stone walls and several crystal light sources on the ceiling. Heavy Hoof is nowhere to be found, Holy Light and Blaze are facing each other.

"WHERRRRGH ARRRR THGEYYY?" snarls Holy Light.

"Not much of you left, is there?" Blaze taunts, "Just a boiling tank of divine power. Trust me, I know that feeling. Aspirin helps."

"BUUUUURN!" Holy bares his fangs at Blaze.

"Yes, it was. Thank you. It's pretty difficult to suppress the god's power changing you into their image, isn't it? Nightmare, the mindless force of destruction... keyword - mindless. Even if you succeeded here you would not see the world destroyed as you wanted, Holy. Holy Light would be gone and Nightmare would continue anyway. That means all this wasn't to take revenge on the world. It was just to make yourself disappear. I know that feeling too."

"GRRRRGH..."

"The thing is, I have no control over my fate. You could have just slit your throat and ended the pain yourself. I wasn't allowed to. You are just weak, fearful little unicorn."

"BLAAAARGHR!"

"Excuses, excuses," Blaze waves his hoof.

I'm not exactly sure if he understands Holy Light or whether he's just stalling for something. Probably the latter.

"BLAZE!" Darky yells.

"Yes, Chokey?" he asks calmly, "You know you shouldn't be here."

"One thing! Just one thing. Whose side are ya on?"

"Mine."

"I was afraid of that," I say, taking the mechanical arm off my back, "You know, I didn't believe Luna when she said you went insane. I knew deep down the unicorn I fell in love with would never endanger the world for his own benefit.-"

I throw the arm to his legs. It slides over the stone floor.

"-You're not him. Blaze would swallow his trouble and help us. He wouldn't plot in darkness but face everything with us by his side."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAAA," Holy Light starts cackling and doesn't stop as he watches Blaze stare at his ex-prosthesis.

"Really?" Blaze comments, blackfrost wings appearing on his back. They are still less frosty than his tone of voice, "One of you left me so she could alleviate her guilt, not caring about what I had to say. The second one turned against me when I was still the same pony but just LOOKED different. Pretty shallow, don't you think?"

"Blaze, please," Darky pleads but has nothing more to add. He is right about both of us.

"You have no say in what happens here," Blaze kicks the arm back towards me, "Get out! I WILL GAIN ULTIMATE POWER AND REMAKE THE WORLD TO MY LIKING!"

Holy Light jumps at him just to be swatted away by frozen wing. It doesn't do much to slow him down and he charges again, this time shattering Blaze's ice barrier, ramming his horn into his chest, and continuing until he pins Blaze to the wall. The impact shakes the building and Blaze's blood splatters over Holy's mane.

"ELEMENTS!" Holy roars, slamming Blaze into the wall over and over again.

"Asking... the same... thing," Blaze coughs and grins.

"Mmmmmhm," I mumble as a cloth is stuffed into my beak and I struggle against muscles of steel pulling me backwards. In the corner of my eye I see Darky sharing my fate. A blow to my head is strong enough to stop my squirming. Darky stops as well when a blade slips out of a hoof holding her neck and presses against it.

"Don't make this worse," Heavy Hoof whispers.

Holy Light grabs Blaze with claws growing out of one of his front hooves and grabs his chest. The cracking of ribs makes me grind my beak.

You want my power, worthless creature?

"Nah, I'm cool. Already got it," Blaze groans.

I will rip you to pieces, devour your heart, and with your last breath I'll make you watch your friends die.

"I... have no friends."

Something wet drops on my neck feathers and Heavy's breathing speeds up.

You will die alone and unloved. Just like you should.

"I know," Blaze goes limp and Holy Light's talons squeeze, making blood stream from Blaze's mouth.

Not begging for mercy, help of those you betrayed? They might save you out of sheer stupidity.

Black shards from Blaze's wings whirl around both of them and cover the duo. Holy Light tries to move but he can't. Neither can Blaze though and his breathing is growing shallow and ragged.

"At which point... of this... did you get the idea... that I WANT... to be-"

*Crack*

Blaze's ribcage caves in as the ice around the claws holding him shatters. The rest still holds though. The blue eyes visible from here due to their unnatural glow go dim.

Self-pity doesn't make me-

The walls of the round room creak and a section slides away, revealing princess Twilight, mirror Twilight, the remaining five Bearers, mirror Applejack with her roboarms, mirror Rainbow Dash with enough piercings to make walking next to somepony carrying a magnet painful, and a pony who has to be mirror version of Rarity. All mirror world Bearers aside from Twilight are wearing a piece of jewellery with their cutie mark on it. Mirror Twilight is wearing two necklaces and thus looks like a zebra shaman.

"Fire!" the iron hoof of Equus orders.

A beam of rainbows hits Holy Light.

The black veins in Holy Light's coat disappear, his wings melt, and his horn shortens. Dark clouds coming from him burn away in the brilliant light of the united Elements. The rusty unicorn falls to the ground and the beam strikes Blaze.

Unlike with Holy, the light gets absorbed and dies away. Blaze opens his eyes again and looks down at his hooves. A wing of fire and one of ice sprout from his back again. Above the fire wing a sphere of flashing lights hovers and, in the same fashion, there is a vortex of darkness above his frozen one.

Slowly, a third sphere materializes in front of him, white and empty.

"Beginning, end, and potential," Blaze smiles, "The entirety of existence."

He scowls at Holy Light who is growling and getting back up.

"I look at you and see myself from four years ago. You'll get the chance I would have given myself at the time."

The sphere of potential flickers and disappears. The sphere of life goes out as well. Only the sphere of death remains.

"Find your peace," says Blaze and black flames burn the Nightmare's avatar into nothingness.

You cannot stop me. I have agents everywhere.

"Yes, cowards, weaklings, broken souls. Very useful," Blaze snorts and his ice wing melts, giving room to a second fire one, "but the last big gateway to you in this world is me."

You would never do it!

"You will never bother this world again, Nightmare," the flame of Blaze's wings grows brighter and brighter until the wings are pure white, "The only way to repulse divine power is to use the power of the other two against it. That's why you needed Discord's help to destroy the Tree. Too bad he refused so you had to try to make the Bearers useless. Well, by stealing your power I knew that as well."

I will be back.

"Yes, in few million years. Now disappear! That is my judgement."

The sphere of darkness melts and Blaze turns to us.

"Now, to judge the mortals who refused to be my servants and concubines."

I struggle against Heavy's grip as Blaze comes closer.

"Just kidding," he chuckles, "The last gateway has to disappear. I would like to go while deluding myself that you will miss me."

"MHHHMMHM!"

"Goodbye."

He levitates the Blades of Balance sheathed on his back and pierces himself with them. The white fire of his wings consumes him.

All that remains is the bright image burned in my eyes disappearing as I blink and a pair of swords lying on the floor.

Trinity's End: Harmony's Offer

The second worst thing in life is if we don't get what we want.

The worst is if we get it.

White light everywhere.

I am not amused. I've been here before.

"Not again. I'm not doing this shit again." I mumble to myself.

A mirror appears.

Black unicorn walks out of what was supposed to be my reflection.

"Well, it's traditional for a soul to pass judgement on itself before it goes into the great beyond, right?" says Mistake.

"Ooookay. My name is Blazing Light. I am a failure who managed to almost throw the world into chaos multiple times, who can't keep friends because he is a piece of trash not worth their time, and who has failed everypony he's ever met. Tadaaa, done!"

I thought this would be the case.

The soothing voice comes from all around.

You are not fit to judge yourself, young unicorn.

"Nonsense, I know myself better than anypony."

Is there nothing you've done that resulted in good outcome?

"There is," I hesitantly admit. No real point of lying to the great voice in the emptiness who doesn't have the manners to introduce itself.

My name is Harmony.

"Guessed that much. Yea, some things ended well but I wouldn't have had to save anything if I didn't start it in the first place so there's that."

Let me show you the result of your trickery.

"It wasn't that much of a plan. Stay hidden and unknown until Holy Light attacks. Protect the Bearers until they get the explanation about some ponies being gateways to Nightmare's power and allowing it to interact with the world. Pretend to be evil so your Elements are used at full force. Die in the blast with Holy and eliminate Nightmare for ages to come. Not smart, not complex, very effective. Worked pretty well I think."

I have the ability to purify as well as to destroy. My power was used by the Bearers when Luna emerged from her imprisonment on the moon. Had you not tried to steal my power you might have lived.

"Why bother? Crom hates me and Chokey doesn't want to be near me. My only chances for happiness are gone."

Ah yes, the only question you do not know the answer to.

"Har har, very funny."

Just watch.

"Fiiiine," I get ready for the instant replay of my death. Maybe I'm juuuust a little jaded but being left alone by everypony I believed in sort of leaves a bitter taste.

"You saying you're bitter is like saying Discord is just a tad unorganized," Mistake snickers.

"Get out of my head, head."

The definitely not air in front of me wobbles and a clear image appears.

These are several things that happened during the week after your death.

Heavy Hoof lets Cromach go and Three stops pressing a blade to Chokey's neck. Princess Twilight walks over to Heavy and orders:

"Guards, shackle him."

Chokey unwraps a set of chains from her belt and locks them around Heavy's hooves. He doesn't resist in the slightest.

"Mind giving the letter from my saddlebag to mirror Twilight?" Heavy asks and Crom rummages through the bag, taking out a small envelope.

I know what is in there. Nopony was supposed to know about the plan aside from Heavy, Darkhorn, Guiding, and anypony they thought necessary for the completion. The only reason I wrote it down for mirror Twilight was so that she didn't suspect anypony on our side of the portal from trying to use Nightmare's power against her.

I don't need anypony else on our side to know the truth. It doesn't matter anymore.

Cromach hands the letter to princess Twilight but it gets snatched out of his talons by mirror Twilight's telekinesis.

This was my last gambit. The only way of protecting Guiding and Heavy from execution. Well, begging for help can't really be called gambit but it was all I had. Dignity has no value for me.

Thankfully, unicorn Twilight understands.

"Take these three away," she points to Guiding, Three, and Heavy, "but if anything happens to them you can consider it a declaration of war."

"What?" princess Twilight shakes her head.

"They will explain. Now leave this place," her horn lights up and a small portal appears, "we have a loss to mourn."

"A minute of silence," I say, feeling as if I was drunk, "Aaaa, nevermind. Five seconds is enough for the likes of me. Can I go now?"

Quiet, you!

Soldiers in Holy Light's army start falling over as Nightmare's hold over them disappears. Soon enough, the alive ones quickly realize what protected them from the alicorns is gone.

Celestia disperses Scream's illusion and her voice, amplified by magic, promises the soldiers who give up safe return to Zebrica. Many of them immediately leave the side of the massive army but some believe the pony force is tiny and cannot stand against them.

Those continue the assault as a single alicorn flies into their midst. Celestia, for a brief second, summons the power of the sun directly into herself.

The conflagration is brief but the white ash flying around will enrich the soil for time to come.

Seeing what single princess did in a second makes everypony still alive drop their weapons.

The dragons, however, fight until the end. Even without the protection of the Nightmare they are more than a match for Icy Gaze's rapidly diminishing fleet. At least until one of them manages to set Scream's tail on fire.

The alicorn of Lust gets very, very mad.

The dragons get very, very dead.

"Hah! And they say dragon scales don't burn," I hoofbump Mistake.

"Well, fire usually isn't green and made of teeth," he bumps back.

If I had a body I would facehoof.

Heavy Hoof sits in the Canterlot castle dungeon, looking up at princess Luna walking in.

"You shall not be executed and there will be no formal action taken against the dreamlings," she says.

"There is no need to bend the law for me, your Highness," says Heavy grimly.

"It all depends on what you call the crime, young pony. You will, of course, be stripped of your Royal Guard rank. We cannot keep those who disobey us around."

Heavy nods.

"I will find a job elsewhere. Police forces around Equestria must be hiring."

"No, you will not," Luna smiles at him, "You have a debt to pay to the crown."

She summons a scroll, unrolls it, and starts reading.

"We write to inform you that in light of certain recent events connected to the Order of the Silver Sun there arose the need to restore the reputation of this ancient and important organization. In order to do so there has to be appointed a new leader who will claim the rank of baron and gain access to all currently frozen Silver Sun assets. Such is the price of your freedom and since we cannot risk any hostility from the mirror world you will be free."

"Huh?"

"It is rare to see somepony as devoted to protecting others as you are, baron Heavy Hoof. Defying everypony including me and my sister took a lot of courage. I believe you shall restore the light the Order lost long time ago."

"I am not flawless."

Luna opens the cell door.

"Nopony is. You are trying very hard to be though and can inspire others to strive for it as well. It would be a shame to see somepony like you rot in prison. You are free now. Go home and see my sister first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, your Highness," he bows.

"We wish you the best of luck, baron," Luna bows as well.

"I-I don't know what to say."

Then why are you talking? Celestia is currently hammering out a business treaty with the Darkhorn clan. Your daughter explained everything to the sisters and they took these steps. Everything you worked for is safe.

"Good," I take a deep breath and smile, "I can sleep in peace then."

Not... yet.

"WHAT? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!"

Calm down.

"No! Discord used me, Nightmare used me... I was an idiot to think you would be different."

ENOUGH!

I freeze. Mistake disappears. The voice loses its force.

Enough. As little as you might believe it I feel sympathy for you and not only because you were useful for me. You are just a hurt colt but I know you have the potential to become greater than many. I called you here to offer you a chance.

"What chance?"

I can purify you of all divine power and give you new life.

"But I would still be me. That's not a victory for anypony."

I disagree. As they say, you know your first true love because it hurts.

"Low blow," I scowl.

Oh? Am I wrong?

"You're right, okay? I loved both of them. Yes, they were the only reason I tried to make things work. I'm not a hero. I'm not even a good pony. I don't care about Equestria, griffons being eaten alive, or minotaur civilization. I just wanted to give them a chance to see tomorrow. I'm THAT seflish."

Then why not go for a tomorrow together?

"They CHOSE to leave me. I wasn't good enough for either of them. I didn't deserve them anyway."

It seems to me you are trying to make yourself believe it rather than me.

"I'm just explaining things as they are."

Well, what do you choose? Will you return to them and make their days just a little brighter or... leave them?

"ME making something brighter? Right, Blazing-fucking-Light. They are better off without me, aren't they? They must be. I can't help them, I-"

Choose, little unicorn. Do not dwell on it too much. We both know where that path leads.

Is there really hope for me?

Don't think about it. Just pick a path and follow it to the end.

"I-"

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I shake my head.

"I give up. I just want peace. They can do much better than me."

Prologue: Totally Not Just A Handy Summary

Equestria, a land where colorful ponies live in peace and harmony with nature, frolicking and being generally happy and incredibly cute.

That might be true from time to time and in certain places of said beautiful continent but definitely not everywhere. The idyllic existence is just something the neighbouring countries percieve as reality. The approach is understandable from the viewpoint of minotaurs living in tribes in the permanently frozen north, fighting for survival against things seen only in the darkest nightmares and the worst enemy of all - environment. The griffons in the east have it fairly similar although not as bad, living in a verdant region criss-crossed with deserts of varying sizes.

Deserts, this far north from the equator?

One could ask such question and would have to look into the history of griffons and ponies fighting over areas suitable for comfortable living for an answer. History, though, has a grim sense of humor and said conflicts turned those lush forests and bountiful grasslands into the wastelands they are now. Despite them, or maybe because of them, the inhabitants are tough, resourceful, and grateful for every new day. How the griffons managed to fight off a race capable of using magic and ruled by two immortal sisters of godlike powers is hidden in the mists of time but the greatest clue could be their interest in inventions and new machinery. Unfortunately, such industrial revolution threatened to ruin the griffon land more than the magical wars ever could (albeit not as fast) and the two races became tentative allies, ponies desiring new technology and griffons looking for methods to bring back life into their homeland.

How is that important for this story?

Just a little. The general perception of ponies as defenseless pacifists of this age shattered after a certain griffon secret service agent instigated an attack on Equestrian coast in order to improve his standing with the griffon Emperor using information gained from a young griffon soldier he put through harsh trials to make him suffer for personal revenge. The attack failed miserably and the entire griffon invading force got wrecked by technology and magic far beyond their understanding. Not much information escaped about the incident but the entirety of the griffon secret service focused their efforts into finding out how ponies got so far ahead of them and the result was that they didn't.

They had help from somepony, somepony the griffons have never met before.

The secret service knew about the peace treaty between their mortal enemy - the changelings - and ponies but none of the traces led to them. Changelings are deadly, deceitful, and threatening and every young griffon has the knowledge drilled into their head but, one big but, they aren't a civlized nation with technology. No, changeling agents might have warned the ponies about the incoming attack but they definitely weren't the ones who repelled it. The agents still don't know exactly who did it as those sent to investigate failed to return with any amount of information. The agent that got the furthest returned with only bits and pieces.

Bits and pieces that shook the griffon secret service to their armored boots.

He talked about a heavily guarded pony encampment in the Everfree Forest, about a shimmering portal surrounded by ponies at all times leading into a massive fortress somewhere unknown and even more guarded. He said even ponies didn't know much about the place but called it the mirror world, a different version of Equestria and the entire world. The agent didn't know anything else because he got caught on the other side of the portal and promptly returned to the hooves of ponies who in turn sent him back to the Griffon Empire. The griffons don't know who the powerful ally is, they don't know the true power of ponies from beyond the portal, but they sure act much friendlier than they used to. Politics can be fun like that. One question still remains on their minds though.

How did the ponies acquire such an ally and what are they going to do with it?

The answer to the second part is uncertain but the answer to the first part is long and starts somewhere completely different yet very similar in many respects. Pony and griffon scientists and mages (only pony mages, of course) can talk on an on about alternate realities and infinite universes until everypony listening falls asleep but in this case it would cast light on what happened to a unicorn in a different branch of existence.

Said unicorn's name was Blazing Light and he was nothing special aside from considering himself an utter failure. He left his home in Manehattan in deep depression and the first train ticket he bought led him to Canterlot over a year before the changeling invasion happened. Armed with no life experience whatsoever, he got lucky in finding the crappiest job Canterlot had to offer that winter - carrying coal at night to every occupied room of Canterlot castle. It paid next to nothing but came with an empty room and a serviceable bathroom which was everything what Blazing wanted from life. He wasn't in good physical shape and almost pissed himself when he saw a batpony for the first time but the castle staff was so desperate for some heating (and lazy enough at the same time not to do the coal job themselves) to give the position even to somepony as unsuitable as he was.

Before his job interview Blazing met a batpony - princess Luna's personal bodyguard and the head of the Nightguard at the time Sharp Biscuit who directed him to a different batpony who was responsible for the job offer, a low-rank guardsmare responsible for preparing the Nightguard shift schedule. Her name was Choking Darkness, an unfortunate remnant of her mother's love for some extreme bedroom interests and a reason for her to become rather irritated whenever it was mentioned, and Blazing immediately fell in completely unrequited love with her although having never been an interest of mares before he had no idea.

Doing Choking's dirty work, Blazing was happy when she started talking to him more and more because they met frequently when she used the shower in Blazing's empty castle apartment instead of having to walk home across the whole city after every guard practice. For a while Blazing believed he was special in some way for her but then he found out her flirty approach was her general behaviour and as an unfortunate accident he met Choking's ex-coltfriend who was a very jealous and possibly insane pony. That happened after Choking asked Blaze to help her out by being a bartender at a party she hosted in the castle, a party where one of the guests was a diguised queen Chrysalis preparing the invasion of Canterlot year in advance. Chrysalis, seeing in Blaze a servant who can get anywhere in the castle, cursed him to eventually become a changeling and tell her everything about the routine of the castle staff. He, of course, didn't know anything at the time other than that a rather gorgeous pegasus mare talked to him for longer than any mare should.

Unfortunately, Choking, drunk as a skunk, tried to kiss Blaze which brought the attention of Valiant Charge, a staff combat guard teacher at the time and said ex-coltfriend, to him. As mentioned before, Valiant was an extremely jealous pony and soon after the party he and his friends threatened Blaze to make him stop seeing Choking. Choking being Blaze's boss, he saw no real way to do that and he actually had no desire to do so because even the smallest amount of Choking's attention was more than Blaze had ever had before. Blaze's refusal ended up with him in the infirmary with broken ribs and legs. Queen Chrysalis, disguised as a nurse that time, returned to see how her curse worked only to find out Blaze somehow failed to become a mind-controlled slave but when he told her everything she wanted she strengthened the spell, failing again but speeding up his future changeling transformation. Choking found out what happened and visited Blaze as well, triggering his new ability to feed on affection and helping him recover. When he admitted why he didn't want to just leave her be she offered to find somepony to help Blaze learn to defend himself because it wasn't the first time Valiant threatened her close friends but she was scared because he threatened even her and was a high-ranked Royal Guard and the son of a noble.

Choking's friend turned out to be Sharp Biscuit, a universally capable armsmaster and an excellent combat tactician, who helped Blaze awaken his ability to read ponies to an unnatural extent. Blaze, unfortunately, had very little armed combat talent which stemmed from his deeply rooted confidence issues making him believe every pony was more worth of life than himself. During this training Blaze learned that the little voice criticising him for everything he did was the start of his mind shattering into two split personalities, the original one and the one beating him for every mistake he's ever made. A mind can't just decide to go against itself though and the second one proved to be helpful in allowing Blaze to use his unicorn telekinesis to levitate two weapons at the same time without having to look around, thus improving his movement prediction even further. Blaze's main strength was, for previously mentioned reasons, in an unlethal combat though and he was able to outgrow Sharp's jack-of-all-trades abilities using only martial arts magazines bought from a small shop in Canterlot (and a rather drastic physical training led by Sharp). Things escalated when Choking decided to join their training and thus attracted Valiant's attention one night when it was just her and Blaze practicing in the castle gardens.

Using the combat skill that made other unicorns frown upon Blaze when he was younger(when unarmed combat was just his hobby) he successfully defended himself from the attack of Valiant Charge and four of his friends. That wouldn't have been possible without Chrysalis' spell kicking in and turning him into a strange changeling. He kept his color scheme and mane but his coat turned into changeling armor plates, allowing him to shrug off some attacks and survive. Said transformation made him go berserk and wound Valiant heavily. While the combat was going on Choking asked Sharp to bring princess Luna who stopped the combat and was ready to kill the unknown creature Blaze became but Choking persuaded her not to because technically Blaze was her underling which meant a Nightguard and as such entitled to royal interrogation. What only Sharp knew at the time was that princess Luna's special ability was the ability to sense lies and with her intervention while Blaze was locked in the castle dungeons they uncovered Valiant's previous crimes. When Luna left and pronounced Blaze free Sharp kissed him, thinking he was interested in stallions based on the looks he recieved during the showers together after every training. Blaze didn't know what to do with his first kiss but told Sharp he wasn't against anypony thinking he was worth the trouble which was a completely new experience.

Valiant Charge got banished instead of being executed or serving a lifetime sentence in prison thanks to the help of his wealthy father.

Funnily enough, the won fight due to some obscure old law meant that after beating a weapon expert became one himself and thus Blaze lost his old job and got a new one teaching the fresh spring batch of guard recruits unarmed combat and unicorn telekinetic sword combat. His first group of newbies brought two more interesting ponies to him. The first one was an experienced soldier named Solid Steel, who later became the head of the combat branch of Equestrian secret service, and a fresh recruit from the Trottingham military academy named Heavy Hoof. Two big problems arose during the training. The first one was that few older soldiers returning to the Royal Guard for retraining recognized Blaze as a changeling (sort of) and despised him. The second one was that Heavy was being abused by other recruits despite being stronger, smarter, and more skilled than everypony around him for being gay. That problem got sorted when Heavy stood for himself and beat up half of the recruit barracks himself after Blaze arranged a long talk between Heavy and Sharp which later resulted in them becoming a romantic item. A year of successful training passed, broken only by Choking finding a normal coltfriend named Fairfax and Blaze driving him away just like Valiant would have done. The rift between Blaze and Choking didn't close even after he came clean and repaired the relationship he'd broken.

In the second half of the year queen Chrysalis returned and this time her mind control worked on Blaze, using his non-lethal combat expertise to subdue prince Shining Armor and make him into Chrysalis' slave. After succeeding, Chrysalis drained Blaze to death, at least that was what she thought. When Blaze woke up he rushed to the practicing recruits and rallied them to stave off the main wave of attacking changelings, distracting queen Chrysalis in the throne room trying to find out why her forces weren't where they should long enough for Shining Armor to recover and bubble-blast the changelings away. With Blaze being part-changeling he was set on fire but gained his cutie mark that day. A black and a white circle locked together to symbolize his conflicting personalities and two minds in one body. Shining Armor, on behalf of princess Cadance persuaded to leave Blaze unpunished by Choking and Heavy, didn't press charges.

Another year passed and Twilight Sparkle ascended into alicornhood, a year Blaze spent mostly by drinking himself stupid every evening because Choking got promoted for being the official leader of the recruit group that stalled the invasion and wasn't around to keep Blaze sane after Canterlot turned on him for being a changeling-ish thing. His guard status protected him from everything aside from his own mind turning against him from the guilt of almost single-hoofedly giving Canterlot to Chrysalis by beating Shining Armor.

In more depressed state than ever before, Blaze had no idea the worst day of his life was yet to come.

The day was more precisely a night, Nightmare Night, when Choking was supposed to escort princess Luna to Ponyville but wanted to go to a party instead and Blaze agreed to take her shift. When Blaze and Sharp escorted the princess the flying carriage got attacked by a one-eyed pony using fire wings to fly, having a mechanical griffon arm instead of his front leg, and being much better than Blaze at hoof-to-hoof combat. The attacker was focused only on killing Blaze and let the carriage fly away towards Ponyville safely. Blaze, seeing no way to defeat a much more skilled opponent was in a mental state to try a suicidal attack when he noticed a golden portal following the attacker and charged into the pony, forcing him into the portal which crushed him and closed. Defeated but alive, Blaze returned to Ponyville and took a break while watching princess Luna have fun from afar.

After losing sight of her for a while Blaze found Luna and Twilight Sparkle barely holding off a unicorn version of Twilight with enough magical power to break through Luna's defenses and attempt to kill her. Pissed that Luna hadn't stopped to help him before, Blaze didn't want to throw himself into danger but when Sharp tried to bodyblock for Luna Blaze stepped in and took the spell himself, saving the thestral bodyguard. The spell was designed to drain will, life, and magic of the target but the loss of magic didn't cripple Blaze like it would do to a different unicorn because he wasn't able to use any magic at all aside from telekinesis. The side effect of the spell was that Blaze's inner voice got replaced by a being who called himself Void.

Void proved to be a more interesting passenger than Blaze's second personality and proclaimed himself to be an ancient being locked in Tartarus whom the spell sealed in Blaze's body and who would be free after his death. Contrary to Blaze's expectations, Void didn't attempt anything to harm Blaze and shared few words of wisdom with him. Blaze, being immature and way too depressed at the time, didn't listen too much but while Void was set on causing trouble for princess Celestia personally he wasn't causing trouble for the unicorn and he let Void just sit inside and watch the world.

Void wasn't the one who broke Blaze's little world, that honor belonged to Choking who wanted to switch shifts the next day again to go to another party to which she was invited by a prince she had met the day before. To make Blaze more willing after the night of horror she drugged him with pep pills and he, suddenly full of energy after breakfast, agreed. The problem was that Blaze's overly excellent performance during guard practice made a rivalling trainer Rising Thunder notice him and reveal Blaze was teaching recruits on drugs. It didn't take long for Blaze to realize what Choking did and why she did it but he would never tarnish her reputation to save himself so he waited for things to unveil. That evening the shift he switched with Choking left him patrolling the castle library the entire night and he found Blueblood trying to rape Choking in a dark corner where nopony should have been. Attacking Blueblood, Blaze got taken out by Rising Thunder who followed Blaze and recieved a reward from the prince for protecting him. Threatening Choking with gallows if she talked about the rape attempt, Blueblood and Rising accused Blaze of attacking royalty while being on drugs. Blaze, unwilling to put Choking in danger, refused to talk when Luna interrogated him so she wouldn't find the truth and act. The next day, according to a law ordering death penalty for all who would dare attack royalty, Blaze was hanged in Canterlot castle gardens.

To the absolute horror of Celestia and Luna watching the execution, Blaze's death summoned Void back into the world. Before both terrified alicorns could act, Void revealed the truth about everything Blueblood and Rising had done and disappeared. Shortly after, he offered his services to Choking who wanted to take revenge on Blueblood in exchange for her helping him retrieve the remainder of his soul and power from Tartarus. Choking, unwilling to help somepony threatening to cause trouble for Celestia, made Void explain he was the alicorn of Death who got trapped there after Celestia tricked him to look for his love in the depths of Tartarus ages ago. It turned out Void wanted to be more an annoyance than danger because he had nothing against ponies living in peace and prosperity under the solar princess and Choking agreed.

Blaze woke up in a magical body mimicking the abilities of his old one created by a different alicorn. Scream, the alicorn of Lust, summoned Blaze's soul before departing the world forever and let him out of her pocket dimension back to the world without telling him what she wanted. The only thing Blaze wanted though was to see Blueblood suffer and he found the prince after an evening dinner in a resturant, leaving him heavily wounded and yelling about ghosts. After getting heavily drunk to stop his mind screaming at him for willingly torturing another pony he found out Choking was seen with Void. Knowing about Void's hate for Celestia Blaze supposed he was using Choking to do his bidding which was broadly correct. In order to find a weapon capable of harming a demonic being Blaze returned home to the base of the Order of the Silver Sun in Manehattan, a place where one of the pair of blades capable of breaking spells was kept. Blaze lost the fight with his father Blinding Light, but his new body stopped him from dying. Unfortunately the killing blow meant for Blinding was blocked by Blaze's mother who got killed. Blinding, paralyzed by the sight of his dead wife, told Blaze where the second Blade of Balance of the pair was kept and told him never to return home again.

Choking, putting pieces about Blaze's death together, made her way to Manehattan just in time to see him kill his mother. Realizing what he'd done and in front of whom he'd done it, Blaze ran away and took the first train back to Canterlot. When Choking got the information about Blaze's next destination she rushed home as well. It turned out the second sword was in the possession of her family who led the Cult of Luna and was in direct opposition to the Order. When she got back to Canterlot she asked Void to rush to the site of the temple and stop Blaze. Using the magic distortion ability of one sword, Blaze gained access to the other one but the temple was already empty, Choking's family being warned by teleporting Void who appeared before Blaze. Trying to get Choking out of Void's hooves, Blaze attacked him and lost his right eye in the process, draining most of Void's currently limited power. Before the fight could continue Choking got to the temple as well and told Blaze why she was helping Void and what the place was. Blaze, realizing he was ready to kill anypony standing between him and the second sword, made himself believe he was the only threat to Choking and, unable to bear his guilt anymore, fled to Ponyville and later to Everfree Forest where he used the magic cancelling swords to pin himself to a floor in one of the many caves and waited for the magic in his body to drain away.

Void teleported Choking away from the temple because he felt Celestia tracking the use of his power and flying towards them. Returning to Choking's partment, the duo found princess Luna already waiting for them. Luna didn't attack them and explained she talked to Scream who shared that the spell bringing Void back was of her design and that the powerful unicorn version Twilight was part of her plans to save Equestria from an attack planned by king Sombra from the mirror world. Scream's plan was to have Luna help Void recover his soul from Tartarus by protecting his weakened self from Celestia. Luna, few days later, brought Celestia to Void's hideout and persuaded her to give him a chance. Choking and Void grew very close in next two weeks while Celestia was gathering armed forces and heading towards the Crystal Empire where Sombra was supposed to be able to connect both worlds using the Crystal Heart and mirror Corrupted Heart as catalysts.

Blaze's suicide attempt failed as before the Blades could kill him completely a group of changelings running away from a hydra hid in his cave. They took the Blades pinning him to the floor, letting his body recover and help them kill the beast. The changelings proved to be Chrysalis and a group of her guards who died in the process of defending her. Chrysalis recognized Blaze and tried to kill him, failing miserably as the Blades of Balance stopped all her magic. Tired and helpless, Chrysalis was ready for death but Blaze spared her because he didn't see her as a monster, remembering how ponies looked at him after the invasion and not wanting to kill anypony ever again. Chrysalis used his soft heart and hard dic- nevermind to make him protect her while returning to her hive through the forest. Blaze saw the carefree face of the changeling queen and their travels persuaded him Chrysalis' attack on Canterlot was more a desperate rather than malevolent act. Back in the hive, which was an abandoned city near the old Castle of Two Sisters, Blaze recognized a statue of Scream who, as Chrysalis told him, was a patron of changelings in a similar way Celestia was a patron of ponies, not the ruling kind though.

Using Scream's statue to contact her, Blaze got transported to her pocket dimension again and she told him everything. She told him about mirror Sombra's plans to conquer this Equestria. She told him about the spell that transformed him into the strange changeling he was and how it was the remnant of Celestia's heresy, a fate-changing spell designed by Starswirl the Bearded that the solar princess twisted to turn flutterponies into changelings for her army to fight griffons ages ago. As a last thing she told Blaze that there were eleven Elements of Harmony, not only the six known ones, and the five evil ones were locked by Celestia in the mirror world in the past, giving mirror Sombra's dark magic enough power to conquer the entirety of his world now. There were eleven, not twelve, Elements because the Element of Magic always appeared in the world which was weaker to balance out the stronger one and, according to Scream's words, the mirror world was far more powerful than Blaze's Equestria. Starswirl the Bearded's research into the Element of Magic gave birth to the Blades of Balance, currently in Blaze's possession, which were supposed to be the safeguard against Magic materializing in the mirror world one day. Armed with the Blades, Blaze was sent by Scream to the mirror world to kill one of the mirror Element Bearers. Before he went, Blaze asked Scream to teleport him to Choking's apartment so he could finally tell her he loved her and ask her out.

Blaze was ready to refuse Scream's mission if Choking said yes. Unfortunately, during Blaze's two weeks of travelling with Chrysalis Choking fell in love with Void.

Devastated, Blaze agreed to do what Scream wanted and she teleported him to the mirror version of Ponyville where he posed as Sombra's secret agent to harrass Rainbow Dash, the Element of Betrayal, so she would bring him to Rarity who was sold off to the Element of Greed, dragon king Spike. Having no chance of killing a fully grown dragon, Blaze murdered Rarity, causing Spike to go ballistic against Sombra's forces and weakening the invading force. While returning to Ponyville Rainbow Dash realized what Blaze had done from bloody spots on his coat and tried to kill him but Blaze struck first, crippling Rainbow and killing her after rough landing. Unable to cope with what he'd done, Blaze didn't defend himself when Applejack, the Element of Destruction, found him and sentenced him to fight in the Ponyville arena until he died.

Blaze fought his way through the ladder and faced Applejack in fair fight three times. The first time she ripped his front left leg off which the surgeons replaced with a mechanical griffon arm to allow AJ to cripple him more next fight. The second time she broke his horn. The third time Blaze stopped relying on the Blades to protect him from the power of the Element and killed AJ right in front of Sombra visiting the arena. Rather than killing Blaze, Sombra was happy he found somepony so resourceful and asked Blaze to join his forces. Breaking down at the realization that Scream gave him a one-way ticket, that Choking had never loved him, and that everything he'd done only caused pain to somepony Blaze agreed and his horn got replaced by a red crystal as a reward and he became the bearer of the Element of Betrayal previously belonging to Rainbow Dash.

The Element proved to have a mind of its own and made Blaze explore his lack of magic, causing him to slowly gain the power of turn the magic of his opponents against them. Betrayal, right? Upon Blaze's wish the Element took the form of a flying sword and, hating it, responded to the name Betty. Mind clearer, Blaze realized he was in the prime position to betray Sombra and destroy his plans but he wanted to see his mirror self first. Mirror Blazing Light was the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard who made mirror Choking into his slave by blackmail about her involvement in the changeling invasion. Killing him, Blaze falsified some documents and gave everything belonging to mirror Blazing to Choking who, in conjunction with Betty, finally helped Blaze partially come to terms with everything he'd done.

There was only one thing left to do so Blaze headed to the Crystal Empire to backstab Sombra as soon as the invasion happened.

When the two world connected mirror Sombra and Twilight managed to defeat both royal sisters, causing Scream to appear and gloat. Scream's real plan was to take revenge on Celestia for imprisoning Void who was her lover in Tartarus. Equestria was moments from belonging to the shadow king.

Choking and Void successfully managed to get Void's soul from its prison in Tartarus and returned to the Crystal Empire just in time to see Sombra's forces attack. Void, seeing everything is lost, tried to make Scream see reason but she was far too gone in her insanity. Seeing Choking and Void together and realizing she really wasn't in any danger from him, Blaze made his final choice and used the Blades of Balance to pierce the Corrupted Heart, causing it to explode violently and kill Sombra, mirror Twilight, Scream, and himself.

That's not where the story ended though. No, concerning the current branch reality this is where the story really began.

Void, as the keeper of the underworld, saw in young Blaze a pony similar to himself and, being infinitely more experienced and wise, wanted to give him a chance to find love in the same way Scream had given Void a chance when he was hated by most alicorns for his aspect millenia ago. Knowing, though, that Blaze's soul wasn't in the state of mind to see it like that, he made up a nonsense story about how he would be grateful if Blaze managed to travel to an alternate reality and save Scream instead of killing her. In exchange he offered Blaze that he would take care of Choking for the rest of her life. Blaze agreed and Void cast a spell that would send the unicorn to the alternate reality that could accept him.

Unfortunately, Blaze's natural ability to distort magic made the spell unstable and he ended up jumping through multiple dimensions for a year before landing in the current one. On the plus side, he still had Betty to talk to. One of the realities was one where the Elements of Harmony didn't awaken for Twilight and Nightmare Moon won, shrouding the world in darkness and slowly wiping out everything. Blaze, landing in a summoning circle of Trixie, Nightmare's apprentice, drew Nightmare Moon's attention and she used him to breed a killer species of changelings feeding on fear instead of love (her little touch), having no wings (mirroring Blaze's crippling fear of heights), and capable of transforming into only one form (a remnant of Blaze's hate for lies and deceit). Those Nightmare changelings eventually devoured all life. Trixie, seeing the Nightmare's true desire, helped Blaze continue with his dimension jumping.

Finally, Blaze arrived in the current reality and recognized it was during the Nightmare Night he saved Sharp and Luna from mirror Twilight. Overcharged by stolen magic from the jumping spell and knowing what had to happen he attacked princess Luna's carriage and killed Blazing Light native to this reality. Saving Luna and Sharp again, he immediately told Void about everything that had happened and was going to happen. Void, agreeing to cooperate, cast light on the plan of Void from Blaze's original reality and explained the truth. Blaze wasn't happy about being used (even if it was for his own good) and had two choices - do exactly the same things he'd done to achieve the correct result or really try to save Scream this time. Harboring little spark of hope that Choking wouldn't want to be with Void if Scream was alive, Blaze tried a different approach.

After being hanged and resurrected in a shiny new magical body (again) he was resolute about not going home and killing his mother even for the Blades, after all he had Betty now, so he revealed he'd killed real Blazing to Choking, Luna, and Sharp and tasked them to help Void faster this time, believing that giving Void more time to recover his power would allow him to stop Scream without having to blow up the Corrupted Heart.

Taking on Scream's mission, Blaze now knew the real reason for having to kill the three Element Bearers he had killed was because they weren't loyal to Sombra but to mirror Twilight so he had to go through the mirror world in a different way. Fortunately, after he rescued Rarity from Spike this time instead of slitting her throat AJ offered to fake her defeat in the arena thus allowing Blaze to enter Sombra's ranks again. Things led back to the Crystal Empire invasion where the royal sisters were defeated again. Unfortunately, due to Blaze working directly with mirror Twilight this time she didn't fight Luna and didn't overcharge the Corrupted Heart with magic and when Void's presence proved insufficient against Scream Blaze had to strike the Heart again.

Lacking the boiling magic inside, the Corrupted Heart just cracked instead of blowing up and all the wrath of Sombra and Scream fell upon Blaze. The damage was enough to separate the mirror world invasion point from real Equestria and before the connecting spell failed Void dragged Blaze and Scream back home. Threatening to break up with Scream (loneliness being the reason she'd gone insane in the first place), Void finally managed to make her see light and stop helping Sombra. Choking, seeing Blaze had nopony else in this world, decided to give the poor unicorn a second chance (first one in this reality) for a relationship.

Thus the first mirror invasion was successfully averted. Unfortunately, fate has a thing for kicking Blaze in the nuts.

While returning to Canterlot, the train was attacked by a new force which Blaze and Betty were able to identify as Nightmare changelings who must have followed him through dimensions somehow. Force was a strong word for a group of two dozen changelings who managed to incapacitate a train full of soldiers and even stronger for the ten remaining after clashing with the combat branch of Equestrian secret service led by Solid Steel who was supposed to keep tabs on Blaze whom the princesses didn't trust too much. The leader of the ten last Nightmares was a young changeling queen who managed to reconstruct Blaze's dimension jumping spell to save the last of her kind from starvation after successfully devouring their entire world under Nightmare Moon's influence. Twenty years passed in the dark dimension before the conquest was over but the jumping spell was focused on Blaze so it spat the changelings out at his location.

Princess Celestia wasn't too keen on having a new group of changelings settle in Equestria but as a reward for Blaze's service in stopping the invasion she offered the Nightmares a chance to live as long as they learned about life in Equestria first. Since the young changeling queen was one of the first who were born after Nightmare Moon used Blaze she considered him her father and for leading the last of her race to relative safety she recieved the name Guiding and the Light family name. The Nightmare changelings scattered to various parts of Equestria and one left for the Crystal Empire, accompanying princess Cadance who was curious about the Nightmares being able to live on love as well as fear. Seeing that was the case, Cadance talked to Choking about how she was able to forgive Blaze for killing the original Blazing Light in order to forgive queen Chrysalis and offer her a peace treaty to save the broken hive.

Everything seemed perfectly fine for a while. Guiding Light's ten Nightmares, while not greeted too warmly, were safe. Blaze and Choking started a real relationship together, growing closer than ever before. Unfortunately, Blaze's failure to kill Sombra in this reality proved a big mistake.

Sending Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Suffering, to find and attack Blaze, Sombra proved he was still kicking and in an attempt to protect Choking who got in the way Blaze got seriously wounded. Pinkamena later attacked princess Celestia who was unable to defend herself from an Element bearing murderer who inflicted grievous wounds that even alicorn regeneration had difficult time healing. To protect others from being attacked, Celestia locked the throne room using her magic which, still wounded, Blaze broke and he and Choking saved princess Celestia's life. Pinkamena, in a fit of rage, cut Choking's wings off and would have killed her if Blaze, using Betty, hadn't ended the Bearer's life first. Catching Blaze exhausted, Fluttershy, the final of Sombra's loyal Element Bearers, harnessed power of the Element of Imprisonment and enslaved Blaze's mind irrevocably.

Choking, losing her wings permanently, was after her recovery summoned to Scream's pocket dimension where she recieved a vision of the future from Scream as a reward for helping release Void's soul from Tartarus completely. Unfortunately, the vision showed her some very unpleasant things - Guiding Light meeting queen Chrysalis and starting a cooperation between both hives, Void saving princess Luna from being killed by Guiding, Sharp Biscuit dying at the hooves of Blaze, and Blaze finally killing himself. Being madly in love, Choking tried what she could to stop it from happening but her efforts just helped the visions come true instead.

With the Corrupted Heart unusable to hold the stable connecting spell, Blaze, enslaved by the Element, led Sombra's new army through a new point where the mirror world and the normal one could be permanently connected again - the proximity of the Tree of Harmony. Choking warned Luna who repelled the first wave with the help of Chrysalis' changelings and the Nightguard. Unfortunately, her magic only made things worse when Blaze appeared and used the giant magical charge to obliterate the entire defending force. Sharp Biscuit, knowing princess Luna could take care of herself, protected queen Chrysalis from the spell and died in the process. Moved by his sacrifice, Chrysalis later accepted Cadance's peace proposal between ponies and changelings. Luna, furious at the loss of her closest friend, cursed Blaze with her alicorn power and banished him permanently from the realm of dreams, making him unable to sleep ever again.

Using Blaze's magic stealing ability and his own dark knowledge, Sombra captured Canterlot. Before moving north to the Crystal Empire defended by Shining Armor and Cadance, Choking found Blaze in Canterlot and told him that no matter what he did she would love him. Scream, persuaded by Void to help matters to repay Blaze and Choking's help, found Blaze as well and returned the diary he'd been writing since the day he ran away from home. Blaze's split personality, instead of blaming him for everything, was moved by Choking's devotion to Blaze and, feeling he was worth it, sacrificed itself to the mind-control effect of the Element and destroyed itself, freeing Blaze.

Unfortunately, the princesses were still captured and there was nopony to help Blaze against Sombra anymore. On top of that, Luna's curse, only made stronger by Blaze's magical body keeping him alive by force, proved too much of a torture and the weeks without sleep drove Blaze insane. When the Crystal Empire fell Sombra linked both worlds again using himself as the link to the Corrupted Heart and revealed his true plan while sealing himself and Blaze in the throne room.

Sombra explained the reason Blaze was so resillient was the spell Scream used to resurrect him. As the most powerful magic user alive, Scream inherited the final gift of the alicorn of Life - the power to give new existence without the need to resort to unstable necromancy, true immortality rivaling alicorns. Sombra kept Blaze alive just so he could use him to beat the princesses and finally take over his body and claim the immortality for himself. Sombra activated the final part of Scream's spell and Blaze's part-changeling body broke apart and was reborn back into his original and uncrippled unicorn form, returning Blaze's horn, leg, and breaking Void's alicorn power which caused Blaze to lose sight in one eye. Underestimating half-insane and broken Blaze, Sombra's takeover attempt didn't work immediately and both minds tangled together, breaking the dimension linking spell and sending everypony to their respective worlds. The side effect of the linking spell was that everypony would appear at the point of the original connection and Blaze's mindless body was teleported back to the Everfree Forest portal site.

The unexplained end of the second mirror invasion set several things in motion.

Choking, despising Luna for what she did to Blaze, searched through the Everfree portal site and found out that a unicorn of Blaze's colors was found wandering aimlessly through the forest and the guards led him to Ponyville mental hospital. Leaving the Nightguard, Choking moved to Ponyville and got a job taking care of the patients. Not caring that Blaze didn't recognize her or react whatsoever, she stayed with him and hoped one day his mind would come back.

Queen Chrysalis, wanting to keep an eye on the Elements of Harmony, sent a group of elite changelings to watch over Ponyville. Celestia, worried about Chrysalis' plans, sent her own group of soldiers led by Heavy Hoof to watch the changelings. The changelings, led by commander Shadowstep, were only partially loyal to Chrysalis and used the time camping near Ponyville to have some fun and one night hunted Heavy's troops to gain some food without real desire to hurt them. Horatio Cross, Shadowstep's master of arms, used Sharp Biscuit's form copied from Heavy's mind to fool Heavy without knowing Sharp was dead. Heavy went berserk and attacked Cross, losing miserably but not stopping the assault until he hurt himself more than Cross had. Feeling terrible, Cross mulled over Heavy's dedication and a spark of love grew inside the changeling, a spark which later made lonely Heavy slowly reciprocate the feeling.

Unfortunately for Choking, Heavy saw her and Blaze in Ponyville. Blaming Blaze for Sharp's death, he wanted to tell Luna Blaze was alive but Choking threatened to kill him. Unwilling to fight his friend, Heavy decided to listen to the whole story and left Choking and Blaze alone after that.

Luna, on the other hoof, was mourning Sharp's death and became a target for the Nightmare, the god which had possessed her before the Elements freed her, who invaded her mind in the form of memory of Sharp talking to her. Pretending to care about Equestria, it guided Luna to look for a way to destroy the Tree of Harmony to prevent any further contact with the mirror world, a thing that could happen only if Discord and Nightmare joined forces to do so as Luna learned from Scream.

Scream felt Nightmare's presence in Luna and tasked Void to prevent Discord from interfering, something which the god of chaos agreed to do in exchange for Void himself not involving himself in what was about to happen. Luna, changing back into Nightmare Moon, attacked Celestia and cast a long-term sleep spell on her to prevent her from ruining the plan to destroy the Tree of Harmony to make the Elements powerless and her unstoppable. When that proved impossible due to Void's intervention, she decided to kill him to release Discord from his promise.

Before the attack, Celestia sent Twilight Sparkle, new princess of diplomatic relations and friendship, to find out whether or not Guiding Light would honor Chrysalis' peace treaty. The concern was valid because Guiding knew what Luna did to Blaze and ordered all Nightmare changelings to return to the new hive in Pine Hills. Only one changeling didn't return because he was too far, number Five who was by princess Cadance's side at the time. While Twilight was in Pine Hills negotiating, Luna ruled over Canterlot and made things appear as if Twilight was the one who had attacked Celestia in order to gain the alicorn's power which she temporarily had possessed during lord Tirek's attack. Twilight, accompanied by One, Guiding Light's changeling body double, infiltrated Canterlot and got the whole story from Celestia after dispelling the sleep magic. Having to flee from the mind-controlled Nightguards, they faced heavily weakened Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon was able to break Scream's mind to find out where Void was hiding but her attacking Void in the underworld proved a terrible mistake when he mercilessly wiped the floor with her using souls of the dead as a shield. Thanks to that mistake Twilight was able to face Nightmare Moon and flee in time, sacrificing One.

Twilight tried to teleport to her new tree castle in Ponyville but in panic overshot and ended up in Shadowstep's encampment. The changelings offered help in fighting Nightmare Moon and got ready to protect the other Element Bearers.

Guiding Light, recieving the final thoughts of One, gathered her changelings and teleported them to Ponyville in order to stop what had happened in their world from happening here as well.

Nightmare Moon wasn't stupid though and right after Luna broke for the first time she found a mercenary and gave him two jobs - finding Blaze because she thought Choking knew something she didn't and was afraid of another invasion (fulfilling Luna's remaining concerns to gain her trust) and gathering all the Element Bearers in one place 'to keep them safe'. The mercenary's name was Icy Gaze and he was good at his job. Blaze's trail led Icy to Ponyville where he found both him and Choking, captured the Element Bearers successfully (all but Twilight), and recieved a lot of money. Unfortunately for Nightmare Moon, Icy wasn't a murderer so when she ordered him next to kill the Bearers he panicked and tried to escape but it was too late.

Nightmare Moon appeared in Ponyville ready to wipe out all opposition so foolishly gathered in one place.

While all this was going on, a fight was going on in Blaze's mind between the soul of Sombra and shards of Blaze's personalities. Uniting the pieces of his mind, Blaze won but was too weak to surface and so a new personality with amnesia appeared in Blaze's body. Choking tried to rebuild the relationship but the new Blaze had no idea who she was and her forceful approach only made things worse.

When, based on Icy's information, Luna's mind-controlled Nightguards started moving to Ponyville Choking tried to hide Blaze's presence but they were found out. Queen Chrysalis arrived to save them and distracted the Nightguards with her changelings disguised as copies of Blaze. Choking, seeing Blaze wouldn't be useful whatsoever if Luna found them, sent him away with Chrysalis and got ready to face the Nightguards.

Chrysalis had a different plan though. Delving deep into Blaze's mind she offered the weak soul of Sombra a deal. Sombra would help Blaze come back and in turn she would make him return as well. Blaze would be alive and Sombra would have enough time to study the magic of Life that repeatedly kept Blaze alive from inside his body. Sombra agreed and allowed Blaze to steal his power when both returned to Ponyville and fought Nightmare Moon.

Unfortunately, the god proved too strong and the power of Life which made Blaze's natural magic appear only in the form of phoenix wings (phoenix, rebirth, huh, huh?) serving as a fire shield got twisted into the power of true death when Blaze stole a bit of Nightmare's power. The power of true death was enough to cripple the god but burned Blaze alive as well because no mortal was supposed to ever wield it, only Void as an alicorn could. With Blaze dead (again), Cross scanned Luna's mind for the reason she fell to the Nightmare and, transforming into Sharp Biscuit again, comforted the broken princess, causing her to cast off the Nightmare's influence.

Guiding Light, seeing Luna was defenseless, tried to kill her for very understandable reasons (first torturing and then causing the death of her dad) but was stopped by Void who broke the promise to Discord.

After dust settled, Choking was back in Canterlot drinking herself stupid. Luna asked her to fill Sharp's place as her bodyguard, saying she didn't need a friend guard anymore but somepony who wouldn't hesitate to correct her if she steered wrong again. Choking refused and kept drinking. Her second visitor was Void who offered her a chance to forget her pain by locking the memories of Blaze away. Unable to bear the pain of loss, Choking agreed and Void's magic gave her new wings as well. Not understanding why she hated Luna anymore, she agreed to become her bodyguard.

Guiding returned to Pine Hills and resent her changelings to learn about Equestria, Icy Gaze got imprisoned because he knew too much with the official reason being the capture of the Element Bearers, Cross and Heavy entered a stable relationship, and almost everypony was happy.

Discord, however, was mad that Void spoiled his fun and, using his divine powers, resurrected Blaze just to allow him to see Choking one more time. Laughing at the unicorn's pain when Choking didn't recognize him, Discord stopped the spell keeping Blaze alive and he returned back to ash, the only remains of him after being burned by the black fire of true death.

Sombra had other plans though. Having only short time to study the magic of Life, he was able to give Blaze a completely new body which nopony would recognize and thanks to that the unicorn was back again. Unfortunately for Sombra, Blaze, having lost everything that mattered to him, had no reason and desire to live.

Still no clue about how ponies became allies with the mirror world, huh?

Enter a young griffon soldier named Cromach. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances he had to leave the Griffon Empire while being chased by the Imperial Legion and bounty hunters on a partially false charge. Fleeing successfully to Equestria, he met a unicorn who called himself Mistake and stopped him from jumping down from Canterlot city walls. With Crom being a soldier he wanted to join the Royal Guard and thanks to Mistake's knowledge of the inner workings of the castle he succeeded in joining the recruit training.

The bounty hunters didn't stop chasing Crom though and when he asked Mistake for help the unicorn told him to steal an amulet from Choking Darkness and when in trouble call somepony called Betty for help. One night Crom got captured by a sadistic hunter and would have died if it weren't for a flying sword killing the attacker. The sword was wery angry Crom called him Betty but also curious about how Crom knew about him, leading Blaze (Mistake) under his new name to regain his Element. Mistake's combat skillset being fairly unique, Heavy Hoof was able to guess Mistake's identity but needed to make sure.

When Mistake suddenly disappeared Blaze, Choking, and Cromach tracked him thtrough the newly opened mirror world portal. Mistake asked mirror Twilight for help in getting rid of Sombra inside him forever but she didn't know how to do that so he chose the brute force approach. Knowing Sombra somehow lived inside him as magic force, Mistake forced all of his magic to the Corrupted Heart and finally broke it completely with the help of Betty, getting rid of mirror Sombra once and for all.

When the Heart shattered a dimension jumping portal opened and the original Blazing Light from this reality returned with massively enhanced powers (Blazing's seem to be really difficult to get rid of) and took away Mistake's eye and leg. Crom, knowing from Blaze's diary how he opened the new mirror portal in the first place broke the catalyst keeping the portal open and the four of them returned back to the Everfree forest.

Mistake died of his wounds few days later (this time for real, not that it stopped him).

Crom, devastated at the failure of the rescue attempt, recieved an offer to return back to the Griffon Empire stripped of all charges in exchange for classified information about pony military structure. Returning home, he was betrayed by the secret service agent that offered him the freedom and the information Crom gave to the agents allowed the Empire to launch a devastating invasion of Equestria.

The griffon agents didn't account for one thing - that Blaze considered himself so useless even death itself didn't want him. While no amount of Luna's healing magic was able to keep him alive, the remains of Sombra's dark magic were enough for mirror Twilight to revive him as an undead on Luna's plea. Mirror Twilight gladly helped as a reward for saving her world from Sombra and sent her forces to protect Equestria from the griffon attack. With Blaze slowly recovering, he asked mirror Twilight to help him in saving Cromach and she let him use her warship which Blaze named Lightbringer, just for the fun of it. In the need of services of somepony knowing his way around the Griffon Empire, Blaze enlisted the help of Icy Gaze and in return Icy's sentence would be cut in half. The rescue mission was successful for all sides involved, well... most of the good guys. Cromach wasn't executed, Blaze got his new friend (who was madly in love with him) back, Choking got to beat Icy up few more times for him ratting her out in Ponyville, and Icy himself managed to get the blueprints of the Lightbringer for personal use.

There was one last thing to unveil and that was the presence of the original Blazing Light who was supposed to be dead.

Blazing turned up to gain control of the Order of the Silver Sun and sent an assassin to kill princess Luna. All that was a ruse he used to manipulate the Order members to do his bidding in order to gain the Blades of Balance which he wanted to use to kill Blaze without giving him a chance to return. The confrontation of Blaze (Mistake) and original Blazing Light ended favorably due to Cromach and Choking recovering the Blades faster than Order agents but Blaze went blind as a result of the explosion which levelled the entire Order headquarters.

And so we're here, right at the beginning of this story.

Mistake has been through a lot an now he's completely unable to take care of himself. Fortunately for him, despite Cromach and Choking being locked in the battle for his affection they decided unanimously on one key thing - all of them deserve a vacation.

And what's better...

...princess Luna is paying for everything.

Packing: Not Alone

Every time I hear Cro's warm voice something stirs inside me, something yelling at me that it's wrong and that he should be spending his time enjoying himself and not having to take care about me.

I'm beginning to think the problem is somewhere completely different. It's difficult to believe that I faced gods, evil tyrants, avatars of immeasurable power and yet I'm still terrified of talking to Cro just on the off chance I say something that will drive him away which, in turn, screws me over anyway.

The thing is that I'm nopony special and that he can easily find somepony better but it is me who needs him. I must do something for him, if not to keep him happy then just to help myself not feel so... worthless. Maybe, just maybe, it would help to think about this simply as of an another battle. Who is the enemy though?

No... the answer is simple. It's been the same since I left home over four years ago. I am my worst enemy and my fear is the only threat I'm facing right now. Too bad it's the only foe I have never managed to beat.

Hmmm, that doesn't seem correct. My special talent has always been analysis and right now I think I'm wrong. I've been terrified every day of my life but that has never stopped me from moving on, although quite often it was in the wrong direction. Did I really believe there was a little glimmer of hope somewhere at the end?

Hope and Despair, black and white circles, two minds in one body, fire and frost, rebirth and true death...

...not death, that's not the opposite. The right answer is the lack of any possibility of new life. It's rebirth and something I can't quite tell yet because the magic of Life negated Void's true death without being spent.

I'm starting to think Void was wrong about me being a possible ascendant into the alicorn of Death's position.

I might be onto something here.

I blink. The darkness in the apartment tells me it's too early to be awake and neither me nor Mistake are early-rising creatures, at least normally. Lying on my back, I turn my head just to see the black silouhette of the unicorn sitting still on the small bed and breathing quickly. Sitting up as well, I put my arm on his shoulder.

"Aaah!" is a weak squeal following the gesture and him twitching away at first. When his breathing slows down almost instantly he turns to me, "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"Probably," I shrug, "No big deal. What's bothering you?"

That's a safe guess. There's always something gnawing at him from the inside. What I wasn't expecting is the small and weary smile and a sigh.

"Just... just another panic attack. You know how it is - wake up, have no idea where you are, see nothing, hear snoring-"

I feel like one very important issue needs to be addressed right here and now.

"I don't snore!"

He giggles like a chime in the wind and once again I realize how much I love the... duality of this unicorn - how he's grateful for what little attention somepony gives him, repaying it thousandfold, and how dark he can be, revealing wisdom gained from the insane events he's gone through.

I mean everypony must have hazarded a guess when they saw us walking home yesterday - a tall, white griffon leading a much smaller black unicorn wearing pink socks on a leash - but it's not like that. I don't just want to tie him up and ravage that tight, trained behind of his until he remembers nothing but my name... no, I want so much more. I want to be with him, to hear his soft snicker when I'm being stupid, to hold him against my chest when he turns on himself again, and to have him do something downright dangerous when I need it.

All that happened.

"No, you actually don't," he comments, turns to me, and taps his hoof few times on the bed until he touches me, "Damn, thanks for being so patient with me. I know I'm difficult to be around."

Yep! But I'll reassure you as many times as you need it.

"No biggie, as long as I can watch you shower."

"You want some of this, eh?" he runs his hoof from his neck down, leading my stare with it. It's not like I can see anything in the morning gloom but that doesn't stop my imagination whatsoever.

I do! Can I have seconds after?

Not waiting for an answer, Mistake stands up above me, carefully moving his legs so he doesn't step anywhere sensitive, and then slowly lowers himself to let his entire body rub my chest, belly, and lower...

"What's gotten into you, buddy?" I stifle a moan, "Not that I'm complaining but you've never been this... forward... and downward."

He stops, crossing his front legs on my chest and propping his muzzle on them. I regret not feeling him rubbing over me anymore but being still like this means I can pull a blanket over us and let our bodies meld into one warm, fuzzy blob.

"I just wanted to repay you all you're doing for me. I had no idea how since I didn't have any money to get you something you'd like and then you said... you know what and I thought it might not be a bad idea to try stuff out."

That's not really the right motivation but I'll take it.

"Buddy, when I take you out to Cromach bangstravaganza you 'owing' me anything will be the last thing on my mind. I know it's hard for you to understand but I love you and relationship isn't a balanced checkbook."

"Bangstr- Heavens protect me! Sorry, Cro. I just really want to do something for you."

"Well, not this, at least not like this. Darky said you're pretty good at massages though."

"What sort?"

"The wilder sort but not the happy ending sort."

"Ooooh! Well, I can't promise anything since I can't see much but I'll give it a shot. Just kick me if I'm doing something wrong," he chuckles nervously, "Do you want front or back first?"

"Front. That way I can look at your cute face- OH COME ON! You can't be blushing NOW when a moment ago you were rubbing your whatsowhat against mine!"

"Compliments," he groans, "Not good with them."

"Better get used to it cause you're getting much mo-oooooooh."

My world melts when he digs his hooves into my chest. With his expertise in martial arts and muscle movements he doesn't need eyes at all. Thank Emperor he doesn't mind me being way too obviously aroused beyond belief.

"EEP!" I can't believe how high-pitched my sqeak is as he bites my inner thigh.

"Heh heh heh..."

I just close my eyes and let him do his job. He might not be able to be a guard anymore but with a little of official training he'll be an epic masseuse. The hooves digging into every muscle aching after Heavy's training, the muzzle adding the soft touch that makes me shiver, the way his toned body slides over mine, the tentacles slithering over my neck...

Uh oh.

Open one eye. Nothing, the massage continues.

Open the other. Mistake is still working his hooves all over my chest like a cat trying to sleep.

Don't panic! It's weird but not threatening, at least for now.

It takes me few seconds to identify what I'm seeing. Mistake is still there, the black unicorn kneading my muscles into submission. With how tense I'm right now he must really be sweating and panting. Speaking of panting, few strange black-blue tentacles are coming from the open mouth and wriggling through the feathers on my neck. Funnily enough, that's not the scary part, although definitely the creepy one.

Okay... it's just his magic acting up for some reason. No big deal, no body snatcher trying to eat my brain. Still, the sweet, gloomy unicorn, not some eldrich abomination out of the darkest depths of the sea. His blackfrost wings are showing, spread above us and glimmering in the dim light coming through the window curtain. It looks strange, the feathers made of blue-tipped black ice adorning a unicorn seemingly unaware of their presence, like something watching both of us.

It might not be the smartest idea but I tug at one of the tentacles coming from Mistake's mouth. It coils around my claws rather cutely.

"Hey! Stop pulling my tongue-"

He stops.

"-or horn? What are you doing, Cro?"

"Wanna try a third time?" I tug at the second tentacle.

"How are you doing that and what 'that' is?" he asks and his wings creak menacingly.

"Well, no matter how confused you are right now it has nothing on me almost crapping myself when I opened my eyes so give me a second to breathe. Horn you said?" I tug on one mouth tentacle again and rub his horn at the same time.

"Haaaah, n-n-n-no," his wings silently shatter and each little ice shard disperses into steam, "P-p-please don't do that again, whatever it was... at least not without some warning first."

"Sorry. Did it hurt?"

"N-not e-e-exactly," he nervously taps his hooves on my chest. I've never seen him this shaken, "Sort of strange... as if you were, well, rubbing me from the inside."

My fantasies right now could fill a moderately long perverted book... with drawings... and author notes and my grin would make a cheshire cat go 'nope, too much for me'.

"Cool, cool... so what do we do about the tentacles coming from your mouth?-"

He tilts his head and blinks, a strange gesture from a blind pony.

"-Perhaps a pretty cool blowj-OW!" a free tentacle slaps me, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he furrows his brows and like a noodle being sucked in one tentacle retracts. All aside from the one I'm holding in my claws follow, "Weird, tastes like lemon popsicle."

Fantasy number one - engage!

Coiling my tongue around the tendril, I suck hard on it.

"Yeah, it does."

"HEY! That's my... something you're doing whatever you're doing to."

"Very descriptive. Let's be serious for a second, buddy. Any ideas?"

"I'm blind, I'm a unicorn who can't use any spells aside from some weird power that only the alicorn of Death recognized, and right now I feel like I have five tongues beginning in my horn and coming out of my mouth. Set me on fire, please! I promise not to come back this time," he chuckles nervously but I can hear the touch of panic in the voice.

"I've got a better one," I stop playing with the last tendril and Mistake sucks it in to my slight dismay, "We go back to sleep, think about it in the daylight-"

"Very useful, Cro, very useful," he pouts, rolling his eyes.

"-Quiet, you, or next time I'll tie you to the table! We calm down, don't tell anyone, and I'll stop myself from imagining all the possible places those things can fit."

"Aaaah... I'm glad you're here, Cro. I'd be cowering in the corner if you weren't, or something worse."

"Do you have any idea how bored I would be if I didn't have my hands full with cheering you up? A griffon can only handle so much free time."

"Dumbass," he grins, "Look what I can do now!-"

Two tendrils return, each one curling down from one side of his muzzle.

"-I've got a moustache."

I pull the idiot down to my embrace and draw the blanket over us, something I do every night and wouldn't trade for the world.

"Shut up, pillow!"

"I like pillows," he mumbles, spooned by me, "Being a pillow is nice."

I'm out like a light even before his breathing slows down.

Sands Of Gold And Red: Two For The Price Of One

Well, that was quite an experience.

My butt hurts, my legs shake, all I can smell is sweat and... other things. His feathers tickle my muzzle and my ribs are cracking under the pressure of his embrace. I couldn't be happier.

Best Heart's Warming ever.

It was Heart's Warming eve, parties all over Equestria were in full swing, and everypony was with their loved ones. There was one pony who avoided these sorts of gatherings though. It wasn't as if she didn't have any friends or family but she preferred the quiet atmosphere of her dark room adorned with expensive furniture and, most of all, her comfortable bed. Most ponies would consider princess Luna a shut-in but those who knew how she expressed herself would be sure she was closer to her subjects than any party could arrange. This evening belonged to her sister who was enjoying the attention of various nobles, guards, and other guests in the castle ballroom and, although she would never admit it, getting mildly wasted. After the celebration, unless Celestia found somepony charming enough to fit her high standards, the sisters would have time for each other but, for now, Luna was alone.

She needed somepony to talk to, somepony who would understand. It wasn't anything serious, she just wanted somepony who could relate to her to listen. Heart's Warming was painful to her, although the wound was slowly fading away. Every year just reminded her how alone she'd been after her return but that hadn't been a problem until the death of Sharp Biscuit, her bodyguard. He used to be shunned as well by his family, thestrals being very unappreciative about colt cuddlers, so they'd usually spent this time of the year together, drinking and stargazing. That had changed when young Blazing Light came to Canterlot and introduced Heavy Hoof to Sharp, thus robbing princess Luna of their together time. She wasn't bitter about it, she was happy that had happened even despite the result being Sharp's death.

Perhaps he could be her company until Celestia came?

Blazing was difficult to find, his power shielding him from all unnatural effects, but Luna was slowly getting used to working around it. Now, unless he was actively protecting himself, she was able to find him, although it took significantly more effort than her usual dreamwalking, and pay him a visit.

Every mind had a shape, an internal landscape - place where it felt safe or which let it focus, and this was the first time she was here. Blazing's mind was a large city resembling Manehattan, no big surprise considering he'd grown up there, but the city was devastated as if struck by a tornado, buildings ripped to pieces and turned to rubble of glass, steel, and concrete. Despite that, it was peaceful. After the first glance she had expected corpses, fires, and other sights going hoof to hoof with such disaster but nothing of that sort was present. The city was destroyed, empty, calm, and the sky was covered with grey clouds but the air was warm, fresh, and calmed princess Luna's inner turmoil.

Luna looked into a piece of shattered window and jumped backwards. She knew the face looking back at her far too well. Cyan eyes with slit pupils, pitch black coat, blue ethereal mane speckled with glowing dots, and a helmet made of blue steel were a visage of something she'd carry with her for a very long time.

What was Nightmare Moon doing here though?

"Welcome back, little filly," the mirror image chuckled.

Luna took another step back as, with a crack, her past self effortlessly dragged herself out of the broken window. Focusing her magic, Luna gasped. It wasn't working! She tried to run but to no avail, her hooves glued to the concrete by black goo. Nightmare Moon walked to her, put a hoof under her muzzle and forced Luna to look the deity in the eyes.

"Nice of you to come here, Luna."

Luna wanted to speak, to scream, but as she opened her mouth she found her lips sealed by the same black substance. Nightmare Moon waved her hoof around at the ruined city and opened her mouth full of sharp teeth.

"In your dream, nopony can hear you scream."

"Cheap and unoriginal," came a voice from behind Luna.

"Cheap and unoriginal," came a voice from behind Nightmare Moon.

An orange beam passed Luna, singing her coat a little but melting the black goo wherever it affected her, and striking Nightmare Moon directly in the chest. Rearing on her hind legs and shielding herself with her wings, Nightmare Moon had nothing to protect her from a sharp stalagmite of black ice coming from the ground under her and spearing her through. The dark goddess disappeared.

Luna could see a black unicorn jump into the air from his hiding place behind a piece of a broken wall, sprout a pair of blue-black wings, and soar into the sky.

"No idea how he does that, I feel sick walking on thick horseshoes."

Luna twitched and turned.

"Blazing? How?" she asked, eyes growing wide.

The second unicorn was about as tall as her, his fur was replaced by bronze changeling armorplates, but he still had the blonde mane she remembered. The two biggest differences were the fire wings on his back and his eyes. Luna knew the look. She remembered the glowing red eyes of her sister when she had fought her a millenium ago. She remembered Void's golden eyes, furious after Celestia locked him up, with his stare giving off enough power to make the young alicorn of the Moon tremble. Later, when Luna grew up, she saw eyes like that in the mirror. Blazing's eyes, blue like a clear summer sky, were burning with inner fire she'd never seen in him before.

"Hey, I can ask the same thing, your Highness. I don't think you've ever visited me while I was sleeping before."

"I just wanted to chat a little."

"With me?" the shock in Blazing's voice returned Luna to reality. No matter how much power the young unicorn had gained, no matter how much he'd been through, he was still a shy little creature compared to her. Little creature that has just effortlessly wiped out her worst nightmare. Speaking of which...

"What was that thing?"

Blazing nervously scratched his head and waved at Luna to follow him.

"Remember Ponyville?"

"Sadly, I do."

"I stole a bit of Nightmare's power while it was controlling you so I could stand on even ground. Even with mirror Sombra's help it wasn't enough but the stolen power sort of stuck with me. The Nightmare appears from time to time."

"You don't seem bothered."

"Right now, I feel I can deal with it."

Luna looked around as they walked through the city ruins.

"Are you sure? Most ponies' minds look a bit more... complete. A calm piece of nature or the memory of a family house."

"Heh, considering my relationship with my family and all of them being dead I doubt I'll ever remember our Manehattan mansion fondly."

They entered a small campsite where the rubble had been cleared out and a small tent was standing with fire burning outside of it. The black unicorn was already there watching both of them approach. Luna could easily recognize a shattered mind when she saw it but most of the time the split personalities were in conflict. Nothing of that sort seemed to be happening here.

"And who are you?" she asked the black unicorn. She knew he looked like Blazing after being resurrected by Sombra's dark magic with some small differences. His coat was still dark grey but there was a glassy blue glimmer making him look as if he was made of living ice. On top of that, the pink eyes showed no signs of blindness whatsoever.

"That little voice who kept bugging that piece of crap," he pointed at Blazing, "and kicking him until he became the outstanding member of society he's now. You can call me Mistake."

"And what a great job you did, bastard," Blazing laughed, irony ringing on every word. Still, Luna felt as if there was a love-hate relationship there, like two friends close enough to be able to tell each other anything and take it.

"I think he did. You've changed a lot," Luna had to take Mistake's side who grinned widely, sat down, and crossed his front legs on his chest satisfiedly.

"Pfff," Blazing waved it off, "I'm still the weird, uncomfortable, antisocial, and generally useless pony I was when I ran away from home. I just can set ponies on fire when they say it now."

"That might be the case," Luna smiled, raising an eyebrow, "but the Blazing I remember from your first days in Canterlot would get lost in those words. You feel as if you still believe them but at least you can put some distance between yourself and them and be objective. The change seems quite recent as well."

"He finally got laid," Mistake snorted, "That's all."

Blazing literally burst into flames. Fortunately, this being partially a dream, it didn't do much harm.

"I-I-I... Chokey did as well... the sex thing I mean."

"Yeeeees," Mistake admitted, "but there's a time and place for everything. You and Chokey being together after the first invasion was stopped... it was different."

Blazing sighed.

"Stop doing that," princess Luna had trouble not laughing as well.

"Doing what?"

"Sighing when you are happy. That can't be healthy."

"Just like screaming 'Buck me like the good whorse I am!' over and over," Mistake had to cover himself with his blackfrost wing when a ball of fire flew at him.

"Now I get it," princess Luna covered her muzzle with a hoof but her eyes betrayed her enjoyment, "Feeling wanted and desirable, young unicorn, as if you could do anything?"

"Why meeee?" Blazing drew his fire wings in front of his face. His own mind betraying him, the wings grew see-through enough for the blush on his face to be visible. Failing to hide, he sqeaked, "Maybe."

"There is nothing wrong with it," Luna shrugged.

"It's just new to me," Blazing looked at the sky where the clouds were clearing up, "I knew I was needed, sort of, to stop Sombra and do all the other stuff but... truly wanted? I must admit it feels really nice."

"Too bad the alicorn of Love is already taken. I feel as if you could become it."

"Heh, Void told me I could be the successor to Death, now you tell me it could be Love. I think both of you are wrong though."

"Oh? The study of alicorns isn't something ponies in the past were able to pursue freely. What do you think you've found out?"

"I think alicorns are resistant or immune to their aspect."

"True."

"I'm not sure but I think alicorns who are not tied to natural flow but rather to a mental force become desensitized to it and while they can spread it they need somepony else to show it to them."

"That is an interesting observation. My sister told me Cadance sometimes used to be a very depressed pony before she met Twilight and Shining Armor. You might be right."

"And it might not be tied to alicornhood but to the fact that she was a teenager," Mistake stuck his tongue out, "But, as the idiot here is taking forever to say, he didn't base his guess on Cadance but on Void who respects and protects life more than anypony we know."

"So, what is your conclusion then, Blazing?" Luna asked and held her breath.

"Well, I can't live for myself. I just see no future for which I should aim when I try but when I think about Chokey and Cro I know I want to be with them no matter what. Heavy made me realize it but neither of them would be here without me. I gave them hope for the future and that's what they are to me."

"The alicorn of Hope. That doesn't sound bad at all."

"I'm still just a unicorn, princess," Blazing raised his hooves, "And I'd prefer it staying that way. Immortality would, as they say, screw everything up."

Luna heard a distant knocking.

"I am happy for you," she said, "I truly am. You deserve happiness after all you've done."

"You seem like you have to go."

"Yes, my sister is done with the party and we have much to talk about."

"Thank you for visiting me here, princess."

"No, I have to thank you, Blazing. Both of us commited atrocities most ponies can't even imagine but you found a way out of it, or a certain thestral and griffon duo did it for you. I now know for sure there's hope for forgiveness even for me."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, princess."

"I won't be, not anymore. By the way, ask Twilight for some local analgesic tomorrow if you have trouble walking," Luna chuckled and her form became transparent.

"You just had to include an anal joke..."

Her laugh echoing through the city was his only answer.