Blue Hour: The Age of Twilight

by Knackerman

Rating: mature
Tags: Horror, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Princess Luna, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 64866

In Age of Twilight a dark Queen and her generals rule Equestria. An assasin rises to oppose her.

Following the events of Blue Hour: Twilight of the Cupcakes, nearly a century has passed. War ravages the land, famine is rampant, plagues fester, and death holds all in its embrace. Hell itself has been unleashed on Equestria as the powerful Twilight Queen lords over a new magical realm of despair. An ancient society, dedicated to guarding a secret older than the stars, may hold the key to ending the Age of Twilight.

Even if they are successful, who and what will be left afterwards?

Published 2012-05-30 08:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-05-30 08:44:01 UTC

Red Skies at Morning

These were the dawn lands. Here the realm of twilight brushed up against the other nations of Equestria. From where the sun rose there lay Chimeron, realm of the manticore and griffin. The Armies of the Dawn, the last remaining vestige of Canterlot’s past, had warred here with the other nation for decades. The battle had come to be known as the Glorious Challenge, but the other nations called it simply Blueblood's Folly. He was a charismatic leader and self-proclaimed true heir to the Equestrian throne. Many followed him for memories of glory and a past long ground to dust. Many others turned against him and fled into the arms of the waiting enemy. There it was said they would become slaves, forced to work the fields and serve the larger and more powerful chimera. So the Armies of the Dawn fought on, to free their erstwhile comrades and to secure supplies from lands still blessed by the light of day. Or so they had been told.

“Charge!” The order came loud and clear as it always did. A line of pony’s of every color charged down the hill, sunlight in their eyes and darkness on their heels. Ragged as their armor was they were still a fearsome sight. A small regiment of lesser chimera had been stationed at the entrance to this canyon for some time now. It had never been considered an important military target, the choke point of the gash in the earth making it naturally defensible by a small force. A few hundred could hold an army of thousands at bay here indefinitely, and had done so for nearly a hundred years.

This new attack however made no sense. These ponies had no magical or aerial back up and no hope of breaking through. Wave after wave of hooves crashed against tooth and claw as manticore’s and the more common chimera fought back. After a short skirmish the ponies receded as swiftly as they had come. No one had noticed a small shadow slipping through the lines of combat and charging into the gloom shrouded canyon.

Here, far from the front-lines of battle there was never even the glimmer of sunlight. The horizon, kissed with the promise of a morning nearly a century delayed, was a grim reminder that for every parcel of land the Armies of Dawn gained, the unnatural darkness that plagued them stretched that much further to embrace them. Here a collection of tents stood elaborate and proud against the darkness. Though many thought Blueblood an idiot, it was true that within his city of tents none had seen so much as a trace of the twilight-folk who haunted the rest of Equestria. There was safety under his leadership. A lone captain moved to the main tent, larger and more finely decorated than any other, as suited royalty. The herald announced his coming, even so his leader looked shocked when he entered.

Prince Blueblood had changed little over the years since the fall of Canterlot. Many had regarded him as a spoilt brat then and that had never really left him. But with age had come experience, and though he was still selfish and self centered as any pony you could care to name, he had become something of a brilliant tactician. Many had been shocked by his sheer knowledge of battle, as though he were a completely different unicorn. The captain was, as always, impressed by his lord who even now was armed for battle, though he hadn’t seen it in well over a decade. His blond mane curled over golden armor, Celestia’s Sun gracing a cloak hung from his right shoulder. He spoke in a somewhat gruff voice, “What news do you bring?”

The officer hesitated before he spoke, some pony seemed to be standing behind the prince in the shadows, but was completely shrouded in the darkness. He cleared his throat and continued nervously, “My lord, the 77th regiment has moved against the Chimera Canyon as you commanded. The mission was a brilliant success! They’re defenses there are still strong, but we did not lose a single pony! They're surely not strong enough that they could resist the might of the entire Army of Dawn!” The prince knit his brow in disbelief. “I gave no such order! Why would I ‘test’ a vital point with an entire regiment when a few scouts would do?” The pony captain sputtered at that, “But sir, there are preparations underway even now to redirect all our forces to the canyon to crush the enemy and finally make way into Chimeron proper! Orders signed by you!” The unicorn narrowed his eyes at the officer and looked as if he were about to rip off his head for all the obvious falsehoods he uttered when a delicate cough came from the shadows. Blueblood shook his mane irritably, then his face changed like the warm sun coming out from behind dark storm clouds. “Very good soldier...leave me now and carry on with your preparations.”

As soon as his subordinate left Blueblood whirled on the pony behind him in a rage. “What is the meaning of this!? Is this another one of your confounded games!? Have I not been humiliated enough to suit you?” There was a low seductive chuckle from the darkness as a pair of red eyes opened. “Oh my sweet prince, such rude things you have to say to me. Have you forgotten I am a Lady? I would never engage in such a farce. Well, at least not one that did not result in more casualties of course.” At that the Prince shuddered, his anger melting into fear. “Then who? I’m not so inept that anypony could just issue false orders in my name and not be scourged within the same hour.” The shadowy pony uncoiled herself from the cushions on which she reclined in the deep twilight of the Prince’s tent. A few strands of dark red hair, almost purple, peeked into the light.

“Indeed darling, you are correct. It would seem someone with extensive knowledge of your family line is plotting something. I wonder who? Shall we play along my Prince? Its been ever so long since you’ve seen battle yourself. I should think you’d relish the Glorious Challenge!” The shadowy pony laughed gently again. Prince Blueblood paled. “My lady, I know you say we must conquer the land where the sun never sets in order to defeat the Twilight Queen...and I will sacrifice a million ponies to that end, in your name. But please...do not ask me to wade into that tide of blood once again...” The silken beauty moved further into the light, revealing a pony dyed blood red. Her main was shockingly dark and beautifully curled, her armor was black as sin and delicately decorated with ruby and garnet. Her demeanor was nothing less than the seductiveness of a succubus fresh from the netherworld, with all the deadly intent there implied. The being once known as ‘Rarity’ smiled knowingly, her eyes crimson flames as she said, “What’s the matter? Afraid of getting dirty?”

Several days later, the sun brightened with every step the lithe wraith made. Theia bound through the crags and peaks. Even the dim sunlight here hurt her eyes, so she kept to the shadows, leaping from dark pool to pool as she ran along the edge of the river. Once the stream had been a roaring white water, but with the sun shining almost constantly on these lands, it had long dried to a trickle. It wouldn’t be long before the realm of Chimeron would dry up entirely and become a great desert. Theia didn’t care. The young unicorns one good eye blazed with determination, a beautiful azure hue beneath her bronze helmet. Her right eye lay hidden beneath a bandage wrapped tightly, ending just below her curling stub of a horn.. Broken off when she was younger, her horn was about the size of a foals despite her maturity. It barely peeked from between the strands of her silvery blond mane. Iron armor clad her from shoulder to hoof, clanking gently against her cream colored flanks. A network of scars, some old, some fresh enough they still oozed covered her entire body. The mark upon her thigh, an eight point blue and gold compass rose.

The filly had been running for days, deep into enemy territory, far from the lines of battle between the Armies of the Dawn and the Chimeron Empire. In many ways this was as dangerous as running headlong into the Twilight Palace, but at least if Theia died here, she would stay dead. High above her, a bird of prey called. Glancing into the crimson dawn sky, three silhouettes blocked out the light from above. “So much for stealth.” The unicorn muttered to herself. The three shapes dropped as one, and as the griffins descended the armor that marked them as one of the long range patrols of the empire came into focus. In the tight space between the canyon walls there was nowhere to run or hide that their talons couldn’t find her. Theia had only one option.

Two of the griffins were close enough now that Theia could see the gleam of their talons. The third, a larger male, wielded a spear aimed right for her head. Waiting until the last possible second, Theia lept for the canyon wall, kicking off the dusty stone. She smashed into the first soldier with her hooves, denting her helmet badly. Kicking up sparks from hoof on metal as she lept again, she landed on the second female griffin’s spine with a loud crack, sending her spiralling into the shallow stream. With a burst of momentum Theia bounded for the last patrolman still in mid-dive. The timing had to be perfect. Flipping in mid air she shattered the handle of the griffins spear and gripped the part of the handle with the bladed edge between her teeth. With a meaty thump she landed straddling the beasts back, the blade of its own spear at it's throat as it landed roughly on the dusty canyon floor. Between clenched jaws she spoke one word, “Fly.” The griffin moved at first as if he would resist, then she pressed the blade against its throat, easily slicing through the outer layer of feathers and biting into the soft flesh beneath. With an indignant scream the monster climbed into the sky, the canyon walls rushing past at blinding speed as Theia clung for dear life.

In mere moments they rushed out of the canyon and wheeled through the sky. Not far ahead of them the massive columns and temples of the empires city state loomed, gleaming white against a blood red sky. This was the closest that Chimeron got to night since the coming of Twilight. Sheets of cloth stretched from roof to roof in an attempt to gather the dew of the morning for drinking water. This was perfect for Theia, coming from the air, she’d be blocked from any view from below and it didn’t appear there were any other aerial patrols in eye shot. The griffin screamed and wheeled as if to turn back to the front lines of the war, but Theia held the spear head close to its throat again and aimed the beast for the Imperial palace.

Only moments later another high scream pierced the dawn, this one filled with rage. One of the females from the patrol had recovered and was in pursuit. With such speed and ferocity did she fly, the last note of her battle cry still echod as her talons bit into Theia’s side. The pony grunted as pain bloomed in her side like a burning flower. The male griffin tried to buck her then and for a moment Theia hung weightless in the air. If not for the spearhead at his throat, she would’ve been lost. The female griffin, laughing, took another pass, her claws catching mostly cold iron this time but the force of the blow was enough to make the pony lose her grip again. Perhaps they planned to treat her as the hawk treats the tortoise? Watch her fall from this height and explode on the rocks below only to swoop down and feast on the smeared remains. Theia was too close to her goal to give up now. As the lithe form of the griffin dived for a third time, the pony suddenly kicked off from her would be mount and rammed the spear tip into the female's underside. The blow would’ve killed her outright if it hadn’t lodged between her breastplate and shoulder guard. As it was, streamers of blood flew from both griffin and unicorn as the she-griffin lost altitude. There was a whirring of shadows as massive columns passed on every side. Theia lost her grip on her weapon at last and tumbled through the air and burst through the open doors of a balcony.

The fall had knocked of Theia’s helmet, but was much softer than she had suspected it would be. Dizzy and disoriented, it took her a moment to get her bearings. The room was dark, but torchlight cast mutli-colored shadows in pastel hues around the room. Thin silks were draped from floor to ceiling and plush rugs and cushions were strewn about the room. It was a pile of these that had broken her fall. In the center of the room, an ornate fountain lined with winged baby foals and griffin chicks bubbled. It took a moment for her to realize the urgent clopping noise coming from all around her were frightened pony’s in veils running from her. She’d landed in the Imperial harem. “Uh...could someone direct me to the Emperor’s throne room? I have an urgent message to-” She was cut off as a massive paw smashed the marble where she stood. Four manticore eunuchs had pounced silently from the shadows. Their massive lion frames dwarfed the pony, bat wings and scorpion tails grazing the vaulted ceiling. Smiling without a trace of humor Theia bolted for the exit, dodging and weaving through the silken curtains in a vain hope of throwing off her pursuers long enough to get her bearings. While this was her first time in the palace she mostly knew the layout from what Selene had told her. Selene...if she could just find that pony and get out Theia would thank the moon from now until the end of time. Clattering down the hallway, manticore’s huffing and snarling behind her, the young unicorn didn’t realize anyone was in front of her until she slammed into him. She fell to the floor in a daze as the eunuchs loomed over her, claws ready to rend the pony to shreds.

“ENOUGH! What is the meaning of this disturbance!?” The manticore’s fell back as if scourged by the whips of the furies. They knelt in submission, the largest of the eunuchs speaking in a quavering voice that still managed to boom as loud as thunder, “My apologize your grace. This loathsome one is an intruder who assaulted the maidens of your harem. We merely sought to defend them and your honor as we are charged.” Emperor? He was tall, not as large as the manticore who spoke to him but nearly so. His front half was that of a griffin, but his rear body resembled a pony’s. A hippogryph, old and noble ,with a severe cast to his avian features. Dressed in golden raiment and flowing white robes as befitted an emperor, he glared down at the unicorn bleeding on his floor. “And who guards my harem now, pray?” At that the eunuch looked shocked. “We shall return to our post at once your grace Emperor Agustus! By your leave!” The hippogryph sneered as the suddenly cowardly lions fled and he moved to lift the fallen pony’s head in his talons. “So, an agent of the Armies of Dawn no doubt? Are there no depths to which that cursed Blueblood will not stoop?”

“That is no member of the Dawn excellency.” The voice that suddenly called was full of measured grace and civility, gentle yet strong. It came from a large pony that cantered into view, wrapped in a flowing purple cloak, star dust glimmering on the hood that hid her features, she was flanked on either side by ponies in similar garb. Theia had recovered enough from her fall to kneel low before the new comer. “My lady Selene. I hope for my sake the talks of alliance have gone well.” At that Selene laughed, “Well enough child, though I’m not sure if our esteemed Emperor will feel inclined to forgive trespass on his harem...even if it is by one of the daughters of the moon.” The cream colored unicorn smiled. “He may if I tell him that the Armies of Dawn and their leader are even now moving swiftly into a trap we have laid for them.”

The Emperor looked startled at that. “Is this some trick you speak of? Blueblood is a foal, but even he is not so foolish to walk blindly into a trap and give himself over to us. I should know...it was that very mistake, by Caesar Eralius who came before me, that secured the Empire under my rule.” Theia smiled knowingly at her mistress. “Lets just say he has been extended an invitation he will not be able to resist! Naturally I will assist your armies in preparing for his arrival.” At this Lady Selene spoke, “Though I must remind your grace our plan is to capture the Armies of Dawn and turn them to aid us in the fight against the Legion of the Twilight. In return we will never trouble your empire again.” Emperor Augustus Hippolais Icterina Caesar, ruler of Chimeron knit his fearsome brow in thought. “If what you speak is true, then our people perhaps can form an alliance with your Cult of the Moon. But make no mistake, there will yet be more blood, of that there can be no doubt.”

A furious scream echoed through the halls as a blood stained griffin, the same female from the defeated patrol, soared through the hallway. Eyes cold with fury, she landed atop Theia and immediately began to tear at her with talon and beak. All were too stunned to do anything about this sudden attack, until the Emperor himself shrieked and smashed his prodigious weight into the smaller chimera. So stunned by this attack, the soldier nearly lashed out at her Empreror before she realized what she was doing. The rage drained from her face and she knelt low before her lord. “My apologies your grace, the blood lust is upon me. That creature at your feet deserves to die!” The hippogryph stomped his hooves in anger. “On what possible grounds?” Rising, the griffin said, “She nearly broke one of my sisters backs, cut the throat of a venerable brother, and stabbed at my heart, though by grace merely caught me in the shoulder. She is a ruthless assassin, surely sent here to murder you my liege! The only good pony is a dead pony!” Theia rose, bloodier than before with anger in her eyes. “A poor assassin I’d be if I couldn’t kill you pathetic excuses for soldiers. Or maybe you didn’t notice I went out of my way to wound you without killing you? As little as I like it, I’m on your side bird brain!” Both the Emperor and his soldier looked insulted by this, luckily Lady Selene spoke up to smooth things over. “I apologize for the rudeness of my subordinate. She shall return to the front lines soon, to make sure all of our preparations have been made as well.”

Silence descended in the palace for the first time in several moments. “Very well. This soldier will escort her. You will find a birds wing infinitely faster than a pony’s hoof, even if you have so little respect for our brains.” The soldier balked, “But uncle-” The Emperor spread his wings in rage, wingtips brushing the ceiling, “Do not question your Emperor’s command Gytha! Gather your phalanx and prepare to depart.” the young griffin bowed low, but her voice gave the lie to her true feelings as she spoke in barely concealed anger, “At once my liege.”
Lady Selene’s guards helped Theia fully to her hooves once more. “I think you’re wounds should be seen to before you set out again. They say the smell of wounded animals attract the attention of birds of prey as well as scavengers. It would not do for you to become somethings dinner before you have a chance to die gloriously fighting your own kind.” The small assassin grimaced but didn’t say a word as she was lead away.

“Is it wise for you to send your niece into what you yourself suspect to be a blood bath?”

“Is it any wiser for you to send her? If she’s as important as you say she is, we cannot afford to lose her before the true battle has even begun.”

“Even so, she is in more danger by my side than she would be even in the heart of Canterlot. No, the further she is from me the safer she is. Only by maintaining my distance can she hope to remain safe until the proper time.”

“It’s a dangerous game your playing.”

“Perhaps so. But those seem to be the only kind we can play in this twilight age.”

It was true that the griffin’s were swift. A trip that took Theia nearly five days on hoof, had been undertaken in half that by wing. In that scant amount of time, the cream colored pony’s wounds were already mostly healed. Clad now in the black robe and simple silver armor of the Cult of the Moon, she felt more at ease. At first she had feared Selene’s words, that the phalanx would fall on her and finish what Gytha had started, but it seemed they’d already been briefed about their alliance. Many of the beasts treated her with courtesy if not respect, though it was too much to hope for kindness. They were all soldiers after all, and they had a mission, even if she weren't injured this was no pleasurable outing. The only exception to this was Gytha herself. It turned out that though Gytha held no official rank, all treated her as if she were some important dignitary. This confused Theia until Praetor Hydronus, a winged serpent chimera, explained that she was the niece of the grand emperor and that as such she was allowed to move about freely within the empires army.

The female griffin obstinately continued to treat Theia as if she were an enemy that needed to be destroyed. When she asked the Praetor why she hated her so, the serpent only laughed and remarked, “She hates all of you hoofed creatures. She had an older sister once, long ago. It was in your lands she went missing.” It took some time until one of the griffin infantry finally explained this further. “Your princess said she must have gotten lost on her return home, but many of our citizens have become ‘lost’ in Equestria before. There was usually a body to be found. Not so with Gilda.” This bit of news did nothing to improve Theia’s temper. She'd have to fight alongside this griffin soon, and the filly didn’t need to worry about the claws at her back as well as the enemy before her.

When they arrived, the unicorn swiftly dismounted the small chariot two powerful griffins had been pulling for her and surveyed the scene from the top of the canyons cliff side. As far as the eye could see, ponies of every size, shape, and color ranged before her. With the gloom of twilight at their back the Armies of Dawn seemed to glow. It was a truly impressive site... If only that might was turned against the cruel Twilight Queen instead of their neighbors they might have ended her reign long ago. Or possibly added to her ranks. Either way they would not be her problem right now. The banners of the sun against a blue background snapped in the wind, indicating that Prince Blueblood himself was already here. There was not a moment to lose! The melee had already begun in front of the barricade. It was only a matter of time before the pegasus soldiers took to the air and then chaos would truly reign. More units of the Imperial legion arrived each moment, lining the tops of the canyon and re-enforcing the barricade as best they could as hooves thundered across the dawn lit plains. There was not a moment to spare if Theia was to bring this long and costly war to an end.

One moment it was but a skirmish, the next both armies were in full assault. Griffins and pegasus ponies ripped each other to shreds in midair, sending down a fine mist of gore and feathers. Ponies on the ground formed ranks and trampled or kicked their way through the Empires front line of manticores, over-coming the massive brutes with sheer numbers. A few unfortunates were caught in their paws or impaled by their darting scorpian tails, but many a proud lions skull was crushed by the pounding of a thousand hooves. The fiercest, if more subtle combat went on between the unicorns and the kelpies. Theirs was an old enmity, the amphibious horses magic mainly served to create illusions, but they could be deadlier than a manticores sting. The last thing many soldiers saw was a dear ally or friend morphing into a pony with reptilian eyes, a bulging throat sack and wickedly sharp teeth to tear out their throats. Some unicorns worked to negate these magics while others used their powers for more conventional attacks, kicking up clouds of dust to blind or hurling rocks as missles. Failing that, many a kelpie found the cold, clammy flesh of their throats burst by the corkscrew of a unicorns horn.

Prince Blueblood shook with fear at the sheer glut of carnage around him. He looked so gallant and dashing in his golden finery, the visor of his winged helm low over his eyes to conceal the terror within. He charged blindly, passing pony and chimera locked in fatal combat. The unicorn came upon a winged lion that roared challenge, sending the Prince quivering back on his heals. If he lived through this, Blueblood vowed he’d never set hoof upon the battlefield, no matter who questioned his honor, least of all that brooding bloodstained harlot. A flash of crimson played across his eyes, and suddenly the lions head was severed, rolling to the feet of the unicorn eyes still open in shock. The chimera’s body stood without toppling, a great gout of blood fountained from the beasts thick neck. Only Blueblood was not engaged in combat at that moment, so only he noticed the monsters killer bathing in the steady stream of steaming gore. The sight oddly cheered him, his patron diety had not abandoned him. Her sword, if you could call it that, was a massive hunk of carved garnet, its every edge keenly sharp from tip to pummel. It twisted and writhed with crimson energy and almost seemed to drink in the blood of the slain. To be sure none could be seen on its gleaming surface.

With renewed vigor at the sight of this powerful ally, the Prince called for his soldiers to press their assault. Already the barricade they sought to topple was buckling. Once Blueblood, still immaculate and golden, arrived at the front, the Armies of Dawn were so swept up in their fervor for their lord they did not notice the enemy pulling back. Or perhaps those that did took it for retreat before their might. The barricade fell, nothing but a pile of matchsticks under the hooves of their onslaught. Victory would be theirs! For the first time there was a straight shot into the Empires heart, and all the sun blessed bounty that these wretched creatures did not deserve would be theirs! The Armies of Dawn plunged into the gloom, unaware of what lurked in the shadows before them.

Not far into the canyon proper, four daughters of the moon waited patiently, watching as the barricade fell. Just as planned. The shining tide of armored ponies surged up the stream, thousands of hooves churning the sand and water to mud. They smiled, one to another, as they started the avalanche that would block in the canyon from this side. As the last of the ground based soldiers surged into the canyon, another team near its entrance would do the same. With both the ground ponies and unicorns hopelessly trapped, only the pegasus soldiers would need mopping up.

Prince Blueblood was beside himself with fury as he saw, all too late, that he had walked right into his enemies talons. Before him loomed a wall of stone too high to climb and too perilously loose to dig through without fear of being crushed. From the top of the pile of stone, a single pony called down. “Greetings Prince of Equestria! We are the Daughters of the Moon your friends and allies, though you may not know it yet, here to stop you from committing a terrible mistake! The Empire of Chimeron has sworn to cease all hostilities, and indeed to aid and supply your Armies against the dread forces of the Twilight Queen so that you may reclaim your birthright. All you must do in return is yield this day and make peace with his excellency the Emperor!” He’d heard the offer before, and had many a messengers head sent back to the Empire after similar attempts at peace. However this messengers head was slightly out of reach just at the moment and all the false bravado the Prince felt before drained away as his soldiers milled about him uncertainly. They were sitting ducks down here! A handful of soldiers could crush them all, simply by pushing over a few stones. How could he possibly turn this to his advantage? And where was his supposed patron of war now, when he needed her most?

Looking around himself, the Prince could come to but one conclusion. The easiest option, this time at least, resonated with his cowardice. “Very well, I yield. I ask only that you spare myself and my soldiers. I will speak to the Emperor personally. You will have your peace.” Oddly these words seemed to hearten the ponies around him. All about him there rose the sounds of cheering and quiet approval. Almost everypony was smiling. For the first time since he couldn’t remember when, Prince Blueblood felt a great weight lifted from his heart. That's when the pain started. From the tip of his nose it surged through his entire body all the way to the end of his tail, agony filling him before he exploded in a shower of bloody pieces. Where he had stood before, a dark red pony loomed instead, an obelisk of garnet leaning against her shoulder. The blood splattered soldiers around her backed away eyes wide and mouths open in abject horror at what had befallen their leader.

"That felt soooo good. He was always whining and complaining, you just have absolutely no idea! Such a royal pain, I should've done that decades ago!" She smiled with delight, blood dripping from her curling mane. The mass of glowing gems that had ripped the prince's body to pieces rose from his shattered carcass, lifted by the magic employed by this brutal unicorn. The unicorn atop the barrier called down. "Who are you murderer? Tell me so that I may inform my mistress who I have slain." From the shadows all around the blood drenched pony, fillies and colts in black cloaks appeared, magic shimmering around them. The fiery filly laughed and tossed her mane, sending a scarlet spray into the air, "Oh how rude of me. I find my manners quite desert me on the battlefield. Once, long ago, I was known as Rarity, but you can call me War. And there will be no peace for you mortal specks."

As one the sons and daughters of the moon surged towards the pony who declared herself war. Spells and hidden blades at the ready, they launched an assault from all sides. Her red sword whirled faster than the eye could follow, gracefully deflecting spells and turning aside blades before dismembering each and every last assailant. No one pony died the same, some crushed by the flat of the blade, others rapidly chopped into pieces so fine they were reduced to a simple mist. The entire tableau ended after less than a minute, Rarity's beautiful jewel sword sheething itself through the back and chest of an unfortunate colt who tried to flee back to the safety of the shadows. As his legs twitched and spasmed, his life dripping from his wounds, War turned her back to Theia and bat her lovely long lashes at the assembled Armies of Dawn. Her eyes flashed with fire that coursed down her body and ignited her hooves "Now you must choose darlings. Fight your war or rest in peices!" Her voice became gutteral as the unicorn directed her blade once more and began to mow down soldier after soldier, as if they were made of paper instead of flesh and blood, leaving burning hoof prints in her wake.

Theia panicked. What had been a simple trap had turned into a slaughter ground. Gritting her teeth, the cloaked pony slid down the makeshift barricade, rocks tumbling after her. She landed with a soft thump on the ground that jarred her bones and re-opened some of her half healed wounds. Yet there was no time to worry about those, this monstrous pony was killing, had killed, colts and fillies who wanted nothing but peace and freedom from creatures like herself. She had to be stopped, even if Theia highly suspected she’d die trying. She stood, so regal and elegant in her gem studded armor, her peaceful continence in drastic contract to the unbelievable chaos she effortlessly unleashed on all those around her. Even so, Theia could see she had one glaring weakness. She'd only get one shot at this, and she prayed to the moon for silence and grace.

With all her enemies attention focused on the army before her, Theia slid noiselessly through the bloody forms of the dead and dying. She rose into the air, hovering briefly as a shimmer of magic spread from her stub of a horn to engulf her body. With a soft sigh she became shadow and flowed like water through the air. The magic faltered with a spark from her malformed horn and Theia became tangible again. It was blind, stupid luck that she smashed into Rarity's face, snapping off the War ponies horn. As that horn fell uselessly to her hooves, her sword of gems crumbled. The look of cold fury as she glared down at Theia would stay with the would be assassin for the rest of her life. It would haunt her dreams. Then the unicorn did something the daughter of the moon did not expect. She laughed. "So you have chosen to fight? Good. Its ever so boring when you just choose to die. UNLEASH THE DOGS OF WAR!"crying that, the scarlet pony seemed to melt away, forming a pool of blood that melded into the already gore splattered canyon floor. After a few seconds she had completely vanished.

For a moment all was quiet, but just for a moment. A rumbling began that threatened to bring the canyon walls down on top of their heads. Indeed, a few loose boulders began to tumble, crushing unlucky ponies with wet crunches. That was not all that fell from above, yet all attention quickly turned instead to what burst from below. All around them massive hounds clawed their way through the sand and rock. All wore jewel studded armor and had teeth and claws that looked ready to rip flesh as easily as they could burst through stone. They ranged in size from just larger than a pony to towering behemoths with two heads that belched fire. Yet every last one of them had something in common. All their eyes were as crimson as the orbs of the pony who had called for them.

A set of massive claws ripped through the earth and bodies that lay at Theia's feet, giving the dead a burial as gruesome as their demise. This hound was larger than all the others, at least as large as an Ursa! Its three powerful necks were studded with blood diamonds embedded into the very skin itself. Massive gems sprouted from the creatures back, and in the hearts of each glowed an ember of flame. The three headed hound howled before launching itself at a stunned Theia. A new and desperate battle began then, hooves proving little match against this new enemy. Worse, the canyon walls really were crumbling now. All their enemy had to do was wait until the ponies were buried, then dig themselves out. All seemed lost until a cry came from above. Pegasus ponies and griffins flew together, dropping stones on the heads of the diamond studded dogs, and grabbing the outstretched hooves of the Armies of Dawn. One by one, the soldiers were airlifted to safety as the dogs were driven back into the holes from which they crawled.

A surge of hope filled Theia and she stared down the monstrosity before her. The cerberus' jaws, dripping liquid flame, snapped at the pony and sent her stumbling back. It charged forward, falling for the feint as Theia lept atop its central head. The beasts heads on either side turned to the central one, the left merely growled while the right spat a gout of flame, charring the middle head in the process. Theia did not pause however, and lept to the tallest jewel that studded the monsters back. The walls of the canyon finally began to crumble completely, crushing friend and enemy alike. A scream from above and Theia felt powerful claws digging into her shoulders. She panicked for a moment before a familiar voice shouted over the roar of the ravaged earth and baying hounds. “You owe me big time for this, pony scum!” Theia tried to smile at Gytha, but was still shaken when she realized the enormity of what had just happened. “Thank you Gytha.” The griffin screeched, calling out to her phalanx.

From the cloud of dust formed by the collapsing canyon three heads, one almost skeletal and two whole and all roaring emerged. The jaws of all three closed with sharp, futile clips just below Theia's left hoof. Whimpering in frustration the diamond dog fell back into the mass grave from which it had burst and dug itself out of sight. Winging their way back towards the safety of the Empire, Theia's mind burned with what she had seen. All the death and chaos reminded her of why she was a daughter of the moon. If the what the Armies of Twilight offered them was the choice to fight or die, then they must fight. But if they did not put aside their differences and fight as one, how could they hope to defeat the Twilight Queen, let alone War?

Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that betrayal takes many forms.

It can be the knife in your back placed there tenderly by a friend. It can be the indiscretion of a family member. It can be the selfish actions of a lover. It can even be an ungrateful bite of the hoof that feeds a dearest purebred pet. There is no end to the many wrongs the ones we trust can visit upon us.

All that seems common to betrayal is that it stings all the more the dearer the friend. The lesson here is obvious. You should be careful whom you put your trust in, if indeed you should bother to trust anyone.

It may be better to guard ones heart than to leave it open to be bled by the tender mercies of a fickle world.

Black Noon

Here the sands of the desert were black. There had been a massacre, it was said, that had painted the desert red. Beneath the light of the rising moon however, the sands were as black as tar. The wind howled sorrowfully over the plain. Weathered rock and broken bones littered the dunes. It all combined to create a desolation of both mind and soul as Theia trudged on through the freezing wasteland. Her armor was gone as was her thin assassins cloak. She now wore a long and heavy grey duster draped over her frame, a hood pulled tight around her face. Silver locks of her mane moved gently with each step, brushing across the bandage over her right eye, as her teeth chattered slightly. Frost collected in the shadows making the path treacherous. Once these lands were sun drenched and baking, but now the clear blue twilight above, speckled with stars, only offered the cold glow of the moon.

Pale and extremely clear in the desert sky, the moon was gibbous, almost full. Its light gave Theia great comfort. Her earliest memories were of shivering in the twilight, the new moon dark above her. It was said by older ponies that the moon used to be smaller and that it had moved through the sky much slower, its phases taking a month to change instead of a few hours. It amazed Theia when she watched the moon wax, grow full, and fill the night with its silvery light. As a foal, she thought she could reach out and touch it. It had been the moon that had led to her discovering her talent for charting the stars. They had changed since ages past but could still be used to navigate the wilds if you knew what to look for. The Daughter of the Moon used that knowledge now to guide her steps towards the town of Appleloosa.

Neither Lady Selene nor the Emperor had been pleased by what had occurred at the battle for Chimeron Canyon. So many had lost their lives that for a time the Emperor had thought that it had been but a ploy to cut off the Empire from the rest of Equestria. Oddly it was Gytha who spoke up to deny this charge, and soon all were calmed enough that questions could be asked about the real enemy. She called herself War. Many ponies had heard the legends, some older ponies had even claimed to have seen the harbingers of death before. There were differing accounts. Some said they were four generals who commanded the Legions of Twilight for their Queen. Others swore there were five in total and that the fifth was the true master of the undead legions. Still others claimed there was only one and that this pony was death herself, pulled from the underworld to serve the Twilight Queen. As there was no consensus on who, or even what their mutual enemy was, it was decided that there would have to be a fact finding mission. This was a task excellently suited to the magic and stealth of the Daughters of the Moon. As the Armies of Dawn and the Imperial legion regrouped and reorganized, Theia was taken aside by Lady Selene.

“In the desert, far to the south there is a rumor,” she had said, “of a lone pony, black as night, cloaked in shadow.” Her ladyship had been very careful to make sure there was nopony else in earshot. “Not long ago we were able to confirm these whispers. The Black Death does haunt those wastes and she is no ordinary pony.” Theia had asked her then, what would she have her do with this information. “Why child, I would have you seek her out. I think she may hold knowledge vital to us if we are to have any hope of success against the Twilight Queen. Go alone, as it is said she is a shy creature who stays far away from all signs of civilization. Be wary, for it is also said she can wither ponies with her slightest glance and turn you to dust with but a touch.” There was a time Theia would’ve laughed at such an assertion, but after what she had seen on the battlefield, and especially given that this warning came from Selene, the one eyed pony had no choice but to believe it.

So here she was, freezing in the wastes. Appleloosa was the last known place that the pony called the Black Death had been sighted. Theia longed for the warmth of a fire and the shelter of a cave out of this wind, which seemed to scythe through her cloak and bury daggers of ice in her veins. There was no time for such frivolous comfort however, she had to make it to the town before the moon dipped below the horizon, or she would have to stumble through the desert with nothing but star light. She could manage it, she knew, but though most of the poisonous snakes and insects had long since died off or moved to warmer climes, there were still other hazards and terrors to be found out here on the frontier.

Sudden movement in the shadows of an old canyon wall startled her. Lost in thought, she hadn’t been paying close enough attention to her surroundings. A massive shape loomed in the moonlight, horns curling from its head. Her assassin instincts kicking in, Theia quickly melted back into the shadows as best she could while straining her senses to their limits to try and determine if there were anymore such creatures waiting to pounce on her from the dark. To her horror, she realized she was surrounded. There was no hope of escape. “Peace friend, we mean you no harm,” the voice was deep and resonate. “Our scouts told us you were coming. Please, join us. You are just in time for an early breakfast.” All around her were Buffalo, huge hairy beasts, some decorated with white feathers that glowed in the moonlight. None of them appeared hostile, nor even remotely afraid. The herd looked on her expectantly, and the pony forced herself to relax under their calm gaze. “Of...of course. I would be honored.”

The firelight was an astonishing glare after the cool moonlight, but the flames were a welcome sight none the less. Their heat filled Theia with energy she didn’t know she’d lost to the chill and the smell of the food awakened a hunger she hadn’t allowed herself to feel. A bowl of wet mush was pushed in front of the scarred pony, and without so much as looking at it, she began to eat with gusto. The taste was strange, but not unpleasant, almost like oatmeal but it definitely had a taste closer to cornmeal. This place was well sheltered, surrounded by weathered crags that blocked the brunt of the freezing wind. As the flames flickered, casting shadows of the great buffalo all around her, Theia finally had a chance to have a good look at her hosts. Unlike what she would’ve expected, living in this harsh land, they all seemed hail and hearty. Calves, a rare sight these days, played closest to the flames while the imposing warriors she had met before held vigil all around them.

Smoke curled towards the stars, but only thin wisps that would blend easily with the dark sky. This was not just a random tribe of Buffalo, Theia decided. The brave who had first introduced himself told her his name was Stone Heart. He was larger than the others, nearly twice the size of some of the younger bulls, and wore black feathers in his mane. He attended to her every need, even bringing her a small clay cup of water to help wash down her meal. “So, uh, come here often?” Theia thought her attempt at small talk fell flat, but the brave turned to her “Every year. This patch of land is sacred to us. Long ago it was taken from us, but we have reclaimed it as our own. The journey continues.” The pony finished her food and pushed the bowl away. “It must be hard on you out here. A single pony like myself can survive on a little food and water, but a herd this size must need to stop constantly to resupply.” Stone Heart shook his massive head, “Not so, we have traveled this path for years beyond counting. From the last great darkness when all this was ice and snow and the spirits of the ancestors still danced in the sky. We and the land are one. Where others pass away, we Buffalo endure.” He took her bowl and passed it to a nearby calf who took it away respectfully. Stone Heart turned back to her and offered her a blanket for warmth.

“This is all very kind of you, but you’ll have to excuse me if I’m being rude. I don’t think you usually show strangers this level of hospitality, let alone share your supplies. As much as its appreciated, I don't think I’m really here for a warm breakfast and your company.” Stone Heart was stone faced as he stared deep into Theia's one good eye and set down the blanket. “You are correct little one. Our chieftain, White Cloud, dreamed of your coming. We have been camped here for two days, waiting on a cloaked pony with one eye and a broken horn.” He paused, smiling slightly. “Here you are. White Cloud comes soon. It would be rude to ask you to wait without first replenishing you.” Theia glanced around her thoughtfully. “What does your chieftain want with me? I’m nopony.” From the shadows came a rumbling voice deeper than Stone Heart’s, “You are the star who seeks the shadow. You will go beyond death and face what comes after.”

The chief was massive, dwarfing Stone Heart as he had dwarfed the other braves. His fur completely white, feathers of the same color draped across his great humped back and down his mane. His horns were sharp points above two shockingly sky blue eyes. The powerful musk that drifted from him was covered only by the scent of smoke and dust. If anything his look was more severe than the other buffalo. “Wh...what...do you mean?” Theia stammered. “The pale chieftain spoke again, “You seek the Black Death young one. She is no stranger to us. You will find her and we will help you.” The daughter of the moon was dumbstruck, but fascinated. As the chief spoke from across the flames the shadows danced behind him. “She will come to you, in your hour of need, in the town of gluttony known as Appleloosa. Take with you this rope, it will aid you in what you must do.” A thick coil of old rope was set at her feet. It didn’t look like much, but when a bull as massive as White Cloud offered you a gift you did not decline it. “Thank you sir, uh chief. Can you tell me, how is it you knew I’d be coming?” The great white bull rose and turned to walk away. “It was foretold in the stars little pony. It is all in the stars.”

He left as swiftly as he had come, and with that it seemed every bull around her visibly relaxed. Theia hadn’t even noticed the tension in the herd until it melted away. Stone Heart smiled at her as if he could read her thoughts. “White Cloud is revered among our kind. He is a chieftain of chieftain’s and his word is law. If he says for us to help you, we shall. You will be given more provisions for your journey, likely they that will last much longer than the supplies from the Dawn lands.” The one eyed pony was about as surprised as she could get. That these buffalo knew of the dawn lands but still trudged through the twilight here barely registered to her. “I thank you, but I’m supposed to go alone.” The brave nodded slowly, “We know this too little one. Appleloosa is closer than you think. This waste was once their orchard. Once their trees perished to the darkness, the settlers began to die off, until one by one they began to disappear.” His words were chilling in the moonlight, he had been guiding her slowly away from the warmth of the fires to the edge of the encampment. Already braves were moving to break camp, dumping sand over fires and gathering up their supplies. In only a few moments, the herd would be on the move again. “But be warned. Though Appleloosa is a ghost town now, that does not mean it is uninhabited. Be careful moon child.”

The herd moved off, heading west. As strange as the encounter had been, Theia was sad to see them go. The rope they had given her lay coiled in her pack. It was oddly heavy, but she was concentrating too hard on the chieftain's words to really notice. It was all written in the stars huh? If that were the case, how come she didn’t see it. Theia cast her gaze up at the stars, but the moon was so bright now she could hardly see the constellations. It didn’t help her eyes were still adjusting from the glare of the cooking fires. She tried to let her eyes hover on the horizon, an old trick she’d learned for catching the shifting stars as a few dipped slowly beneath the shadowy line. In the gloom, she could just make out the outline of a few buildings huddled in front of her.

It seemed Stone Heart had spoken true, Appleloosa was indeed close by. All around her old, dusty buildings rose up. Cobwebs were visible behind the fly specked windows, those few that weren’t smashed. Remembering his warning she hunched down and moved silently as she could from building to building. She didn’t quite know what she was looking for, so she headed for the largest building in sight. The town hall looked like it had seen better days. Its clock tower had fallen hard long ago and the splintered wood framed a hole that left the building open to the sky. As she stepped inside the building, the boards creaked beneath her hooves. In the distance a coyote howled mournfully. This was starting to feel like a really bad idea.

That’s about when the shovel smashed into the back of her head.

Voices faded in and out as Theia’s consciousness slowly rose from the darkness. Her head throbbed horribly, and the angry shouting wasn’t helping.

“I don’t care who ya think she is, we’re not executing her just cause you think she might be an agent of them Twilight folk!”

“So what do ya plan to do with her then Tin Star? Put a bandage on her head and send her trotting back into the wastes with a pat on the back and an apology? Even if she ain’t one of them Twilight folk, there’s something ain’t right with her!”

“Oh and you’re an expert all the sudden Hephaestus? You’re a blacksmith not a doctor!”

“Well I’m a butcher now, and have been for near fifty years, and I’m telling ya she ain’t right! Aside from a few scars here and there she’s the healthiest pony I’ve seen in decades. You don’t wander the wastes unless you’re desperate or one of them dang fool buffalo, and she’s neither. Mark my words, somebody cared for this filly. They fed her well and equipped her likewise. She’s here for a reason, it don’t matter who sent her, ain't gonna be nothing but bad news for us!”

There was a wet thump, like a meat cleaver carving through a side of beef and burying into the chopping block.

“You’re gonna tell me you looked at that filly’s right eye, deep into that black socket, and ya think someone cared for her!?”

“Yup. Somepony sat down with her a long time ago. It would’ve had to have been with a knife, but not a scrap of meat was left to heal. They took their time, slow and easy, and there’s no way she was out the entire time. There’s nothing in that socket but skull now. Even so, that’s a kind of care that’s right at home with them Twilighters. It’s their kind of sick ministrations ta be so loving about carving up the living!”

“Well lets say your right. Why would them Buffalo have anythin' to do with her? You know as well as I do she came from their direction and she was carryin' some of their food.”

“Maybe their workin' with em. You know I always said it was them savages what poisoned the orchard. Maybe they figured we ain’t dyin fast enough and sent this filly to fix us!”

“Either way, what good is killing her gonna do us? We got plenty of meat from that brave we downed last night. His tribe didn’t even seem to notice him missing. We kill her, she’s just gonna rot and go to waste. Best to let her keep for now and save her for the lean times.”

Theia’s eye opened fully at that. She was in a dingy room lit only by a slit of light coming from a half open door. The stench hit her next. She was in some kind of meat closet. Butchered flanks hung from blood crusted hooks. Some were certainly large enough to be buffalo, but others were much, much smaller. She’d fallen into the clutches of cannibals. Her hooves were tied tightly behind her back, her back hooves tied to them. Trussed up, she lay on her front, all her weapons and supplies gone, mouth firmly gagged.. Even her cloak and eye patch had been taken. If she used her magic to become intangible now, she might be able to get loose of the ropes, but with no weapons there wasn't much hope of getting past two ponies by herself. She'd have to bide her time.

Through the door to her makeshift cell she could see who was arguing now. One was an old pony, thin and sharp with an anvil on his flank. From the sagging flesh on his otherwise thin frame she suspected he’d once been an extremely muscular pony, but deprivation had led his body to feed on itself till there was almost nothing left. There was a cruelty in his eyes and blood on his smock. He’d been dismembering a youngish looking buffalo, barely a half grown calf. The other pony was just as thin, but he wore his ranginess more comfortably. A crude star on his flank, he wore a matching one on his vest and a stetson low over his eyes. With shock Theia realized she must be looking at what passed for the sheriff of Appleloosa these days. As she tried to get a better idea of her predicament she heard the sound of several more ponies coming into the room. One spoke with a long, lazy drawl that sent shivers up Theia’s spine.

“Well sheriff, if’n that’s the way ya feel about it, maybe I got an idea that’ll make everypony happy.”

Tin Star turned to the new comer with a dark look. “I want no more of your shenanigans Billy Zeus. Ye’ve caused enough troubles depositing this filly on our doorstep.”

“Hear me out Sheriff, hear me out. I’m on your side. No good will come of killin the poor filly. Why, just as you say, we have plenty of meat for the time bein'. But I’m thinkin' bout the future. You let me and the boys take her, we’ll be responsible for her. If she’s really a Twilighter, we’ll find out real quick. If she ain’t, well leave her with us anyways. In a few months we’ll have fresh meat and milk as well!” There was a lot of dirty snickering coming from behind that oily voice , Theia didn’t like where this was going at all. The older pony, Hephaestus spoke up, “Like the last filly you boys kept so well? It was a shame what ya’ll did to her. She woulda' been happier on my chopping block than in your filthy hooves!”

With a look of grim resignation, the sheriff seemed to come to a conclusion. “We can’t leave her here. She’s got enough muscle on her if she gets loose even I’d be in trouble. You boys want her, she’s yours , but take it outside. I don’t need any of your filth spoiling the meat!” With a cheer and holler a stick thin pony with a limp greasy mane and a gap toothed smile pushed open the door and gazed lecherously down at Theia. Her revulsion was instantly replaced by pure fear as she saw six other ponies behind him, leaning in to devour her with their eyes. She should have made a break for it earlier when she had the chance.

“Don’t worry girl. We’re gonna take GOOD care of you!”

They didn’t bother untying her, instead dragging the filly out by the length of rope that still bound her legs. She could feel the scrape of splinters and rocks as they dug into her flesh. Worse, each pony kicked and stomped her as they went. By the time they got to the town square she was bruised and swollen, leaving a trail of blood. The moon had already set and the only light aside from the stars were more of the smokey lanterns the pack of degenerate ponies were using to see. As they came to an old railway station, the gangs leader with the greasy mane jumped on top of an old apple barrel. “Good people of Appleloosa! We, the Black Hill Gang, bring to ya’ll this day a wondrous gift! A filly comely and fair, if’n you ignore the gaping hole in her head!” His partners laughed uproariously at that. “Now, as is our right, we’re gonna take her here first and foremost, but ya’ll line up and help yerselves! There’s plenty to go around and let it never be said that we weren’t kind enough to share!”

All around them from the darkened buildings, thin, emaciated ponies began to peek out. Some were young, others had one hoof in the grave, but they all had the same hungry look in their eyes. “Whoa now, ease up gentlecolts. This one is indeed a delectable morsel but she ain’t on the menu today! Well, not in that way I reckon! We got long term plans for this one, ain't that right boys!?” A few of the ponies hung their heads in disappointment and walked away. Others stood and just watched, though still others seemed to glow with excitement. One such pony stumbled up and gave Theia’s cheek a long, slow lick. He was immediately bucked in the side and sent flying into the side of the railway station. “Wait yer turn fella, if’n ya know whats good fer ya!”

“I reckon none of ya know what’s good for ya.” The voice was quiet and low, but it had a harsh echo in it that swept through the town. Immediately everypony in ear shot ran for cover. Everypony but the gang that had Theia captive. Their leader hopped down and walked toward the new comer. “Well what have we here? Another pretty filly to help us poor settlers pass the time?” It was true, though she was dressed all in black from her hooves to her hat, she was definitely female. A black bandanna hid most of her face, but her blond mane spilled from her hat, it and her tail tied firmly to one side. Her eyes were living coals, the embers of hatred smouldering deep within. “I reckon not Billy Zeus. If ya had the sense you were born with, ya’d ask why the other settlers have all run off. If ya had a little more sense, ya might also ask yerself why it is the closer I get to ya, the hungrier you get.”

It was true, the closer the pony in black came, the more a gnawing hunger filled Theia’s belly. It was a burning torture, almost worse than her cuts and bruises. The ponies spread out, forming a wide horseshoe around their captive and the new comer. “What’s your business here stranger?” Pawing irritably at the dust, the pony in black glared at the gangs leader. “Ya know why I’m here,” she said, “I’m here because of what you did to that filly that ran into the wastes. You butchers claimed ya were just tryin to survive and I looked the other way. But what you did to her... She didn’t even remember her own name in the end . She only remembered one name, “Billy Zeus”, and I’m here ta see that no one else hears that name ever again!” Billy laughed, “You spose’d ta be some kinda bounty hunter? Whats yer name?” Mane whipping in the wind, she spoke low and angrily as she crouched into a fighting stance. “They used ta call me Applejack, but there ain’t no one alive what that name would have any meaning to. Folks round here just call me the Black Death. The Twilight Queen called me Famine.”

Theia’s head jerked up as the Black Hill Gang backed away. It could have all ended differently there and then if their leader hadn’t shouted, “GET HER!” Two of the ponies charged at once. One was bucked so hard he crashed through the side of the railway station, while the other found himself on his back, being stomped in the face. He struggled to get out from under her, but the more he did the more places her sharp hooves found and before long he was nothing but a bloody mess in the dirt. Three of the other gang members charged the Black Death, each trying to bite into the black ponies flesh as they rushed her together. Suddenly the darkness around her came alive, great black shadows rising up from her feet and chomping down on her attackers hooves. The tendrils of shadow whipped the remaining gang members around like limp toys before hurling them in various different directions. One pony managed to smash the Black Death in her face with an errant hoof, knocking her bandanna loose. Beneath the scrap of cloth the ponies face wore a cruel rictus, her smile frozen where the sides of her mouth had been inexpertly sliced open and sown back. “Now that’s not exactly neighborly of ya, is it fella?” That pony was flung so hard and far he drifted out of the town and into the desert. If he lived it would be a miracle.

With his gang defeated in only a few minutes, Billy Zeus cowered, with his eyes wide as the Black Death bore down on him. “Whats the matter Billy? Ya ain’t got no brave words now yer gangs had their worthless flanks kicked? Don’t cry Billy boy. It’ll be over soon.” She loomed over him, then lent down and kissed Billy Zeus full on the mouth. At first the greasy pony was shocked, then slowly his eyes rolled back in his skull. Black lines of corruption swam from his lips as the flesh beneath his skin wasting away before everyponies eyes. All his hair fell out and even his skin began to dry and flake, crumbling away, leaving nothing but bone and sinew. When Billy Zeus fell at last he looked like a centuries old corpse, desert bleached and sun dried. The pony who claimed to once be know as Applejack spat disgustedly, clearly disliking the taste in her mouth.

“Now why’d ya have to go and do that for?” It was the sheriff, the sound of the commotion must’ve brought him out. The blacksmith pony crouched behind him looked apprehensive. “Tin Star,” the pony in black said, “You knew about this business didn’t you? We had a deal, remember? I look the other way and you folks eat.” The sheriff pawed the ground angrily. “You call this looking the other way!?” Applejacks voice was low and cold as she gestured to Theia still tied up on the ground, sides bloody and bruised, “You call this killin' to survive? I might be part of the reason its come to this, but I thought I made it clear ya’ll weren’t ta be eaten folk that didn’t die on their own or offered themselves willingly. Now I find out you’re not only killing the unwilling but ya planned to rape them too!?” Hephaestus spoke up then, “It weren’t our fault miss! What can we do against ponies like the Black Hill Gang when we ain’t hardly got strength enough to get out of bed in the mornin'? The sheriff was only doin' what he could to keep the peace!”

“Ya’ll do what ya have to ta keep the peace. I’ll do what I have to as well.” A massive black shadow spread from her then and pooled beneath the sheriff. A massive pair of jaws opened in the earth and swallowed him whole. On the sand where he stood, nothing but a small smear of bloody sand remained. The smithy quivered in fear. From behind the black clad pony one of the gang members loomed with a long cruel blade clenched in his teeth. Theia responded on instinct, a spark of magic transforming her body into living shadow. Her ropes fell away and she was free. Charging one of her would be rapists, she yelled "Look out!" just as the bandit took a swipe with his knife. The blade cut deep into the Black Death's torso, but not a drop of blood was spilled. Theia bore the thin colt to the ground, putting him in a choke hold that quickly caused hi mto black out. She thought about snapping his neck, but she was so weak from their abuse she wasn't sure she could do it. Instead she just got up shakely to her hooves.

Applejack's black eyes shown with something close to satisfaction as she looked on Theia. She shouted over her shoulder to the smithy as she pulled the useless knife from her flank with a wet sucking sound.“Get this filly her kit, and don’t ya dare be doing any more harm to her. She’s had a long day and its barely noon.” The pony all in black turned away and walked to the train station platform. In the distance a long mournful sound floated over the desert. A train whistle? Surely there hadn’t been a train here in decades. From the south came a locomotive drawn by what looked to be skeletal ponies. A harsh red light filled the night as the train roared into the station. As the engine ground to a halt, the skeletal ponies snorted what seemed to be a greeting to the Black Death. Her smile broadened and threatened to pop a stitch. "Long time no see boys. Care to give an old mare a lift?" Slowly she opened a door in one of the side cars of the ghost train and made to climb aboard.

“Wait!” Theia gasped, “I’ve come all this way, wound up in the hooves of these maniacs, just to find you! Please don’t go!” The pony all in black turned to her, tying her bandanna back into place over her mouth. “Shoot sugercube, what could you possibly want to see me for?”

It was strange on the ghost train. Though it made all the sounds you’d expect, it drifted smoothly over the tracks without so much as a bump. The star strewn sky out the window whirled passed, yet was barely worth trouble to glance at when you could see everything through the slightly transparent floor and walls. It was disconcerting at first, but Theia had seen stranger things in just the last fifteen minutes. The cream colored pony felt a lot more confident with all of her kit and supplies back, but she still felt naked until she had her bandage back in place over her empty eye socket. She sat in what looked to have been a sleeper car, across the aisle from the pony known as the Black Death. She explained what her mission had been to the pony, and as she told her story her host looked more and more weary. Her ears drooped as she took off her black stetson and set on the bed next to her.

“It’s a long, sad story you’ve come into sugercube. I’ll tell ya right now, I’ve got no love for my former friends, least of all the one putting on airs and callin' herself the Twilight Queen. But I can’t stand against them. That don’t mean I won’t help you by telling you what I can. Its the least I can do after the hospitality those boys in Appleloosa showed ya. So what do you want to know?” Theia told her, as best she could, that they needed to know. Who they were fighting and anything important about them, anything at all.

“Well...where to start? I don’t know the particulars, but... We were all friends once. One by one though, we were killed off by one of our closest friends. When she got to the last one of us , Twilight Sparkle we used to call her, something went wrong. Oh she died alright...but then she came back! She wasn’t our Twilight anymore. She was something... Heck, someone else. That's when the Twilight Queen first set hoof in our world. The first thing she did was to start pulling her friends back as well, even me, though I'd been dead and gone for months.”

“Now, the one you fought was named Rarity in life. She was always elegant, beautiful but now she uses that beauty to wrap warriors around her hoof. She’s probably the most dangerous pony in that she can cause entire nations to rise up against ya, but her powers aren’t that different from what she had in life. I have ta warn ya though, you didn’t beat her like ya thought ya did. From the sound of it, it's likely she may’ve taken a liking to ya. Chances are she’s hold up somewhere healing up so she can come back and fight ya properly. Ya best be on the look out for that one.”

“As to the others, well, there’s not much I can tell ya. One of em, Rainbow Dash, didn’t really seem to come back all the way. She..she died first, and it put her closer to the land of the dead than any of us. That makes her extremely powerful. Be careful of that one too. If I touched you for long enough your body would eat itself alive. If she touched you, there’d only be a fraction of a second until you died. There are places in Equestria now where its considered a bad omen to see a rainbow. But I dunno the particulars of where Dash is, or what she’s been up to.”

“The same goes for Fluttershy, to an extent, but there are a couple of important differences. Like me she didn’t seem none too happy to be brought back. She turned her back on the Twilight Queen before I did and headed into a place called the Everfree Forest. I couldn’t tell you for sure, but I'm guessin' she may well still be there, and if there’ somepony that’s been kept in the loop as to whats going on it’d be her. She always had a way with animals... Now she has eyes and ears all over Equestria.”

“The last thing I’ll tell ya is a bit of advice. Stay as far away as possible from Ponyville. You don’t want to see whats become of it or whats living there now. The further away you are the better.”

Theia took a moment to take everything in. It was a lot to process and yet she felt like there was still a lot this pony was holding back. As the train sped steadily to the north, another thought occurred to her. If they were so powerful, was there no way to defeat the Twilight Queen and her resurrected friends? The pony who had been Applejack seemed to be smiling beneath her bandanna. “The Twilight Queen has made herself the central hub of all magic in Equestria. I don’t know what she’s planning, but I know each of us she brought back is important to her plans. There’s an ancient... force I guess, called the Elements of Harmony. We were able to harness them once, when we were still alive, and use them to defeat a great evil. Now I’m afraid she’s planning on using that power to do something worse. Each one of us you can kill will make her weaker. You’re gonna have to finish each of us off before you face her or you’ll have no chance of beating her.”

“We don’t die easy either. If ya died once, it's kinda hard to do again. Believe me, I’ve tried. I spent a few years of my new ‘life’ trying to end it. But I think I may know the way now. Let me see that rope ya said the chieftain of the Buffalo gave ya.” Theia opened her pack and took out the length of old rope. The Black Death reached out her hoof and took it, murky tears welling up in the corners of her coal black eyes. “I thought so. Haven’t seen this in years. My old lasso. Thought I’d lost it a long time ago. It... It brings back memories.”

The ghost train suddenly started to fade. They’d been traveling for a long time, but now it seemed that the journey was at an end. As the train ground to a halt it faded out from beneath the two ponies. Wrapping the lasso around her shoulder, the black pony began to walk away. “Follow me if ya like. I’ve got something ta show ya.” Everything felt like a dream to Theia, but she followed the dark pony into the twilight. They didn’t walk far from the ruined railroad tracks before they came to a wide, dark field. Thousands of tree limbs clawed the sky, long dead sentinels still reaching for a sun that hadn’t risen in decades. They stood on a hill overlooking what appeared to have once been an orchard. A lone tree grew here, far away from its fellows. Applejack leaned against it and began to speak again, voice barely a whisper.

“When I came back it gave Granny Smith a heart attack. She died with a look of fear in her eyes I never wanted to see there. Applebloom probably had the most sense. She ran off as soon as she saw me. Probably thought I was a ghost. But not Big Macintosh. No matter what anyone tells ya about him he wasn’t stupid. Stubborn, but never stupid, with his big heart and his fool love for his sisters.”

“We watched the orchard die. One by one the apples turned black and the leaves fell like rain. This was before Twilight did , well, whatever it is she did to the sky. All around us, old friends were dying, going hungry, turnin' on one another. I knew I was the cause. I could feel this dark power creeping out of me like a sickness. I had to go, I had to get as far away from everyone as possible. But Big Mac wouldn’t hear it. If I was heading out into the desert, he was coming with me. Well, I couldn’t stop him could I? I was just his sick little sister... and besides, the orchard was dead and dust. There was nothing keeping him here but me.”

She made a loop in the lasso and began to tie a knot with her hooves. It was slow work, but she kept at it, just staring at the ruined orchard the entire time.

“That's how we ended up outside Appleloosa. We were gonna try and get help from my cousin Braeburn, but those folk knew trouble when they saw it. By that point the sky was going dark, and, of course , they blamed me. They probably weren’t far off. Braeburn tried to make the towns folk let us stay, but it would’ve done more harm than good. So we thanked him kindly, took what we could carry and headed out into the badlands. Big Macintosh never complained once, not even when the blazing heat turned to freezing cold, such that what little water there was turned icy under the stars.”

The Black Death took a deep shuttering breath, and let it out as a long soulful sigh.

“He was so strong. Ya shoulda' seen him. But I watched him fade day by day. No matter how much he ate, he just couldn’t keep any muscle on him. And still that stubborn, beautiful fool just wouldn’t leave me alone. When it was finally clear he was near the end I held him in my arms and cried. He looked up at me, and he said ‘Don’t be cryin' over me little sis. I did what I wanted to do. You just need to take care of yerself when I’m gone and I’ll be happy.’ He was so small by then, just a little thing quivering in my arms. I stayed with him till his quivering stopped. I built a little carne of stones over him. It was just...a pile of rocks out in the middle of nowhere, no memorial, no loved ones left to mourn him but me. He deserved better.”

She threw the rope over the lowest bow of the tree. One end she tied tight around the trunk. The other ended in a noose.

“All these years , I tried to keep my promise to him, but I see now I was going about it all wrong. Running and hiding in the wastes, it didn’t do any good. Innocent people were still getting hurt because of me, still starving, still dying. I didn’t notice until I started finding pony bones dumped outside of town what had happened in Appleloosa. Don’t think too harshly of them folks. It’s not their fault, not really. If anything the blame lies with me, for not doing this sooner.”

Famine nudged an old empty apple crate beneath the noose and jumped on top of it. It wobbled a little on the uneven earth, but she still managed to stand tall and proud as she slipped her head into the noose.

“The only way to end us, sugarcube, is to kill us with something from our past. Remind us of who we used to be...and then, well, I think you know the rest. I can tell by your kit your a warrior of some kind. I know I don't deserve it, but will you help me? I don’t belong here anymore , haven't for a long time now. I’m ready to go.”

The scene blurred for Theia as she blinked back tears. This was her enemy. This was one of the ponies that was standing in the way of the world being the way it should be. She was already dead for crying out loud! But in the short time she’d known her the Daughter of the Moon had grown to respect and even admire this brash country filly. She’d saved her from death, and probably worse and she didn’t have to. She should’ve left her to the cannibals of Appleloosa, or stomped her head in when she was still laying in the dust. Instead she was asking her to end her life with those huge coal black eyes. All the hate and anger replaced with a sadness, tempered with determination.

“Don’t cry darlin'. This is my choice. If this is the only way I can set things right, so be it. You just promise me, you take care of yourself when I’m gone, you hear? Don’t let me down. Make it, make it so the trees bloom again.”

She couldn’t see as tears rolled from her one good eye, but she leaned up and hugged the pony who had been Applejack fiercely. She smelled of dust and old leather, and though she could feel herself wasting away in her embrace, she sobbed openly as the dead thing that had been so kind to her returned her hug with a tight squeeze. Theia turned, facing in the direction the stars told her lay the Everfree Forest. Hating herself, the world, but most of all the Twilight Queen, she turned and gave the old apple crate a sudden kick. The barrel tumbled away, the rope audibly grew taught just before giving a sharp snap as it took Applejack's weight. The sound was loud enough to send a flock of crows wheeling into the sky, cawing. Theia blinked away the tears streaming from her good eye, not noticing the blood oozing from her empty eye socket. She didn’t look back, but forced herself to take one agonizing step at a time away from the thing that had been her friend and towards the Everfree Forest. More than ever she knew she had to set things right. For the living and for the dead.

On a hill top, not too far from Ponyville, a solitary tree stands. A rope hangs tattered and frayed from its stoutest branch, one end tied firmly to the trunk, the other tied in a noose. Ashe and dust blow through the empty field below, but on the hill top, the old tree began to bud for the first time in nearly a century. The apple blooms were a gentle pink, reminiscent of the dawn.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that it doesn’t always pay to be honest. If we’re completely honest with our friends and family we’ll only end up hurting them. If we don’t hold a little bit back from the world, we leave ourselves open to all sorts of evils. There’s always some pony out there just watching and waiting to take from you.

If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’d realize that we have to lie, otherwise we’d end up breaking. We’re never as truly good, strong, or wise as we pretend to be. The deadliest truth is the one that banishes these illusions and shows our lives for the miserable, tragic, pointless failures that they truly are.

So lie. Keep up the charade. Pretend that you have a chance.

Even though the truth is, its utterly hopeless...

Green Eyed Monsters

A thick stream of saliva dripped from the monsters mandibles. It chittered softly as it moved through the undergrowth. The air was warm and moist here, the earth beneath its feelers sticky. This was its home, it was close now. Skittering over a few fallen stones, the creature came up short as it senses the void in front of it. A bridge had been here once, but it had long ago crumbled to dust and decay. Spreading thin chitinous wings the broodling waited for a gust of wind from the abyss. As it came it leapt into the air and with a powerful hum from its wings it sailed over the chasm. The song of the hive was close now; the melody of home, the sweet voice of its mother.

It whistled and hissed in reply to its fellows as it flew into the hives cavernous depths. The air was even warmer here, shadows chased away by the luminous glow of billions of eyes. It smelled so good here. Landing with a harsh clicking sound, the drooling insect gave a soft buzz of love and greeting as it landed before its mother. She loomed over her children. Her wings were thunder, her eyes massive pools of swirling light, her feelers long and elegant, and her voice shook the beast to its core as it gazed up at her in awe.

Fluttershy lent down and stroked the parasprite’s fuzzy caraprace with a single hoof. “Hello little one. What news do you bring?”

Deeper darkness lurked beneath the trees in Everfree Forest. Theia had seen the distant night lands before now, but even those frozen lands had the blessing of the stars and the moon. The forest floor may never have known any celestial light. A forest like this should not be able to exist in the sun-less Twilight lands. Wind, soft and warmer than Theia had expected, rustled the leaves gently. A thin mist crept along the ground, damp and cool, but still far warmer than it had any right to. None of this was as it should be and it was unnerving the cream colored pony badly.

For the last few hours the daughter of the moon sensed that she was being watched. If it was paranoia or if there were truly eyes upon her she could not say. The fog played tricks with sound, muffling and enhancing them by turn. A tiny drop of dew from a leaf made a sound that echoed long after it should’ve stopped, while Theia’s own foot steps in the damp soil barely made a sound. Without the stars to guide her, she quickly became lost. She tried to move in a single direction, hoping she would find the pony known as Fluttershy eventually, or at least some sign of her so that she could begin tracking her down. Right now she was just hoping to find a clearing, if only for some small respite from the forest around her, and a glimpse of the heavens above.

Without warning a spear slammed into a spruce next to her head, vibrating violently enough to shake the dew from the tree tops, causing a short, sharp shower of water all around Theia. Her eyes could not be trusted to find her enemy in this crypt-like gloom, so she swiftly dived behind a stout oak and listened hard as the water droplets fell. The sound carried uninterrupted in every direction, save one. The sound bounced easily off the trees, but in one spot it was absorbed completely. It was only a hunch, but Theia rolled swiftly to one side, and hurled a pair of throwing knives into the auditory sink. A yelp of pain rewarded her throw and she knew she had guessed right. She tensed, expecting her would-be killer to counter, but the attack never came. Instead she heard soft crying from the brush. Cautiously she crept up on the sound, prepared to attack at the first sign of a threat.

There, in a small clearing lay a little colt, clutching his shoulder with one hoof. One of Theia’s knives had buried itself deep there. He was so young. Hot, angry tears rolled down his cheeks as he glared up at the unicorn, angry defiance clear in his teary eyes. His mane and his body were striped black and white save where the blood from his wound dyed him red. He wore a golden bracelet around his left front hoof and a necklace of teeth around his throat that clattered as he suddenly backed away from her. “Stay away fiend, you have no place here! Leave now, or I will give you something to fear!” His words were bold for his years, but Theia couldn’t take him seriously as a threat. Truly she felt bad for wounding him so, but she doubted he would’ve felt the same if his spear had found its mark.

“Who are you little pony? What are you doing in these woods by yourself?” The colt backed out of the clearing, blending into the darkness, the red of his blood fading to black as he all but disappeared. “No pony am I, enemy of my clan. Nor alone am I either, I have my nan! Now you go away, turn right around. Go back where you came from, to your living dead town.” Theia could barely understand what the child was saying, his accent was so thick. He suddenly bolted into the brush. Hesitating only a moment, she followed him. Though it was impossible to see clearly, she could easily hear him crashing through the thick growth ahead of her. The further she went into the forest, the lighter it began to get. The heat also increased until she was forced to pull down her hood, sweat dripping from her silver mane.

When she next emerged into a clearing, the sight she beheld brought her up short. The sky above was blue...but a brighter blue than she had ever seen! The clouds were soft white balls of cotton floating across a sphere of burning light! It looked like the sun, but the firelands lay across the sea, far beyond the Chimeron Empire. It was said only dragons could dwell there, for only they could survive the nigh eternal sunshine! What madness was this? Below the insane sky, a thatched mud hut sat; tree limbs, tribal masks, and other ornaments adorning the structure that seemed to be one with the forest. The black and white striped colt stood in its doorway, the thin knife removed from his shoulder and another spear clenched tight in one hoof. “Why did you follow me!? I said go away! Just leave us alone! You will not take her do you hear me!? She’s all I have...all I have in this world!”

“I don’t understand what you’re going on about,” said Theia. “You attacked me first! I don’t even know who you think I’m going to take away from you kid! Just calm down. And while you’re at it, explain to me what in all of Equestria is going on with the sky!” A rattling, but gentle laugh came from the darkness inside the hut. “You must excuse my nephew, his fear and anger comes from a place of love, where your own fixates only on the skies above.” An ancient creature appeared behind the young colt, mane long and unkempt. Her skin hung in great wrinkled rolls that bagged beneath her eyes and chin, sagging gently over a tall golden hooped neck ring. She was almost as small as the pony she claimed as her nephew. “He thinks our meeting will cause my death. Though it's true, I shall die soon, it's not you who will take my final breath. The stars foretold my fate as it has told me yours, but you are quite late!”

“Would somepony please just tell me plainly what’s going on?” Theia was exasperated at this point. Going from being attacked in a dark and creepy forest to standing under a burning sun while some ancient pony spouted rhymes, well, it could do that to a filly. “We are not ponies, we are zebra! And the sky is always as you see it in the day time! My great aunt Zecora told me a one eyed pony with a broken horn would visit her on the day she was to die. If you had just died in the forest that day would never have come!” He had started to cry again, yet still he radiated defiance, doing his best to stand between Zecora and Theia. “Hush now, that is enough of that little Zinsu, do not cry, one day we all must die. Let us invite this traveler in from the heat. I’m sure we can spare some food to eat.”

It took a long time with lots of starts and stops and more than a few misunderstandings, but eventually Theia began to get the shape of what she had run across. Zecora and her nephew were zebra, possibly exiled form a distant land where their kind were the norm and beasts great and small wondered grassy plains and jungles thicker than even the Everfree Forest. They seemed well aware of the Twilight beyond the forest but the cycle of night and day, which the rest of Equestria had not known for nearly a century, continued here unabated. This was not the case in every part of the Forest, and apparently Theia had been wandering a patch that Zecora referred to as the realm of the shadow folk. She warned that the darkness there was not to be trusted, however that at this time of day she would be safe so long as she kept to the beaten paths.

They shared a meal of a thick hearty stew full of roots and vegetables from the forest. Zinsu did not eat with them, but instead skulked away to sulk and tend to his wound. Thankfully it seemed to be mostly superficial, either that or he was a much tougher colt than he seemed. After the meal, Theia tried to ask Zecora about the pony she was looking for, Fluttershy. The zebra grew quiet then, her old eyes closing in a look of deep contemplation. “Sakpata rules the forests most ancient site, to reach her you will need considerable might. Alone you cannot hope to reach her with speed, I’m afraid you will find it is allies you need. Yet still you must search, of this I’m sure, but before you set forth let me give you this cure.”

Zecora tottered weakly across her cottage floor to a dusty chest that lay in the corner of the room. Her bones creaked almost as load as the hinges of the box as she opened it. Her hooves shuffled through rolls of old tissue paper, a sound of glass clinking together came as she moved potions and vials aside. She lifted up a large vial, within was a single large feather. Taking out the cork with her few remaining teeth, the feather seemed to ignite with the rush of air, but the illusion lasted only for a moment before the burning feather returned to its reddish golden hue. “A potent medicine is the phoenix feather, I’ve been saving it for a day of rainy weather. Take it child, I beg you, it's useless to me at my age. You will need it if you are to face Sakpata’s rage.” Theia didn’t know what use a feather could possibly do her, but not wanting to seem rude, she took it and placed it in her pack anyway. She thanked Zecora for the gift and was about to set out on her way. “Zinsu!” the old zebra called to her nephew. It didn’t take long for the zebra colt to come to her call, once again carrying his spear. “Yes nan, what do you wish?” Zecora looked sternly at the child as she spoke, “See our guest safely through the wood. If any harm comes to her now it will do us no good.” Zinsu looked as if he was going to protest but suddenly Zecora let out a shout in a language Theia couldn’t understand. Shining tears welled again in the colts eyes and he gestured Theia to follow him without saying another word.

As they left the hut, Theia couldn’t help but ask, “What did she say...?” Zinsu glared at her over his wounded shoulder. “She said that if I did not leave now, I would die here too. I am no coward to run from death, but this forest needs a shaman, and I was sent to learn from her. Today I take the greatmothers place. So be silent pony. It is a day of mourning and shame, and on you do I place the blame.”

As the pair faded into the forest, Zacora watched them go with the only sight still left to her, her second sight. There was an aura of anguish around her great nephew, but he would be strong. He had to be. The pony, though, had no aura at all, and it was one of the most disturbing things she had ever failed to see. Even the dead could be seen by Zacora. Whatever Theia was, she had been mutilated more horribly than any creature Zacora had ever seen before. Contemplating this, she heard the soft sing song buzz growing in the distance. It drew closer, the sound growing to a roar.

It was time.

They flooded through the windows and rose up from the floor. They tore through the roof and smashed open the door. Greedy green eyes glowed from within the sudden darkness that blocked out the sun. They swarmed over the old zebra’s body, tiny legs like pin pricks over ever inch of her flesh. In their wake great boils swelled and burst, weeping runny tears of yellow pus and blood. Their drooling maws nibbled at her, only tasting, they wouldn’t eat of her, not yet. The parasprites were beautiful as they swarmed, every color of the rainbow flashed within the great mass of bodies, as well as a few no mortal eye had ever seen before. Yet each had the aura of a dead thing, each and every last one existed by the will of only one being. “You’re favorite tea I still have set aside. Won’t you share one last cup with me, Pestilence bride?” Zacora’s voice, though calm through it all, failed her. Strangles out by a throat filling with mucus and puss. She collapsed under the weight of her own bones into an oozing pile of bile and putrefied flesh.

The swarm began to eat.

They moved swiftly through the Everfree Forest. It seemed Zinsu knew these woods extremely well, and it was not long before they came to a wide beaten path lined with blue flowers. The zebra colt picked up his pace, running along the wide road. Theia broke into a trot to try and keep up but the colt pulled steadily ahead of her. With her pack weighing her down she had to break into a full gallop just to keep the young zebra in view. As they moved away from Zecora’s home it grew darker and darker. Theia began to have a hard time keeping track of Zinsu in the shafts of fading light. “Wait!” she called, but he did not stop. It dawned on Theia he was trying to give her the slip. Coaxing her protesting limbs to pour on a burst of speed, Theia rocketed through a copes of trees. And found herself in a ring of lances all leveled at her throat.

“HALT! Friend or foe!? Think quickly because we won’t ask twice!” The daughter of the moon found herself surrounded for the second time in as many days, this time by ponies in the armor of the Armies of Dawn. “Uh... Friend?” A heavily armored pegasus pony in solid white plate, edged in glowing blue runes with the golden insignia of Celestia at her shoulder, scoffed, “A likely story, do you have any proof!?” Her mind racing at the sudden turn of events, Theia reached slowly into her pack and produced the badge that marked her as an ally of the Dawn. It was fortunate she still had it from when she had infiltrated the Dawn before, otherwise she might have found herself with a few new holes, not to mention a thoroughly failed mission. A large pony, encased in the same white plate and glowing runes looked over the badge. “It checks out sarge, though what a filly like her is doin' in a place like this, I don’t reckon I can fathom.”

The soldiers lowered their lances, but still looked on Theia with suspicion. She realized this was not a full battalion, but merely a small scouting party. “My name is Theia. I am an agent of the Cult of the Moon, allies of the Armies of Dawn since the end of Blueblood’s... I mean the Glorious Challenge.” All of them reacted to that and their suspicion seemed to give way slightly to curiosity. The pegasus pony the larger soldier had referred to as sergeant lifted the visor on her helmet, revealing a youngish face with an orange hide and vibrant pink eyes. Her mane, feathery and the same shade of pink, was matted to her forehead with sweat. An old scar ran left to right diagonally between her eyes. “I am Sergeant Major Scootaloo of the Dawns-Light Crusaders. Ma'am, I think you’ve got some explaining to do.”

So that’s exactly what she did. She told them about the wars end and the pact struck between the three factions to unite against the Twilight Queen. This was met with more suspicion until she explained Prince Blueblood’s demise. That brought forth a rush of questions about his killer, so she told them of the legend of the Queens servants, that she had so recently been able to confirm. Theia also explained her mission to uncover the truth about them, assassinate them if she could, and the fact that one of them was said to be nearby. It was their turn to speak then.

The big fellow who had verified her badge was Private Jonathan, a demolition specialist the others nicknamed ‘Little John’ who made his own explosives from apples. that grew wild in the forest Well, mostly apples. Most of the other privates introduced themselves but it was hard to keep track of all their names; Silver Stars, Red October, Desert Rat, Rising Sun, their names went on and on. The only other ponies who stuck out was the companies last surviving medic Corporal Wintergreen, a pony who’s armor barely fit her, and then of course Sergeant Sweetie Belle. She was the only unicorn in the unit, with a beautifully styled pink and purple mane and knowing emerald eyes. She barely wore any armor compared to the other soldiers, apparently trusting to her magic as her defense. Theia couldn’t quite place it, but there was something familiar about her. She regarded Theia with a cool gaze, and when introduced told her just to refer to her as Sergeant Belle.

When Theia asked Scootaloo about her, the Sergeant Major explained, “She’s our units secret weapon. Ya see back in the early days of the war, the higher ups noticed that the Everfree forest was the only tract of land where plants kept growing even though there was no sunshine in the rest of Equestria proper. They sent us in to secure the lands resources and establish a base here to eventually strike back at Canterlot. We’ve more or less been successful in the first part of our mission and have been able to keep ourselves supplied from local sources of water and food.” She guided Theia slowly away from the rest of her troops. “The later part, though, has been an utter failure.”

“Not long after we first arrived here, we started losing ponies left and right. We thought it was just, ya know, local problems with disease. Everypony died a little differently, but the results were always the same. They’d either disappear all together or they’d end up as food for parasprites. It wasn’t long before a few deaths became an epidemic which only Sweetie Belle and myself survived. We were the only ones who made it from the first crusade into Everfree Forest, chased out by disease and predatory parasprites.” Theia didn’t know what a parasprite was and said so. “Well they’re usually harmless enough, even cute, but in these woods they’re vicious pony eating little monsters that like to liquefy their prey and then slurp up the resulting soup. We barely made it out of the forest the first time with the swarm on our heals. If it wasn’t for Sweetie Belle we probably wouldn't have made it at all. When we were cornered, and all seemed lost, that crazy unicorn started to sing!"

“Her horn was glowing, her voice was ringing, and the parasprites seemed mesmerized by her. They slowly floated away like they were dreaming with their little bug eyes open. That was how we discovered the parasprites had a weakness to sound. This armor you see myself and the rest of us wearing has sonic runes inlaid with magic running through them. It keeps the parasprites off us so we can handle those bugs. But we haven’t been able to build a base here yet. That’s mainly because of the Infected.” Theia tried to take all this in, and turned her gaze back over her shoulder, looking at the other soldiers. They all seemed healthy. “The infected?”

Sergeant Scootaloo followed her gaze and stifled a laugh. “Not them!” she paused and continued more somberly,” Well. If we're not lucky, then maybe one day them. But not everypony died when they fell ill and we’ve lost more soldiers since. Ya see the armors good for parasprites, but the Infected are ponies that seem to have mutated from exposure to something in the forest. They look more insect than equine, and let me tell you, they’re way more of a threat than a few parasprites!” A sudden crashing in the underbrush got everyponies attention. Visors dropped over faces suddenly gone deadly serious as the crusaders raised their lances. The noise came closer as a figure burst from the undergrowth. Zinsu bounded into the clearing, breathing hard and his eyes wide. The soldiers relaxed. The zebra colt spoke one word before bolting out of the clearing, “Run!”

They struck without making a sound, massive mandibles burying themselves in Private Jonathan’s armored throat with a crunch. There were three of them at first, they had the shape of ponies, but where covered in hard, slick brown carapaces. Thick scythe like appendages grew from their shoulders and down their flanks. Their eyes were wide and swirling with green light that warped the crusaders reflections. Scootaloo was the first one to react, leaping high into the air with a jump and a mighty pulse of her wings. She dove down on one of the Infected from above, slamming her lance in hard where two thick plates of the monsters shell met, viciously forcing the metal shaft through the monster and impaling it to the forest floor. It shrieked, spurting steaming green blood, but it did not die. “Fan out in a tight formation and take em down! Watch your brothers backs! There could be more!”

Leaping into action, the crusaders charged and thrust with their lances, trying their best to keep the monsters at a distance while not leaving them any openings to get behind them. Theia went into action, tossing her throwing knives into the side of the beast worrying Jonathan’s throat. The blades rebounded off its thick armor, but it distracted it long enough for the larger soldier to break free and smash the monster to the ground. One stomp of his armored hooves was enough to shatter the Infected’s head like an over-ripe pumpkin, green and yellow bile splattering the forest floor. A slight buzz was the only warning Theia received as another monstrosity loomed behind her. Reacting instinctively she turned into shadow, mandibles closing with an audible click where her head had been.

The most fearsome warrior had to be Sergeant Belle. It was plain now why she wore less armor than her fellow crusaders, as not a single Infected could get within ten feet of her without exploding in a shower of blood and limbs. Her horn glowed bright as she sang, sending out waves of sound keyed to shatter the Infected’s hard, yet brittle shells. With a sudden roar of thunder, pairs of chitinous wings burst from the shell on the remaining Infected’s backs. They disappeared into the canopy, instead of attacking again they seemed to be in retreat. Panting with exertion, the ponies took stock. In all, five Infected had been disabled or destroyed. The one Scootaloo had impaled still writhed on the end of her lance. Of the crusaders they had lost only two, their armor ripped off and faces grotesquely melted, though whether by the creatures saliva or the splashes of semi-acidic blood it was hard to tell.

With a look of remorse, Sergeant Scootaloo stomped their heads in. “If we don’t do this they’ll just come back, just like them. If we had figured that out sooner we might already have a permanent base instead of having to shift camp every few days.” The demolition specialist, Jonathan came over to Theia as the one eyed pony studied the impaled Infected. “You alright ma'am?” The daughter of the moon was lost in thought so she was slow to answer. “Yes, I think so. These things. They’re a lot like the soldiers of Twilight, but more bestial.” While this was true, this close she could see remnants of the pony this warped thing used to be. The hair of its mane and tail had almost completely fallen out and what was left was course and brown as its shell. Its teeth had also fallen out, replaced by four clacking mandibles. The mark on its flank remained, despite the hideous transformation, three morning glories. “There are many of them?” The big pony stamped a hoof irritably and took a small apple shaped object out of his pack. “More than I’d care to count. Frankly the only good Infected is a dead Infected. Hard to count them when they’re trying to rip off your face. Open wide, monster.” Jonathan shoved the red bomb into the creatures howling mandibles. A short while later it detonated, evaporating half of the creatures body while the remaining half simply slumped to the forest floor. “Thanks for yer help back there by the way, but if ya don’t have any bigger weapons, best ta focus on their eyes. Their tough customers on the outside but inside, they’re as soft as old apples.”

“I think...we might be able to help each other,” Theia spoke, turning to Sergeant Scootaloo. “It seems clear to me that this has to be the work of the pony I’m looking for. If I can find her, we might be able to make it so no new Infected are created. It would benefit both of us if you were able to hold the Everfree Forest and any information I can get on the Queens lieutenants should be helpful in taking her down once and for all.” Sergeant Belle flipped her mane and spoke, “That’s all well and good darling, but where do you propose looking for this ‘lieutenant’’ of yours?” Timid little Wintergreen spoke up as she was checking private Jonathan’s armor for any puncture holes. “The Hive...” Sergeant Major Scootaloo shook mud and gore off her lance and checked to make sure it was still straight. “That’s not a place to be going into under strength. We’re down to about ten soldiers from the forty we came in here with, counting the two losses we just took here. The Hive will be absolutely crawling with Infected, parasprites, and who knows what else. We’re not gonna be able to just rush in there without being spotted.”

Theia smiled thoughtfully, silvery blond mane curling over her bandaged eye socket. “Leave that to me.”

Zinsu stopped, panting and out of breath. He had seen the insectile ponies around the forests before, but today they had ranged much further than usual. They usually stuck near what used to be the old castle of the pony sisters. Such a change, it couldn’t be anything but bad news. He had to get back to Zecora’s hut so he could protect her. This part of the woods though, seemed strange. It was at once familiar and bizarre. He realized that this was the first time he had ever been in this part of the wood at night. At least it appeared to be night...how else to explain the darkness all around him? He could barely make out the outline of the trees.

As the colt stumbled through the darkness, ancient crimson eyes opened wide all around him.

The spell was a simple one for the daughter of the moon, even with her part grown horn. It was taught to initiates almost as soon as they joined. Not quite as potent as the shadowy intangible form Theia could take at will, the spell she cast now over the assembled crusaders muffled their hooves and made them fade into the background. They would be invisible to the eye and ear, but not intangible. They’d still have to be careful not to knock into anything too abruptly, or the illusion would fade and they would be exposed. Explaining this took some time and she had to recast the spell on Wintergreen a few times as the medic had a bad habit of tripping over roots when she was nervous. Still, it wasn’t long before they were heading for the mysterious Hive.

Theia’s spell was put to the test almost immediately as a swarm of parasprites, the first she’d ever seen, flew low over their heads. The crusaders ducked low, but Theia couldn’t help gazing up at the creatures in wonder. There were so many different beautiful colors of the fuzzy creatures, and they were so cute! It was hard to believe they were ruthless killers. Yet, looking closely, she could see how their eyes glowed the same unsettling green as the Infected. As the swarm passed and they moved on the forest itself began to change. The leaves of evergreen trees turned brown, then a strange violet hue. Some other trees lost their leave all together and instead had strands of mold and green slime hanging from their branches. Not just the trees, but the animals changed as well. Theia spied a few rabbits nuzzling at red grass at the side of the path with six black eyes and antenna growing from their heads. Further on she spied a turtle, its shell cracked in half down the center, but far from an injury, a series of spider like legs grew from the gap which it used to skitter along the ground and up trees.

Everything grew more and more bizarre. Where there had been grass and trees, now there were orange mushrooms ten feet tall and weird blue creeping vines, faintly glowing. What they saw here were mostly Infected. Private Jonathan almost blew his spell when one of the Infected walked out onto the road in front of him, its feelers twitching along the ground as it sniffed the earth. The big pony readied to attack but a re-assuring hoof on his shoulder from his Sergeant settled his nerves. The monster moved on and the troop came to a river. It was easy to cross...some great serpentine beast had died here long ago and its gleaming skeleton, likely stripped of flesh by the very swarm around them, was strong enough to bare the ponies weight if they walked one at a time. The river itself was placid and full of algae, slightly steaming. Everything was steamy actually, a thin haze crept over the mud slicked earth and the air grew warm and moist. It wasn’t long before a light rain began, screening their view of the bizarre forest and forcing the crusaders to close ranks just to keep each other in sight.

It was a good thing too, for when Theia almost fell over a sudden cliff side, Scootaloo was there to grab her and haul her back. Eventually the rain cleared enough that they could see into the distance. A structure loomed out of the mists, a squat affair of crumbling mortar interlaced with a pulsing yellow construct made of what appeared wax that fairly buzzed with life. This had to be the Hive. A wide chasm separated the troop from their goal. Luckily there didn’t seem to be any Infected or parasprites in the immediate area. Sweetie Belle found an old sentinel tree that seemed not to have succumbed too badly to the rot the rest of the forest had. Setting a few small charges, Jonathan brought the tree crashing down between the gap. Everyone moved quickly across for fear the noise would draw attention, but everything here seemed oddly calm. The mists closed back in, and the Crusaders made their way cautiously through what had once been a doorway to a castle, now a yawning mouth wreathed with what looked like glistening teeth.

Inside the air was even warmer and stifling. The walls were covered in bodies, great and small, as insectile creatures of every shape and size skittered about their work. Even if they weren’t shrouded, Theia got the feeling they would’ve been ignored anyways. The entire complex seemed to be industriously growing, shifting, changing. Different moment by moment. Theia watched in astonishment as an Infected walked across their path, up the side of a wall, over the ceiling and up over the lip of the hives entrance before flying off into the forest. They crept as swiftly as they dared, trying to avoid touching any of the crawling, flying creatures. “You can stop sneaking you know. My babies can see you, and so can I.” The voice was soft and gentle, yet had a slight buzz-saw edge that echoed throughout the cavernous hive. Theia and the crusaders froze in place. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Here, why don’t we start the introductions?”

From above a massive creature that looked like it may have once been a manticore lowered itself by a thick black thread that hung fro ma hopelessly gnarled dead tree. Its wings and scorpion tail were the same, but its feline head and body were completely changed to that of a hulking spider, thick yellow drool spilling from jagged jaws. At the point where its spine would’ve met with the base of it skull, if it still had either, sat what had once been a yellow pony with soft pink hair. Much of her flesh had slogged away, her belly was completely gone from her chest down to her pelvis, only her thick spinal column connecting the two halves of her body anymore. From the gaping hole spilled a green miasma that engulfed the pony in a swirling cloud. Insects of all shapes swarmed lovingly over her. Her body was also covered in thick golden plates of chitinous shell, save her face which only had them running along her cheek bones and over her eyebrows. Her eyes were churning pools of verdant light, and though it was clear her eyes and mouth had been sown shut at some point, black thread still laced between perforated lips and eyelids, she had no trouble seeing or speaking.

“When I was called back I was named Pestilence. My friend calls me Sakpata, but I don’t know what that means really. You can all just call me Fluttershy.” Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared, mouths open in disbelief. “Fluttershy!?” was all Scootaloo could say, “What.. What happened to you!? Oh, I think I’m going to be sick...” was all Sergeant Belle could manage. “Hello girls. Its been a long time. How have you been?” The leaders of the Crusaders seemed to be at a complete loss. “We... We thought you died with the others in Ponyville. Are you dead? You look dead.” Scootaloo seemed deeply shocked, and on the verge of tears. Theia spoke up, her voice hard, “Of course she’s dead. All the soldiers of Twilight are dead. You know that.” She glared up at Fluttershy, “So you’re the one responsible for all this death and mayhem? Applejack said you’d turned your back on the Twilight Queen!” Jonathan looked at Theia at the mentioning of the dead lieutenants name. This seemed to be too much for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to take in. Something sickly close to a smile writhed between Fluttershy's course black threads. “But I did! I could never bring myself to hurt anypony. She wanted me to spread a plague to strike down a third of all living things on Equestria, but I refused...I ran...and I found myself here!” she was laughing gently to herself, a sound equal parts amusement and madness. “I don’t know what ‘death’ you’re talking about. There’s no death here, I’ve made certain of that!”

“That's a lie! What about our friends, the soldiers you’ve killed!? The monsters you made from their bodies!?” cried the usually quiet Wintergreen. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, “Killed? Me? Never! I made them better, stronger than they ever could have been on their own. Made to survive in this terrible world. The better question is how could you call them your friends and exterminate them so callously?” Her voice was still quiet, but rage was creeping into it and the hive responded. What was quiet industrious work became a buzzing frenzy, a ring of infected closed in around the crusaders as if to rip them to pieces. One of them, Theia noted grimly, bore the same gold ornamentation as Zecora had worn the last time she’d seen her. The queen that lorded over this Hive quickly responded, “Shh, its ok babies, I’m just a little upset that they hurt your brothers and sisters. Its not their fault. They don’t know what’s coming.” The daughter of the moon stomped her hoof to drag Fluttershy’s wandering attention back. “What IS coming Pestilence!?”

The insectile pony’s living throne lowered itself to the floor fully, eight legs bending fluidly, and Fluttershy hopped off stroking its thorax with a smooth glistening hoof. “Why, the end of this world is coming, Theia.” she laughed lightly. “Oh don’t look so shocked! You must’ve realized by now that’s the Twilight Queens goal. Or are you simply surprised that I know your name? My sweet babies see many things and they tell me it all. I’ve had them watching you for a good long time now.” The undead pony moved toward her, spine undulating strangely. “They told me about your war. They told me about what you did to Applejack. They even told me who took your eye.” Jonathan spoke up then, “That’s great and all, but whats this business about the world endin’?” Fluttershy looked at him with large, soulful eyes. “It’s a terrible thought isn’t it? All the birds and the bees and the squirrels and the trees and the cute little baby bunnies, all gone! Fire is coming to burn this world to ash. But don’t worry! I’ve thought up a way to save everypony and every precious living thing! Well... As many as I can save...” She touched Jonathan’s chest lightly and instantly his eyes glazed over and started to pulse a dull green.

“You girls are the real killers here. What I do, I do out of love. When the fires have died it will be my babies that rise up to inherit Equestria. We will be strong. You can be strong too, if you want.” She spread her arms wide as if to embrace the entire platoon. The thick miasma that flowed from her body filled the Hive and one by one the Crusaders fell gasping, boils and sores opening on their bodies as their new exoskeletons formed, eyes glowing green from within. All except for Theia who seemed unaffected by the mist. “This is your grand plan Fluttershy? Change everything you love into a twisted copy of yourself!? What makes this fate any better than the one the Twilight Queen has planned?” There were slight traces of uncertainty in the insectile pony’s eyes. She began to stutter nervously, “It... It has to be this way... because then.. then we don’t have to fight. I think we can put our differences behind us, for survival... you monster.” A nimbus of fire surrounded the daughter of the moon as her rage built. “You think I’m the monster!? Look at what you’re doing to your so called babies! They’re not being saved, they’re being destroyed one cell at a time! How can you watch them writhe in agony like this and say it's for their own good!?”

Fluttershy started to cry, thick yellow tears running down her face. “But there’s no other choice. The Twilight Queen has declared life a sickness. I have to make them better. I have to or they’ll all die! I’m going to save everything and no pony can STOP ME!” Rage suddenly flooded Fluttershy’s face as she roared into the air, six shimmering wings sprouting from beneath a set of ruined feathers that may have once been pegasus wings. As she climbed into the air, a nimbus of diseases collected around her and she sent the stream of pestilence down at the one eyed pony as a blast of wasting death. Theia noticed for the first time the flames licking over her hooves as the cloud burned away around her. She didn’t burn, but the flames were warm to the touch. Remembering the medicine Zecora had given her before her demise, she pulled the phoenix feather from her pack. It looked like a living flame, burning with every color of the rainbow, but the gold and red feather within was still visible. The undead pony gasped, “Where did you get that!?” she flew down, reached out her hooves and snatched it from Theia, darting back into the air. “I haven’t seen this in such a long time. I remember...oh...I’ve been such a foal.” Fluttershy’s body began to melt away as the fire from the phoenix feather licked up and down her body. She spun gently like a falling maple leaf. Fire spread, washing over the interior of the Hive, the Crusaders, and all the other insectile creatures. “I forgot an important lesson Theia. Don’t you forget it. Things that aren’t broken do not need to be repaired,” her soft voice was sad and quiet, the entire structure was an inferno of cleansing flame. “But there’s no fixing this is there? Sometimes you just have to let go, and trust. And hope...”

When the fire finally burnt itself out, all that was left was a slightly charred ruin, crumbling castle walls standing roofless here and there. The open sky above was choked with smoke, but the moon was just visible through the haze. It seemed larger, much larger here than usual. The crusaders stood, shaking themselves. “What the heck happened?” Scootaloo was the first to recover, the runes on her armor had burnt off but otherwise she was fine. They were all fine, and more than that, as Theia looked around she could see dazed and confused ponies and other animals standing up and stretching as if waking from a long sleep. A few had been too far gone and hadn’t made it. A gold hooped necklace was all that was left of the Infected who’d been Zecora. There was no sign of any parasprites or any other insects save a few butterflies. Theia turned to the Sergeant Major, “I think... We might have just put something very wrong, right again.”

“Indeed you did.” the voice was hollow but familiar. A pretty pegasus pony stood shimmering and ethereal at the center of a scorch mark on the ground. She seemed to be composed of the last few fumes from the quickly extinguishing phoenix feather, the smoke creating something like a portal to another plane of existence. It was hard to tell at first, but this must have been what Fluttershy had looked like in life. “I have to apologize for all the hardship and trouble I caused. I also need to warn you. I saw many terrible things through the eyes of the parasprites. My old home, Cloudsdale is the next place you must go. My dear friend Rainbow Dash needs your help Theia, now more than ever, but you won’t be able to go there unless you can walk upon the clouds or take wing.” Sweetie Belle, recovering from her initial shock, chimed in, “I remember! My sister had a spell like that cast on her once. Is that what you’re suggesting we do?” Fluttershy’s shade smiled bashfully, “Yes. But again, I must warn you, I only know of one copy of the book that has that spell. It was in the library at Ponyville.” Scootaloo balked, “What!? But that place is crawling with Twilight ponies!” The ghost looked sad and started to fade away with the last few vapors of smoke, “I’m sorry but its the only way. Take care girls. And Theia, thank you for freeing me from that nightmare. Please, find a way to do the same for the others!”

Theia’s single blue eye was downcast. She’d learned a lot from Pestilence, Fluttershy, whatever you could call that strange monster. But for every question that was answered a new one had to be asked. Why would the Twilight Queen want to end the world she, for all intents and purposes, ruled? She’d have to see her mission through to the end if she hoped to be able to report back anything that made the least bit of sense to Lady Selene. “I have to go to Ponyville and find that spell. Thank you Crusaders for all your help, but I can’t ask you to walk into that meat grinder.” Scootaloo laughed, “Are you kidding? We’ve come this far, almost got turned into bugs, and burned out the entire Hive! We’re with you kid, for better or worse, right guys!?” All around her, the Crusaders she knew and some in tattered armor who had, only awhile ago, been Infected were forming up around her. They gave a ragged cheer, swearing to follow Theia into the heart of the Twilight itself. The one eyed pony smiled. “I guess we’re in this together.”

As the others began to round up the survivors, Jonathan and Sergeant Belle came over to talk to Theia. "Pardon miss, but back there both you and uh...whatever she was...mentioned a name I've heard before. How do ya know Applejack?" Theia wasn't sure how much to tell, but related what she knew about the pony that had been Famine. Jonathan seemed to take it hard, the big pony looking down at his hooves. "I was afraid of that. Ya see, I'm one of her distant relations as it might be. We'd always wondered what became of Sweet Apple Acres and now I guess I know. Well miss, I gotta say this puts things in a whole new light for me. If it was my kins last wish that you complete this mission of yours, I'm honor bound to help ya. You can count on me!" He gave her a reassuring thump on the shoulder that nearly knocked her down as he went to help the others. Sergeant Belle however wasn't quiet as cheerful. "Why didn't you tell us their names?" Theia blinked, "Who's names?" The unicorn narrowed her eyes. "The Twilight Queen's lieutenants! Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash! These are all names I and Scootaloo know. I don't think the Sergeant Major heard what Fluttershy's shade was saying clearly, but I did! This is more horrible than you can possibly imagine!" Theia hadn't realized that there could be anyone who could've known the undead servants true names but her. "I didn't think it mattered." Sergeant Belle slapped her then, hard enough to raise a red welt on her face. "You don't know anything! These ponies were our friends...we looked up to them when we were little. Seeing them like this...it's heartbreaking!" Her raised voice was causing a few of the crusaders to turn their heads and look her way. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper, "You and I have a lot to talk about young filly and we're going to start now. No secrets, no lies. Tell me everything you know."

All was quiet and dark now, the moon overhead was a black disc against a sky full of dim stars. Zinsu sat in the ruins of some old building that had stood at the heart of Everfree Forest long ago. His great aunt had warned him away from here. She had told him the heart of the forests power resided here. Yet, for him to do as he thought he must, he would need that power. A sound behind him made the little zebra colt whirl. What came out of the forest was no monster, but another pony. Though less threatening he was still not a welcome sight. Zinsu had never seen the black maned, gray pony before, nor had he ever seen a full grown pony who’s flanks were blank. That wasn’t what disturbed him though, but more it was the powerful aura of evil that surrounded the creature.

Grey Hoof asked cheerfully, “Hey there little colt, have you lost your way?” There were two voices speaking at once, one kind and friendly, the other hungry and desperate. If you didn’t know what to listen for you might not hear the other voice or see beyond this none threatening illusion. Not so with Zinsu. He was the son of a powerful tribe and the inheritor of his great aunts knowledge. The black skull he had painted on his face matched the one he had painted on his flank. “No, shade, I am right where I want to be. Soon, my enemies will bow to me.” Twin shades crackled to life on either side of the zebra colt. One with glowing yellow orange eyes, the other with eyes the shade of a summer sunset.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It is said you must be cruel sometimes to be kind. This is a fallacy. In truth all kindness is cruelty in disguise.

It is a falsehood perpetrated by the powerful when they show mercy to the weak. The weak believe that mercy will always be an option and they come to expect it. When mercy is withheld they feel betrayed and secretly resent those who showed them kindness in the first place. Kindness makes them weaker, compounding their failure to grow strong.

Some are foolish enough to believe that kindness should be the norm, instead of the remarkable gift that it is. Failing to appreciate it they take it for granted. These sorry souls suffer needlessly. If you are cruel to them from the beginning, they will always know what to expect. They would grow hard and cruel as well, and if you did decide to be kind, it would be a shining jewel, a moment they would always treasure.

Kindness is self-perpetuating cruelty. You should have remembered that my Princess.

A Rose By Any Other Name

Snow falls, kissing the world gently with its shimmering softness. Mountains loom large to the east, sentinels lost in the cloudy heavens. A soft glow suffuses the world, a nimbus of blue light marking the presence of the moon behind the fluffy clouds. Trees and shrubs, grass and stone, all are encased in a thin sheath of ice from the freezing rain that came before the storm calmed, fierce needles of ice subsiding to frivolous flurries. The clouds part allowing the moon to shine fully, making the icy fields come alive with prismatic light. In the shadow of the mountains, rolling hills covered in trees rise. Moving swiftly through them come three little fillies wrapped tight in thick dark cloaks to keep out the chill.

“ We shouldn’t be out here Moonbolt. You know that it is forbidden to travel to the east.” Complained one filly, her teeth chattering from the cold. From under the heavy cloaks hood her unicorn horn glowed with a soft orange light. “More than that," Chided another, "This weather is terrible! You couldn’t be picking a worse time to be dragging Autumn out on one of your silly adventures.”

“No one asked you to come out here one eye. I only needed Autumn Glow to help me see through the worst of the darkness,” said the one that had to be Moonbolt as she spread little pegasus wings and started to hover. “Now the moon is high, you two foals can go back to the Sisters for all I care!”

“Except you know we’ll both be in trouble if you don’t come back as well. I know you’re going through a difficult time Moonbolt, but this is a bad idea...” The little dark filly flew down in a rage to confront the speaker, “You don’t know ANYTHING! You never HAD a mother! You have no idea how horrible it is to lose someone like that! You’re just some one eyed freak! You weren’t even born!” Autumn’s glow faded gently as she pulled her hood down over her eyes. “Please girls, don’t fight, not out here. We have enough problems as it is without you two going at it again.” The pegasus pony settled down slightly, “Look, I’m serious. You two can just go back now. The Sisters say that the spirits of those who die must pass through the mountains to reach the land of the dead, where the sun rests and the moon is a ghost. I just want to see it with my own eyes. If its true... I can see my mother one more time, and I’ll be happy. If it isn’t? I’m done with the Sisters, and I will see this ‘sun’, if it exists, with my own two eyes!”

The one eyed filly stamped her hoof, “I’m not a freak! Maybe I am an orphan, but I had a mother. Lady Selene said so! Lady Selene also said that these mountains are dangerous! It would be irresponsible of us to let you go on your own. Until you come to your senses and come back with us you’re stuck with us, isn’t that right Autumn?” The little filly peeked out from beneath her hood, curly red hair falling gently over eyes of soft orange. “I guess so Theia. I’ll try to be brave.” By now the mountains loomed close. The clouds had all but cleared away and it seemed the icy peaks touched the stars. Moonbolt grumbled, pulling back the hood of her cloak, the black ponies mane a scruffy blue that matched the light of the moon, “Whatever. Just don’t slow me down, earth pony.” As they began to climb, Theia muttered under her breath, “Not an earth pony... My horns just not grown in yet. Lady Selene said so...”

Three black cloaks moved slowly on against the forbidding white wastes, the mountains were more like a wall of ice than anything. The going was rough, especially after the storm, but after a time Moonbolt spotted a path that the ground bound ponies could use. Following its twists and turns through the trees, the trio of filly’s made slow but steady progress east. As the moon drew higher it grew brighter, until the light on the fresh fallen snow caused the night to be the brightest it ever became in these benighted lands. Theia and Autumn joked with each other and even Moonbolt was pulled into their conversations from time to time. But every time their talk turned back to returning to the safety of the Sisters of the Moon and the warm caverns that waited for them, the winged pony rebelled. Finally, she landed and turned on her friends. “The Sisters have been held up in their caves for over a thousand years! They’ve been down there eating mushrooms and skulking in the dark long before the ever snows came and their so called ‘sun’ ceased to shine! WHY!?” Autumn shook out her red mane and removed her soaking cloak, roughly hanging it over a tree limb to dry in a spot out of the chilling winds, while Moonbolt had her tantrum. Her white flanks almost as bright as the snow, a harvest moon large and orange upon them. “That is simple sister. We bide.” The darker pony seemed infuriated by this. “Bide for what!? A princess that will never return? A war that might not be fought in our lifetimes, or our foals, or our foal’s foals!? What did my mother die for!? So we can keep shivering in the moonlight waiting for a sign? The mare in the moon disappeared almost a hundred years ago, there will be no day of the moon, and no uprising of the chosen!” She paused in her tirade, rage quickly subsiding into despair. “If I go back now... I’ll never be able to spread my wings and fly. I’ll die here just like my mother.” She lifted her cloak over her head and let it fall carelessly to the ground. The mark on her flank, two crescent moons in the shape of a lightning bolt, caught the light of the moon as she spread her feathers in the chill night air and let it fill her wings, shaking out tiny ice crystals. “This is the closest thing to freedom we will ever have. Don’t you see, sisters?”

Theia kept her cloak wrapped tight around her as she spoke. “Freedom doesn’t mean much if you’re dead. Dying out there as a filly won’t be any better than dying in the caves of the Sisters. But..." The little filly sighed, exasperated, "You have a point Moonbolt. I have to admit I’ve wanted to see the world beyond the mountains too, even if it truly is a world of death as the Sisters claim. I’d like to see it with my eyes as well.” Autumn poked her playfully in her ribs. “Don't you mean your eye?” They all giggled at that. This trio had been together since Theia could remember, from her very earliest memories. Moonbolt had always given her a hard time about her origins, her missing eye, and her stunted horn, but Autumn seemed to genuinely care for her. The girls were meant to live and train together to become a tactical unit in the future. For what purpose only Lady Selene, the leader of the sect, seemed to know. Theia had stole on her matron once, when Moonbolt had picked on her a little more severely than usual. Crying, she’d run to her mistresses' quarters only to find other high ranking matrons deep in conversation with Selene. Their voices were hushed, but little Theia strained her ears to hear.

“It’s not too late to end this folly."

"There are other ways my lady!”

“Yes, the Lunar Republic grows stronger by the year."

"We will be able to take the lands of the usurper soon enough with our own power.”

“Everything has changed now sisters.” That was Lady Selene’s gentle tones. “Our enemy is no longer one we can hope to face on our own. We will need strong allies...ones who’s power is not to be questioned.” Her hoof brushed a large star sapphire that hung from her neck as she spoke. The other matrons bowed to her words.

“Hey, one eye! You day dreaming again!?” Moonbolt’s face was next to Theia’s, so close her scruffy blue mane tangled with Theia’s silver blond locks. The cream colored filly blushed, she had been daydreaming but she’d never admit it. Moonbolt laughed and started to tug at her cloak, trying to take it off. “Idiot, lecturing me for being stupid coming out here and you still have your soaking wet cloak on. Lets get this off of you before you catch your death.” Theia struggled against her, “No!” but her cloak fell to the snow. Theia was gangly, her silver blond curls a mess except for one spot on her forehead where a circular bald spot prevented any hair growth. And her flanks were completely blank. Moonbolt giggled as Theia’s blush deepened. “Oh I see! you’re still a little blank flank! No wonder you never take off your cloak except for when you’re going to bed!” Autumn sighed heavily, “Leave her alone Moonbolt. If we’re going to let the cloaks dry, we better make a fire. Gather up some wood and find a spot where the snow hasn’t fallen too thickly. If you must, you can torment Theia after we're at least warm and dry.”

Still snickering, Moonbolt gathered up pieces of dead wood and began to dump them in a nearby clearing leeward of a tall stone that blocked the biting wind. Before long Autumn had sparked a small fire and the filly’s warmed themselves as their cloaks dried. None would admit it to the others, but each were fairly tired. This was the furthest any of them had ever been from the sanctum of the Sisters and the gentle roar of the flames began to lull them into a dream like state. The fire light drove back the shadows. What the filly’s had thought to be a clearing turned out to be filled with blocks of stone. The one that their fire had been build against was not unique. As the girls watched, rivulets of water streamed down the stones face and it began to shrink. Theia was the first to see what lay beneath.

“Uh...girls...do you see what I see?” The rock was not a stone after all. It was a block of ice...or more accurately a pony frozen in place. Not saying a word, Moonbolt lifted a burning brand from the fire. Bringing the light closer it was clear that the pony had been dead for a long time, the ice had done little to conceal its rot. The pegasus pony moved swiftly, fluttering from block to block, wiping away snow and exposing the ice beneath. Ever last ‘stone’ in the clearing was the frozen body of a dead pony; some ponies were standing, others huddled over, still others half buried in the ice below their feet. It wasn’t until she came to the last one that she let out a gasp of suprise and horror. “What, what is it?” Autumn stammered nervously, already terrified by this grizzly discovery. “It’s her... The Sisters told the truth, this is where the dead come. My mothers here... Under the ice.” It was so, beneath their hooves lay a vast frozen pond. The ‘path’ they had followed here must have once been a small stream leading from this spring. The frozen eyes of the dead gaped wide, staring up at the little fillies. “I think we need to leave. Now.” Theia grabbed her half dried cloak and wriggled back into it. “No. How could the Sisters do this? What kind of burial is this for my mother? She deserved more than this watery grave.” Moonbolt stamped her hoof angrily. “They have no right to do this to ponies!” Autumn tried to comfort her, “They must have a reason sister. Let us return and ask them. I’m sure they had a perfectly reasonable explanation for...” Moonbolt interrupted her, savagely pushing her away. “For what!? Leaving my mothers body to freeze in the wilderness!?”

A sound of crackling came from the direction of the fire. Its light was slowly fading away. “Uh, girls...” Theia finally managed to get the angry Moonbolt and the concerned Autumns attention, “What one eye!?” The fire had almost completely died, a black smudge in a pool of water, but it managed to illuminate the face of the dead pony as the last of the ice slid away from its face. It was gaunt, pale and lifeless, half of the flesh on one side of its skull missing...but its eyes were alive! They glowed from within with a violet light as they thawed. With a crack, the ice encasing the rest of the dead pony shattered as it shook itself free. Hunks of dead flesh breaking away with the ice, she spoke in a sweet, high pitched tone, “Oooooohhh... So good to move again! Thank you so much little fillies!” Flesh moved stiffly over exposed bone. Magical energy vibrated down the length of the undead creature, pink sparks of glittering all over the ponies dessicated frame. Light spilled from its eyes and mouth as it stumbled through the fire, the dying flames licking the last few shards of ice away, and roaring to life again as it engulfed dead flesh. The putrid stench of roasting meat filled the air as the burning creature turned its head back and forth, as if unaware it burned. “Mmm...something smells good. Do you smell that?” The dead thing lit up the ice, its burning melting away the ice all around it, causing the thin sheet to creak beneath her hooves. It seemed to slip, fumbling on the newly melted layer of water and smacked into a nearby tree. Ice and water fell, but still she burned...the flame passing from her to the trees. Soon it and the fillies were surrounded by a slowly expanding ring of fire.

A voice came, dry as dead leaves, but very similar to the first as more ice broke around the fillies. “Yesss...” More and more of the dead ponies were breaking loose from their blocks of ice. Those frozen under the pond stayed put, but that was little comfort to the terrified fillies as the dead literaly came to life before their eyes. High pitched, childish laughter came from all around them. “Hey, you know what calls for? Time to party!” A pony without a scrap of skin to cover its flesh leaned close to the trio and smiled...it had little choice having no lips anymore. “You three look good enough to eat...” Without a moments warning it snapped a chunk of flesh from Autumns shoulder, ripping a hunk free viciously as the little filly screamed. Upon seeing this Moonbolt spread her wings and flew wailing into the night. Theia was frozen to the spot with fear, but seeing the blood streaming down her friends shoulder, she grabbed her and ran as fast as she could, slipping and sliding over the melting ice as dead bodies floated up and burst through the partially melted surface all around them. The childish laughter followed behind them.

“Oh a game, I love games! Hide and seek!”

“Ready or not, here I come!”

“Come out come out where ever you are!”

The woods were alive with laughter, the undead ponies moving swiftly through the trees, eyes glowing ultraviolet in the darkness. A few here and there were easier to spot, sheets of flame washing over their bodies without fully consuming them. They were behind Theia and Autumn, beside them, in front of them. Autumn’s wound left a trail of blood for them to follow but Theia wouldn’t abandon her friend. Dodging, running as fast as they could, the terrified fillies had no idea which way they were going except away. Away from the laughing dead who all spoke in the same voice, who all had the same magic and madness in their dead eyes. The cream colored pony skidded to a stop in the snow, stuffing her friend inside the hollow of a tree and covering them both with her cloak. In mere moments the thunder of hoofs rocketing past them filled the forest. The laughter faded into the distance, but the stench of burning putrefied flesh still clung thickly to the air. The forest was aflame not far off, but here seemed safe enough...for now.

Panting, Theia looked over her friends wound. It was bad...she’d been bitten to the bone and it was obvious she’d lost a lot of blood as they’d been running. Her flanks were slick and her moon mark had been dyed a deep crimson on one side. Theia tore off a strip of her cloak and tied it tight around the bite to try and staunch the flow of anymore blood, but it was clear her friend was in no condition to move further, her eyes glassy and legs trembling. “Just... Just stay here. They’ve gone now. I’ll go get help okay? Just stay awake, you’ll be okay. I’ll be back soon. Just stay awake!” Theia looked left and right, but she couldn’t find the trail that had lead them up into the mountains. She new if she followed their hoof prints back she’d eventually come to the clearing where they had come from...but there was no way she was going back there. Without a clear direction to go in, she looked up, hoping to see Moonbolt hovering nearby, but she was already long gone. Only the stars shone in a now moonless sky. She couldn’t even look to the maiden moon for guidance. But maybe... Theia studied the stars closely. They were familiar to her, from all the times she had watched Moonbolt darting through the darkness. If that red one was there, then that little cluster of stars were to the north. If she turned in the direction of ursa minor, she could head west, out of the mountains and to the caverns of the Sisters of the moon.

Stars reflecting in her one good eye, she didn’t see Autumn come up on her blind side until the filly stumbled into her. “Autumn, I told you to stay put!” Autumn Glow's eyes shone, but not as they usually did. “Theia,” she whispered in a dry, rattling voice that turned sickeningly sweet on the last syllable. From deep within her eyes, pink light shone. “Olly olly oxen free, little cutie!” Theia kicked her friend square in the face and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The high pitched laughter of the dead came from all around her. Tears streaming from her eye as she ran and ran until she finally left the mountains far behind her. The laughter just followed, dogging her ever step. She finally stumbled, falling down a steep hill and crashing into a snow bank. Glowing pink eyes gathered around her as she tried to rise. They had never been far away, they had only been teasing her, and now the fun was truly done. “Game over! Don’t worry Theia, it doesn’t hurt to be dead.” Autumn was with them, bloody spittle flecked her mouth. The others nibbled at her, peeling off hunks of flesh as the little filly just smiled and giggled. When her stomach burst, spilling her entrails on the ground, Theia thought she’d vomit, watching the ponies worry them like starving dogs. More of the dead were gathering to feed on her, some still burning in patches over their flesh. Others crowded around Theia, a look of delighted anticipation on their dead features as those that still had tongues ran them over black, desiccated gums.

Suddenly the night was flooded by bolts of lightning raining down from the heavens. Those undead nearest Theia were blown backwards by the force of the blast, and those not already burning certainly were now. Still, as the thunder faded, they rose, some in bits and pieces others whole but aflame. All of them laughing, they chorused in sing song voices, “Ashes to ashes we all fall down! What a great party game. AGAIN!” Lady Selene glared at the gathering of burning flesh, her eyes radiating dark power beneath her hood as she spoke, “You’re kidding right?” From the jewel studded heavens lighting poured down again, more fiercely this time, reducing each of the abominations to so much charred ash...even the little creature who had been Autumn Glow. Theia cowered from the light and the noise, shuddering with great racking sobs that shook her entire body.

Selene commanded the Sisters around her to put the fires out and dispatch any of the horrors that might still be lurking in the forest, then knelt in the snow next to the quivering filly. “Shh...its going to be okay little one. Its going to be okay.” Acolytes of the Sisters moved around them, gathering the ashes and scooping them into metal canisters. “What were they?” whimpered Theia, “They...they got in Autumns head. They were eating her even though she was one of them...they wanted to eat me!” Lady Selene nuzzled her mane and spoke soothingly to her. “They are the soldiers of the Twilight. The army of the dead who have claimed the world beyond the night. But you have no need to fear them here. The cold and the mountains hold them at bay. You’re safe now little one.” Lady Selene smiled serenely down on Theia. Then her face melted like ice, leaving behind nothing but a naked skull and pink glowing eyes. “The party is over Theia.” She then took a delicate bite out of Theia's little face.

Gasping, Theia woke in darkness and blind terror. She was about to scream when a silencing hoof was placed over her mouth. She struggled for a moment, but then saw that the hoof belonged to Sergeant Major Scootaloo. Memories from the last few days flooded back to her as she calmed down. Theia and the remnant of the Dawn’s Light Crusaders had traveled as close to Ponyville as they dared. Rolling over, Theia gazed out a half open door, looking at the rotting carbuncle in the distance as it sat like a blight on the world. The town was a blaze of light twenty four hours a day, spot lights of every imaginable color sweeping back and forth across the sky. Colorful lanterns, made from pony skins, blazed at all hours. Music, at turns loud and discordant and happy and sparkling, floated from the town. So did the screams and the stench of death, even from this distance. It seemed that Ponyville had been turned into an eternal party for the damned, brightly painted skulls and decorative bones hanging from every building. Blood coated nearly every surface, the town had literally been painted red, though most of it was brown and peeling now or black with flies. The insects swarmed so thickly that there was a constant background buzz whenever the music stopped long enough for there to be anything close to resembling silence.

The Crusaders had hunkered down in an old silo just on the outskirts of town in what seemed to have once been some kind of farm. It was hard to tell what the farm had been used for before as all of the fields were filled with rocks and the actual farm house was in shambles. The silo had long since been turned over to rats, but it was safer than sleeping out in the open, so the troop had stopped there to rest and resupply their water from the farms well. Theia had dreamed. It had been a long time since she had thought about the night she earned the mark on her flank. She hadn’t thought of her filly-hood friends Autumn Glow or Moonbolt in all that time. The soldiers of the Twilight on the other hand had haunted her every nightmare. Sometimes they would be the charred, skeletal creatures she dreamed about tonight, laughing and chasing her through burning woods. Sometimes they would simply call to her from under the ice, and pull her down into those watery depths to be trapped with them. As Lady Selene had explained to her, extreme temperatures were the only real defense against the soldiers. The girls had stumbled upon a burial sight for those tainted by the Twilight. If they hadn’t lit their fire there it might be Moonbolt and Autumn Glow questing with Theia now instead of the Crusaders.

Immobilizing the children of the Twilight could be accomplished, but It was almost impossible to completely destroy one without shredding it to tiny pieces. They didn’t burn easily, were resistant to most magic, and could still attack you even while in pieces if the hunks were large enough to allow mobility. The Legion of Twilight was truly fearsome, dominating cities in a matter of hours. But what was truly terrifying about them was not that they killed, but that they added to their ranks with each victim. It was said even those that they ate would rise partway through the meal as bone and sinew, just as hungry as their more fleshly brethren, laughing and joking even as they ate and were eaten in kind. Against that kind of monster and in numbers that appeared to reach well into the tens of thousands, what hope could their little band possibly have?

Even so, they did seem to have one weakness, and it wasn’t until about the third day of observation that they spotted it. Sergeant Belle was the first to notice that once every day for about an hour the town would quiet. The lights would dim, the music would stop, and a display of fireworks would fill the sky over the town. During this time it seemed all the Twilight ponies would gather in the town square. To what purpose none of the scouts had dared draw close enough to find out. They had also discovered that the old town library still stood. Though it was near the town square, it was still far enough away that they did not spot any undead near the building until after the hour was up. If they timed their infiltration just right, they might be able to use the window of opportunity to get into town, find the spell, and get out before anypony was the wiser.

Almost as soon as the plan was hatched, there arose a snag. Sergeant Belle and Theia were the only surviving unicorns in their group, but only Theia had any training with casting any spells other than her specialties. The problem was, Theia’s training made her better suited to recon; to keep an eye on the undead and warn the others when they were coming back. Sergeant Belle on the other hand would be the most capable at defending them if they were discovered, her voice likely being the only thing in their arsenal that could quickly and completely obliterate the enemy by vibrating them to pieces, but she was not skilled enough with her magic to manage much else aside from levitation. Regardless, they would both need some kind of backup, and Scootaloo wasn’t about to let them go in without her, especially given pegusus ponies higher survival rate against the usually ground bound soldiers of the Twilight. The three argued dramatically over who should do what, when, and with whom helping them.

Finally an agreement was reached. Theia and Scootaloo would infiltrate the town square, Theia in her shadow form and Scootaloo keeping to the rooftops. If something happened to either of them the idea was the other could report back. They would discover what was distracting the children of the Twilight and rendezvous with the others to share their discoveries. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and two Privates would infiltrate the library and find the book containing the spell. They could all then meet back up at the farm, and from there figure out how to cast the spell. The bulk of the rest of the team would standby at the farm. If no one reported back, Corporal Wintergreen was to take charge and they were to rejoin the armies of dawn and inform them of what had happened. Hopefully it would not come to that, but they had to be prepared for the worst case scenario. The fourth day hiding on the farm they made their preparations. On the fifth, they went into action.

Bloated corpses mingled with ponies who barely had any flesh draped over their bones, dressed in party hats and dresses made from flesh and bone. Each and every last one munched excitedly on cakes and pies that clearly contained more meat than sugar. Theia didn’t know where they had found the two colts that were tied at the head of the horrible banquet table as guests of honor, all she knew is they were already dead. One had been sliced open and his organs removed so that from his chest down he had little more than a spinal cord and pelvis. The other had already started to turn, eyes alive with pink light, laughing and joking with the dead as they shared his friends still steaming parts. Theia and the soldiers of the dawn had seen this all before, but it made it no less sickening. Music was still pounding, a nearby DJ with the remnants of a blue mane and her skull cleaned of all but a few trace amounts of flesh under her sunglasses picked tracks at random on what appeared to be a hastily constructed stage. It didn’t seem to Theia that the dead cared what was playing, so long as it was loud and fast.

Sergeant Major Scootaloo had found herself cover in a nearby tree festooned with intestines like streamers. It wasn’t the most pleasant smelling spot, but it afforded good cover while still allowing her to talk to Theia who hid in the trees shadow. There was no point in trying to whisper, the loud music made it so they couldn’t hear what the dead were saying, it seemed safe enough to assume they couldn’t hear them. “When are they supposed to gather up, Scootaloo?” Theia asked. Scootaloo glanced at a watch set in her armor, “Anytime now Theia. I hope Sergeant Belle and the others are ready to move. I think I’m seeing movement behind the curtains on the stage, this is probably it.” Sure enough, as soon as she said that the music died. The DJ bowed to the applause of the dead and took her leave of the stage, stopping to bite a hunk out of the face of one of the dead colts, eyes flaring pink behind her sunglasses as the others cheered. As she left, soldiers of the Twilight began to stream into the town square from various buildings in every direction. Those at the table sat up expectantly, all attention on the stage for the first time since they'd been 'entertaining' the colts, ignoring the flesh they’d glutted themselves on.

It began with a blast of fireworks and a roar of sound. “Gather round Lords and Ladies of Twilight to marvel at the magnificent, the stupendous, the AMAZING TRIXIE!” Theia and Scootaloo’s mouths dropped open at the same time. There on the stage was a completely normal looking unicorn, if you counted being decked out in star studded cape and hat, smiling at the applause of the dead normal. “That's right! The Great and Powerful Trixie is here before you again this evening to marvel you with sights unseen, with feats no other unicorn in Equestria could hope to match! Watch now as Trixie dazzles you with displays of her awesome might!” Small bolts of lightning rained down on the stage and flashed out into the audience. The undead merely giggled as one after the other were zapped, the spell too weak to do any real damage to them. What in the hay was going on here? The magician never skipped a beat launching into the next routine, she began to perform simple magic tricks, manifesting flowers from a roll of paper, performing other illusions involving pigeons and rabbits, and her performance finally culminating in what she referred to as the ‘Liberation of Equestria” . It was a display in fireworks depicting a monstrous pony stomping Canterlot as well as the Twilight Queen and her followers, and a diminutive Trixie cheering them on.

“Only the Great and Powerful Trixie would be brave enough to entertain the Legions of the Twilight not for five, but fifty years in a row without rest! But now, the show ends and she must go!” The blue and sparkling unicorn trotted off stage, only to be surrounded by grinning ‘fans’ who drove her back. “Er... But come back tomorrow night, Lords and Ladies of Twilight, for my fair well performance! My eighteen thousandth, five hundred and fifty first...” The cheers of the dead were deafening, drowning out the despair in Trixie’s voice. Scootaloo and Theia had been so shocked by what they had observed they almost didn’t notice that the crowd was breaking up. Scootaloo called down to Theia, “Hurry, warn the others that they need to retreat!” But even as she spoke, Theia was shaking her head. “No, I didn’t say anything before because I didn’t think we had a choice, but my horns too small for any really big spells. I have the know how but lack the raw power. That pony, Trixie, she’d be perfect for casting the spell we need to get to Cloudsdale. I’ll rescue her, you warn the others!” The pegasus pony looked as if she was going to argue, then nodded her head and took off like a shot, soaring high into the air so she wouldn’t be spotted until she needed to land.

Taking a deep breath, Theia concentrated on willing herself intangible, and slipped along the ground as a shadow. She moved beneath the hooves of the dead. If her concentration faltered now, or her magic failed her, she’d be torn to pieces in seconds. If she were lucky. Silent as any shade, she followed Trixie back to a wagon that apparently served as her dressing room and prison while not performing. Two Twilight unicorns guarded the entrance, one tall and gangly, the other diminutive and fat. Both spoke excitedly in the exact same voice, praising Trixie the Great and Powerful as she entered her prison. Theia slipped in behind her. Once the door was firmly closed and it was clear they were alone, the daughter of the moon willed herself solid with a sigh of relief. Immediately she was thrown to the dressing room floor, a hoof pressed firmly over her mouth. Trixie’s face was inches from hers, a look of panic and madness in her eyes that hadn’t been there while she’d been on stage.

“How did you get in here?” she whispered with an angry hiss, “don't you realize what trouble you’re going to cause me? They’ll be crawling in here with their filthy, rotting hooves looking for you any minute now. This is the one place I don’t have to look at them, smell them, touch them, taste them, feel them all around me laughing and smiling and, and.. Why did you have to come now? I’m leaving tomorrow! Or perhaps the day after that. Or maybe I'll stay until the day just after that.. Or even the one after that...” Theia finally had enough and pushed the hysterical pony away. “Would you calm down? There’s no way you can get out of here by yourself. But I can get us out the same way I was able to get in if you’ll just stop freaking out long enough for me to help you!” Trixie crouched in a corner of her trailer. After trembling like that for a moment she suddenly straightened and shook herself slightly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie apologizes. It’s been awhile since she has seen another living pony,or least one not being eaten alive." She narrowed sparkling eyes, cool and collected as she had appeared on stage. "How can the Magnificent Trixie be of aid to you, poor deluded pony?”

Theia didn’t much care for her tone, but figured this was better than the nervous wreck that had thrown her to the floor. “You can help me by using that power of yours to cast a spell for my friends and I. We plan on getting out of Ponyville as soon as possible and you’re welcome to come with us. Or you can stay here and do another farewell performance for the ‘Lords and Ladies’ of Twilight.” Trixie actually seemed to consider what course of action to take before finally answering, “It would be a crime to deprive the world of the greatest unicorn to ever live. I will accompany you, for the sake of all those who have yet to witness the Amazing Trixie!” Rolling her eyes, Theia stood up and held out her hoof. At first Trixie didn’t understand what she intended, but then Theia grabbed the magical unicorn's hoof and concentrated. “if you can lend me a bit of your power it will help stabilize the spell. It may feel a little cold, but it's safer than trying to walk out of here. Just stay close to me okay?”

A nimbus of magical energy engulfed the two ponies as Trixie fed her magic into Theia’s spell. The two ponies turned translucent and shadowy, and before long they were completely insubstantial. Trixie had never seen the shadow realm before, and at first it looked to Theia that she was going to break down again. Instead the Powerful Trixie walked through the wall of her wagon without pausing. She stuck her head back through the wall. “Excuse me, hayseed, but are you going to be leading the Great and Powerful Trixie, or following me? Only you’ve not told her where she can find your friends.” Grinding insubstantial teeth, Theia lead the way.

When they were next visible and tangible, they were far away from Ponyville and its horrible inhabitants. After a few moments, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Private Jonathan, and Private Rising Sun appeared from a copse of trees where they had agreed to meet. Theia was thrilled to see that they had all made it out of that death trap alive and in one piece. “Were you able to find the book with the spell Sergeant Belle?” The white unicorn levitated a book towards Theia, flipping to a page that detailed all a pony needed to know in order to walk upon clouds. A simple spell, though the one to actually fly looked very advanced. “This is perfect! Lets get back to the others. We’ll be able to set out to Cloudsdale by moonrise!” Behind her Trixie cleared her throat.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for your small assistance, but now that we have left the confines of Ponyville, I must bid you simple folk good day! The Amazing Trixie has better things to do than make ponies fly.” She went to walk away but Scootaloo landed roughly in front of her, blocking her path. The two privates moved in swiftly, flanking her so she couldn’t bolt. “I don’t think so, traitor. Theia here as good as saved your life! I don't know what you’ve been doing with those undead abominations, but I’m thinking you watched a lot of innocent folk die over the years and didn’t lift a hoof to help them. Well its payback time, and I’m gonna see you pay in full or my names not Sergeant Major Scootaloo!”

“How dare you! The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot be held to the standards of you weak and pathetic country ponies! You had best let her pass, or feel her wrath!” A spark of magic licked along the curl of her horn. Without warning she was suddenly pounded by a sonic scream. Sergeant Belle had cut loose, flattening the Great and Powerful Trixie to the ground like a pancake. “There’s more to being a unicorn than power and prestige. You must also be dignified and graceful. A Unicorn without these qualities is barely a unicorn at all. Have you not grace enough to repay your debts?” Sergeant Belle glared down at Trixie the not so magnificent, a spark of magic in her eyes and thunder in her voice. As powerful as Trixie might be, these were hardened warriors of the Dawn's Light Crusade. If they wanted her to go somewhere, that's where she was going to go. Trixie stood up slowly, brushing the dirt of her magnificent cloak. “Very well. I suppose the Great and Powerful Trixie can spare a few moments more for you. Lead on.”

By the time they made it back to the rock farm, the moon was already peeking over the horizon, large and red. The ponies opened up the door to the old silo and marched in triumphantly. “Great news everyone! Our mission was completely successful!” Corporal Wintergreen greeted them with a smile. “That’s wonderful news. We should throw a party!” The inside of the silo was a slaughter house. Pieces of ponies were scattered on the floor and blood was smeared all over the walls. Only Corporal Wintergreen appeared whole, eyes blazing bright pink, but when she turned her head, you could see that the back of it was missing, what was left of her brain exposed in the the ragged recess of her skull. “Come on everypony! Its time to party!” A cheer went up from the half eaten corpses that had been the Crusaders. An old phonograph played a cheery tune as two monotone female Twilight ponies danced together, their long manes intertwining with each other, flecked with blood and dripping with gore. Almost immediately a grinning corpse latched itself onto Rising Sun. The pony didn’t even have time to scream before he was pulled down and ripped apart by many hungry maws.

“RETREAT!” the frantic screech from Scootaloo snapped Theia and the others out of their shock. They ran out of the silo, but in the light of the harvest moon glowing pink eyes could be seen massing all around the farm. The only defensible position seemed to be the ruined farmhouse, so they ran there as fast as possible. The structure had no roof and the walls were sagging, there was no way they could hold out there for long. “Trixie, we need you to cast that flying spell now!” The Great and Powerful Trixie read over the book, but it was already clear that she had suffered another break down. “You expect me to cast this under these conditions? I’m not sure I can manage it once, let alone four times! Fifty long years I kept from being devoured by those monsters and in one night you dash it all. Years of planning, wasted. What was it all for!?” Sergeant Scootaloo smacked her across the cheek, “Snap out of it! Jonathan, Sweetie Belle, buy us some time. Trixie, focus on casting that spell on Theia. Once that’s done you two can work together on the others while I hold off the Twilight!”

The soldiers of the Dawn moved into action immediately. Jonathan hurled bombs as fast as he could as the teaming hordes of undead gathered. The explosions weren’t massive, but the shock-waves were enough to shattered one or two into to pieces while any hit directly by the blast evaporated into a pink mist. A head sailed through the air squealing happily, “Yay! More fireworks!” Sergeant Belle on the other hand began to sing a dirge that vibrated deep inside every ponies bones. It made the living uncomfortable, but the dead who wandered into her vocal range began tremble, great hunks of flesh sliding off of bone as they were reduced to quivering jelly. Even so they just kept coming, some nothing but skeletons by the time they were in range of the Crusaders lances. Trixie, meanwhile, had begun to chant. Her curling horn shone brightly, and in a bright flash of magic, the spell was complete. A pair of beautiful butterfly wings spread...from Trixie’s back. Laughing haughtily she took to the air. “Trixie is truly Magnificent! While you poor, brave ponies die for her, she will escape into the skies! Good Luck and fair well!” Trixie rose into the sky, wings gleaming in the moonlight. A lance pierced her wings and the delicate enchantment popped like a soap bubble, sending the spell caster plummeting back to the farms rotting floor.

“I thought you might try something like that,” said Scootaloo angrily, “Now get up and cast the spell right this time, or it won’t be your wings my lance pierces next!” Tears were welling up in Trixie’s eyes, but she began to cast again. This time Theia stepped in and put her hooves on Trixie's shoulders. As there horns touched a pair of feathered wings, rather than butterfly ones, sprouted from their backs. Trixie seemed amazed by this, but Theia just smiled grimly. “In its natural form that spell looks rather weak for all that power expenditure...but two ponies power should be enough to make it stronger. We need to get the others in here fast Scootaloo!” The Sergeant nodded and flew to aid the others. That’s when Trixie smashed Theia in the back of her skull sending her to the floor. No dramatic words of parting, no boasts of power, Trixie simply fled with her new wings pounding the sky for all they were worth.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Sergeant Belle were surrounded. Sweetie Belle's voice had grown ragged and it seemed the longer she sang the more accustomed the abominations became to her voice. Some were laughing and dancing to it now, a ring tightening ever closer around the haggard Crusaders. “Ring around the roses, a pocket full of posies, ashes to ashes, we all fall DOWN!” On the last word the soldiers of Twilight lunged at the two fatigued warriors. Jonathan covered Sweetie Belle with his body, but he couldn’t stifle a scream as the mouths of the dead tore hunks from his hide. Scootaloo dived to the earth, using the momentum to sweep away the dead with her lance, but the damage had already been done. “Get... Sergeant Belle out of here. I’m done, Sarge. Get miss Theia out of here too, ya hear?” His eyes were already starting to glow violet, but he managed a grin that was more suitable for his face than the rictus worn by the Legion of Twilight. He pulled the largest bomb Scootaloo had ever seen out of his pack, smaller ones clustered around it. “Best get to moseying now. I plan on going out with a bang!” Scootaloo leaned in and kissed Private Jonathan before she realized what she was doing. Blood leaking from his mouth, Jonathan’s smile grew wider as his commanding officers took to the sky.

Carrying Sweetie Belles unconscious body as she flew, Scootaloo found Theia back at the farmhouse, but Trixie and the book of spells were long gone. Theia was just coming back around, her new wings twitching. “We’ve got to move Theia, get up and FLY!” In mere moments the lands around the old rock farm turned from evening to day for the first time in a century. The fire ball rose into the sky, and those agents of Twilight who were not incinerated outright gazed in awe and applauded in appreciation. They didn’t notice the ponies flying away into the east. all in all, it had been a fantastic evenings diversion for the relentless dead.

“So what are we going to do now?” Theia’s wings were tucked under her cloak. She didn’t know how long they would last, but she kept feeding them magic to try and stabilize them. She probably wouldn’t be able to use any other magic for awhile for fear of exhausting the enchantment. Scootaloo sat dejectedly by Sergeant Belle. Her friend still hadn’t awakened even though there was no sign of any external wounds. “We? I can’t leave Sweetie Belle like this. I lost all the other soldiers under my command...I can’t lose her." the Sergeant Major sighed, feathery locks of her mane dropping over sad eyes. "I’m going to fly her to Chimeron and report in to my superiors. I’m sorry Theia...but if you’re still going to Cloudsdale you’re going to have to go on your own. Without that spell book we can’t cast the flying spell again. You need to leave before the enchantments run its course.” Theia nodded. Scootaloo made a lot of sense sometimes.

“But don’t you dare think this means I’m out of the fight, Theia! If Rainbow Dash needs help, you can bet I’ll be there as soon as I can with a battalion of pegasus ponies and, heck, maybe even a griffin or two! You haven’t seen the last of Sergeant Major Scootaloo and Sergeant Sweetie Belle!” Her brave words made Theia smile, even though she doubted she’d get any help once she made it to Cloudsdale. With so many having sacrificed themselves for her, Theia had to seize this opportunity even if it was going to be a great risk. “Here,” Scootaloo handed Theia her battered helmet, “Use this to cover up that stub of a horn of yours. I don’t think Cloudsdale is going to forget the last time there were any flying ponies. Just try to keep a low profile until I get there, okay?” The daughter of the moon nodded and her eyes teared up a little, but she shook herself and with a shuddering sigh said, “Thank you...both of you for all you’ve done. Be sure to tell Sweetie Belle that when she wakes up.” The Sergeant smiled and shook her head yes. Theia put on Scootaloo’s helmet and spreading her wings, took to the sky.

“Trixie the Magnificent Flying Unicorn! Why didn’t I think of doing this years ago!? Everyone will be so impressed by Trixie’s daring and power!” The babbling magician reclined on a cloud, wings spread wide as she admired them. “Clearly Trixie is a genius without equal, the greatest unicorn, no, the greatest flying pony in all of Equestria!” A sound like metal scraping on bones was completely lost on Trixie. But the hollow voice that came from behind her shocked her into silence.

“I remember you. Still full of yourself, huh?” Trixie turned slowly, eyes going wide at the skeletal pegasus that stood on the cloud behind her, sheathed in blue flame, eyes like cold stars gazing down on her. The creature was bound from hoof to rainbow tail in coarse, charred wire and red hot hunks of jagged black metal. The fleshless skull grinned, eyes blazing like nova in her otherwise empty sockets. “I think I said once before that we don’t need you hanging around, acting like you’re better than the rest of us. Not when I’m here, being better than the rest of you.” Trixie panicked, wings pulsing clumsily as she tried to get away. “First time flier? Doesn’t look to me like you’ve got a lot of reason to strut around and show off. But then, that is my job.” The skeletal pony let Trixie fly a little farther, floundering in the air, trying to get her wings to carry her as far and fast as possible. It wouldn’t be enough. "Twilight said that maybe someday you'd learn your lesson...what better day than today?"

“After all...” the skeletal pony exploded from the the cloud where she stood, a blazing blue comet, her rainbow colored mane streaming behind her. She closed the gap between herself and Trixie in ten seconds flat. As she passed her, a massive sonic rainboom rimmed with blue fire exploded in her wake. The vacuum left in her wake sucked the cloak off Trixie's body, followed swiftly by her skin and then her flesh, sending the hapless pony plummeting to the ground far below in a cloud of freezing scarlet droplets of blood. “They don’t call me Rainbow, and Death, for nothing.” The pony once known as Rainbow Dash sped through the skies without glancing back, leaving a fiery rainbow spiraling in her wake. Something once so cheerful now a grim portent to all of Equestria.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m growing weary of this correspondence with you. You never answer back except in screams and sobs. Why can’t you laugh and play like my new children? Our reunion should have been joyous, but instead you tried to fight.

Can’t you hear it? In the hollow laughter of the dead...there are echoes of the seeds you planted on that day so long ago. You have no one to blame but yourself, dear Princess. It was your decision to continue the lottery...to delay the inevitable fate of Equestria with illusions, smoke and mirrors.

If you’d only been able to laugh at your reality you might not be wracked with screams now. This is a lesson you desperately need to learn.

Keep that in mind, my sweetest Princess.

Rainbow in the Dark

High above above the world, floating serenely among the clouds, there once was a beautiful town known to its inhabitants as Cloudsdale. Long ago, it was home to a factory that was responsible for all the wondrous weather in Equestria. Night and day the diligent denizens of this town would work hard, creating snow, rain, fog and beautiful rainbows. This was not to last, however, for with the coming of Twilight the seasons ended. The factory was in turn rendered almost inoperable, incapable of producing the gentle weather it had produced before. Rain, snow, and fog, where they existed at all, were now wild things. Cloudsdale became a dark, dreary place, its columns of cloud twisting into dark thunderheads constantly alive with lightning. To the east rays of sunlight barely kiss the clouds, while to the west pink and purple lights dance across the skies.

However, Cloudsdale did still have its use for one particular pony, as did its abandoned weather factory. The old, rusted doors opened wide once more after but a few decades, but where gentle rainbows had been made before now there were produced bolts of lightning, massive icicles, brutal tornadoes and razor sharp winds. In the deep blue sky, dark clouds pour from the flickering factory windows as acid rain and shards of ice fall from the sky. All this at the bidding of one pony. Why you might ask? Well, long before Twilight fell, preparations of a different sort would have been underway. This would have been a time of great sportsmanship and spectacle, when The Young Fliers Competition had been annually held. It was a competition to see who was the best, the fastest, most graceful flier in the Equestrian skies. Though the spectacle of the event was maintained, its purpose, sportsmanship, and very nature had dramatically changed. That was all thanks to the ruler of Cloudsdale, the right hand of the Twilight Queen, the dread Rainbow Death.

Her slaves work diligently making terrifying weather that can sow only death for her signature special event...

“Fillies and Gentlecolts! Welcome, to the the ninety first annual RAINBOW DEATH RACE! That’s right, our beloved leader is proud to bring to you, her loyal subjects of Cloudsdale, the greatest competition ever conceived in Equestria! Right here in Cloudsdale’s very own Cloudosseum!” The announcer’s voice blared through the Colosseum, the stands filled with pegasus ponies who cheered loud and enthusiastically, as was required by law. Each section was flanked by large black pegasus pony wearing the purple and black garb of the Shadowbolts, Rainbow’s personal enforcers. They would see that any pony not cheering loudly enough would scream very loudly indeed. The Colosseum itself was aglow with new minted lightning that ran up and down the dark columns in darts and flashes. As a source of light it proves both decorative and functional, for it had the added benefit of roasting alive any who might dare defy the Shadowbolt’s edict.

“Lets all give a warm welcome to this years judges, the fabulous WONDERBOLTS!” In soared a troop of ponies in yellow and blue garb, goggles pulled firmly over their eyes as they soared over the Colosseum leaving a trail of thunderclouds in their wake. All save one, who instead left a burning rainbow trailing behind her. The cheering grew frantically loud at the site of those flaming colors. The second annual Rainbow Death Race had been held without an audience, as Rainbow had deemed the cheering to be too soft to bother with and killed each of the audience members as well as her Shadowbolts one by one. There were still stains on a few of the clouds from the horrible mess that had made. No one wanted to see a repeat of that, so even the hooded giants whistled and shouted. As the judges took their seats, the announcer turned to the dais of honor.

“This year we’re proud to bring you a special guest. The ruler of Equestria herself, the Queen of Twilight!” For the first time in years the Cloudosseum grew deathly quiet. No one had ever seen the Twilight Queen and lived to tell the tale, or so it was said. For some this seemed to be an amazing honor, for others it was a nightmare coming to life. All watched speechless as massive purple and green dragon burst through the clouds and towered over the Colosseum, gigantic black claws tearing deep into the fluffy edge of the building. He wasn’t even flying, he was simply that large, his sinuous neck curling down to hover over the dais. Cradled amongst the beasts curling horns was a form swathed in shadow streaming from mane and tail. As she stood, the crown of unicorn horns upon her head sparkled under the stars. Raw magic glowed in her eyes as she gently alighted upon the dais overlooking the racetrack as the dragon who had borne her disappeared back under the clouds. The Queen of Twilight was much larger than any pony any of the spectators had ever seen before, yet her body was twisted. Polished bone jutting from her flesh where her joints met. Glowing veins of energy arched from cracks in her flesh, the glow the most feverish around a gaping hole in her chest that pulsed rhythmically. Her wings were the most horrible of all, flayed flesh stretched tight between bat-like bones. Her every move was elegant and graceful but her appearance made a mockery of her poise. It was all many ponies could do not to throw up at the sight of her, while others simply trembled where they sat.

“Greetings all,” called the Queen, her voice soft and oddly musical, carrying easily through the building. A smile played over her dead features as she looked out over the crowd gripped in fear. “Let the race... Begin!” Habit overwhelmed fear and instinct, and the crowd cheered. Even the announcer had been shocked into silence by the Queen’s appearance, it took him a moment to recover enough to do his job.

“Ahem. Lets meet this years contestants! First up, hailing from Cloudsdale, the one and only original Wonderbolt to survive the ascension of our beloved leader, Spitfire!” As the crowd cheered, a small pegasus detached herself from the honor guard surrounding Rainbow Death. Unsmiling, she took her position at the starting line. What the announcer failed to mention was that each of the other former members of the Wonderbolt’s before Rainbow Death’s ascension had died competing in this race for her pleasure. That Spitfire had survived this long wasn’t luck, but a testament to her skill, a skill that Rainbow had put to the test every year since the races founding. She did not compete to win nor for fame or glory, though she was a favorite of Cloudsdale. She competed merely for survival.

“Next up, the eagle of the east, Icarus Leonhart!” The griffin was escorted by spear point to the starting line by two Shadowbolts. He was just a scout who had been captured flying too close to the city in the sky. No true athlete, though a soldier, many expected him to be among the first casualties in today’s race. He had been allowed to keep his armor, bronze chest plate and centurion helm, but that would do little to protect him from the perils of the race itself. Like many of those forced into the race, the griffin also wore an explosive iron collar around his neck. If at any time he was spotted by one of the race officials trying to flee or even simply straying too far off course, the collar would be detonated. Many competitors would end the race with a hundred points rewarded to them for their own suicides.

“And lets give it up for another fan favorite, the leader of the Shadowbolts, Madam Moonbolt!” Indeed the crowd did cheer loudly for her, though it was tempered by a few screams from those who did not cheer loudly enough. The vicious black pony with blue hair wore the garb of her regiment. However, where the others mark was a winged pony skull, hers was a lightning bolt created by two crescent moons. She had not always been the Shadowbolt’s leader but had moved up the ranks since coming to Cloudsdale. Some said she hailed from the distant frozen night lands while others claimed she was born from the underworld itself. Either way, she had a reputation for sadism that rivaled any true child of Twilight, and had become a special confident of Rainbow Death. She had won the eighty second Race not by coming in first, but by killing nearly every other competitor by the third lap. She hadn’t even bothered to cross the finish line that year.

The next competitor to take the field was met with waves of laughter instead of cheers. “Er... Our next contestant is an anonymous entry, originally of the City of Twilight formerly known as Ponyville.” The grey pony with googly yellow eyes and blond mane flew to the starting position and landed...facing the wrong way. Even the black hooded guards couldn’t help laughing at her as she waved to them, smiling the entire time. Was she truly so oblivious? What could possess a pony like her to enter this race?

“Next, a more familiar face, Melanchthon the Red, of the line of Moloch, the spear that screams for blood!” An old red dragon flew onto the field. Not quiet as large as the Twilight Queens familiar, this once mighty monster was now a beast with broken horns. Battered, burned, and missing scales in many places, he was a pet of sorts of Rainbow Death. He was forced to heat Cloudsdale’s chilly heights the rest of the year. It was said the smoke of his flames is what had blackened the cloudy columns of the city, the heat of which was necessary for the city to still be habitable in this Age of Twilight. He was trotted out for this race once every year for Rainbow's amusement, but he had never managed to win. It was no surprise he had survived so long as such a massive creature could never die easily. Having said that, he seemed to take no joy in this competition and barely bothered to defend himself, his many wounds evidence of his near-suicidal apathy.

A few more pegasus were introduced. Some were political prisoners, others young colts looking to make a name for themselves, while still others were merely in the race due to being the unfortunate ‘winners’ of a random lottery held the week before. They were all really just fodder for the other competitors to wrack up a score. Killing a fellow competitor was worth one hundred points, while an audience member was worth fifty, and any race officials a paltry five. You received a thousand points if you managed to take out a ground pony or unicorn and five hundred for any other intelligent creature. It had been decided you would receive one million points for taking out a foal, so many new mothers grieved if they were unfortunate enough to bare a child in the weeks leading up to the race.

“Finally, a last minute entry, the mysterious Racer T!” A cream colored pony landed somewhat clumsily, wings spread wide to balance as she landed at the starting line. She wore a long black cloak and an equally black helmet that concealed her features, visor secured tightly over her face. Her platinum gold mane spilled from her helm to drape over one shoulder. Covered in scars, the audience could only assume that she was some mercenary who had joined the race in an attempt to impress Rainbow Death enough to join the Wonderbolts or Shadowbolts. It was not unheard of for the winner to be offered a position in one of the groups as a reward for their prowess, depending on whether they had won due to speed or death toll. The occurrence was common enough that only Rainbow Death viewed this contestant with anything approaching excitement. Everypony else this year were either a familiar face or not worth remembering for her. This Racer T had potential.

“Correction,” boomed Rainbow Death’s voice as it carried easily through the Cloudosseum, “There is one more entrant. Me!” Everypony, the audience, announcer, judges, and Shadowbolts included, gasped in shock and surprise. This, however, was all an act. Rainbow Death competed in the race every year. That anyone else had managed to win was usually only because she grew bored and ended up spending more time killing off competitors or napping, to actually win. Rainbow Death took her position at the center of the starting line, blue flames licking up and down the skeletal pony and across her rainbow colored mane. Her skeletal wings spread, crackling with fire and magic, as she gave the signal to the Starter to begin the race. A green flag waved and the racers were off! All except the grey pegasus, who never saw the flag. She waited patiently at the starting line while the hooded guards howled with laughter. A few Wonderbolts, thinking the joke had probably gone on long enough, descended to the field and escorted the smiling pegasus pony away. She’d probably be given a horrible demeaning task as punishment for her ineptitude, but then she seemed the sort who was used to being given such tasks, and it seemed it would take quiet a lot to dampen her spirits.

Meanwhile, the race was already well underway. The object was simple enough, after three laps a winner would be declared based on time of completion and kills scored. The course itself was the problem. The Cloudosseum was only a small part of the race and quiet possibly the safest, though the cloud walls were alive with arching bolts of lightning. The course, marked by race officials placed at quarter mile intervals, stretched down from the clouds and roared through the Whitetail Woods. After passing through the ruins of Fillydelphia, the racers would arch back, skirting over open fields and pastures until they hit the gaping hole in the ground that had once been Trottingham before finally climbing back into the sky and returning to Cloudsdale. All along the rout were obstacles, such as tornadoes, falling hail, and acid rains. On top of that were hazards specifically set up to be utilized to take out ones opponents, such as walls of razor sharp icicles, supercharged clouds of ball lightning, and banks of fog so thick as to choke any who entered them unwarily.

Most would not complete a single lap and already the contestants were dropping like flies as they soared through the Whitetail Woods. Many simply crashed into the gnarled, dead trees, one pony flying into a dark sentinel so fast she toppled the dead giant as she splattered herself against its bark. Of course Moonbolt was nearby and a race official was quick to give her the points for the kill when he saw her fly past smiling. As the leaders of the pack came up on Fillydelphia, the cocky Icarus Leonhart shot ahead of the others and climbed high into the sky, hoping to be lost in the clouds before anyone noticed him missing. The bright orange ball of fire that marked his collar being detonated and the cloud of singed feathers was a harsh reminder to all that they either ran the race or they died.

Soaring over open ground, a blast of fire from Melanchthon cleared the path in front of the dragon, melting a wall of sharpened icicles to pools of water as he passed. He did not bother flying at full speed and ignored any of the other racers around him. Racer T flew along side him, possibly thinking herself safe in the shadow of his wings. Rainbow Death herself, of course, was already far out ahead of everypony and the first to make it back to the Cloudosseum as the crowd cheered to appease her. She actually stopped and turned, waiting on the next closest pony to catch up to her. It was one of the ponies who had joined for personal glory, and Rainbow smiled as she watched him pour on an extra burst of speed to try and pass her. As he drew close, her grin seemed to widen, and blue flames poured from her gaping eye sockets. She reached out a hoof and touched him lightly as he flew passed, turning only to watch him plummet from the sky, wings flailing weakly on instinct only as his heart burst in his chest. So many of the young raced to meet death and Rainbow obliged each and every one that came close to her as the spectators were forced to cheer her murderous hijinx.

Many such ponies died in the second lap, some haphazardly flying into down pours of acid rain, the flesh melting from their bodies and feathers turning to smoke on their wings as they fell, screaming. Others were unfortunate enough to either fly too close to Moonbolt or Rainbow Death, and met with more colorful ends, such as being forced into lightning clouds and roasted or hurled into waiting walls of icicles and impaled. One sad pony had slowed to stay as far as he could from either pony, only to be sucked into one of the tornadoes that swept across the plains between Fillydelphia and Trottingham. At the start of the third lap, the leaders were Rainbow Death, followed by Spitfire, and Moonbolt in a distant third. Behind them came Melancthon at his slow, steady pace, a bit of frost rimming his horns where he had flown through a shower of freezing rain that had turned to steam with a burst of his fiery breath. Of the mysterious Racer T there was no sign. All of the other competitors were either dead, going to padding Moonbolt’s numbers, or had exited the race in a ball of flame when they strayed too far off course.

The struggle between the three pack leaders was a farce. Both Spitfire and Moonbolt knew that if they tried to pass Rainbow Dash now they’d be dead within inches of her. That didn’t mean that they could give up though, so they shared a private war between each other for second place. This wasn’t hard to fake as both ponies hated one another passionately. Spitfire detested the sadistic Moonbolt and viewed her as an upstart in Rainbow’s own image. Moonbolt just thought any pony over thirty should have a hot bolt of lightning sent through their intestines the shortest route possible. The captain of the Shadowbolts used every dirty trick she could and surged ahead, laughing gleefully as Spitfire had to slow to dodge thick bolts of black lightning pulsing from the thunderclouds she left in her wake.

As the racers came into the final stretch, Melanchthon suddenly roared challenge behind the dueling ponies. Both had forgotten the behemoth, expecting him to finish the race a leisurely last as always. Instead, with a burst of dragon fir,e the two were forced to make way or be burned to a crisp. Spitfire was the first to break off, Moonbolt merely banking to the right enough to let the beast pass, then matched the dragons speed. As he closed on Rainbow Death, he flipped head over tail and used his momentum to launch a smaller figure from his claws. The Cloudesseum suddenly erupted in genuine cheers for the first time in nearly a hundred years. Cloak streaming like darkness incarnate behind her, the helmeted Racer T hurtled passed the skeletal pony, wings tucked firmly behind her. Moonbolt watched this all, goggles steaming up in rage at this flagrant cheating! Using Melanchthon’s momentum, the scarred pony crossed the finish line mere seconds before Rainbow Death, but the victory was undeniable. The Colosseum shook with the sound of pounding hooves and cheers, lightning sending a shower of sparks flying through the air like fireworks. Racer T had won the race!

In the winners circle Rainbow Death alighted, the blue flame that had made her a comet streaking across the sky shimmering and fading as she cantered over to the masked pony. Racer T backed away defensively. An attack came, not from Rainbow, but rather from a furious Moonbolt. The pony landed in a black cloud of lightning that erupted from her and streamed towards the masked pony. Racer T flipped over the magical barrage easily, using her wings to rise high into the air before countering with a rain of could steel as throwing knives pierced the air. The captain of the Shadowbolts dodged these as best she could but hadn’t expected her attack to miss its mark, let alone her prey to counterattack. Her suit ripped in several place and one knife buried itself deep into her flank. She screamed...it was the first time anyone had ever seen Moonbolt bleed. “Enough! The race is over. It would seem congratulations are in order.” spoke Rainbow Death in leaden tones. She pawed at the clouds as the enigmatic masked racer landed. The judges tallied up their scores and measured them against their times, then handed the results to the announcer.

“What a race, eh folks!? The results are in and in first place we have Racer T, followed by her grace Rainbow Death in second, Moonbolt in third, Melanchthon in fourth, and Spitfire in a distant fifth! All other races are either dead or otherwise disqualified!” The crowd cheered even louder! “However, taking into account each ponies individual scores, we have Rainbow Death in first with twenty thousand points, Moonbolt in second with three thousand two hundred and fifty five points, and our other racers tied for third each with a score of zero points. That means this years winner is your favorite leader of Cloudsdale and mine, Rainbow Death!” The Cloudosseum grew quiet, only to burst into screams and hesitant cheers seconds later as the skeletal pony glared at the crowd. She turned to the only racer to get passed her that day and survived, “Congratulations for me, then. You did good kid, but you’re not in my league. Tell you what though, your a pretty clever pony... How would you like to be a Wonderbolt?”

Her voice muffled by her helm, the racer in black replied, “No. I think I’d like to be a Shadowbolt.” The skeletal pony looked surprised. “In fact, I would rather like to take her job.” said Racer T gesturing to Moonbolt. The injured pony glared at her and was about to say something nasty when a sound just on the edge of hearing silenced her. It started as a low rasping, like wind through pine trees. It slowly grew, louder and louder until it filled the Colosseum. Rainbow Death was laughing, “That’s totally awesome! Way to go kid! Go big or go home, am I right!?” Nopony knew what to do. No one had ever seen Rainbow Death laugh like this before. “How about this? You work as Moonbolt’s second in command, and if you can kill her in the next three days the jobs yours!” The masked pony seemed to consider this, then nodded. “As good as done.”

“A most intriguing decision,” this from the Twilight Queen who had watched the entirety of the race play out with barely concealed apathy. It was only the last few moments of the race that she had watched somewhat attentively. “I look forward with great interest to finding out how you fair my dear.” The undead pony spread her skeletal wings and rose into the star strewn heavens. Rainbow Death rose to meet her, Spitfire and the injured Moonbolt flanking her on her right and left respectively. Moonbolt glared over her shoulder, knife still wedged firmly in her flanks. She ripped it out with her teeth in one go and threw it at Racer T’s face. It passed right through the right slot of the racers helmet and the Shadowbolt smiled sadistically as it stuck there. Racer T lifted up one hoof and extracted the blade without making a sound or showing a trace of pain. “Oh with great interested indeed...” murmured the Twilight Queen as she left the Colosseum.

Melanchthon had been guided back to his cell in the lowest levels of Cloudsdale. Shackled there with electrified chains that compelled him to breath his life's flame into the city, the dragon grumbled with each shock. A tiny figure appeared on the catwalk next to his hanging prison. “Thank you Melanchthon, I couldn’t have done it without you.” It was the masked racer, only she had lifted her visor. A single blue eye shown with something like regret as she beheld the leviathan’s predicament. He roared as a particularly strong bolt of lightning arched down his chains, flame forced in a massive pulse into the clouds above.

“Grrr... Just keep your end of the bargain my little pony. Just do that and this will all be worth it.” Theia nodded, pushing the visor on Scootaloo’s helm back down over her face. She left Cloudsdale’s makeshift furnace and went back to her quarters in the cloud palace. This structure was relatively new compared to some of the others in Cloudsdale, a sweeping castle in the sky composed of angry black thunderheads. Rainbow Death’s personal residence and the barracks of the Shadowbolt’s, most of the other residents of the city referred to this place as the Black Rainbow. It towered so high it seemed to curve back in on itself in an arch that stretched over the entire city. Theia, or rather Racer T, had been allotted quarters larger than she had ever seen in her life. A miniature mansion in itself, it seemed to her, her room came fully stocked with bed, hot tub, and a closet full of cloths. Sadly they were all the same uniform of a member of the Shadowbolt’s.

Theia wriggled out of her traveling cloak, removed Scootaloo’s helmet, and unwrapped the bandage she had worn over her empty right eye socket. She’d need to tear up one of the flight suits for new bandages as the Captain Shadowbolt’s attempt to put the knife through her brain had merely managed to punch a hole in the thick bandage. She was fortunate the hilt of the throwing knife was wider than the eye slits in Scootaloo’s helm. Squeezing into the skin tight flight suit was hard, but once she had it on and the goggles in place she looked like a completely different pony, the mark on her flank hidden beneath a winged pony skull. She looked at herself in a floor length mirror, grimacing at what she saw, lifting the goggles to rest on the stub of her horn to have a better look. She had thought to manage a weak spell to make her unicorn horn translucent, but her wings were fading again. After three days the spell had started to lose cohesion, now only Theia’s will and a constant supply of background magic kept the wings from vanishing in thin her. When that happened Theia would likely vanish too, because as she understood it that was the only thing keeping her walking on the ‘clouds’ that made up the entire city. Without them she’d just be a wet stain in the crater of Trottingham far below.

For the time being she’d just have to keep wearing the helmet. She’d painted Scootaloo’s helm black to hide the charged blue runes that ran across it, but it was fortunate for her that the helmet matched the Shadowbolt’s uniform fairly perfectly. Thinking about the Segeant Major she found she missed her and the chilly Sergeant Belle dearly. She was playing a dangerous game here. Not only was Rainbow Death a powerful enemy, the Twilight Queen herself was here, for what purpose Theia had yet to be able to determine. Worse yet, there was Moonbolt. It hadn’t taken long for Theia to recognize her fillyhood friend. She had a reputation in the city for a cruelty that knew no limits and a sadism that made even her subordinates question her, but never to her face. Truth be told Theia didn’t know what to do about Moonbolt. She had vainly hoped to circumvent the whole issue by taking her place at Rainbow’s side, removing her from the equation and getting close to her target at the same time. It seemed her old friend stood between her and her mission, and she was not an obstacle that could easily be ignored.

Even though Moonbolt had left Theia and Autumn Moon to die in the frozen woods of the night lands at an early age, she had already been trained by the Sisters to harness the power of the moon. Every pony in the cult had a bit of magic they could call on. Most could only manage to cloak themselves in shadow, some unicorns took it further and could become shadow, as Theia could. Moonbolt, however, could never do this. Instead, she could make shadow a physical thing. A pegasus that could harness this kind of magic was a rare thing, even among the sisters, and her power had been fairly impressive even as a filly. It was thought she could use it defensively to shield herself and others, but that was never enough for her. Even as a filly she’d been able to use weak bolts of darkness offensively. If Theia hadn’t already known what she was capable of, she would’ve died beneath the terrifying onslaught she had unleashed in the Cloudoseum. No... If she was going to complete what she had set out to do Moonbolt was going to have to be taken care of, one way or another.

Hopefully, Spitifre would be less of a problem. The Wonderbolt’s second in command was not loyal to Rainbow because she wanted to be, but because that was the only way to keep living. If Theia approached her with her plan she hoped Spitfire would look the other way while she took care of Rainbow. She already had a good plan for how to do that, though whether it would work or not depended solely on circumstances that had quickly moved beyond her control. The line between success and failure was like a knifes edge, only sharper and more deadly. A sudden pounding on her door caused Theia to jump. Her wings faded in and out of existence for a moment as her concentration faltered, but she caught herself and sent a pulse of magic to them. Each feather stabilized, slower than before. It was getting harder and harder to maintain but her wings held for now.

She donned her helm and spoke with a harsh, muffled voice, “Who is it?” An all too familiar, angry voice boomed as the door burst off its hinges. “Who do you think, blank face!?” Moonbolt stood in the doorway, flanked by two massive bruisers. “Came by earlier and you weren’t here. Figured you’d gone for a stroll in the moonlight! But ya know, a little birdy told me you’ve been down to the furnace room. Now I wonder why that could be...” She moved menacingly into the room, the larger pegasi serving to simply block the door. It wasn’t so much a threat, as Theia could have fled through one of the windows of her room, but more a means of ensuring privacy for their captain. Theia thought fast.

“I wanted to see that fool dragon in chains, where he belongs. I also felt like taunting him a little. He thought I’d free him if he helped me win the race, what a foal!” Moonbolt didn’t look like she bought Theia’s answer. “A likely story. Tell me something else ‘Racer T’, why hasn’t any pony seen you without that helmet on yet? Race is over sweetheart. Do you have something to hide?” Theia grit her teeth. “No, I just like to have something between me and that ugly face of yours captain.” Moonbolt exploded. “WHAT!? You little piece of shit! Who do you think you are talking to me like that!? I’m going to hang you by that tongue of yours and see how long it takes for your wings to tire before your body weight rips it out of your mouth! Then, maybe if I’m feeling nice, I’ll break every bone in your pathetic body and boil you down to salt the clouds over Equestria!”

“I highly doubt that.” The two guards had parted with sheepish looks, between them stood the fiery maned second in command of the Wonderbolts. Spitfire spoke again, “Her majesty, Rainbow Death, requests your presence in the ballroom to be officially recognized as the respective second and third place winners of this years Death Race. I think she might get a little angry with both of you if you make her wait much longer.” Spitfire turned and left Theia’s room. Moonbolt glared angrily at her unwanted second in command. “This isn’t over by a long shot blank face. Lets go.”

A band of pegasi and enchanted earth ponies played a waltz as pegasus ponies danced in spinning pairs around the room. The ballroom seemed a relatively new addition, the clouds here merely a dull grey rather than the stormy black of the rest of the castle. Several chandeliers of perfect ice crystals suspended by cold updrafts tinkled in the air above the dance floor, catching the light and casting hazy rainbows as ball lightning strobed over head, illuminating the entire hall. The dancers wore frozen smiles on their faces. None of them really wanted to be here, the expression on their faces almost perfectly matched that on Rainbow Death’s skull. This dance was being held in honor of, and at the request of, the Twilight Queen. It seemed that such gala’s were held regularly in Canterlot since she had taken up residence there and she smiled as she watched the ponies below her alcove dance for her amusement.

One of the dancers, a novice at best, particularly amused her. Brown of coat and mane, an hourglass marked his flanks. He danced rather awkwardly with a red maned pony. After a few songs, he pardoned himself and left his partner, making his way for the exit from the hall. The Twilight Queen gestured and a shard of ice fell from the chandelier above, missing the dancers face by inches as it plummeted through the clouds. He looked up at her majesty, smiled and waved, and hastily went back to his partner to resume dancing. Rainbow Death looked like she would have given anything if that shard of ice had only pierced her skull. Moonbolt and Theia alighted before Rainbow. Moonbolt bowed low, jabbing Theia in the side until she too lowered her head in respect. “You’re majesty, we arrive as you request!” Rainbow Death quickly made a shushing motion and then turned to the pair as if she were listening to something being whispered. Neither Theia nor Moonbolt spoke. “Whats that? Can’t it wait? Oh very well! I shall see to it myself!” The skeletal pony turned to the Twilight Queen. “Twilight, I must excuse myself, there is a matter to which my subordinates think I must attend. Please accept my most humble apologies and enjoy the rest of your...er...our ball.”

The Queen merely nodded and Rainbow motioned for the two Shadowbolts to follow. They left the dance hall and went out onto a massive balcony that overlooked Cloudsdale. The Twilight Queens pet dragon could be seen below, steam curling from its nostrils, its eyes wide and pulsing with magic just like its masters. He stared up at the moon without so much as blinking. “Oh, it feel good to be out of there and under the open sky! I don’t know what’s up with “her majesty”, but she’s changed a lot since the last time we were together. Thanks for coming guys, there was no way of getting out of that without some kind of excuse.” She turned and looked at her two confused lieutenants. “Huh, actually I only expected one of you to show up though. I figured one of you would’ve killed the other by now. Well this is awkward. I was going to challenge the survivor to a rematch.”

Moonbolt smiled, “You want me to kill her mistress? Say the word and I’ll lay out her rotting carcass here and now!” the leader of the Shadowbolt’s took a battle stance, black lightning crackling over her body. Theia fell back into a battle stance of her own, realizing too late it mirrored Moonbolt’s own. Rainbow didn’t seem to notice, but the former daughter of the moon certainly did. “Nah... I don’t really feel like watching you two going at it. I need some action myself! Think I’ll go see what trouble I can stir up in town. You girls play nice while I’m gone though, I expect one of you to be dead and gone when I get back!” With a supernova wink from one empty socket, Rainbow Death exploded into the twilight, leaving a blazing blue rainbow in her wake that matched the azure shade of the heavens, a few stray bolts of lightning leaping from the castle’s side as she thundered down to the city below.

“Who are you?” Black lightning still pulsed over Moonbolt. “I know that stance. Are you one of the Daughters of the Moon?” Her voice was tense. Theia’s cover was already blown, she might as well go the whole way. “I’m a ghost from your past Moonbolt. Remember the frozen woods? Remember the Children of Twilight? The dead breaking free of the ice as they gathered around to devour your friends. Remember how you abandoned them and never came back!?” She removed Scootaloo’s helmet and let it fall to reveal her eyes, one piercing blue orb filled with anger and determination, the other empty and dark.

“One eye... I thought you were dead. How by the grace of the moon did you come by a pair of wings!?” Theia shook out her mane and limbered up her limbs. “The better question here is what do you think you know about the grace of the moon? You left the Sisters, remember? When you left me and Autumn Glow to die in those woods. I see you’ve done fairly well for yourself, settling in comfy cozy with the enemies of all that live!”

Moonbolt growled deep in her throat, “I’m not going to have this argument with you Theia. Suffice to say that the land of the dead the Sisters spoke of was much harsher than either of us had imagined, especially for a filly scared out of her wits. Rainbow Dash took me under her wing, for want of a better phrase, and led me to the home of my ancestors here in Cloudsdale.” They were circling each other now, each looking for an opening in the others defenses. “You think you’re better than me just because you ran back to the skirts of the Sisters? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve seen more between the heavens and earth than those old maids ever dreamed of! So what if I serve the Twilight!? Is their cause any worse than Celestia’s? Or even Luna’s? The princesses were weak and Equestria paid for that weakness. The Children of Twilight are merely setting right what those old mares screwed up a thousand years ago!”

Theia smirked, “Not bad Moonbolt, you almost had me believing you buy into what your saying. But we both know its a lie. Even when you were a filly you loved nothing more than to torture me or any other pony you thought was weak. You’re just a sadistic bitch and you always have been. Admit it, your just in it for the pain and suffering!” A flash of anger passed over Moonbolt’s goggled face, then she smiled. “What can I say? You know me all too well One Eye. I guess that means you won't hold it against me when I rip out your other eye and stomp it under my hoof!” The torrent of black energy that exploded from Moonbolt seemed to rob the sky of what little illumination it had.

The two assassins moved gracefully, attacking and counter attacking in the gloom. Moonbolt seemed to have the advantage in magic as Theia still couldn’t manage any other spells and fly at the same time. Theia, however, had completed the Sisters training and was a true assassin, moving swiftly and silently along the balcony. Blades met bolts of dark energy, deflecting one another as the dueling shadow warriors sought for a weakness in the others defense. Moonbolt focused on Theia’s right side, reckoning rightly that Theia’s blind spot could be turned to her advantage. As a stray bolt ripped over Theia’s right flank, a stench of burnt hair and flesh filled the air. The one eyed pony did not cry out, instead using the momentum of Moonbolt’s attack to roll away, and come up knives flying. Three buried themselves deep in the captain of the Shadowbolt’s flesh, one in each shoulder and the third in her left leg. Moonbolt cried out, but none of the blades had hit anything vital.

Grimacing, blood oozing down her flanks, Moonbolt began to channel a massive amount of dark energy into herself. Surrounded by a cloud of smouldering darkness and black electricity, her goggles melted away to reveal glowing yellow eyes filled with madness and hatred. “You know what... I never liked you Theia.” Moonbolt mutter darkly, blood on her lips. The one eyed pony reached for another dagger but found she’d already used the last of them.. Glaring at her former friend, she simply replied. “Moonbolt, the feeling is mutual.” Roaring in rage, the captain of the Shadowbolts launched herself at Theia, aiming to obliterate the specter of her past once and for all. Suddenly a massive red sword appeared from the heavens and landed at Theia’s hooves. It glowed a malignant crimson, but Theia wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Lifting the blade with a little magically enhanced might, Theia swung the rough jeweled sword up in a wide arc. It was Moonbolt’s own momentum that killed her, splitting her body in two against the jagged edges of the scarlet sword. As her body slipped through the clouds, so did Theia’s. Her wings had completely dematerialized when she used her power to lift the huge sword. As she plummeted, her hoof caught Scootaloo’s helmet. That wouldn’t do much good to her once she was a red stain on the earth below, but she held the helmet close anyways, a prayer to the mistress of the moon that the end would be swift, and an apology to her Lady Selene at the forefront of her mind.

Much sooner than she expected, Theia landed hard with a grunt, blacking out from fear as much as pain.

No time at all passed in the darkness inside her mind. When Theia awoke, no one was more surprised than she. The one eyed pony felt herself being pushed upwards, bobbing gently on a strong, constant updraft. She tried to sit up but all she could seem to manage was to roll over on her front, legs spread out as she gazed around the room. The chambers were similar to her own, only the clouds here were light and fluffy rather than dark and stormy. “Oh good, you’re awake.” Spitfire stood on the floor, wings folded, gazing up at Theia through yellow goggles. “Didn’t think someone that could pull the kind of G-forces you did in the race would black out from a little fall. But then again, you must have had a pretty exhausting fight on your hands against Moonbolt. I hope my ‘air’ mattress is comfortable enough for you.” Theia tried to shift to better face her, finding it difficult to maneuver in mid air without her wings. “Most ponies prefer to sleep on clouds, but I like the feel of wind in my mane, even when its time to sleep.”

“How long were you watching us?” Theia asked. Spitfire shrugged, “Long enough to know there was some bad blood between you two. Can’t say I’m surprised. Moonbolt has...had bad blood with everypony but Rainbow. There won’t be any teary eyes for her, I can tell you that much. Though I’m not sure if Rainbow is going to want a soldier of the Dawn as her new captain of the Shadowbolts.” Theia looked perplexed for the moment, then Spitfire lifted Scootaloo’s helmet. “I didn’t recognize it at first, stained black as it is. I’d figured you’d killed a soldier and took it as a trophy. Seeing you fight though, you’ve had some experience fighting alongside the Dawn haven’t you? I’m curious as to why they’d send a unicorn instead of a pegasus pony to deal with Cloudsdale.”

Theia hung her head. Well this was something she knew she might have to do and now that she was at this ponies mercy in more ways than one, she decided to tell Spitfire as much as she thought she could trust the Wonderbolt with. She explained that though she was an ally of the Dawn, she was actually part of the Cult of the Moon, an order Moonbolt had once belonged to but abandoned. Further, she told her tale about being assigned to uncover the truth of the Lieutenants of the Twilight Queen, and how that mission had changed to trying to free them from their undead curse. The part of her story that she took the most risk with was explaining that though she was there to help Rainbow Death, she likely would not survive that help, and Theia was not sure exactly where Spitfire’s loyalties lay for certain. Spitfire turned Scootaloo’s helmet over and over in her hooves. “It’s a pretty fantastic story you tell, Theia. Fantastic and terrible. But then I’ve seen a lot of fantastic and terrible things in the last few decades. I may regret this. But I think I’m going to choose to believe you. There’s just one thing I don’t get. If you’re here alone, who threw you that sword?” Theia’s eyes widened, “You mean that wasn’t you?”

Spitfire shook her head, “Looks like you may have more friends than you thought.” Theia wasn’t so sure about that. Now that she was out of the heat of battle, she realized that the sword she had wielded was indeed familiar to her. But its owner, why would she want to help her? Unaware of Thei’a inner thoughts, Spitfire continued, “In fact... I may know a way we can get in contact with more of your friends, if your story is true. So why don’t you tell me, Theia, how do we ‘help’ Rainbow?”

Rainbow Death returned around moon set, the massive pale orb taking up nearly a third of the sky. Silhouetted against the moons dying light, Rainbow’s mane looked bedraggled and washed out, the flames around her a gentle nimbus. To Spitfire she never looked more a picture of otherworldly pain and loss. Then she spoke, “Hey Spitfire! Seen any corpses around here? I was hoping to congratulate a new captain of the Shadowbolts!” The illusion was completely ruined and Spitfire couldn’t hide her grimace. “No your grace. I’ve seen neither the captain or her second in command for some time.” Rainbow pawed at the clouds beneath her hoof impatiently. “UHH! Do I have to do everything around here!?” The undead pony turned to leave, but her subordinate called to her, “Wait. Um... Rainbow. I know this may seem a little out of the blue but... You remember before your, uh, accident?” Rainbow turned and looked at her inquisitively, or at least as inquisitively as bare bone could look.

“Well, I don’t know why, I guess its just the time of year, but it got me thinking about when you won the Young Fliers award. You were so happy, absolutely thrilled it seemed to hang out with the Wonderbolts and be recognized as one of the best fliers in Equestria.” Rainbow interrupted her. “THE best, not one of the best.” Spitfire nodded, “Right of course. Well I just thought you might like to know, when we met you again at the Galloping Gala, we were actually planning on asking you then if you wanted to join us. Do you remember that night?” Rainbow looked out at the setting moon, her childish impatience melting away. “Yeah, actually I do. I remember being lost in the crowd. Feeling ignored, by you and the other Wonderbolts. Can’t really say those are pleasant memories.” then she laughed. “Then again, when Fluttershy burst in with all those animals! The looks on all those stuck up ponies faces was priceless! I remember Twilight and Rarity running around like the world was ending. It was just so funny!” Rainbow paused, extracting herself from the sudden revere that had come upon her. “Why are you bringing all this up now Spitfire? I’ve been captain of the Wonderbolts for a long time now.”

“Well your grace,” Spitfire continued, “I’ve just been thinking how different things might have turned out if we HAD offered you that position in the Wonderbolts before all that chaos broke out. Think how different the world might have been.” Rainbow did seem to think about it, and shook her mane snorting. “No use dwelling on what might have been Spitfire. Bring this up to any other pony and I’ll make sure you don’t make it to the next Rainbow Death Race.” Her second in command of the Wonderbolts just hung her head sadly. “As you will your grace. You know, now that I come to think of it, I think I may have seen that masked racer just down the hallway here. She must have taken care of Moonbolt already. How else could she still be alive?” Rainbow whickered and galloped down the corridor of clouds, leaving a trail of blue flames behind her.

Sure enough, not long after parting company with Spitfire she spotted the masked racer slipping into a doorway far down the corridor. She followed, calling to her, but she must have been too far away for her voice to reach her ears. Putting on a burst of speed, she followed Racer T, but every time she thought she was about to catch her the pony in black would slip down another corridor, into another room, or down another hall. Rainbow lost her patience and took to her wings, moving through her black castle in the clouds like the swift death that she was. She paid no heed to where she actually was and ended up disturbing a game of dice being played by a few Shadowbolts, a pair of nobles at more intimate play, and scared one kitchen helper nearly to death. Still she couldn’t seem to catch up with the masked racer.

Finally, she managed to see her slip into a room in the lowest bowls of the castle. Bounding triumphantly she flew into the room fast as a bolt of rainbow hued lighting. Melanchthon hovered there, eyes glowing crimson with hatred, flames barely banked behind his sharp teeth. Once, long ago, Rainbow and her friends had driven off the beast when it had threatened to blacken the skies over Equestria. He was much larger than he had been then. Unchained as he was and alone with the beast, Rainbow saw him as a threat for the first time since that mountain trek so long ago. “For all the suffering you’ve caused me, this is small recompense.” The dragon hissed, jaws dripping liquid flame. “That doesn’t mean my revenge will not be sweet!” Saying that the dragon opened his mouth wide and snapped it shut with a burst of flames, swallowing Rainbow whole. He burped, blue and crimson fire entwining as he did, and turned to the ponies who had freed him.

They were a small group of pegasus, some with white shining plate, others with their plate deliberately darkened a sooty black by his own fiery breath. Theia’s plan had worked well, though at first when she had lost her wings she thought all was lost. Spitfire, it seemed, had been an agent of the Dawn in Cloudsdale for a long time and had a way of contacting the army if there ever seemed a weakness in Rainbow Death’s defenses. The bulk of their forces fought the Shadowbolt’s now, the Wonderbolt’s aiding them. Melanchthon’s involvement was not part of the original plan, but Theia had promised the dragon freedom and a chance for revenge in exchange for his help in the Rainbow Death Race. Even so there was no cheering. The soldiers of the Dawn merely nodded their thanks to the dragon. There would be more fighting and they must see to it that all those loyal to the Twilight were snuffed out if they were to claim Cloudsdale.

Before another wing beat, however, an explosion seemed to go off in the dragons iron belly. Followed swiftly by another, fissures belching blue flame opened all over his body. The cobalt fire roared from his maw and burned out the backs of his eyes. In one massive explosion the entire furnace room was coated floor to ceiling in blood and scraps of dragon flesh. The clouds, dyed red, began to weep a soft bloody rain as the gore slicked Rainbow Death hovered before the stricken soldiers of the Dawn. “Did you really think that scaly old bag of hot air could end me!? I AM DEATH!” she bellowed, her voice losing all traces of its femininity and dropping into a deep guttural roar. An explosion of rainbows and flame filled the furnace room, leaving the soldiers nothing but shadows against the cloud walls. Outside the palace, the burning blue light could be seen by all as Rainbow Death rose like an avenging angel into the sky.

All around the cloud city soldiers of the Dawn swarmed, white armor shining in the twilight as they drove their lances into their enemies. The common folk had come out, finishing off any wounded Shadowbolts that fell injured. Years of impotent rage and grief would be avenged this night. Rainbow took it all in, her rage only growing. This was her city. How dare they? How DARE THEY!? Flame and rainbows washed over the city, wiping out soldiers, civilians, and Shadowbolts alike as Rainbow dealt death as only she could. Even so, the soldiers of the Dawn formed ranks, armor glowing with blue runes forming a shield against the bulk of her deadly power. “Rainbow Dash!” A high shrill cry pierced through Rainbows rage as she paused to look up at the single Wonderbolt high above. Spitfire flew towards her, carrying Theia whom Rainbow recognised as the ‘masked racer’ she had promised to make a captain of her guards. Both of them Rainbow knew, in that instant, to be traitors.

Theia let go of Spitfire and plummeted towards Rainbow, fresh knives unsheathed as she hurtled towards her. Rainbow Death focused all her fire into a single deadly beam of death. Just before it would’ve smote Theia to ashes, the daughter of the moon turned to shadow and enveloped Rainbow. Left defenseless and distracted by her focused attack, the soldiers of the Dawn saw their chance. They launched themselves, all at once, burying their lances into Rainbow’s bones, pinning her like a butterfly to the crackling black cloud walls of her own palace. Rainbow Death only laughed, “Oh now you’re going to try and stab me!? You had a better chance with the dragon! Haven’t you figured it out yet? I CAN’T DIE!”

“You’re right.” One soldier rose before her, her helmet and armor all charred black. She lifted her visor, sadness in her violet eyes. “That’s because you’re already dead Dash.” Sergeant Major Scootaloo gazed at what had become of the pony she had always looked up to. Seeing herself mirrored in that sorrowful stare, Rainbow Death screamed loud and long. She was a horror it was true, a hideous shambles of what she had once been. Rage and despair reignited the azure flames that surrounded her bone, melting the lances of the Dawn to slag. She gave one last anguished cry before the fire suddenly snuffed out again. “Yeah... I know. I remember what it was like. But then she brought us back. She said she would make it alright but she didn’t. She even made us forgive. She MADE us...” Her beautiful multi-colored mane had burned completely away...she was just a skeleton now. To everyponies surprise, including her own, Scootaloo cradled the horrible wrecked thing that had been Rainbow Dash in her arms. The red hot wires that had bound Rainbow together were melted and twisted. They pinked as they cooled against the Crusaders blackened armor. Pieces of Rainbow’s bones began to fall away, plummeting through the clouds below with but a whisper. “Never thought I’d see you again kid.” A sad smile etched itself on her skull as it rested upon Scootaloo’s shoulder. Theia rematerialized as herself without fully shifting out of the shadow realm. Made of shadows and stars, eyes bright nebula, Theia gazed at Rainbow. Seeing her with magically influenced vision, she could see the power within the skeletal pony had almost completely burnt out.

The skeleton turned slowly to look at her. A last flickering fire awoke in her skull as it cracked down the middle, teeth crumbling from her jaw. “You’ve no idea what’s coming now. Death is mercy! Don’t forget that. Whats coming now is what you should have feared.” Her booming voice reduced to a dry whisper that only those nearest to her could hear. “Kid... You have to do this for me. You find the one who did this to us, you put her down for good...” Tears in her eyes, the Sergeant Major nodded yes and held the crumbling skeleton closer, even as its ribcage broke and fell away. “Who is she? Tell me her name. Was it the Twilight Queen?” But the light had already gone out in Rainbow’s eyes. Her skull rolled out of Scootaloo’s arms and tumbled, the rest of her falling to pieces soon after. Scootaloo hovered there for a moment, before she looked up with determination in her eyes. “The Twilight Queen is going to pay for this.”

“Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! Though I must say I’m surprise Rainbow gave in so easily. I suppose she was tired of all the fame and glory she’d been torturing out of everypony.” The Queen of Twilight sat upon her dragons snout, laughing merrily. Wreathed in a circle of green flame from one of the beats nostrils, she’d watched the entire performance. Though it may have been a tad melodramatic, the results were exactly as she had hoped. “You have done well my faithful servant! Soon we can move ahead with the final ritual and restore Equestria to its former glory!” A red unicorn, eyes glowing scarlet knelt at her Queens feet. War stood, a sensuous smile creeping across her perfect lips, “You are too gracious your majesty, it is only by the cunning of your plan that I can serve so ably. Shall I summon our armies for battle my liege?”

The Queens eyes glowed with anticipation, “Oh yes, I think its time don’t you? As the hour of sacrifice draws close, let us have a feast of souls! Marshal your dogs of war, your traitors, and the Children of Twilight. A new dawn approaches and an old night. Yes, and I also see a darkness from this worlds past gathering. I should like to greet them all grandly in Canterlot!” She roared with laughter as her dragon stalked across the land, leaving decimation in his wake. The dark spires of Canterlot gleamed in the distance, raw magic playing over every turret. Rarity bowed again, mischief in her eyes, as she melted away to a pool of blood. She would carry out her mistress bidding.

But that didn’t necessarily mean she intended to carry out her mistress plan.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Wonderful news dear!

Your generous subjects shall be joining you soon! It’s amazing to me how giving they are. Giving their love, their hate, their hope, and their pain. Giving their very lives to the hungry maw of this hundred years war.

I had almost thought they had given up. Certainly they’ve all given up on you! Fret not, however, their loyalty to your light shall last so long as they live. Which, sad to say, will not likely be much longer.

Where the sun has set the moon is now high. It grows larger and larger by the day...

Oh my sweetest princess, we shall all be home soon.

I hunger with anticipation. Don’t you?

Bleeding Horizon

It had all started so calmly. From the east the Armies of Dawn and the Chimeron Legion had marched side by side into the heart of Equestria, banners whipping against the darkness, the sound of their hooves thundering across the plains. From the west another thundering Horde joined them, banners darker than twilight, the Cult of the Moon sheathed in shadow and the soft glow of their crescent moon standard. The three armies turned North to gather beneath the looming mountains upon which nestled once noble Canterlot. Before them gathered the Children of Twilight whom swarmed those dread peaks, as well as the hulking diamond dogs and cerberi who comprised the Dogs of War. The opposing armies seemed fairly evenly matched, though all knew that would change as soon as the first soldiers fell to the undead. But to everypony's surprise, as they drew closer, a third faction presented itself. They came from out of the forests in ones and twos until a great throng that rivaled the size of either of the other two armies had taken the field. None were garbed in the armor of warriors, nor did they seem particularly enchanted as the armies of Twilight clearly were, instead they appeared as simple pony folk. Under a white banner came their leaders, a trio of children.

It was a small blessing that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had been there, lest things might have been much worse than they were. As it was, when Zinsu appeared before them, skull painted upon his face and flanked by two fillies both immediately sergeants recognized him and moved closer to hear what was going on. Lady Selene was their representing the Sisters, General Corona representing the Dawn, as well as Praetor Romulus, a snake tailed wolf chimera who was in command of the Legions. They had gathered to discuss their strategy when the zebra made his appearance. “Greetings to you on this day of war. We bring re-enforcements to you though we are hoof sore.” Another, the gray filly with amber eyes and ginger mane spoke next. “We want to help, but are very tired. May we rest here awhile among you? The way from Sunny Town was long and dark.” The third and last spoke then. “Yeah, it sure would be neighborly of ya’ll if you’d be kind enough to extend your hospitality!”

“This battlefield is no place for foals or civilians,” spoke General Corona sternly. But before he could continue, the two Crusaders drew close. “Applebloom!?” Scootaloo raised the visor on her helm, eyes wide in disbelief. Sweetie Belle stood beside her, the same look of shock clearly etched on her face. “Do you know this filly?” intoned Lady Selene, “Is she a friend of yours?” Sergeant Belle spoke without taking her eyes off of the apparition before her. “Yes my lady, but from long, long ago, when we were small. It’s impossible that she could still be so young. Applebloom, is it really you?” The little yellow filly with the red hair looked uncomfortable, “Um...do you mean me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, who’s Applebloom?”

By then Scootaloo was flying around her, looking at the filly from every angle. “You are from the looks of you... Or at least you look exactly like Applebloom the last time we saw her. Even your flank is blank.” At that the features of the filly with the sunset colored eyes darkened. “There was no other way...they wouldn’t have accepted me if I’d gotten my cutie mark. But now they protect me. From the Twilight...from Applejack...from everything!” That drew odd looks from everyone but Praetor Romulus. “What do you mean? Who are you talking about little one?” The wolf chimera leaned down. “The shadow folk, for you see, they draw their power from the earth. Their's is a power from before this world witnessed magics birth.” Zinsu’s eyes were glowing a deep crimson. The assembled generals stepped back as the three foals began to change before their eyes. Bone and sinew of shadow took the place of flesh as crimson flames erupted from their eyes. Little Zinsu’s stripes glowed a ghostly white, the same milky shade the skull painted over his face now shimmered. “You are all to blame for the state this world is in. You will be punished equally for your shared sin.”

It was not the start to the battle either side had expected. The blank flanked ponies, who seemed so innocent and weary before, transformed into monsters of darkness that rivaled the Children of Twilight before the eyes of all. Jibbering madly, they began to attack. At first many were converted, all the creatures needed to do to make you join their ranks was touch you. It was the Dawn that drove them back, using the skills the Crusaders had refined against the Infected in the Everfree Forest. Keeping them at a distance and dismembering them was tricky, but with the combined power of the Sisters and the Dawn it was manageable. Unfortunatley by then the Children of Twilight surged among them, laughing as they joined the chaos. Lances were useless against them, they just kept giggling as they slid their dead bodies down the length of the frightened soldiers shafts...biting great chunks out of any unprotected flesh. Apparently immune to the touch of the Blanks, the undead fell to tearing each other apart as well, in incredibly grizzly fashion. The skirmish spread like wildfire until the entirety of all six armies were engaged.

“Applebloom, what did they do to you?” Cried Scootaloo as she backed away from her one time friend. The little filly moved slowly toward her, smiling sweetly though her face was naught but shadow and corruption. “Oh Scoot, don’t be such a chicken! Bein' dead don’t hurt none, at least no more than it would if’n I or Pinkie Pie had gotten ahold of ya while we lived!” The two stood in a bubble of carnage as war raged. “Oh I can’t begin to tell ya all the fillies we sacrificed. Tortured, cooked, and eaten...that ritual was so tedious. I can't believe that I thought that would help me get my cutie mark!" Her eyes flash deep crimson, her teeth seemed to sharpen as a half rotted tongue passed over her lips. "Want to know a secret Scoot? We shoulda never tried to get those cutie marks. They’re not a good thing. They’re a curse! But it’ll be alright now, I’ll protect ya. Even if you do have a mark I’ll make it so no pony can ever use it against you...” A wave of sound, a song loud and long slammed into the little shadow beast suddenly. The magic bombarding her caused Applebloom's form to shake apart, her shadowy flesh falling from her bones as she melted into the earth.

Sergeant Belle eyed Scootaloo. “I’ve had quiet enough of reunions with old friends that want to kill us, I don’t know about you." A pair of crusaders flanked her, lances at the ready to defend the unicorn. "Didn’t you say you were going to make the Twilight Queen pay?” The Sergeant Major was clearly shaken, but her friends words brought her back to herself. Smiling, Scootaloo lowered the visor of her helm, readied her own lance, and spread her wings. “Give my regards to your sister!” Saying that, with one massive pulse of her wings she launched herself into the air to join the fray. Sweetie Belle pawed the earth where the shade of Applebloom had fallen. Eyes blazing with anger she charged into battle to do just as her friend had asked.

Smoke swirls over the battlefield, twisting and turning, blooming into complex shapes and geometrical patterns as stray magic flew in flashes of color and explosions of power. The noise is constant and furious. The grunts and groans of the living and dying mixed with the sound of blades cleaving flesh, claws rending, hooves trampling, and the high laughter of the undead. Ever shifting, ever changing, there were no battle lines to speak of...all given over to pure chaos. One moment the Soldiers of the Dawn press their attack, their sharpened howling spear points charging deep into the heart of the slavering diamond dogs, only moments later to find themselves surrounded by giant three headed hounds, fodder for dog food. Another moment the laughing Children of the Twilight dance and prance among the armies of the Chimeron Empire, ripping them to pieces, only to have shadows come alive around them and cut them into bloody chunks so small that their laughter blessedly dies. In their place lurks the pregnant silence of shadows inhabited by swift death brought by the blades of the Cult of the Moon.

Other shadows, those of the damned, moved among all taking whom they could. Those that did not rise as Children of the Twilight rose instead as children of shadow and death, screaming, weeping, and whispering dark treasons of the mind and soul. The Blanks made a disturbing distraction for those already staring death in the face. Unicorns of the Dawn and Moon alike did what they could to stay them, as did the Chimeron kelpies, but there magics were hindered by the constant advances of the armies of Twilight. High above it all, the skies were a riot of colors. From the twisting spires of Canterlot obscene amounts of raw magic lit the firmament in royal purples and deep blues. A swarm of dragons descended upon the palace, only to be repelled by the magically enhanced familiar of the Queen herself, the giant purple dragon whose green flames mixing with their red and yellow fire, lending a rainbow sheen to the sky above. Against this backdrop pegasus and winged chimera warred with those Shadowbolt’s who remained loyal to the cause of the Twilight. Storm clouds roared, adding lightning and piercing winds to the mix, these firmly in control of the Wonderbolt’s as they directed natures wrath at their enemies. No rain fell from those horrid skies, save that of blood and bodies as the slain fell to the roiling battlefield below.

War had come to Equestria, a war to end all wars. Theia moved through the chaos like a fish through water, slicing through foes and aiding allies as she plunged into the heart of the enemy lines. When she had made her report to Lady Selene, they had both agreed that she must take the field. In order for Theia to complete her mission, they had to draw out the Lieutenant that had set her on this path to begin with. That was why they had marched in force to Canterlot rather than try to infiltrate it more stealthily, they could only hope to find War in the heart of this final battle. She saw allies drift in and out of her field of vision. Gytha griffin, niece of the Emperor of Chimeron, swept low over the battlefield picking up diamond dogs and dropping them howling to their deaths. In a tight knot, a group of Dawns-light Crusaders protected Sergeant Belle as she turned her devastating songs to decimate any Children of Twilight or Blanks that approached them. The new enemies seemed to have the same vulnerabilities as the Infected which was only a very small blessing given their huge, ever growing numbers and how they moved so quickly, darting like shadows over the ground.

Shadows, fortunately, warred on Theia’s side as well. It was good to see the Sisters at their work. Many had been training for this war for decades, though it was originally thought they would be fighting against, not with, the Dawn. They moved fluidly, individual streams coming together to form a river of death, so that when Theia’s blades bit into a massive Dog of War, seven other shadows collocated with her attacks rending the beast to shreds before it could so much as whimper. There was a kind of terrifying freedom here, and for a time Theia almost lost herself to the crimson rage of battle. That was when she saw her, just a glimpse at first, a blood red unicorn wading through the madness. Then she heard the whirring of blades above the discordant shouts of those fighting and dying. Unlike those around her, Rarity seemed perfectly poised and in control, her black armor immaculate and inset with glowing blood diamonds and rubies. A wide, clear circle of churned mud and blood lay about her, her regrown horn glowing brightly as arcs of crimson death laid waste to all. Any foolish enough to wander into this circle, friend or foe, was immediately cut down without the least glance. As those baleful, glowing scarlet eyes lit upon Theia, the pony who had been named War smiled as graciously as a lady at tea time.

“Why Theia, darling, it’s so good to see you again! I had rather worried that one of these little beasts had already had the pleasure of dispatching you. Oh, but I should never have doubted you...after all, you’re a fighter! Shall we dance?” All at once the whirring of blades stopped, thirteen blades of multi-colored quartz crystals spread to either side of the unicorn like the wings of death. Magic pulsed from Theia as well as she drew a black sword from her pack, her stub of a horn shimmering with concentrated magic. Without uttering a word, the one eyed assassin launched herself at her opponent. Blade sang off crystal as blow after vicious blow Theia parried. Dodging as best she could, Theia flipped over one crystal blade as it slammed into the mud at her feet, shifting to her shadow form and diving at War, intent on removing the pretty head from the undead Lieutenants shoulders. Rarity had seen this technique before, however, and compensated by slamming all of her crystals in front of Theia, creating a magical barrier that would not let so much as a shadow pass. With a pulse of her magic, War rebuffed Theia, disrupting her spell and making her tangible again.

“Are you just a one trick pony Theia? I must say I’m disappointed. For the pony that killed three of my dearest friends you’re surprisingly weak.” With that the crystals flew into the air again, sending a spray of mud and blood into Theia’s eyes, blinding her. The crystals tore into her flesh as she tried to roll away from her enemy, her own bleeding wounds making the ground even more treacherous as fresh cuts and gashes bloomed along her cream colored body. “Look at you writhing in that filth like a worm. Was it a worm that hung Famine? That burned away Pestilence? That conquered Death? Why won't you get on your hooves and FIGHT!” The last word was a rather unlady-like roar as Rarity combined the crystal shards into one massive sword and brought them down for a killing blow. A wave of sound tour across the battlefield, vibrating the crystals and causing them to break apart again, forming a cage around Theia's prone form. Both Theia and War turned as from the mist of war stepped Sergeant Belle, mane perfectly styled, all too much like her sisters, her emerald eyes cold.

“Theia, I believe you and the Sergeant Major have some business with the Twilight Queen. Be a dear and go about your business. My sister and I have something we need to discuss.” Theia took the moments respite to recover, rising to her hooves. Though she had been wounded in many places, none seemed too severe to keep going. “Sergeant Belle.. .I know you said when the time came you wanted to deal with your sister. But if she isn’t put down there’s no way we can hope to defeat the Twilight Queen.” At that Rarity chuckled gently, her quiet little laugh rising into a wild guffaw. “Oh! Oh that is too good! Let me guess, Applejack told you that didn’t she? Oh that pony would say anything if she thought it meant being free from this so called ‘curse’!” As war raged on all sides of the three unicorns, a look of shock spread across Theia’s face. “You mean to say she lied?”

“Oh don't be so naive darling. I’m sure she hoped it was true, but how do you think she even got the idea in her head? She was an earth pony, sweetling, what do they know of magic? Oh to be sure, the Twilight Queen is more powerful with her lieutenants by her side, but that does not make her invincible! Why, who do you think it has been that’s even been guiding you to kill us off, one by one?” Theia reeled as Rarity went on, her crystal swords rising one by one as her words drove home. “You’ve been a pawn of the Queen ever since that day in the Chimeron Canyon... Indeed, possibly longer than that! Why else would I lend you my sword when you fought your long lost ‘friend’ Moonbolt? The fact of the matter is you only have one more pony to kill, but three choices in who she could be." The crystals began to spin around Theia. "Kill me and the Queen wins,. Kill the Queen and I win. Or you can just lay down your life here and kill yourself so that no one wins. One of these choices will save the world, while the other two will surely damn it. I wonder if you can guess which is which?” Another harsh song filled the air, shattering Rarity’s crystal blades to nothing but dust. As both Theia and Rarity shielded their eyes, Sergeant Belle roared.

“You ignored me enough as a child sister,” spoke Sweetie Belle coldly, her composure slipping as rage flashed in her emerald eyes. “I will not have you ignore me as the adult that’s about to slay you!” Sergeant Belle stalked forward, horn glowing as she sang a song that opened wounds weeping with thick black blood all along War’s flanks. She sang her next words “Who do you think you are, coming back from the grave? Who do you think you are, making my friend your slave!? You’re time is long done and past, though you were the first, you’ll now be the last!” Sweetie Belle’s song ripped Rarity’s flesh and rent her black armor, cracking it and sending a hairline fracture creeping up Rarity’s horn. Eyes blazing, War turned from Theia. “Such an annoyance! Just as always." Raw and blood curdling hatred emanated from Rarity, "You were always in the way or under foot, ruining everything I ever did. Mother and father should have let me drown you as a babe when that horrible voice of yours wailed and wailed all night keeping us all awake! Well I will silence you now!” The swirling rainbow hued crystal mist solidified into a jagged spike...beneath Sergeant Belle. The crystal rose sharply, impaling the unicorn through her guts and ending her song with a gurgling scream. She fell transfixed by the crystal shard. The rest of swirling cloud of dust that surrounded the three solidified into a single massive crimson sword. War grit her bloody teeth as she turned back to her original prey, glowing blade poised to strike Theia down as well.

“Siblings...I swear they exist only to torment us. Hah... Thinking on that, tell me Theia, would you like to know who has your eye? I imagine Fluttershy already told you who took it, but I bet you’ll never guess who has it still.” A dull hum filled Theia’s ears. She had seen friends fall before, but what this creature had just done to her own blood, as casually as swatting a fly. The daughter of the moon didn’t care about her eye or the Twilight Queens machinations. All she knew was that this Rarity, this War, had to die. “STOP IGNORING ME!” The howl from Sweetie Belle’s blood flecked lips shocked both Theia and Rarity. “I WILL NOT, WILL NOT, DIE AS I HAVE LIVED! YOU WILL KNOW SERGEANT BELLE! YOU WILL REMEMBER ME!” Theia felt the vibrations in her bones before she heard the low notes. The earth, the very air vibrated violently as Sweetie Belle’s voice climbed in pitch growing higher and louder as she went. Blood gushed from the wound in her belly as the crystal spear vibrated in her guts, but still she sang on. Seeing what was coming, Theia shift into her shadow form. Rarity was not so lucky.

The explosion sent not just shards of gem stone, but metal and bone as well, as Sergeant Belle cut loose with a banshee howl. The quartz buried in her guts shattered to shards that filled her belly and sprayed her sister, much as the gems embedded in War’s armor exploded as well. Her sonic assault rent Rarity to so much bloody meat, leaving both sisters panting, broken and barely alive in the mud. Theia was struck deaf. Both unicorns horns had shattered, leaving them powerless to do anything but struggle vainly to rise. Segeant Belle with her stomach a horror show of crystalline carnage, Rarity missing her lower body from her waist down. Even as Theia watched the sisters, so alike in look and personality, struggled towards one another dragging their entrails behind them. Even though Theia’s hearing was slowly coming back, she couldn’t hear what they were saying...but there lips moved animatedly, pain mirrored in one anothers faces. The lines of battle were shifting again, and both Sergeant and Lieutenant quickly disappeared beneath the hooves and paws of warriors with more pressing matters than those dying beneath them. If they were trampled to death or died of their wounds, Theia would never know. Such is the way of war.

Shaken and injured, Theia realized with a sick shock that her mission was at last complete. The sacrifice of yet another friend meant that now they might have a chance against the Queen of Twilight. Unless, as War had implied, it was all a lie. Theia's one eyed gaze turned her to Canterlot Castle. She wasn’t done yet. Theia had to make sure that Rarity's warning did not come to pass. To save this world and stop all this senseless killing, she had to be the dagger in the dark one more time. It was time to end this, once and for all.

High above, the war in the sky had fared better for the combined might of the armies of Dawn and Moon. With the aid of winged Chimeron legionnaires the Shadowbolt’s had fallen one by one until the cravens had broken and fled. Scootaloo and Gytha worked as a powerful team, both diving into clusters of the enemy on the ground with explosive force, ripping them to shreds before rising again into the sky. With aerial superiority on their side it would only be a matter of time before the Twilight must at last succumb. Even on the ground Scootaloo could see the fighting was beginning to turn in their favor. Lady Selene, the matriarch of the Cult of the Moon, burned away all who opposed her with powerful magic the likes of which the Sergeant Major had never seen. Her own commander, General Corona, fought bravely below, many an undead monstrosity impaled on the lances that bristled around him. Even the Praetor of the Legion fought fiercely, wolf mouth snapping and tearing at the living and the dead as his snake headed tail lashed out and pumped them full of poison.

Scootaloo was ready to whoop with joy in their inevitable victory when something caught her eye on the distant battlefield below. One section of earth had become so slick with blood as to be dyed red. In that wide circle many corpses lay, some horribly burned, but most merely dismembered. Looking closer she saw what had given her unconscious mind pause. It was her...her only friend that had stayed by her side through all this madness and pain. Sweetie Belle lay among the dead, a hole punched clean through her. The Crusader's eyes misted with tears. But wait...was that movement she saw? Did she yet live? Eschewing the battle proper, Scootaloo dived to her friends side, landing roughly and slipping in the mud that was soaked with her friends life blood. Closer, she could see the signs of the struggle that had ended her. Sergeant Belle’s broken sister lay within inches, the sisters outstretched hooves barely touching. Removing her helmet, Scootaloo rested her head against Sweetie Belle’s chest, listening vainly for the slightest thump of a heart beat.

“You stupid pony. You weren’t supposed to die...not you.” The tears flowed freely now. Unbidden, the Crusader found herself rolling her friend on her side. The wound was worse in her belly than her back, a stinking hole that Scootaloo couldn’t look at without almost retching. “Why couldn’t you have been more careful Belle?” As she wept, a shadow fell across her friends dead form. The Sergeant Major stood and whirled wary of attack. Before her stood the creature that had once been Zinsu, his eyes casting an unearthly glow. “Why do you mourn her with your warriors tears? You should know that she is at long last beyond her fears.” From the blood stained earth all around Scootaloo the shadowy skeletal Blanks rose in slow motion, Applebloom’s shade among them.

“I tried to warn ya Scoot. This is what happens to all the ponies that are bound by magic. It’s a curse I tell ya, a curse that drives ya mad and makes you hurt the ones ya love! You have to believe me Scoot...there’s only one way to break this cycle...” The ring of shadow folk closed in around the Sergeant Major, a hungry look in their glowing crimson eyes. “Let us protect you.” Scootaloo didn’t know what to believe anymore, but she knew one thing for certain deep down. Sweetie Belle died doing what she wanted to do...there had been bad blood between herself and her sister even before the coming of Twilight. If her friend could do that, she wasn’t about to give up and hide in the shadows with these dead ponies. Gritting her teeth, Scootaloo leapt into the air, leaving the babbling Blanks far below. Without looking back she flew straight for Canterlot Castle.

Wading through the battlefield took time and energy Theia was finding in short supply. Whatever Rarity had done to interfere with Theia’s magic, the pony found she could only shift to shadow for brief bursts at a time before her horn would start to ache as if it would split in half. Further, the wounds she had received fighting the unicorn made her movements stiff and halting. Many times she almost succumbed to the Children of the Twilight, but fortunately the chaos of the battle was such she could always find an opportunity to slip away. For once Theia was thankful for the mercurial attention span of those of Twilight, for with so much prey around they found it hard to focus on one injured pony when there were so many more to play with. The thought sickened Theia as she glanced down from the mountain hold fast that was Canterlot. She could see all over the battlefield the maimed and ruined bodies of her allies, but there were many of the enemy who also would not rise again. This was only a very small comfort.

She was close now. Towering above her, the violet and green dragon of the Queen of Twilight roared. Fortunately he still warred with his smaller brethren, their flames heating the air to baking and lighting Equestria for miles around. As Theia climbed the last few steps to the castle gates the imposing portcullis opened ponderously. Distrusting this, Theia shifted into shadow, ignoring the pain coming from her stunted horn. She slipped inside, wary of her surroundings. Souring columns rose in pristine glory and all around her were plush carpets, tapestries, and stained glass depicting great battles of old. Theia didn’t know what she had expected, but not the absolutely perfect condition of the castle. There were no guards to speak of, indeed there were no ponies around at all that she could see. In the distance thin strains of music could barely be heard over the dull roar of the battle below. Shifting back to tangibility, Theia wandered down the long winding halls. Her hooves clopped loudly over the polished marble floors but were completely muffled when she came to the thick carpeting.

This was not what she had expected at all. Had the Queen dispatched all her subjects to the battlefield? Where were her defenders? She carried on, moving closer and closer to the source of the music that was slowly drowning out the sounds of war. It was a light, haunting tune on piano that fit perfectly with the empty halls but still seemed out of place, almost out of tune. At last she came to a hallway that seemed different from the others. While the other halls were decorated with stained glass that let light in, this hallway seemed to be decorated with a much older mosaic with only arrow slit windows to provide any kind of illumination. The tale this mosaic told was hard to follow. Some sort of disaster, followed by a great battle. Giant armored ponies seemed to fight at the beck and call of a winged pegasus, but the enemy was illusive, some strange amalgamation of darkness and suffering. The mosaic was crumbling and badly damaged in parts, the first signs of decay Theia had seen in the castle, though this did not seem recent. She walked on. The armored giants had risen into the sky, their master apparently replaced by two winged pegasi, one bright as day the other dark as midnight. It seemed to be some sort of creation myth involving the pony sisters, but she had never heard of such a story before.

At the end of the hall, the mosaic was badly damaged, many of its tiles smashed to a thin layer of dust that lined the floor. All she could make out was a massive depiction of the moon and ponies of all shapes and sizes gazing up at it with looks almost of longing. Theia might have pondered this longer, but she had more pressing matters than history to attend to. The source of the music was close now, she hoped the Twilight Queen would be as well. Sticking to the shadows, Theia crept through a wide archway that let out onto a high balcony that overlooked the valley below. She found the source of the music, a half rotted Child of Twilight dressed in suit and tails. So focused on his work as to be enraptured, lost to the rest of the world, the undeads hooves worked madly over the keys. But Theia immediately realized he was not important... for gazing over the balcony's edge was none other than the Twilight Queen herself. Theia had not seen her this close in Cloudsdale. Her every muscle looked wrong, out of place on her tall skeleton frame, as if the form beneath merely wore the flesh above as some obscene after thought. As the Queen turned, Theia could see how bits of her shifted painfully across her frame, cracks and veins of raw magic sparking and shuddering between the exposed flesh and bone. The worst was the gaping rent in her chest that displayed the black lump that passed for her heart, sheathed in crackling magic that pulsed duly, spilling a thin dribble of dark liquid down her chest. Her eyes glowed fiercely beneath her crown of unicorn horns, each a different color and length than the other, set in sharp relief against her mane that swirled and danced like living darkness. She looked much less a Queen and more a horrible jest of a monster. Yet when she spoke it was with all the regal tones and courtesies one would expect from a monarch.

“Ah, at last you arrive. I must say I’m a bit disappointed in your progress. I imagined you would have been here sooner.” Her lips pulled back from teeth too large for her mouth as she spoke. “Tell me, did it trouble you to murder so many to stand before me?” Theia glared at the Twilight Queen, at the wrongness that she represented. The very air around her seemed to shimmer and twist in shapes the eyes were not meant to see, the mind not meant to comprehend. “Did it trouble you when you turned your friends into abominations and enslaved this world?” At that the Twilight Queen laughed, a horrible ugly sight as jaws too large for the face they held parted wide, ripping fresh rents in the sides of her dead face, artificially extending her smile. “No, it troubled me not at all. I had faith that you...or someone like you would stand before me, even as you do now. The last piece of the puzzle, the final sacrament, the blind traveler of the wheel. You have no idea how long I have waited for this day. For this very hour." She stepped away from the balcony edge and beckoned Theia with one cracked hoof, "Look out upon the field of battle and tell me what you see!”

Unbidden, Theia’s single eye glanced over the scene below. It was hard to judge distance from here, but she could see by the fire and flashes of magic the dead and dying screaming silently while those still living or undead thrashed about wildly. “I see only the chaos and strife you have sown. But I also see you’re end, Queen of Twilight.” Theia drew her black sword and dropped into her fighting stance, bones creaking with the effort. The Twilight Queen merely smiled. “Then perhaps you have not gazed long enough. It is not defeat you see below you, but victory. Here...allow me to tidy the field somewhat so your poor blind eye can be opened. SPIKE!” From high above, the queens massive dragon curled its long sinuous neck down, a passing blue dragon strafing the side of his face. Maw opening wide, Spike snapped the smaller dragon from the sky by its neck, breaking it and tossing it aside to smash down the side of the mountain below. The Queen smiled, pleased. “Spike, please be a dear and get rid of all these noisy mortals.” The enchanted dragons glowing eyes blinked and it turned its head to the battlefield. Opening his blood slicked maw a torrent of emerald flame surged down the mountainside. The fire just kept coming and coming until the entire valley was filled with churning flame that reached high into the sky, engulfing all and sundry. As it dissipated, nothing was left, only charred and shattered corpses littered the battlefield. Yet beneath them...it was faint from this far away, but Theia was high enough that once she’d recovered from the shock of the Twilight Queen’s merciless attack she saw immediately what “her majesty” had intended for her to see before.

Etched deep into the furrows and trenches of the valley bellow were runes and sigils of a spell so massive that Theia could not comprehend it. Blood from those who had fallen in battle filled every last crevice, inking the runes in crimson. The pulsing, pounding emanations of the spell were the pain Theia had felt in her horn. It was this spell that was interfering with her magic, not Rarity’s attack or any kind of battle fatigue! But what could a spellwork so massive possibly be for? Movement drew her eye from the scene below to one unfolding above. In the twilit sky, the Wonderbolt's storms and the smoke of dragon fire cleared away to reveal a sight both wondrous and terrible. The moon grew...it was already full, but it grew brighter and brighter still. No that was wrong. The moon was actually getting bigger, getting closer! “What have you done!?” The Twilight Queen howled with lady-like laughter and even her familiar chuckled in deep resonate tones. “Why my dear Theia, I have set right a terrible wrong! It won’t be long now. At last the blind traveler shall walk the path of blood and at its end...paradise! It’s the future that awaits you my dear, the future and your past!”

Theia had heard enough of her madness. If all her friends and allies were dead, their sacrifices would be in vain if she allowed the Twilight Queen to go ahead with whatever fiendish plan she had devised. She only had one shot at this with that horrible behemoth of a dragon leering overhead. Shifting, Theia stepped into the realm of shadow, intending to phase out only long enough to remove the Queens ugly head from her shoulders and await the death that she was sure would follow from the fangs or flames of her dragon. As soon as she shifted, she knew something was wrong. In the realm of shadows, she had always been alone unless other daughters of the moon were near. She was not alone now.

Before her stood a creature that at first went well beyond her imagining. Towering over Theia, a graceful creature composed of more stars than she had ever seen in the deepest night sky gazed upon her. Her wings were sweeping nebula of many colors beyond the dreaming of mortal minds, her many horns cosmic rays that twisted and flared like the blazing corona of a supernova, and her very mane shimmered with dark energy that was more than darkness but the very firmament of the cosmos, the very fabric of space and time. The word ‘galaxy’ rose unbidden in Theia’s mind and as she thought it, she knew it was true. She was looking at a galaxy in the shape of a pony...a creature filled with more power, more life and more knowledge than she had ever known in her life. At the beings heart, much like the heart of all galaxies, there spun a black hole. The stars that composed the ponies body were steadily being drawn into that swirling dark maelstrom, but instead of consuming herself, power surged from that endless void. Theia could feel it pulling her in as well. The stars...every last star in the ‘sky’ that was the Twilight Queen’s true self gazed upon her in judgement. The Queen's voice a sussurous of silence in her head.

“Theia...I remember when that name was mine, so long ago. What did they think to accomplish naming you for me? Did they expect lenience? Forgiveness? Did they expect me to show you any kind of mercy simply because they had the audacity to name a weak little abomination like you for me? Theia. You can keep that name, I don’t need it anymore. But I will take from you, my blind traveler, as your sisters have taken from you. Until you have nothing...else...to give...”

Those wings of light enveloped Theia then and a pain both sharp and soothing spread through her form. Ever last shred of her being felt as though it was melting away. One by one the stardust that composed Theia’s shadow form winked out...swallowed by that gaping black hole in the Twilight Queen's chest. In the material realm, the one eyed assassins body fell limp, her sword clattering to the cobbles as she slowly slid into unconsciousness. Her flank was now as blank as her mind. As her vision fades to black, the Children of the Twilight gathered around her, and the last thing she saw were their cruel smiles. Above the now quiet battlefield the moon grows large and red, flames gathering around it as it draws nearer, its light staining the blue of twilight a deep bleeding red. The world holds its breath as the dead laugh.

Guiding Star

“Please...”

“Please help me...”

“I want to go home...”

“Can you hear me?”

“Please don’t be dead...you can’t all be dead...”

“Help me...”

“It’s so cold here...I’ve been alone for so long...”

Darkness.

She woke in darkness, her head swimming with pain. Whatever had been done to her left her body feeling prickly and numb all over. She could barely sense the manacles that held her spread eagle against the hard rock wall. She had the feeling that not much time had passed, but enough for her to have the strangest nightmare she ever had before. As the feeling came back to her hooves the pain spread from her head down the length of her back. Though it was dark, her eye was slowly growing accustomed to the thin light that seemed to reflect from a source far, far above her. It was the flickering glow of a torch. She could smell no smoke or oil so it must be very far away indeed.

A scream echoed from above. She could not be sure, but it seemed that until recently she had been partially deaf. Now the sounds came fully to her, screams and sobs and moans filled the darkness. There must be many others like herself down here. The smell was horrible, a mix of stale moisture and dank privy. The mood of despair was palpable. This was clearly some kind of subterranean prison. With an effort, Theia tried to shift into shadow form, but found that something was suppressing her magic. She imagined it was the same for all the other magical prisoners in the complex, though such a powerful counter spell would need to be immense to cover what felt like such a large area. Given what she had seen in the valley below Canterlot, however, such a counter spell did not seem as outside the realm of logic as it would have previously. Theia struggled, trying to find some give in her manacles, but all she managed to do was rub her ankles raw. It was clear from the rough metal that these bounds were thick with rust. Even so, they held firmly to the stone.

“Stop that. Stop all the noise and rustling around. You’ll just invite attention you don’t want” The harsh whisper came from Theia’s left. She could barely see the slumped figure as it hung lifeless as a corpse from the wall. It was tall and emaciated to the point that she could pick out each rib beneath the filthy pale skin. Clumps of long stringy hair hung limply from a head that had once bore a horn, now clearly cut off and gouged out at the root. Straining her eye she could see more scars, some old some fresh, and two tiny stubs at either shoulder that once, long ago, might have been wings. Such sad little things, they were now hopelessly broken and stripped of all their feathers. All this she could see plainly, but she could not see the whisperer breath, or move at all, as she spoke again. “If you want to survive among the dead, you must be as the dead child. Hang your head so your mane falls before your eyes and look through that if you must keep your eyes open, but do exactly as I say. When the light comes, calm your breathing, slow your heartbeat if you know how. You may not be able to pass for dead yet, but maybe we can fool them into thinking your dreaming. Make not a sound, not a peep. They’re coming now...”

It was true, the torchlight was drawing closer, and as the light drifted down from above Theia caught a glimpse of where she was. It was not merely a prison, but a dungeon, filled with all the devices of torture and humiliation that such a place implied. The entire cavern was lined with tunnels and hallways full of cells and cages filled with equal parts living and dead. Rough stone carved stairs lead up and down the shear rock walls, but of a ceiling above or floor to the pit below she could see no sign. She recognized some of the other prisoners as soldiers of the Dawn, Chimeron legionnaires, and even one or two Daughters of the Moon. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them. The thought struck her then that those who had been engulfed by the dragon Spike’s flame had not been destroyed, but instead all magically transported here to die a slower death than they might have enjoyed on the battlefield.

Slumping forward as the pony next to her had suggested, Theia tried to get a glimpse of their jailers as the light drew closer and the stench in the air increased. She knew without seeing them that they were Children of Twilight. They giggled and chatted to one another as they walked down the rows, stopping here and there to tighten the bonds of one or jab another with the burning brand they carried, sending up the acrid stench of burning flesh and hair to mix with the screams of agony. Theia tried to calm herself and slow her breathing, but it was hard as they pranced closer, violet and pink light glowing brighter in their eyes than the sullen glow of their torch. “Heehee...it’s raining its pouring...” sang one, “The old man is snoring...” said the other as they stopped and smiled at Theia. “Bumped his head and went to bed and won’t wake in the morning...” giggled the other again. “Aww that’s no fun, no fun at all.” The one with the burning brand brought the red hot metal so close to Theia’s face she could see the individual hairs of her mane crisp and curl up on themselves as the heat singed them. A sound from further down the way, a scream or sob, thankfully drew their attention away. The Children of Twilight always enjoyed playing with conscious prey if they could manage it.

As the light faded in the distance, the cool darkness came back and Theia exhaled. “Quiet you little foal! You think that they all move about with light? Those were just the ones that mark prisoners for their larder. There are still plenty wandering this cesspit looking for other kinds of sport...” Her words were harsh and Theia noticed she had a tendency to slur her speech, as if she were long out of practice in using her tongue. “Who are you?” asked Theia, whispering as well, “I thank you for all this advice, though I question why you’re giving it when you could just as easily be caught.” The figure beside her stiffened, then relaxed again. “Consider this a belated birthday present. If you can keep your voice down, I will speak to you. My name is Celestia...and you are Theia, yes?”

The revelation made Theia’s mind reel. It was possible that this prisoner could be lying, but the proof was on her back and in the middle of her forehead. Only Celestia and Luna, the ancient pony Princesses of Equestrian legend, were known to have both a unicorns horn and a pegasus' pair of wings. Neither had been seen in Equestria in nearly a hundred years, ever since the coming of Twilight. Though Luna had been missing for far longer, it was thought by the Cult of the Moon that she yet lived. Celestia on the other hand, all had given her up for dead, even the loyal soldiers of the Dawn. “How...how long have you been down here?” Asked Theia. Pastel clumps of greasy hair parted just enough that Theia could make out one magenta colored eye.

“How long? Longer than you’ve lived, though perhaps not as long as you’ve been alive. Long enough I’ve seen more of your kind come and go than I could ever possibly care to keep track of.” she shifted back, turning away from Theia. “I don’t know anymore...to be honest I don’t even know what time of day it is, let alone the season. Tell me...does the sun still shine over Equestria?” Theia shook her head, but realized there was no way Celestia could see the gesture. “No. The Sun only shines in the eastern lands, its been that way for some time.” Celestia slumped forward. “Of course. That makes perfect sense, how could I be so blind? Well I guess it is dark... Heheh...” She started giggling then and Theia wasn’t sure how to react. “Oh, I’m sorry I guess you wouldn’t get the joke would you? The Twilight Queen, I’d been trying to figure out for a long time now just what it was she was planning. Now I think I know.” Celestia smiled with crooked, rotten teeth. “My sister should have let you die Theia.”

“You’re sister?” asked Theia shocked by this ascertain. “Do you mean Luna? When was it ever up to her if I lived or died? And how do you know my name?” That got another mad little chuckle from the wreckage that claimed to be Celestia. “You really don’t know anything do you? I’ll give my sister one thing, she can maintain a mystery far better than I ever could. I suppose that’s the difference between the beguiling moon and the searing light of day. I will hold no secrets from you Theia, though you may not like what I have to tell you.” Against a background of tormented cries, the former ruler of Celestia told a story of ancient might and magic from before the creation of Canterlot, before the founding of the pony sisters kingdom, even before the chaotic spirit of Discord was abroad in these lands.

Once upon a time, the ponies ruled a world of peace and serenity, fueled by sorcery so potent as to put what we dub today as magic to shame. There were no wars, no hunger, no disease, and no death. The realm was one of crystalline splendor, mysterious and beautiful. The utopian world clung close to a an ancient star. As the ponies frolicked and played, loving one another and being loved in return, the only thing about their world that seemed to change was the sun in the sky. It would grow and shrink with the passing of ages, burning hotter or cooler. Then, as now, there were ponies responsible for controlling and caring for the different elements of the world, and one in particular in charge of the movements of heavenly bodies.

Her name was Queen Theia. Not only was she responsible for the sun and the moon but she also guided the position of their world in relation to the stars. With her great power and knowledge she was able to move their world closer to their star when it cooled and further away when it flared, maintaining a perfect equidistance between their sun and the cold void. Though it seemed that the pony's society would be able to last forever in peace and harmony, the same could not be said for their star. One day, eons ago, Queen Theia observed that their sun was cooling at an alarming rate. At first she tried merely moving their world closer to the sun, but as it cooled it grew massive and red, devouring the other worlds around them one by one. Being wise, even by those ancient scholars standards, the Queen knew that the end of their utopian world was inevitable. She had a choice, cast their world into the heart of the giant or let it eventually cool to the point that their home became a freezing wasteland.

She was unwilling to accept either outcome, and instead sought for a third option. Calling on the great powers of all harmony, she devised a plan that would see their society safe through the death of their own star. For you see, the galaxy is vast, but with magic the possibilities are literally infinite. Working with a feverish intensity, the Queen inscribed the entirety of the planet with protective wards that would bind the populace in a deep and tranquil slumber for a thousand years. Afterwards, their consciousness would be transferred to new bodies upon another suitable world somewhere out there in the cosmos. As she drained their worlds magic into these spells as well as a powerful spell of transference a catastrophe struck. With the flow of magic interrupted on their world, ponies began to age, and they began to die. Sickness spread like wildfire and ponies began to fight one another for food and land that still had the merest touch of magic. Worse, ponies born during this time were horribly mutated, maimed and halt. For you see, in their world all ponies were born with horns to channel magic and wings to sail the skies. Many were born missing one or both of these, while still others were born with twisted limbs that did not even resemble a pony’s. The worst of these children were murdered by their own parents as freaks. The Queen however, in her infinite wisdom, found a purpose for even these cast off children.

Using one of her own blood line as a template, she created for these deformed ponies new bodies of flame and steel. Empowering them with the essence of their dying sun, the Stars were born. Positioned around their fragile world, the Stars brought light and warmth to the citizens of the Queen’s dying world. They also became vital to the Queen’s ultimate plan, as they would guard and guide their world while it traveled through the gulf of space. When at last all the preparations had been completed Queen Theia bound all her subjects and broke their world from the pull of their dying star. To survive this monumental spell work, Queen Theia cast a spell on herself that moved her physical essence into the plain of shadow. Having already lived for countless eons, the few hundred years it took to travel to another suitable star system was nothing to her, but hearing no other voices, seeing no other pony, and not even being able to feel herself or anything around her...Queen Theia surely was overcome by despair, if not madness.

Thankfully, the Stars had already been magically imbued with the knowledge required to find a new world. It’s not certain how long it really took, but the Stars found a perfect world and brought the smaller planet into orbit around it. Primitive life was already present on this new world, even other ponies, but it had never known the touch of magic. That was our gift to the world. Old spells went into motion as soon as the two planets neared one another, and matter began to be syphoned one to the other. Sadly only a few of Queen Theia’s original subject's bodies had been able to survive the trip to their new home, and those were her direct blood line. The rest were not completely lost, however, as their consciousness seeped into the world along with their magic.

In no time at all the inhabitants of their new home began to display features and powers similar to the slumbering travelers from afar. They grew horns and wings and magic ran wild through the land. Those blessed by the spirits gained a magical mark upon their flank, a sign of the awakening of this consciousness within them. With their mission complete, the Stars themselves fell into slumber. With their deactivation, it was left to the descendants of Theia’s blood to nurture and shape the new world. The eldest inherited Queen Theia’s responsibilities, while the younger would become custodian of their old home. They had many adventures and fought many battles against the original inhabitants of this world. They even had to fight one of the Stars that had managed to fall to this world, a terrible monster who styled himself the Lord of Discord, but there was no trial the sisters could not overcome together.

And that’s how Equestria was made...

“Uhh, not to be rude, but you didn’t really answer any of my questions.” Theia was now convinced that if this pony had ever been Princess Celestia she was, beyond all doubt, completely insane. Celestia giggled uncontrollably, “I’m sorry, maybe if you’re good I’ll tell you the story of how I got my cutie mark.” She shuddered, sobbing and laughing at the same time. As Theia watched, the withered pony began to thrash around and turned her head fully towards her. Half the flesh had been stripped from her skull, what was left of her face stretched into a wide smile as pink light filled her eyes. Another convulsion went through her, and the light faded away, as her laughter subsided. Theia had never witnessed someone actually resist the influence of the Children of Twilight.

“I’m sorry... She’s in my mind. I’m stronger than she could ever hope to be, but she just keeps worming her way deeper and deeper inside. I will never fully be hers, but I don't have to be. If she can keep me from telling you the truth then she’s already won.” Her own words seemed to anger her greatly, and for a moment Theia caught a glimpse of the proud being that Celestia must once have been before the ravages of this dungeon. “I... Will she...let you tell me what happened to the Twilight Queen afterwards? Why did she wait so long to come to Equestria? Why does she want to rule now? And why try to destroy this world?” asked Theia. Celestia drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Yes, I think I can answer that. As to why she waited so long, I think she became trapped in the shadow realm. As she was the one to cast the spell on the other ponies, she was not a part of that spell. Once they and all that was good of that world transferred to this one, the old world became as dust and completely inhospitable. She could not interact with this reality without the aid of one of the Stars and they had all become dormant.” She paused, eyes clouding with anger. “It was my sisters actions that led to her release. My stupid, jealous, idiot of a sister. She rode her back like a tick on a bird. Sadly I did not realize this until after I had reforged my sisters crown to pass to another. I had wanted my apprentice to take Luna’s place by my side in stewardship of this world after my sister disappeared again.” Her head drooped, and Theia could hear her grit her teeth as she said, “I wish I had never even heard the name Twilight Sparkle. But I also wish that I had not offered her that crown...”

“So let me see if I have this right. The Twilight Queen was the original ruler of a race of ponies from another world who traveled here and took possession of the bodies of the ponies who lived here and that’s why we have cutie marks. Also you and your sister are direct descendants of this alien race and the spirit of your mother is trying to destroy the world.” Theia said incredulously. “Doesn’t that seem a little, far fetched?”

Celestia narrowed her eyes and glared at Theia. “Any more so than the dead coming to life and devouring the living? You don’t understand the delicate balance of power it takes to maintain this world. Calling her my mother is overly simplistic as well, since she’s the matriarch of our entire race!” She spat, thrashing against her shackles. “Destroying this world is incidental to her plan. With enough power, she can reverse the flow of magic from Equestria to her old world and undo everything that we have managed to accomplish over the centuries! In one fell swoop, she will rob this world of magic, dooming its inhabitants to a slow rotting death while she returns to her paradise and starts the cycle all over again! The worst part is this seems to have been part of her plan all along. She just moved up her time table when I banished my sister to the Moon. See if you can wrap your mind around this Theia, killing us is just a side effect of her work, in truth I don’t think she cares if we live or die so long as she has a chance to remake her lost kingdom. For whatever reason Equestria has failed to live up to her expectations. It will only be destroyed because her majesty dislikes the color. And it’s all your fault that she’s going to be able to do it!”

Scootaloo moved through the lowest reaches of Canterlot Castle. When she had first arrived, she had seen Children of the Twilight carry Theia down here from another part of the castle. Having so recently lost her friend Sweetie Belle, she wasn’t about to lose Theia if it could be helped. Flying after them as swiftly as she could, she still managed to lose them in the twists and turns of the deserted hallways. At last, the Sergeant Major found a promising doorway. A massive black wrought iron gate lay wide open before her. Within was naught but darkness, but she could hear the sounds of moaning and distant screams coming from far away. Steeling herself for the worst, she flew into the dark maw and glided through air as dank and stale as that of a crypt.

What she found took her breath away. A dungeon that looked as though it could easily occupy the entirety of the interior of the mountain upon which Canterlot stood spread below her. It extended so deep she could not even make out a bottom and the endless cells seemed to all be filled. She recognized a few of her fellow soldiers of the Dawn, but she could also see Children of the Twilight moving along the walls, torturing a few soldiers here, devouring and converting others there. She couldn’t afford to free them all without a solid plan to get them out. This kind of thinking was above her pay grade...in times of stress Scootaloo often looked for the nearest commander for orders. Gliding down through the darkness she found someone who would serve. The Daughters of the Moon called her Lady Selene. She had brooked some kind of deal between the Chimeron Empire and the Dawn to end the war between the two factions and bring their combined might to bare against the Twilight Queen. If any pony could think of a way out of this mess it would be her.

Shackled as she was, Scootaloo had to land softly on the ledge beside her before she could edge along a sheer cliff side to her alcove. “Lady Selene? Sergeant Major Scootaloo here to help you ma’am. What are your orders?” Lady Selene looked for a moment as if she didn’t believe what she was seeing, but then she quickly snapped her head upward and spoke. “Scootaloo, there’s not much time. The Twilight Queen has already made her final move. I had hoped to face her and destroy her myself, but I don’t think that’s possible now...” Her voice trailed off. At first Scootaloo didn’t know what she meant, then she saw that the unicorns horn had been broken, in battle or afterwards she could not tell. Blood oozed slowly from the core of the jagged stub. “Oh my Lady, what have they done to you?” Selene grimaced, but continued. “Nevermind that right now! I need you to take this jewel from around my neck. Take it to Theia, do you understand? If that pony still lives she’s our last chance of stopping the Twilight Queen. None of the rest of us matter but her!”

Reaching beneath the purple ponies black hood, Scootaloo found a necklace with a massive blue gem gilded in goldt. As she slid it over the other pony’s forehead Lady Selene gave a little shudder. She seemed to shrink slightly into herself and fresh blood poured from the wound on her forehead. The Crusader moved to undo her bonds, but Lady Selene shook her head, her light blue mane spilling from beneath her hood. “Nevermind about me. Go now! Find Theia. Even if she’s dead, give her that gem. It’s magic should take care of the rest...” Scootaloo nodded and turned to leave. “Wait...” The Crusader looked over her shoulder. “If...when...when you give her that jewel I need you to tell her something for me. Listen closely...”

Theia began to lose track of time. The babbling pony next to her, be she Celestia or some poor deluded pony, kept whispering secrets to her in the darkness. Whatever mania seized her, be it something in her head already or something put there by the Children of Twilight, seemed to have completely consumed her body and soul. She kept insisting that everything was Theia’s fault, or her sisters fault, or her apprentices fault, or some other pony’s fault that had something to do with baking. She spoke of some sick ritual designed to both cull the population and bind their spirits to the earth so that they could be reborn into the world again. Some horrid nonsense about stripping ponies of their magic, returning them to their natural wingless and hornless state, and recycling the body along with the spirit as nourishment for those who still lived.

The very concept revolted Theia beyond all reasoning. She tried to shut out the other ponies half mad whisperings but it seemed the pony had chosen Theia as her confessor. Listening to the sick twisted things “Celestia” had done, Theia hoped the pony was very insane. If even half of what she was saying were true, then Celestia deserved worse than being chained in the dark and tortured by the Children. As it was, Theia was busily trying to block out her words by humming a little tune when Scootaloo suddenly flew past her. Forgetting the need for silence, Theia shouted to her friend. As the shout echoed off the walls, the Sergeant Major rushed back, a grin on her face. “There you are! I thought I’d never find you. This place is terrible! Lets get out of here quick.” The crusader set to kicking at Theia’s rusted shackles, breaking each after a few well placed steel shod kicks. Theia fell to her hooves, stretching her legs and arching her back. It felt good to be free again.

“And where do you think you’re going?” The pony who thought herself Celestia said, eyes blazing with pink light. “You know that they heard you my little pony. You know that they’re coming for you.” She giggled manically as her deep, rusty voice rose higher in pitch and became sickeningly sweet. “Peek-a-boo...I see you...” With that thousands of violet and pink lights flared in the darkness around Theia and Scootaloo. Theia grabbed the Dawn’s Light Crusader and tried to phase them both into the shadow realm, but whatever was suppressing her magic still seemed to be in effect. If Scootaloo grabbed her, they might be able to fly away before the Children caught them, but they were so close, Theia didn’t know if they could make it away in time.

The Sergeant Major had other plans. “Theia...this is important. Lady Selene gave me this necklace and told me to make sure I go it to you.” She dropped the chain over Theia’s head. As the blue gem touched her chest, Theia felt a wave of energy sweep through her. In an instant, her body was engulfed in wave of raw magic. The pulses of power emanated from her body in waves as she slowly rose into the air, pushing back the Children of Twilight and sending those unfortunate enough to be near tumbling into the darkness below. As Theia floated, the gem stone broke away from the necklace and hovered before her face, glowing. The sky blue light filled the entire mountain as Theia’s left eye began to glow in equal intensity. With a flash, the gem buried itself in Theia’s empty eye socket. A sound of thunder shook the entire mountain, making the living and the undead scream in one voice. Then all fell into silence and darkness.

Darkness.

Through darkness void of light, her mind wandered. Waking, sleeping, screaming, weeping, sighing, and dying slowly second by second. This was all she knew. This was her world.

She could feel it, the thrumming of a distant energy, but she did not know what it was. She did not know who she was. She did not know what she was. She simply...was.

Little hooves reached out and touched a cold wet surface, slippery to the touch. There was no purchase for her...she floated aimlessly, her small body shivering slightly against the chill.

Then she felt something new. The energy was coming closer. She didn’t know what warmth was until then, but she felt it, she longed for it. Light bloomed as she opened her tiny eyes. Out there, somewhere, it was drawing closer. The darkness beneath her shifted and a plain of glowing white light spread before her eyes.

She was different now. Strong, able to move through the darkness, and it was not so dark after all. Her body no longer felt confined, there were no slick cold walls. All around her she saw others. They were her sisters, she knew. Looking upon them and then down at her own hooves, she knew what she was as well. As the energy from the white disc below fed into her, knowledge flowed into her mind, expanding her understanding. She could understand words now.

“Help me. Please help me. I’ve been alone for so long...I need to go home. Please help me go home.”

She didn’t know what sadness was. She had never truly known despair, love, hatred, or any emotion but longing. The longing in the voice that filled her head called to her. Spreading wings of flame she moved through the void, swimming with ease now, as she drifted from the darkness further into the light. Far below her she saw patches of shadow marring the surface of the light. She knew instinctively this was not right. There should be no darkness in this place of light. The voice called out again, soft and scared, every word filling her with purpose, filling her with energy.

“I...I’ve lost track of time. Has it been days or years? I don’t know. Please... You can’t all be dead. You were supposed to protect this world, you were supposed to protect me. Can you hear me? Please give me a sign... Any sign, any word. Please answer me.”

The words blazed in her head like fire. She tried to answer, “...kkktttzzzz...kk....kek...can...you...hear me?” her words ended with a pop and a crackle, sounding hollow in her own head as if they were coming from over a vast distance. She hadn’t understood distance before. The plain of light...the lunar surface was far beneath her. There was someone there that needed her help. Drifting gently to the surface, molten hooves turned the dusty ground to glass where they touched. Her eyes, blazing with power, scanned the surface in a full circle finding no signs of even the most rudimentary kinds of life. Above her, her sisters were all cold. Some slept, but many were long, long dead. She understood the difference between life and death now. She understood that if she didn’t find the person calling to her soon they would join her sisters in their cold sleep.

“I hear you, I hear you! Where are you? Can you help me? I have to go home. If I don’t go home now I won’t have another chance for so long and I...I just can’t imagine having to go through this again.”

“Where are...you?” She responded, eyes actively shifting through different spectrum's of light, ears moving frantically trying to triangulate on the faint voice that seemed to only exist inside her head. The voice spoke back. “I don’t know, I don’t know where I am. I just know it’s dark, so dark and cold. You have to find me. Please find me and send me home!” She moved across the glowing surface, hooves barely brushing the ground as she glided gently with her wings. Eyes still scanning, she thought she was picking up faint traces of old magic. Magic? What was magic? “Home?” She inquired quizzically. There was no such words as magic or home in her mind.

“Home...it’s where I’m from. The Everfree Forest...that’s where I’m from. If you could just help me get to the forest, I could find my way home. Or even to Ponyville! Do you know where Ponyville is, the town just below the Canterlot Mountains?” She thought hard, but she didn’t understand all of the words. Mountain sounded familiar. She scanned the area for mountains. Her eyes lit on another disc of light just peeking over the horizon, though instead of an immaculate white it was mostly blue with little green and white swirls. Looking closely, she could see what she knew to be mountains on its uneven surface. That’s when she saw it. A tether...a line of magic between the disc on the horizon leading to this one.Understanding flooded her mind. This was magic. It was massive and powerful, but she could see where it was weakening. There was a fatal flaw in the spell matrix that she thought she could exploit. But the weave of the spell seemed as though it was designed to both bind as well as preserve. It would take all her warmth, all her power, to destroy it but in so doing whomever the voice belonged to would be destroyed...unless...

“Designation, mountain, located. Please stand by.” Her body burned with power as her long, needle sharp horn began to glow. Iron hooves dug deep into the surface as the magical flame all around her body shifted from bright blue light to deep shadow. She saw her then, trembling in the plane of shadow. She was the stain on the surface of this planet, she was what was bound here by dire magic. She did not belong and she just wanted to go ‘home’. The alacorn was small compared to her, just a little thing no bigger than one of her hooves. Looking at the tiny purple pony, a name drifted into her mind, “Designation, Luna, are you ready to depart?” She watched the shadowy pony rose to her hooves. She wore a crown upon her head and her eyes were alive with joy at the sight of the being before her

“Yes! Please yes! Lets leave here...lets go home!”

The spell was stubborn, but weakening. Shadowy flames roiled off of her body as she expended all of her power. She could feel it draining out of her slowly, but the knowledge was still there. What she was about to attempt was terrifying, but it was what she was for. Lines and whirls of energy spread across the surface of the world, etching runes and sigils in pulsing dark flame. The shadow plane came alive as she reached out with her power and with one sharp tug, she destroyed the spell that bound Luna to this realm. Gathering up Luna with the last of her strength, she spread wings that were quickly losing their flaming feathers and hurtled herself to the distant mountains above at the speed of darkness. As her body struck the natural background magic of the blue and green world, she could feel parts of her body tearing away. First her wings were ripped from her shoulders...then her mane...her legs broke off next but still she plummeted, trying to slow her decent with a magic barrier of her own. The last thing to give out was her horn, snapping clean off at the base. With a shock, she became material again, and slammed hard into the mountainside.

Silence came then.

Silence and darkness.

She had her legs back, she knew, because she could feel her suddenly much smaller hooves against the cold, slick walls that surrounded her. Where her wings and horn had been there were just long wires. Tubes ran into her nose and down her throat as well, gagging her as she fought for air.

She started to cry, started to wail as loud as she could, but the sound was muffled. The darkness after the light was so oppressive, she felt like she was suffocating. She had to get out, she had to get out.

She struggled hard, but she could feel the icy fingers of cold seeping back into her.

She knew what that was now...she knew what that was.

This wasn’t fair! She had done her duty, she had served her purpose. Why did she have to go back to sleep? Why did she have to die like her sisters.

Anguish and despair welled up in her small form as she pounded fruitlessly against the cold walls of her cell.

Time moved on without respite, the chill rising and falling within her as she passed from dreamless sleep to living nightmare, trapped and weeping in the dark. It was clear that her body was trying desperately to heal wounds that were beyond its capacity.

She could feel the last of her power fading inside her. Every passing day the warmth was a little weaker, the cold a little stronger.

What felt like an eternity passed and then, finally, blessedly, the darkness was rent in twain.

A crack of light extended down one wall, letting in a gush of cold air as the liquid around her drained away. She screamed and screamed unable to process what was happening, her mind far gone in madness now, much of its knowledge lost. Arcs of raw magic from her tiny hooves broke open her prison, further exposing her to the relentless cold. As fresh air touched her, the flame of her power ignite inside her once more, like the last flash of a dying flame. She stumbled from her prison on weak and thin legs that trembled beneath her. She couldn’t stand. There were shapes around her, towering over her. As she wailed all, cringed back, buffeted by crackling blue flames. All save one. She leaned over her and whispered soothing words as raw magic swept over her form.

“Hush now, quiet now...little Theia...”

Luna smiled...Lady Selene smiled.

Her sister that was also her mother smiled.

Her saviour that she had saved.

Theia woke with a start. “I remember...” Theia rose to her hooves, power radiating from her every pore as she opened and closed both eyes. “I remember it all now...” She could still feel the cold kiss of the ritual knife as Lady Selene...as Luna had pried the orb from her skull. All her power and knowledge had been sealed in her right eye, she knew, both to relieve her of the madness of her long imprisonment before her ‘birth’ as well as strip her of the bulk of her power. Such raw energy could not be entrusted to a little mutilated foal half crazed and terrified. Once the ritual had been completed, Luna had taken her in as her ward. She had treated her as a daughter and raised her, all the while also using the power sealed in the blue gem around her neck to gift her followers with powers other ponies in Equestria could only dream of. Theia herself may have been an able assassin, but her power made the Sisters nigh invisible, gifting even earth and pegasus ponies with a bit of magic.

Now, at long last, all of that power and knowledge was back where it belonged. Theia looked around her. The darkness inside the mountain was not so deep anymore. Remembering the blackness from before her ‘birth’, the shadows here held no terrors for her. Nor did the possessed creatures gathering around her. Popping her neck, she opened eyes blazing with blue light that pulsed with the power of the cosmos. The Children of the Twilight laughed and swarmed her, only to find their bodies evaporating at her very touch. The heat coming off of her was so intense, the rock beneath her feet turned red and molten, bubbling before flashing to steam just as the ill fated Twilight ponies had. A shout of pain drew Theia’s attention. A winged pony was quickly removing pieces of armor that were glowing crimson with heat. Divested of her armor, Scootaloo flew away from her friend, eyes wide with fear.

“Theia!” she shouted from a cooler distance. “You have to listen to me. Lady Selene also wanted me to give you this message. She wanted me to tell you ‘Thank you, for everything you’ve done’. She also wanted me to tell you that she loves you, no matter what you decide to do, she loves you! Theia... I don’t understand whats going on. How did you regrow your eye? What is this...this heat coming from you?” Theia closed her eyes and opened them slowly. The heat dissipated around her, but the light in her eyes did not fade. She smiled sweetly, the scars on her face making the expression awkward.

“Thank you Scootaloo. I want you to know that even if this doesn’t work out, you’ve really been a huge help for me through all of this. And if Lu... If Lady Selene survives this, tell her I love her too. Tell her I don’t blame her. But now...now I have to do what I was born for.” Saying that, six wings of pure magic erupted from her shoulders, a third glowing eye opened on her forehead as a halo of energy crackled around her curling stub of a horn. Runes of power carved themselves in brilliant white and golden light across her cream colored flesh as the compass rose mark on her flank blazed like a noon day star. “Remember Scootaloo, the lights in the sky are Stars. And we are there to guide you. We are there to aid you!” In a flash of light, Theia was gone, leaving Scootaloo alone in the darkness. She didn’t know why, but she was crying. Wiping the tears away she noticed that Theia had destroyed all of the Children of Twilight in the prison before she left, only blackened bones remaining of the dungeons jailors. Gathering her resolve, she set about freeing as many from this dank pit as she possibly could.

Blazing with crimson flames as it brushed the upper atmosphere, the Moon filled the sky. Already tendrils of crimson energy flowed between Equestria and the Moon as magic and matter transferred between the two. A tenuous arc of violet energy extended from the signs of power in the valley below as the souls of the dead transferred from the shattered earth. Watching the spectacle of it all from her balcony, the Twilight Queen reclined upon the serpentine scales of her beloved familiar as the Children of Twilight gathered around her, all ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s at the display. She hated them, just as she hated all of her failed children, but soon now they could begin again. They could find a smaller world perhaps, one that didn’t resist their magic so. One that wouldn’t still allow hunger, disease, and death to run rampant. One where there would be no cause for her children to fight. The thought pleased her and she smiled with her stolen face, rotted lips twisting repulsively.

Yet even as she exulted in her victory, she could sense something was not quite right. The spell was weakening, there was no other explanation. Before her eyes she could see the weave begin to unravel. Choking on her rage, she rose from her living throne of horns and screamed. In the valley far below a brilliant blue light mixed with the crimson glow of blood as waves of golden light burned away the catalyst of her spell. She could see the spirits of the dead twisting away from the Moon and falling back into the earth. As the violet light of her spell faded away, the blue glow of this intruder only seemed to increase in intensity, growing to envelop the sky from horizon to horizon. “SPIKE! KILL!” The leviathan upon which she had previously sat enthroned, roared challenge and set his mistress out of harms way as he lumbered into the valley below. Green flames swirling from its massive maw, the purple dragon lunged at this strange foe. In a flash of golden light the creature was gone. No...not completely gone. A part grown adolescent dragon fell into the mud below, far smaller than it had been mere seconds ago. The enchantment that the Twilight Queen had wrought upon him completely stripped away.

Roaring in her fury at the impotence of her servant, she howled to her Children to destroy the light in the sky. Laughing and shaking, the Children began to dance. Writhing in and out in and out they sang a childish rhymes. Nonsense songs and laughter rose and fell as one by one they began to writhe together. The mass rose formless at first, but soon it took on a very definite shape. It’s hooves were made from the skulls of millions dead, its flesh the leathery rotted hides of the damned, and its mane were a riot of colors all bedraggled and limp as only the hair of the dead could be. It opened thousands of eyes and laughed in thousands of voices, but all blended into one as massive wings of crackling violet energy spread from its back. The creatures call echoed across all of Equestria as it roared, “IT’S PARTY TIME!” Thousands of tongues lolling from a mouth crammed full of tiny teeth. Hell swept down from Canterlot on wings of magic, hungry eyes glowing pink, laughing and screaming and gnashing millions of sharp rotten fangs.

Twilight Falls

Stones tumbled from the roof as another thunderous shock wave shook the mountain to its very core. The prisoners held in this deep dungeons scrambled for the stairs, some unlucky few crushed under the falling stones as soon as they left their cells, others pushed from the narrow stairwell as they panicked and struggled with one another to escape. Scootaloo and Lady Selene supported the pony who thought herself Princess Celestia between themselves, bringing up the back of the fear struck mob. If they didn’t get out of here soon the entire mountain threatened to crumble on their heads. When Scootaloo had given Lady Selene the message from Theia just before this chaos started, the purple pony had wept, but she smiled all the same. Together they had been able to free most of those ponies still living and organized everyone to help those too injured to move on their own. Then the mountain had started to shake and all hope of maintaining any kind of order fled.

With the chaos inside the dungeon, Scootaloo asked Lady Selene if it wouldn’t be better to leave the injured and escape themselves. The look Selene gave her chilled her to the bone. “Is that something Theia would do?” Scootaloo was so shocked all she could do was shake her head no. “Besides, as bad as it is in here, you can bet its going to be worse outside.” Selene hunched her back so she could better support Celestia’s weight. They finally made it to the top of the stairs as one last ear splitting crack signaled the stairwell crumbling behind them. Anyone who hadn’t made it out of that dungeon now probably never would. The castle was in much the same shape, broken glass from fallen chandeliers and stained glass littered the marble floors. Through the shattered windows the fleeing prisoners gazed out on a scene straight out of nightmares.

A blood red moon hung perilously close in a sky gone mad with magic, as if it would drop any moment and smash their world to dust. Crimson and violet lightning danced across the heavens making the horizon a constant flickering light show as meteors rained down from above. In the center of a charred black plain stood a sight that only a few ponies had ever seen, and those when they were much, much younger. It towered over the mountains as a child towers over a sandcastle, the beast many called in legend the Harbinger of Twilight. It’s wings were the aurora of magic in the sky, its eyes were many, and its mouths were more. This was the monster that had brought the combined power of all the Royal guard to their knees and decimated and devoured entire cities.

Only a few noticed the blazing Star that hovered in the sky. Only a few saw that it was this Star that held the monsters attention. Grimacing, Luna lay her sister down upon a bed of broken glass and watched the battle unfold. “Ma’am, we can’t stay here, we have to go!” Cried Scootaloo. Luna turned to the pegasus pony with a haunting look. “You can flee if you want, but it will make no difference. If we live or die, if this world is destroyed or allowed to survive, all is about to be decided in the valley below. If my end is to come, I want to see it for myself.” Turning back to the battle about to be engaged, Luna whispered softly, so no pony could hear.

“Theia...it’s up to you....”

Lightning danced around the two otherworldly enemies, setting technicolor fires raging across the plains. Blood and thunder swept across the fields as the massive Beast of Twilight slammed full force into the hovering Star. Theia took the blow, pressed backwards by the monstrous momentum, but otherwise unflinchingly responded with a hoof smashed into the monsters face. The force of her own tiny blow sent the behemoth reeling first to one side, then the other as she rained blows upon it. The creature recovered and moved to clamp its hideous maw around her, only to have Theia grab the beasts jaws in either hoof and break the rotted bones and tendons, causing a gush of black blood to spew from the foul mouth as its lower jaw hung slack. Howling with something between laughter and a scream, the monstrous pony fell back on its haunches and glared up at the Star in the sky. Theia’s wings hummed musically as golden energy gathered around her form. In one shot, she would obliterate this abomination as she had the Twilight Queen's other servant. But before she was finished channeling her power, a wave of black blood and rot exploded like a geyser from the Twilight Beasts broken maw.

Bathed in corruption, Theia fell with a scream, the light of her power fading as the horrid vomit clung to her body and began to eat away at her mind and soul. Brutish laughter echoed across the land as the Twilight Beast snapped its jaw back into place and hopped playfully towards its fallen prey, generating earthquakes with the prancing of each ugly hoof. Leaping high into the air and spreading wings of crackling magic, the beast brought its full weight down on one hoof, crushing Theia’s crumpled form into the earth. Moving with a speed that belied the monsters size, the dead hammered Theia deeper and deeper into the befouled earth, burying the fallen Star beneath layers of mud, blood, and rotted corpses. Whipping its mane and tail about, the behemoth laughed gleefully as it turned from its foe’s shattered body, it moving back towards its master, eager for praise from the Twilight Queen.

Suddenly, a spike of white light lanced through the back of the monsters head and exploded out of the creatures face, shattering its ugly visage into so much bloody shrapnel. Flashing through the air like a comet in flight, Theia was engulfed in a ball of pale white flame that burned away the corruption that still clung to her. Spheres of light gathered around Theia’s horn and began to pepper the creature with pulses of magic, slicing huge gashes in it’s body. Roaring in agony, massive wet tendrils of entrails exploded from the monsters wounds, dripping digestive juices as the swarming mass darted into the air to seize Theia. The shining Star dodged and rolled, creating three sonic rainbooms together, edged in golden fire that destroyed many of the grasping tendrils. It was not enough. The quick and the dead at last met as a burst of tongues and intestines from the monsters ruined face enveloped Theia and pulled her down the howling monsters maw. With that, the battle seemed to be at an end.

The Twilight Beast reared, front legs pawing at the air as the magic of the land began to surge back to the moon above, massive hunks of earth rising to float around its terrible form as its laughter pierced the heavens. But, for the first time, the laughter of the Children of Twilight was cut short. Cracks of light raced along the creatures body as multi-colored flames erupted from the behemoths rotted flesh. Every eye on the beast shifted from a violet glow to a more golden hue as its form ripped apart with a wet explosion, light blazing from every orifice. Blown into three large chunks, the creature tried to reform but too many pieces had been vaporized by the bast. Whimpering, the Twilight Beast settled on three smaller forms and began to surge away from Theia, towards Canterlot Castle. Was it returning to the Twilight Queen’s side for aid? If so why did it cling to the pathways just below the castle instead of rising to her balcony?

With horror Luna and Scootaloo watched as the beasts horrific tendrils of gore swept about, plucking the fleeing prisoners from the dungeons below and popped them into horrendous makeshift mouths. Their screams as they were masticated by the skulls of the long dead were horrific, but blessedly short. Several towers of the castle proper were ripped away and added to the Twilight Beasts mass as it swallowed the living to feed the dead. In no time at all, the three mounds of writhing flesh converged and swelled into a distorted form that only half resembled a pony. It roared challenge, cackling afresh, “DON’T STOP! THE PARTIES JUST GETTING STARTED!” Vile black vomit surged from every pore on the monsters body as a massive gout of foulness surged from the gaping hole that served for its mouth. This time though, it seemed Theia was prepared. A wall of golden light met the foul ichor and shoved it back down the beasts throat, filling the monster with light as it writhed against the mountain side. Groping tendrils tried to grasp the Star in the sky, but turned to naught but smoke and ash as they neared Theia.

With nowhere left to retreat to, the Twilight Beast broke under Theia’s onslaught, shattering into an avalanche of body parts and blood that spilled down from Canterlot. The spray from the dying beasts destruction washed the few remaining white towers of the castle a dark crimson. From the monsters corpse burst millions of laughing Children of Twilight. Theia’s wings spread wide, sending burning feathers of pure magic flying through the air that embed themselves in the undead and turned them into living pyres. The burning corpses toppled, sending their foul smoke up to cloud the heavens, as one by one the Army of Twilight was reduced to nothing but dust and memories.

At the sight of Theia’s victory, Scootaloo and the other survivors cheered. Lady Selene swiftly shushed her. “Save your cheering, can’t you see what the battle has cost her? There is still the matter of the Twilight Queen and she has nearly spent all of her power battling her children!” It was true, though Theia was still a veritable blaze of power, a more careful look quickly revealed that her wings of light were fading in and out of existence as was the third eye upon her forehead. Even though her magic had protected her from the bulk of the Twilight Beasts assault, there were still fresh gashes, burns, and bruises all over the pony’s body. Her left eye was a swollen ruin, bloody tears weeping from a wound down her cheek. She even seemed to be missing a few teeth judging by the set of her jaw. Theia had done the unthinkable in wiping out the Children of the Twilight...but the Twilight Queen had been the source of their might. If she had spent all her strength fighting them, what hope did she have against the entity who had created them? Laughter echoed across the land, though this time at least it wasn’t the high laughter of dead children.

Theia flew to its source and landed before the Twilight Queen. Standing amidst the smouldering pieces of her once fearsome army, the Queen seemed incredibly pleased with herself.

“Oh well played, well played! What a marvelous performance! My blind traveler has at last opened her eyes and beheld the world as it is rather than the story she has been told from her pitiful youth. I could not have hoped for a more satisfying end! Now...KNEEL!” To Scootaloo’s shock, Theia knelt before the Twilight Queen, closing her eyes and touching her horn to the ground at the Queen’s hooves. Smiling so wide the rips and tears in the flesh around her mouth threatened to take off the top of her head, the Queen laughed again. “How disappointed my daughters must be! Surely they thought you would be their salvation, a tool imbued with the first fire, blessed by magics more potent than any this horrid little mud ball has ever seen! But they forget who forged their tool and its power! Much like those of Twilight, you Stars are my children, each and every one of you...and you shall serve me! I command you, call down your brothers and sisters!”

“As you command.” Spoke Theia hollowly. From the blazing blue eye in her forehead a single beam of light exploded, rising high into the chaotic sky. The heavens above became a sheet of streaming light that poured forth from the Moon as one third of the Stars fell from the heavens. A few smashed deep into the earth, sending up explosions of molten rock, but many merely hovered in formation around the blood stained spires of Canterlot. In numbers uncountable the Stars beautiful frames vibrated with blinding light and power, each different from the other in subtle ways. Some were sheathed in stone and bronze, iron and gold, silver and steel, or platinum and titanium. Each was wrought more beautifully and delicately than the last in the shape of a winged unicorn, feathers composed of lightning and flame, manes aglow of dancing light. Even their eyes shone bright as the true creatures within gazed out from their armored shells. They formed into ranks, and each and every one turned towards the Queen of Twilight. Her crown of unicorn horns pulsed and glowed with so much magic it was like gazing into the heart of the sun.

“Oh you Stars who aid us of the pure blood! Hear me now! This world is unsuitable for our purposes! The magic here is spread too thin, a weak and pitiful force that this world actively seeks to reject in favor of its own power! Here there is death, famine, pestilence, and, yes, even war! My daughters have spilled each others blood and the blood of this worlds original inhabitants! NO MORE! In effigy I, Queen Theia, have starved hunger, purified us of plague, destroyed death, and shattered war! Thus cleansed I command you to aid me, salvage those pure to journey with us to paradise...but put those who still cling to this abominable world to the flame of the first sun!” Magical steam pulsed from each Star as their power increased, fed before from the meager reserves of the Moon, now fed directly from the Twilight Queen. They would do her bidding, all could see. This would be the end of Equestria, not under the unyielding hooves of the damned, but by the tranquil apathy of these beings of perfection.

“No...” the word was barely a whisper, hardly audible to anyone else, yet it gave the celestial beings above pause. Theia rose from her kneeling position, eyes blazing not with light, but with rage. The halo and wings had both faded, her third eye closed leaving nothing but smooth flesh beneath her stub of a unicorn horn. Though Theia’s body seemed ruined, she still managed to stand on broken legs, hooves planted firmly on the ground beneath her. “You’re designation is not found. Scans reveal no trace of Queen Theia.” She took a step towards the Queen, each movement clearly agony. “A queen protects her subjects and her kingdom. A queen is graceful and merciful. You have tortured and murdered your subjects, sacrificing them for your own desires. Your kingdom lies in ruins and what few subjects are left now live in hatred and fear of you! You are queen of nothing but dust and tears! We will not obey any further commands from you!”

The Twilight Queens face twisted, livid with rage. “How dare you defy me you malformed abomination!? I am this world’s savior, as I am yours! I saved you, all of you pitiful ‘Stars’ from having your brains staved in by your own parents! Every last soul on this planet owes me a debt of gratitude for rescuing them from the choice of consuming fire or eternal night! It is my power and authority that is absolute, who are you to deny me!?” Theia bowed her head, blood dripping from her face.

“I am Mourning Star, the first of my name. I am the rejected daughter whom you embraced with magic and steel instead of a mothers love and patience. I am the archetype of the Battalion of Stars.” She lifted her head, tears streaming from her eyes, but the set of her jaw firm. “But more than that, I am Theia! Daughter of the Moon, huntress of shadows! I was the blind traveler, but my friends opened my eyes, far more than you could ever hope to. I renounce you and deny your claim! You will sow no more fear and reap no further destruction!”

The Queen appeared shocked for a moment. But only a moment, before her words lashed out like whips of flame, “If you will not serve me...DIE!” From every joint, bone protrusions exploded from the Twilight Queen's body. The sharpened, bloody bones impaled Theia’s body and held her transfixed in the air so all could see. Her twitching, spasming body writhed on the sharpened bone until she was at last stilled. The Queen glared up at the celestial Stars, madness in her eyes. “Thus is the fate of traitors to the crown! Now do as I command or suffer her fate as your own!”

All was silent as the host hovered. The musical hum of their power was silenced as well. One by one, however, they began to power up again. Then in one voice the entire host spok, resounding like thunder in the heavens. “Scan confirms, Queen Theia is not present. ERROR! Impostors and pretenders to the crown shall be purged!” The Twilight Queens eyes grew wide as her star crossed children gathered around her, the build up of energy in them so intense as to warp reality in their wake. “No...no no no no...NOOOOOOO!” her wail as she was bombarded by thousands of beams of energy at once was soon lost in the roar of raw magic that exploded from her demise. The unleashed magic rose as a pillar of green and violet light swirling into the heavens as her twisted body seemed to shrink in upon itself. As her form was hammered by forces beyond mortal comprehension, her crown of horns fell from her head, clattering to the ground. When, at last, the light of her destruction had faded, it was as if the Twilight Queen never existed. In her place was the sad corpse of a purple pony with a streak of pink in its mane.

Bright and breezy, the sun shown upon the rolling hills. As far as the eye could see waves of sweet grass undulated beneath a nearly cloudless sky. Wild flowers of ever color and scent bloomed here, lending their fragrance to the winds. Not far away, the tree line offered comfortable cool shadows and the babbling of a nearby brook supplied cold water and respite. The air was alive with butterflies as they flit to and fro among the flowers, birds chirping musically in the trees. Though not harsh, Theia’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright light before she could fully appreciate this scene. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t noticed the purple unicorn standing over her smiling playfully.

“Hey! Are you alright? Can you stand up?” Though Theia still ached all over, the pain was fading away. She found with a little effort and some help from this stranger she could rise. She thanked the purple unicorn for her help. “Don’t mention it! It’s the least I can do Theia...and please, call me Twilight Sparkle!’ The name sounded familiar, but before she could ask the pony if they’d met before, the purple pony bounded away heading for the woods. “Follow me, the others are waiting!” The air smelled wonderful and with each step Theia took she felt stronger and more at peace than she ever had in her life. Her mind felt a little fuzzy, but in a pleasant way, as if she were relaxing in a warm bath. It was really a wonderful day!

Beneath the trees reclined four other ponies. One a shy little yellow pegasus pony, pink maned, had her face buried in a bushel of wildflowers. Another, a white unicorn, reclined gently against a large stone her purple mane curling in elegant ringlets. The third and forth seemed to be in conversation with each other beneath the tall and twisted shade tree under which they all rested. A blue pegasus pony with a rainbow mane and a blonde pony wearing an old battered hat turned at Theia’s approach. At first they were unfamiliar to her, then names welled up from her fading memory. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity, she knew them all. These were her best friends, though she hadn’t seen them in such a long time. Forever it seemed. It was good to see them all again. Rainbow Dash spread her wings upon seeing Theia and flew over to her excitedly.

“About time you showed up!” said the pony with rose hued eyes. “I was beginning to think you’d never make it. I didn’t remember you being this slow when we raced before!” Theia didn’t know what Rainbow Dash was talking about. they had never raced one another. How could she ever hope to keep up with the fastest pony in all Equestria? Twilight Sparkle smiled as all the other ponies gathered around Theia, greeting her kindly. “It’s so good to see you again darling. Sorry that we parted so suddenly before we could finish our dance. I do hope you do not remember me for that dreadful scene. How shameful!” Rarity held a hoof to her forehead as if she would swoon from sheer humiliation, but Theia knew it was all an act. Rarity could be so dramatic.

Fluttershy hovered gently, her wings whispering as softly as the wind in the tall grass around them. “Oh Theia...I guess this means the little animals will be joining us soon as well. I admit I was lonesome without them, but I still hoped you could save them.” Everyone was talking in riddles. Theia didn’t know anything about any animals. She was sure she’d remember something like that. She started to feel lightheaded and faint. She nearly fell, but a pair of strong hooves caught her before she could slip away.

“Easy there sugarcube. Just relax. I know its a little disorienting at first but I promise you’ll get used to it.” That was when Theia saw the marks around Applejack’s neck. A faint nimbus of flames clung to Fluttershy, Rarity’s body seemed to have been partially melted and burned away, and Rainbow Dash was a badly stitched marionette. The worst was perhaps Twilight Sparkle, still smiling cheerfully despite the hole in her chest that displayed the organs pulsing within her. The ground was stained red all around them, blood pooling beneath their flayed bodies.

“Oh. I’m dead, aren’t I?” As the realization struck Theia, the light seemed to leech from the world, growing thin and grey. The grass that had waved so majestically seconds ago was now dry and lifeless and the trees seemed gnarled and deformed. The only thing that remained the same was the little brook as it laughed and bubbled away into the shadows that now seemed deeper than any darkness Theia had ever before beheld. A wave of dread filled Theia as she gazed into that emptiness. It seemed there was another pony standing in that cold laughing stream, holding a bright red balloon, a horrible smile carved on her face.

“I said take it easy filly! I know its yer first time, but just keep yerself calm!” Applejack’s shade held Theia firmly and a little bit of light returned to the world. Theia blinked and her vision focused back on the ponies around her. There were two images of each overlapping the other, one living and one dead. For all one was horrid, the other still seemed friendly, even sympathetic. “But I am dead yes? This is, what, some kind of after life?”

“Well...yes and no.” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s kind of more like a, uhhh, waiting room? Yeah, lets go with that if it helps you cope. This is neither over here or over there, it’s kind of in between, ya know?” Theia didn’t but she nodded anyways. “You see, this is where we end up whenever something happens to our bodies. We usually rest here for a little while and then go back. Problem is, our bodies have a tendency to heal themselves, so instead of being reborn, we keep going back to the same old scraps as before.” Fluttershy moved close to Theia and smoothed down her hair affectionately. “We were hoping you would fix that and you did a very good job trying. I’m sorry that we’re meeting like this again, I truly am. But everything will be okay, you’ll see.” Theia could tell even as Fluttershy spoke her words of comfort that they were hollow. She didn’t believe what she was saying but felt compelled to lie to Theia to spare her feelings.

“Oh please! Stop beating about the bush darlings.” Rarity sat in front of Theia, combing her hooves through her curly mane. “The fact of the matter is, you’re not supposed to be here. The entire time we’ve been here, we have been the only ones to stay. Even among us, the only one who is always here is Twilight Sparkle. That you’re here at all means that you’re body is very badly damaged, but you’re on the edge between life and death. You have a choice Theia, just like the choice I gave you before. You can live, you can die, or you can stay here.” Theia was taken aback by Rarity’s bluntness,“Is it really that simple?” she asked, gazing at each in turn. Twilight Sparkle smiled sadly, a look of pity in her eyes.

“Of course not, if it were so I wouldn’t still be here. This, “Twilight Queen”, has kept me out of my body for longer than I can remember. But neither has she allowed me to pass on. I can only assume it’s the same for the others, but for you? Who knows what rules might apply!” She smiled a little too excitedly about that statement, Theia thought. Applejack explained, “Twilight thinks ya might be able to do something that none of us have really been able to do before now. You might be able to be reborn in a new body if ya like. But if’n that’s yer choice...there’s a catch. We’ll be back in the world before too long too, and if we can come back, you can bet the Twilight Queen can too.”

Fresh waves of pain swept through Theia. She looked down and saw that her body was full of holes. Gaping wounds bloomed wet and red all over her body, like the flowering of some truly gruesome breed of flower. She was almost overcome by the pain and the memory of who caused it, the pony for whom she was named. “I can’t let that happen...I can’t just walk away from all of you, from all we’ve been through.” The wounds closed slowly all over her body, runes of white light replacing them briefly instead. The shades of the other ponies jumped back. “What was that!” yelled Rainbow Dash.

“It looks like there’s still a little bit of enchantment bound to you Theia! This is amazing! The ramification of spellwork that could persist through death is a truly astounding concept. Tell me, do you feel any pain? There shouldn’t be any sensation at all here, save peace and warmth, least of all pain.” Theia nodded. “Yes, ever since I got here I’ve been experiencing waves of pain...they’re gone right now, but they seem to be getting more intense as time goes on. It’s a sharp coldness...I think I’ve felt before.” Twilight Sparkle looked her up and down, staring a long time at the mark on Theia’s flank.

“A sensation of time passing as well!? I’m not sure, but I think that there’s been something done to you on the most basic of levels.” Her unicorn horn glowed a spectral violet. “Yes, I don’t think you’re dead at all Theia. Your only dreaming! An astounding development. But I wonder how long you will dream? A few hours? An eternity? I admit if you are stuck here I’d love the company. Frankly I find you Stars fascinating! Though you are the first one I’ve met in person.” Theia flexed her muscles and stretched her legs. She didn’t feel like she was dreaming.

A sudden motion caught her eye. The darkness beneath the trees called to her, giggling and and whispering. There was another pony there, small and pink in a party dress of some sort. None of the others seemed to see her. Theia didn’t realize she was moving towards her until her hooves were wet. The little brook from before was now a wide, shallow river. She could hear the voices of her friends calling to her, but far louder were the incessant whispers haunting her mind. “Theia, don’t go that way! We’ve never gone that way!” Rainbow Dash called. “It’s too dangerous darlin’, you best mosey back this way!” yelled Applejack. “Theia, please...its okay, really. You don’t have to do this. Stay with us or be reborn, but don’t go to her...” Whimpered Fluttershy.

Theia was already standing in front of the pink pony. The color of their eyes were matched, bright brittle blue, but the rest of the ponies features shifted swiftly as if she were constantly in motion, even while standing still. Only her eyes and her smile remained constant. “I’m not alive...” said Theia. “I’m not sure I ever have been really.” The shadows crowded around Theia, pink and violet lights dancing like fireflies over the rushing water. “But I’m not dead either. You know the way back, don’t you? The real way.” The reply from the pink pony was a high pitched laugh. Theia had heard that laugh before. “Answer me...”

A flood of images and words invaded Theia’s mind as the shallow water around her ankles began to rise. Theia could go back, Theia could die, Theia could rot and burn and suffer and freeze and bake and still be alive to suffer it all again and again one never ending party from the dawn of time to the end of the universe and back through again. Everything was mutable, everything was chaos, everything was final, but nothing was eternal. Amid the vortex of knowledge Theia could see the Twilight Queen raging in the realm of shadow. She could wait there forever, or for only a day, both were the same. This was only a setback for her, she was old and powerful, she would have her way in time.

Theia saw it then. The one and only way she could end this, once and for all. With the water up to her chest, Theia reached out and took the red balloon from the pink pony. In a sudden surge, the cold dark waters engulfed them both. In the sudden wet red darkness, Theia saw who and what the pony before her was. She opened her mouth to scream, but the cold blood that engulfed her choked off any sound she might have made.

A gout of blood, scarlet with black chunks burst from Theia’s mouth as she woke. Her eyes fluttered open and closed as she struggled to bring the blurry world into focus, teeth clenched tight against the pain burning all over her body. She shivered, and though she was indeed very cold, it was her wounds that made her shake as she rose to her hooves. She could see figures moving towards her. It seemed some of the prisoners had escaped the dungeons. They all wore looks of triumph and elation. It took Theia a moment to realize that they were cheering and dancing for joy. What in Equestria did they have to be so happy about? Theia looked at her feet and beheld the shattered corpse of Twilight Sparkle and the fallen crown of the Twilight Queen.

“You did it Theia!” Scootaloo hugged Theia tight, ignoring the blood seeping from the wounds all over the cream colored ponies body as it smeared her pelt. “It’s finally over!” They were surrounded by smiling faces shouting congratulations, but Theia never took her eyes off the crown of horns. Scootaloo was wrong. With as much force as she could muster she pushed the orange pegasus away. She whirled on the crowd and shouted at the top of her lungs. “GET BACK! BACK ALL OF YOU!” Anger and desperation in her eyes, she snatched up the crown of horns and ran to the balcony’s edge, leaping over the side. Everypony was so shocked by her actions that for a moment they could only look at each other in disbelief. Scootaloo hurried after her friend.

Theia hadn’t made it far, stumbling down the mountainside in a shower of stones, leaving a trail of blood splattered in her wake. “What’s going on Theia, where are you going?” The Daughter of the Moon didn’t bother trying to speak, focusing instead on her footing, her lifes blood pulsing swiftly from her wounds. Lady Selene joined them, a pair of dark wings sweeping wide arcs through the air from beneath her voluminous cloak. “Theia, I know what you’re planning. You don’t have to do this. Give me the crown and we’ll lock it away. We’ll send it to the Moon if we have to! It’s not your responsibility!” Theia leapt into the air then, pale blue wings igniting from her back like flames as she glided down into the valley below. Scorched and flooded with blood and corpses, the valley was filled with shadows as Blanks swarmed among the dead. Theia landed roughly, her hooves going out from under her, another surge of blood rising from her mouth to gush over the crown of thorns clenched between her teeth. She laid panting for breath as Luna and Scootaloo caught up with her.

“Seriously Theia, listen to Lady Selene. I don’t know what’s going on here, but you’re going to kill yourself if you keep acting so recklessly. You’re wounded for Dawn’s sake!” The Sergeant Major reached down to try and help Theia up, only to have a pulse of raw magic slam into her and push her away. “GET BACK!” Her blue eyes blazing, Theia levitated the crown of horns above her head as she looked Luna in her green eyes. “You know as well as I do she’s just going to come back. You couldn’t stop her and neither could your sister. All the Stars have done is driven her from the pony she was possessing. Give her another hundred years, a thousand, ten thousand and she’ll be back stronger than ever! Where will the Stars be then? Fallen from the skies into the sea? Buried in the earth? Look up! Look at my brothers and sisters! Their paltry numbers are all that remains of the active Stars that have not succumbed to cold, dead sleep!”

Even as they spoke, one or two Stars fell, their power supplies completely depleted. The Stars burned bright, but like the very star they were blessed by, they could not burn forever. “Who will aid you then my lady!?” cried Theia, tears pouring from her eyes unbidden, “This has to end now and there’s only one way it possibly can and life still continue in this world!” Luna bowed her head, tears of her own gracing her dark cheeks. “I... I won’t stop you Theia, if this is your choice. I didn’t want it to be this way...I’m so sorry.”

“NO!” The shout came from Scootaloo, she was crying as well but she didn’t know why. She had no idea what was going on. All she new was that Theia was hurting and she’d seen too many friends die to watch another pass away before her eyes. “Can't you see whatever your doing is going to kill you!? Don't throw your life away when we’ve finally gotten a chance to really live again! What does it matter if the Twilight Queen comes back in ten thousand years? We’ll prepare! We’ll spread the word and keep armies prepared. If she rears her ugly head again we will stomp her into the ground before she can ever rise to power! We did it once, why could we not do it again!?”

Theia shook her head stubbornly. “Just let me do this Scoot! It’s the only way to be sure. If...if you have a daughter, don’t name her for me. My name is cursed and it should die here in these fields once and for all.” She lowered the crown of horns upon her own head and with the last dregs of her power, shifted into the realm of shadow. She watched as both Scootaloo and Luna faded to grey spectres of themselves. Then a kaleidoscope of darkness, light and madness rose before her, slamming her into the ground. It shouldn’t have hurt but the pain that lanced through her skull as the Twilight Queen smashed one starry hoof into her jaw, grinding her into the insubstantial earth, sent a spike of icy agony deep into her brain.

“YOU WORTHLESS MAGGOT! you’ve ruined everything, absolutely everything! Did you think you could come back into this realm and I wouldn’t be waiting for you? That I wouldn’t rip your meager soul to shreds at the first given opportunity!?” The Twilight Queen blazed with power in the shadow realm, supernova’s winking in and out of existence all over her spectral body as she stomped Theia’s head repeatedly. Theia began to lose consciousness, but a pulse of magic lifted her into the air and shook her savagely. “Oh, don't you think for a minute I’m going to let you slip away from me again. If I’m stuck here, you will be too! I’m going to enjoy torturing you for all eternity! When this useless world finally self destructs it will be you and I dancing in the star dust of its remains, a mad queen and her broken fool!” Lances of light shot from Queen Theia’s body as she spread her nebulous wings. They dug deep into each of Theia’s spectral wounds, searing with a heat beyond imagining and filling the void with the scent of roasting flesh. It was only as Theia screamed in agony that the Queen seemed to pull back from her blinding rage long enough to smile at the smaller pony’s pain. That’s when she noticed the crown.

The crown of horns glowed softly upon Theia’s head as it drew power from the Queen. “You little foal! Do you think that crown will give you the power to vanquish me? I used that twisted lump of metal to enter your precious Luna, then to influence her idiot sister Celestia, and finally to take over the corpse of that useless foal, Twilight Sparkle. It’s nothing more than a tool for me to pass my essence into the physical realm! It’s power will not aid you.” The mad Queen laughed. “Perhaps I should end you after all and let your filthy corpse pass back into the physical realm? Then I’ll take over your pathetic body, twist it like I did that other wingless freak of a pony, and raze this world to ash! Twilight Sparkle had more magical talent than you, to be sure, but you are a Star blessed with the power of the old sun. Do you think you’d make a suitable vessel for me, my little pony?” A gesture brought Theia’s limp, unresisting body eye to eye with the Queen of her namesake. She looked over the shattered spectral form as if she were a piece of meat to be devoured.

Theia opened her swollen eyes and glared at her with such malice that it pierced the Queen’s madness just long enough for her to recoil with a gasp. “You think your so powerful Twilight Queen, but you’ve been stuck here for millennia.” She could see shadows gathering in her vision. It wouldn’t be long now. “I will free you...mother. But not in the fashion you imagine. All things must end...even you...” A crackling of black flame spread from Theia’s wounds, spectral fire blazing pale white edged in darkness around her form. “Especially you.” The Queen let the suddenly blazing pony fall to the ground as if she had grown too hot to hold. Theia didn’t rise again, but the burning shadows flowed from her body, sweeping across the plain upon which the Queen had inscribed her magic runes. Here the souls of all those sacrificed by the Twilight Queen were gathered. The black flame drew them closer, gave them shape, gave them form. From the darkness crimson eyes flared to life as the Blanks shimmered into existence all around.

“Traitor...”

“Murderer...”

“Mother of abomination...”

“Betrayer!”

“Killer!”

“Kill her”

Neverdead and neverborn gathered around the Queen along with all the victims she had slain to fuel her dire sorcery. The darkness gather with gnashing teeth and sharpened claws, threatening to engulf the flickering universe that was the Twilight Queen. “Stay back! Stay back all of you filthy peasants!” Pulses of gamma radiation and spears of light exploded from the Twilight Queen as she tried to repel the shadows gathering around her. But the earth here had swallowed thousands of gallons of blood and each drop cried out for justice, each grim stain whispered for vengeance. Theia lay absolutely still, but she could still see, and she watched as one by one the Queen’s stars went out. Her scream spread across the windswept plain of eternity, echoing perhaps forever and ever. Then, as before, all was darkness. Twilight had fallen.

With a sad, satisfied smile, Theia gave herself up to the cold gnawing inside her heart. She could rest at long last.

Scootaloo watched as the sun climbed high into the sky, illuminating the field of the dead. Corpses littered the plain, as did the metal and stone bodies of the creatures known as Stars. Shortly after Theia had faded into shadow, they had begun to fall one by one, burying deep into the earth as though something had drained them of all their energy. They loomed now like grim statues, guardians set over the dead. In time, perhaps wild flowers would grow here to draw butterflies and birds, but for now it was the most terrible scene she had ever thought to behold. The dead attracting great bloated flies and maggots, gathered to feast on all the horrible dross and detritus of the dead. Still, she couldn’t help but smile through the tears. Theia had come back to them one last time, her body curled in a fetal position, the crown of horns upon her head. It suited her better than it had the Twilight Queen. It almost seemed as though it had been made for her.

Both the crown and its wearer had been turned into solid stone. Pitted and cracked though she was, her body would endure better than those of the other dead. You could almost mistake her for a foal, sleeping in the mud, her form so tiny. You could almost imagine she was breathing. You could almost imagine a stony heartbeat, slow but steady. Maybe Scootaloo could come back and see her sometime, perhaps once the fields were not quite so grim. Lady Selene drew the pegasus pony close under one protective wing. They held each other for a long time, until the sun was high overhead. Perhaps one day, seeing the sun shine so brightly in the sky would cheer them. Not today.

Epilogue - Conquerer

It was a gala night in the later days of the year. An angelic throng of Equestrians had gathered, draped in veils and loud with cheer. They gathered to a makeshift theater set within Canterlot Halls, to see a play of hopes and dire fears. It told the story of the Twilight, a terrible age long ago when the world had been thrown into chaos by an ancient spectre of evil. Brave heroes rose up to fight these villains and their ruthless queen, only to fall one by one until only three remained. The last and greatest revealed herself to be a long lost princess of the moon, blessed by the light of the stars. Sacrificing herself, the evil was at last driven from the world, as symbolized by the rising of the sun.

Many were they who would discuss what the message of this play was meant to be. If it was meant to be some sort of creation myth or a lesson on original sin. If it was supposed to be some old rite that explained the changing of the seasons or a tale meant to explain the particulars of some ancient conflict between the various kingdoms of Equestria, before the grand unification beneath the auspicious of Princess Luna. Many whispered that it was actually propaganda about the fall of her sister, Celestia, and that the so called Twilight Queen was meant to represent her. Though, if this was so, Celestia herself didn’t seem to mind.

She sat among the other subjects, watching the play with great interest, her loyal dragon Spike, hunched protectively over her. After it was done, her attendants wheeled her litter to the dance hall so that she might enjoy the music. For as long as anyone could remember she had been bound to her litter, unable to stir from its confines save for only small amounts of time, or short rides upon her dragons back. Her hair had recovered its luster and her scars had all healed, but her wings and other limbs had never fully recovered from some great battle long ago. Even so, all agreed she was most gracious about her situation and never gloomy. She sang along with all the songs that night, tapping her hooves in time to the beat. She laughed at the jesters and fools in great mirth and ate her fair share of the feast of sweet delights on offer. She even flirted with a few of the bolder swains and Equestrian lordlings, though those closest to her knew such frivolities were more due to courtesy than interest on her part. It was said that though Luna was now the undisputed ruler of all Equatria, Celestia still ruled in Canterlot, with her Dawn guard to attend her. Even so she had never shown any interest in ruling again and thus abstained from making any nuptial arraignments that might have been problematic for her sister.

As the evening wore down, she went with the others into the gardens to gaze up at the winter sky. Clear as a bell this night, thanks to the work of the pegasi, the stars shown down upon the great bronze and stone statues part grown with vines. No one could remember who had carved these beautiful sculptures, but all agreed that they were one of Canterlot’s greatest treasures. Celestia had her guard pause by a statue rather smaller than most, as she inclined her head to gaze at the small carving half buried in moss. She told one of her handmaidens to have the gardeners out tomorrow to clean and care for the little statue before declaring her weariness and asking to be led back to her chambers.

As the last of her attendants left her to see off the few remaining guests, Princess Celestia gazed out into the chill night sky. The moon was just rising on the horizon, Luna’s work. She smiled at that, her pink eyes glowing gently in the light of a cozy fire burning in the hearth at the foot of her bed that Spike had lit before bidding her good night. She let her hooves trail gently through her hair, then grabbed a knot of flesh at the base of her neck and pulled. The old hide stripped away slowly at first, but then peeled off easily enough as she stretched her skin over her ears and ripped it off of her face. Her flesh came off more easily from her throat and slogged down her arms and chest like loose fitting cloths as the wet pale hide coiled on the bed beneath her. Pink and wet, the pony that had been Celestia wrung the excess gore from her long rose colored hair, letting it pool on the cold stones of the floor.

“That was one hell of a party...” She smiled as she watched the flames dance in the hearth. Her blue eyes shining through for a moment before changing to a deep crimson that shaded to bright glowing pink. “I can’t wait for the next one!” Her laughter was low and sinister in the night as she left ‘Celestia’s’ room to find herself a snack. Sweets were all well and good but she wanted something savory, before she rested for the night. Maybe one of those galant swains who had courted ‘Celestia’ so ardently? Maybe that lazy head gardener? Maybe a careless servant? Pinkamena was certainly spoiled for choice and her larder had never before been quiet so full. She gazed once more out upon the land rolling below the castle’s windows, pale and dark beneath the moonlight. None of this would last, so fragile compared to what she was now, but she’d enjoy it all while she could just the same. She mused to herself, “After all, life’s a party!”