"Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up."
Thomas Wayne - Batman Begins

"2843, 2844, 2845, 2846 and finally… 2847. Hurray, I did it, I counted all the bricks … again," said a smiling Pinkie Pie with a playful cheer in her voice, as she sat alone in her cold cell. Her fur and hair were still messed up from the battle in the pass and her body had several bruises.

Due to the chilling wind around her, coming in through a tiny window with iron bars, the pony was forced to constantly flutter around in order to keep her blood flowing and thus stay warm. Pinkie Pie didn't mind that, on the contrary, it wasn't at all her style to stand still for more than a few seconds.

Looking around her room, trying to find something else to do, the mare huffed and noticed that she could see her breath, due to the low temperature. The excitable pony exclaimed joyfully, as she started trying to make circles with the air from her respiration. She repeated the attempt several times, with each try a bigger and bigger shape being created. This continued for a good number of minutes, until the mare ran out of breath. Her body was beginning to tire, a natural reaction seeing that she had not eaten anything in a long while.

An idea suddenly popped in the earth pony's head. She focused her sights on the wall with a big metal door and said, "One."

She turned towards the wall on her left and brilliantly deducted, "You must be number …. two."

Shifting her eyes to the next one, she glanced outside the small window for a few seconds, before claiming, "Three … I think. Yup, definitely three."

Finally, she rotated towards the final wall and said in a delightfully pompous manner, "My good sir, can you please be number four? You can? Okie dokie loki!"

After whimsically prancing towards it, Pinkie Pie stopped a few feet away and gazed at the stone structure for several minutes. With a very serious look on her face, she later addressed it, "My dear mister wall, it's getting late, I am afraid you simply must GO," and then kicked it as hard as she could with her hind legs.

The prison cell was sturdy, so her hit didn't even scratch the surface of structure. "Oh, stubborn aren't you?" exclaimed the mare, as she kicked it again several times, but to no avail.

With a slightly sad looked on her face, the pink pony expressed her frustration, "Ah shucks … I thought I was good at breaking the fourth wall."

To an onlooker it might have seemed like the earth pony had gone mad. What mare in her right mind would talk to inanimate objects or even think she could shatter such a massive construct? But it was quite the opposite … being spontaneous and having fun was the best method through which Pinkie Pie could keep calm.

Deep in her heart, she was worried about herself and about the other girls, especially Fluttershy. The earth pony had prayed to Celestia when she had woken up alone in her cell, not for her safety, but for the well-being of her best friends. After that, the mare immediately started making up all sort of kooky games to pass the time, ranging from a modified version of hopscotch, to imagining what could lie outside the little window of her room, to naming the citizens of Ponyville she could remember – which, in her case, was all of them, to counting every brick in her cell … several times. She was cold, hungry and tired, but still managed to keep her spirits high.

Not one to get bored easily, Pinkie Pie noticed the strong wind blowing in through the window. She then gently plucked out one of her hairs and threw it upwards. As it got carried by the current, it started floating around the room, with Pinkie Pie trying to 'dance' along with it. When the strand of hair eventually hit the ground, the mare bowed gracefully and complimented it, "That was a fun dance. Who's up for another one?" as she plucked out another couple of hairs and proceeded to do the same.

This went on for almost an hour and would have gone on longer, if it hadn't been for the sound of hooves resonating outside the earth pony's room. Upon hearing that, Pinkie Pie let out a soft warning, "Shhhh … don't make a sound. I think somepony is coming," while pointing to the hairs which had fallen on the floor.

As she heard the locks being opened, the pink mare moved close to a wall and covered half her face with her hooves, giggling like a filly, "He he he … they will never see me now."

The door swung open and inside came two crystal ponies wearing black armor and carrying a spear and a plate of food. They looked puzzled at the earth pony who was huddling in the corner and chuckling.

After a few seconds, Pinkie Pie burst out, "Booo!" probably hoping to scare the soldiers, but they immediately pointed the sharp weapon at her and threatened, "Get any closer and it will go through your chest!"

With a frown on her face, the mare responded, "Ahh … you're no fun at all." She then noticed the meal they had brought, and jumped for joy, shouting, "Hurray, yummy yummy for my tummy."

The crystal ponies left the plate on the ground and kicked it swiftly towards her, not letting the spear down even for a second.

Cheerful because she finally had some company, regardless of who it was, Pinkie Pie tried to start a conversation with the stallions. "Hey thanks! By the way, do any of you know where my friends are? They're a nerdy purple unicorn, a tomboyish pegasus with a rainbow mane, an elegant white uni …"

As she talked in her high-pitched and extremely fast voice, one of the guards burst out, "Shut up!" as he and his colleague backed out of the room slowly, not letting the earth pony out of their sights for a moment.

Visibly upset by the fact that her visitors were leaving, Pinkie Pie rushed towards the door, waving at them to return. "Wait … don't go. We can play some games together. I know a really fun one. We each pick a number and an ice cream flavor and ..."

Before she could say anything else, the two guards yelled, "Stay where you are, you crazy pony!" as they locked the door and sealed it tightly from the outside.

Finding herself alone again, Pinkie Pie sat down on the floor, pouting, "What a bunch of meanies!"

She heard her stomach growling and rubbed it, hoping to stave off the sensation of hunger, but then remembered what the crystal ponies had brought with them. With an almost insane smile on her face, the mare immediately charged for the plate of food. The amount of nourishment she had was laughable: a stale piece of bread, some hay, a few leaves and a cup of water. Still, hunger is the best spice, so to the starving prisoner, this seemed like a gourmet buffet.

Picking up the bread, she looked at it with huge eyes, as she started drooling voraciously. "Hello. My name is Pinkie Pie. What's your name?" said the mare to the pastry.

"I am Madam Scone. Glad to meet you!" responded Pinkie to herself using her very 'skilled' ventriloquism, as he ripped the loaf in two and flapped the pieces together, trying to mimic a mouth.

"Meat? You're a piece of bread silly!" uttered the pony.

"I am … well then you better eat me before I start hallucinating some more," 'retorted' the scone.

The earth pony took a big bite out of the pastry, but soon after nearly spat it out. Being as hungry as she was though, she managed to abstain herself and somehow swallowed it, but that didn't stop her from protesting afterwards, "Yuck … you call this bread King Sombra. I wouldn't feed this to the worms. And to think, I gave it the title of Madam." The upset mare threw the loaf back on the plate and turned her back to the food, frowning and keeping her forelegs crossed as if expecting an apology.

Moments later, her belly began to growl again, harder than before. Looking down towards it, Pinkie said, "Oh … I know you're hungry stomach, but come on … that bread is just … Yuck!" After a few more gurgles came, the pink mare rolled her eyes and finally gave in, "Fine, fine, you win again stomach … just like that time you made me devour those one hundred eclairs. I will eat the yucky food!"

Turning towards the plate with obvious reluctance, the mare picked up the pastry and slowly put it in her mouth. "I am sorry tongue … you're just going to have to take one for the team," proclaimed Pinkie, as she quickly devoured the scone to avoid feeling its foul taste for too long.

Still famished, she proceeded to consume the hay, which was somehow even more disgusting. "Pee-yew … I hope the salad is a bit better!" exclaimed the mare, as she tried one of the leaves on the plate.

After a few seconds of chewing, she spat it out in distaste, "I was wrong, I was so wrong. It's the worst!"

Still feeling very hungry, with an extreme effort of will, Pinkie Pie managed to make herself finish the greens and then drank the whole cup of water in one sip. "Well … at least they got the water right," declared the pink mare, after which she whipped her snout and sat down in the middle of the room.

Finally having settled her appetite, at least a bit, she began thinking about her friends again. Looking at the dark sky through the small window, she began praying, Princess Celestia, please look over Fluttershy, AJ, Rarity, Rainbow and Twilight. I know you love them very much and I hope you will see them again very soon. And if you can find it in your heart to look over me as well, I will pay you back, I promise.

Looking a bit puzzled, the mare continued, But how I am going to do that? I know, I will bake the biggest most delicious cake you have ever tasted, with chocolate, vanilla, 50 different kinds of fruit and one hundred different toppings. That's a Pinkie promise. So if you want that cake, watch over us.

Hearing the howling of the wind intensify and feeling the chill of the northern air on her spine, Pinkie could not help but frown, as the end of her prayer took a more serious tone. Please help us, Princess Celestia. Pretty please … with a bonbon on top, said the mare, as a small tear dripped from her eye.

As the drop of water touched the stone floor, Pinkie Pie decided she was not going to give in. Fully aware that she would somehow have to endure the freezing night, the earth pony knew she could not let her sadness get the better of her. Cheering up and whipping her eyes, she looked around the room again and proclaimed happily, "Well, now that I have more time to my self, what will I do?"

Scratching her head trying to think of something, the mare pondered, I could think of more recipes … but I am still hungry so that would be unfair to my stomach. Hmm … I could count the bricks … but I already did that … twice.

After a few more minutes of tinkering, the pony finally found a way to keep herself entertained, "I've got it! I will start naming all the bricks. After all, everything's got to have a name right."

With that, the pink mare looked around the room again and then, taking it brick by brick, started to baptize them out loud. "You are the first, so I'll call you Firsty. You … you look really square, so I'll call you Roundy. Oh, don't you look funny. I'll name you … Archimedes …"

Looking for the hundredth time at the bleak shadow her body was casting in the red light of the cell's only torch, Rarity again began to gently stroke and arrange her hair, not accepting to have a sloppy mane. Despite the battle she had just been through and in spite of having sat alone in a cell for the better part of the day, the white unicorn had her standards, standards of which she was very proud. Gazing upon the crimson flame, the mare began to slowly count to one thousand in her head, hoping to keep herself as calm as she could and wanting to calm down her rapidly beating heart.

The last few days had been extremely strenuous on the white unicorn. Ever since she went on the rescue mission with her friends, she had to endure not only the harsh living conditions of military camps along the way, but the frigid winds and ice of Sombra's domain, as they got ever closer to the tyrant's castle. This kind of life had taken its toll on the mare's physical appearance, as her pristine white fur was now a light shade of grey and her perfectly groomed hooves showed signs of wear and tear. The exhaustion made her glimmering eyes, which once shined like two marvelous sapphires, look tired and dull, fatigue-ridden dark circles replacing her usual eye shadow. The only things which seemed to have kept their elegance were her mane and tail, still as graceful and fashionable as ever. She could notice that herself, and the mare was determined to keep them as such, even if it meant meticulously grooming them over and over again.

Her prison cell was small and windowless. Huge black crystal bars dropping from the ceiling formed a door, that led to a dark corridor in which the mare could not make out anything. The only source of light and warmth she had was a torch pinned to the wall opposite the entrance. Even though the white unicorn was secretly grateful, she still had to be careful not to get to close to the flame, less the smoke would ruin her hair and fur even more.

Other ponies might have found her attitude shallow and egocentric. Why would anypony care about her looks more than her safety or comfort? But for Rarity, her appearance was her self-expression, the thing which made her what she was. The mare knew that the moment she would stop caring about how she looked was the moment she would lose all sanity. Even in these most dreary times, she was insistent on appearing as elegant as she could.

Huffing sadly, the unicorn looked at the floor, trying to find something to do. Ever since she had woken up in the cell, she hadn't seen or heard any other soul. The mare screamed as heard as she could, several times, but a profound silence was the only reply. She wished she still had her armor on, that way the dressmaker could at least study the material. Rarity had carefully analyzed her crystal garments several times along the way to Sombra's castle, but had not been able to figure out how the crystal ponies of old managed to get the gems to stick together. She hoped to take another look at them, however, that was not going to happen. Just like with all the other mares except for Twilight, as per the king's orders, the white mare was stripped of her armor before being locked alone in her room.

Using her magic would be nice, not because she could escape, but she might at least be able to lighten up the corridor and find out where she was. Much to her irritation, this was not possible, since, while she had been unconscious, Sombra had made sure to prevent her from using any sorcery. Tiny black crystals surround the unicorn's horn, slightly aching her as they forcefully drained any magical energies whenever she even though of using the smallest enchantment.

Unlike the others mares, Rarity was a relatively quiet and calm prisoner. Most of the time she just stood silently in the cell, moving only a little so her legs would not fall asleep. She used the shadow the torch projected as a makeshift mirror, to analyze her silhouette and mane-style. Although the dressmaker was deeply worried, about her impeding fate, about her friends' misfortune and regarding the capture of Shining Armor and Cadance, deep inside she knew full well that there was very little she could do, given her current state.

Rarity's young heart was beating rapidly due to fear, so she just tried to keep a clear mind and focus on other things, rather than throw fits of rage or tantrums. Strategies like that might have worked when she was held hostage by amateurs like the diamond dogs, but the cruel monarch of the Crystal Empire was dreaded by all in Equestria and infamous for his lack of patience and tolerance for such things.

Hearing her stomach growl, the white unicorn looked towards the corridor. If King Sombra had wanted her dead, she would be so already. The dressmaker knew that the tyrant was not planning to let her die of starvation, so she just had to wait ... wait until somepony eventually came. Knowing it would likely be a stallion, either the black unicorn himself or one of his guards, the mare started scheming a way to sweet-talk her way out. After all, Rarity's looks were not only a part of her personality, but one of her best assets.

After another half an hour, the stillness was finally broken, as the sound of hooves trotting could be heard getting closer and closer. The mare's full attention was shifted towards the narrow hall leading to her cell, as she expected her visitor to reveal himself. A few seconds later, she could make out a dark silhouette approaching her door.

As the pony got closer, Rarity could get a clear glimpse of him: he was a young, grey crystal pegasus, with a navy blue mane and stunning brown eyes. He wore straps of leather armor around his chest, leaving only a small portion uncovered, and carried a sharp black sword and a tray on his back. Upon seeing who the guest was, the white unicorn smiled a bit, as fortune seemed to be on her side.

The pegasus approached the door of the cell and, trying to sound as commanding as his young voice allowed him, said, "I brought you food prisoner. Step away from the bars."

Taking a deep breath and preparing to make her move, Rarity stepped forward a bit, so that her full figure could be seen in the light of the crimson torch, and responded in a very alluring tone, "Thank you ever so much for this. I've been in this tiny cell all alone, until you showed up. I am soooo glad you could COME."

The guard was visibly impressed upon seeing the mare behave in such a way, as betrayed by the slight blushing of his cheeks. Wanting to appear worthy of his position, he spoke up again, "Ahem … I said step away from the bars, if you want to get fed that is!"

Trying to look as much like a damsel in distress as she could, Rarity immediately put a scared look on her face and took a few steps back. Realizing that her visitor's youth and inexperience could be used against him, the white unicorn answered, "Of course gallant guard. Never would I dream of undermining such a strong and imposing stallion."

The crystal pony was obviously feeling faltered and tried as much as he could to keep himself from smiling. After the mare had backed away, he took out a key from his satchel and inserted it into a hole near the door. A few seconds later the bars lifted slowly, so he entered the cell and put the tray of food on the ground. Remembering what he was told to say by his superiors, the young stallion affirmed, "Here you go prisoner. This is your meal for the day. Eat up and go to sleep. Good bye!"

Not at all happy with the hasty disposition of the guard, Rarity decided to step up her game. Imagining herself a thespian on the stage of the Grand Theater in Canterlot, she gently lifted a hoof, trying to appear scared and vulnerable, and, with tears almost falling out of her eyes, declared, "Please … I've been completely alone all day, no pony to talk to, nothing to entertain myself with. Would a handsome gentlecolt like you be kind enough to keep me company, just a few more minutes."

Caught by surprise, the young guard hesitated for a moment. The crystal pony knew full well that he was supposed to just leave the food and get out. However, he had been in the company of only other prison guards for the last few days and didn't mind a new face. Gulping a bit, he turned around and said, "Well … I guess I can stay a bit longer. But only a few minutes, I've got other business I need to attend to. Do I make myself clear?"

Upon hearing that response, Rarity knew she was on the right track. She bowed her head gracefully saying, "Oh thank you. Who dares say chivalry is dead has clearly never laid eyes on you. I am so grateful for this!"

As she looked at the stallion, she noticed him checking her out, his eyes unconsciously scanning her entire body. The white unicorn began walking slowly and sexily towards the guard, shaking both her mane and her hips with every move, gently winking her eyes. The crystal pony stood there in silence. He was baffled and could not take his sight off the mare. A part of his brain told him to take a few steps back, not to let the prisoner get to close to him, but another part told him to sit tight and enjoy.

The stallion wanted to say something, but could only mumble, as the mare stopped a few inches form him and gazed deeply into his eyes. Winking provocatively, the mare gently put her hoof around his chest and started stroking it, making slow circular motions. Initially the guard wanted to pull away, but the moment Rarity began to move her hoof, he actually got a bit closer, wanting to feel her touch.

Giggling a little, the mare said in a seductive voice, "You know … the night can be long and cold. It would be marvelous if I could have someone … a strapping stallion such as yourself, to keep me company and help … warm me up."

Upon hearing that, the guard's feet began trembling, as he felt a shiver down his spine and a twinkle between his legs. Simply blown away by what was happening, all the stallion could muster as a response was "O …. OK!" as he clumsily dropped his sword on the floor. Being young meant he did not have a lot experience when it came to mares and this was certainly the first time something like this had ever happened to him.

Rarity waved her tail and gently touched the guard's face with one hoof, as she began moving her other hoof towards the stallion's flank. Licking her lips sensually, she declared, "I still have to thank you for bringing me this food and saving me from starvation. You are my hero … my knight in shining armor, and I have the perrrfect reward for you."

With that she leaned in and kissed the guard passionately on his lips, her tongue wrapping itself around his. The crystal pony could not believe what was happening; his heart was beating so fast he could barely breathe, but that would not stop him from enjoying the kiss. The white unicorn's tongue was so soft and delicate, her body so graceful and appetizing, for him this was the best moment of his life.

While lip-locked with her visitor, Rarity continued moving her hoof towards the stallion's flank. The guard assumed she wanted to stroke his wings or something, and was anyway too focused on the smooch to pay attention, but the mare had something completely different in mind, as she tried to open his satchel.

The crystal pony's imagination went wild during the kiss. He hoped he would be in for a night of passionate love making with a stunning mare. He pictured himself taking her, putting his member in her delicate flower, letting his love juice flow all over her gorgeous face and then watching her lick it off. As his cock began to grow, he opened his eyes for a brief moment to look at the unicorn. He noticed her dazzling purple mare and could not help but admire its beauty.

His gaze then instinctively moved a bit higher and he observed her horn, all covered in dark crystals. At that moment, it was as if the guard was struck by lightning. His dick grew completely limp, his legs became stiff and his heart starting pulsating like a mockingbird's. From the very second he laid eyes on those dark crystals, one thing came to his mind: King Sombra. He then immediately recalled what happened to prison guards who dared to 'fraternize' with the captives, what cruel fate awaited them. The horrid screams of one of his colleagues being thrown in the Shroud of Agony earlier today echoed through his head and flushed out any amorous fantasies. With extreme dread, he quickly pulled away from the kiss and forcefully pushed the mare back, stopping her from reaching the item she wanted.

Not willing to give up yet, Rarity decided to re-gain his attention, "Darling, are you all right. Do you have cold feet? I can make them warm," but it was of no avail.

The young crystal pony had nothing but fear on his mind, the terror of being a possible victim of Sombra's wrath was all he felt in his heart. "Shut up … get back NOW!" shouted the stallion, as he quickly picked up the sword and ran out of the cell, closing the bars behind him.

Starting to feel desperate, Rarity lunged for the closing bars. Not able to get passed, she grabbed them and addressed the stallion for a final seduction attempt, "Please … don't go. I will do things to you no other mare ever has."

The guard just shook his head, as he tried to ignore the white unicorn's proposal. He then rushed down the corridor screaming, "I see nothing, I was not here, I did not even get up this morning."

Still puzzled by what had happened, Rarity screamed, "Nooo … please come back. Wait!" as she watched her visitor flee until she could again see only darkness. Laying still against the bars for a few minutes, she hoped the stallion would return, or that another one would come, but it soon became clear that this would not happen.

When she realized this, her face became dim and lifeless, as she turned around slowly and fell to the floor. Tears slowly began to fall from her eyes, as she lost her calm and just screamed, "Why? I almost had the key. I was so close. Why?"

The mare then got up and furiously rushed towards the bars, hoping to kick them, but stopped mere inches away as she knew that would only damage her hooves and have no practical use. Looking down, the now desperate unicorn said to herself, What went wrong? I could've had him … I could've gotten the key … I could've freed all of my friends. What did I do wrong? This should have been our great escape, instead, it will be the night of your discontent.

More salty tears dropped to the cold floor, making the small puddle which had formed a little bigger. As the freezing wind entered the cramp windowless cell through a small hole in the wall, the yellow pegasus huddled herself with her wings and rubbed her forelegs against her chest, trying to keep warm. Separated from her friends and feeling extremely afraid, Fluttershy knelt on the ground with her head down. The only thing she could do was to hope for a miracle.

Her prison chamber was a nightmare. Unlike a regular cell, hers was extremely small, barely giving the pony any space to even move. There were no windows at all, and a sturdy metal door kept her locked in, unable to see anything outside. The only source of light and air was a crack in one of the walls, probably made by an earlier inhabitant of the room trying to escape. The hole was tiny, barely wide enough for a pony to put its leg through, and now only served as an opening through which the cold air could get in from the outside.

Sombra was particularly interested in the yellow mare. He ordered his prison guards to make absolutely sure she would be going nowhere. After all, it was she who had the Crystal Heart last. To make matters worse, she was a pegasus, so the jailers could not risk putting her in a room with any kind of window, less she somehow managed to open it and fly away.

Fluttershy had been confined to her solitary cell since she got captured. When the mare woke up, she looked around and was terrified to see where she was. She tried to move around, to make sense of her new location, but whenever she would take more than three steps she would bump into a wall. Her heart sank, as she started to wonder if King Sombra had found the Crystal Heart. Knowing full well what it would mean for Equestria, she prayed extremely hard that somehow the little snow bunny had understood her and hid the gem away.

Unlike the other members of the mane six, Fluttershy did not mind being alone. Being an introvert, she often enjoyed afternoons and evenings to herself, always finding something enjoyable to do. However, now she was terrified of her loneliness. She had never been through anything like this and she preferred not to even read about the horrors some ponies were going through ever since the war had started.

Despite working as hard as she could day and night to do her part, the yellow pegasus never wanted to be anywhere near the battlefront, as the mere thought of having to harm another pony made her stomach churn. Now, to her dismay, she was not only near the enemy lines, but way passed them, captured and helpless. She wished she had someone to talk to, just to be able to calm herself a little, but for many hours, her only company was the cold darkness of her chamber.

Barely able to handle the situation, Fluttershy's imagination was getting the better of her, as it began making up awful scenarios about her impending fate and that of her friends. She tried to calm down, she said to herself, Nothing bad will happen. I must relax, but the mare was not able to stop the macabre images from popping up in her brain. She envisioned herself being beaten by Sombra's soldiers until she revealed the location of the Crystal Heart, she imagined the crystal ponies tearing up the tundra plains and killing every animal while looking for the bunny, she saw her friends in chains, slaves to the tyrant king, she pictured the Crystal Empire's army marching on Equestria and descending over the peaceful residents of Ponyville.

Almost unable to breathe because of the fear, Fluttershy began to whisper, "Oh dear … oh dear … oh dear" over and over again, as her legs trembled and her heart thundered. Tears poured over her face, dropping to the floor while the sound of her sobbing echoed through the small cell. Feeling hungry and not having the strength to do anything else, the pegasus knelt on the ground and waited.

After a while, she heard hoof-steps getting closer to the door. That was followed by the sounds of many heavy locks being opened outside. Initially she was happy, thinking that she would at least get to talk to someone, but remembering where she was made her happiness turn to anxiety. What if the visitor was Sombra, determined to force the location of the heart out of her? What if it was a brutal prison guard or a sadistic torturer? The mare backed away from the door as much as her minuscule cell allowed her, and waited worriedly for it to open.

When it finally did, a bulky crystal pony, clad from head to hooves in spiky black armor walked in, holding a small plate. Fluttershy could barely make anything out, due to the extremely small amount of light in the room, but even so she was terrified of her visitor. His brutish constitution was amplified by the horrific aspect of his uniform. Not finding the courage to say anything, she just closed her eyes as her teeth began to jitter.

"Here's your food. Goodbye!" was all the prison guard said, as he threw the plate on the floor and immediately closed the door, proceeding to lock it tightly.

Relieved that the visit was short, Fluttershy huffed heavily, trying to calm herself. "Phew, thank goodness," said the scared little pony, as she approached the plate of food. Her dinner was similar to what her friends had received, so she started by eating the salad, ignoring its bad taste.

Suddenly, the grim silence of her cell was interrupted again, but this time it was by something the mare would enjoy. While chewing the leaves, the pleasant sound of a bird singing reached her ears. Feeling puzzled and happy at the same time, she quickly turned her head towards the hole in the prison wall and saw that a little white snow owl was resting on it. The pegasus was overjoyed by the sight, as she leaped into the air and clapped her front hooves together. Not wanting to frighten the little critter, she just looked at it for a few seconds without getting closer.

When the owl started gazing in her direction, Fluttershy slowly extended her foreleg and smiled, saying, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Stay here and rest for as long as you like." Somehow sensing the kindness in the young pony's heart, the owl let out a joyous hoot as it entered the cell and flew right onto the mare's hoof.

Fluttershy then immediately approached her face to the bird, huddling it lovingly, hoping to warm it up a little. "Oh dear … it must sure be cold outside. Don't worry, I will keep you snugly and comfy, so that you can be all better." The avian visitor was clearly pleased by the pony's action, as it smiled, closed its eyes and gently began flapping its little wings, trying to clear the moisture off of them.

Wanting to make her new friend feel as safe as possible, Fluttershy began singing to it, her angelic voice able to soothe even the coldest heart. This helped both the owl and the pegasus relax, as the yellow mare could finally keep her mind off her bleak situation. Mesmerized by the pony's voice, the bird moved its head to the rhythm.

When Fluttershy stopped, she delicately pat the critter on the head and stated, "If only I had the courage to sing like that in public." After that she put the owl on the floor, hoping to let it hop around the room a little bit.

A few seconds later, the bird began pecking at the floor. Immediately knowing what that must mean, Fluttershy picked up the piece of bread from the plate and started ripping crumbs out of it. "You must be so hungry from your long flight. You deserve a snack. Here!" said the pegasus as she offered the small pieces of pastry to the owl. It jumped up for joy and immediately flew back onto Fluttershy's hoof, gently pecking at the bread crumbs. The sight brought a heart-warming smile to the mare's face, which was unfortunately interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling.

Hearing that, the owl stopped eating and, instead, took a crumb in its beak and flew over next to the yellow pony's mouth, trying to put it in. Even though she was starving, the kindness in Fluttershy's heart always outweighed anything else. Laughing playfully, the pegasus pushed the little bird away saying, "How thoughtful of you, but look here … I can eat these while you finish your yummy bread. I don't even like it."

The mare than proceeded to eat the hay and salad as she watched the owl finish the loaf. After that she took the cup of water and offered it to her visitor, "We'll share. You go first."

The little critter drank a few drops and then just looked at Fluttershy with accusing eyes, almost ordering her to quench her thirst. Slightly amused by this, the mare responded, "OK, OK. Don't be mad," as she drank the rest and placed the cup on the floor.

For the next hour, the yellow pony sang some more to the owl and groomed it a bit, in order to better prepare the bird for the freezing northern night. As she noticed the cell getting almost pitch black, she realized the night had fallen upon them. Knowing owls were nocturnal creatures and not wanting to risk the little fellow getting separated from his flock, with a slight sadness in her heart Fluttershy put the bird down next to the opening, as she pointed outwards. "Come on. Time for you to go. Rejoin your family. They will give you more food. I cannot do that."

Noticing a small tear fall from the mare's left eye, the snow owl refused to go. Instead, it flew close to her face and huddled itself next to her check. Touched by this, the pegasus continued, "Thank you very much for your kindness, but I cannot let you stay here. You must be with your brothers and sisters."

With that, she grabbed the critter and placed in on the edge of the hole, slightly nudging it to fly away. "Don't worry about me, I will be fine. My friends will probably come any minute!"

Still not wanting to leave, the owl gently grabbed Fluttershy's leg fur with its beak and pulled her towards the hole, trying to take her out as well. Amused by this, the mare laughed and said, "I am afraid I cannot fit. But you can. Run along now."

Looking back one last time and still seeing the pegasus pointing towards the exterior, the bird flew away.

Waving goodbye, Fluttershy then went as far away from the crack as she could, again caressing herself with her wings and forelegs, trying to keep warm. How lovely that was. I bet things will be ok in the end, said the mare to herself in an effort to keep calm.

Tired, she tried to go to sleep, so she closed her eyes and dozed off. However, the moment she went to the dream realm, only vicious nightmares awaited her. With her subconscious still deadly afraid, all she could dream about was Sombra torturing her and her friends. The mare woke up screaming a few minutes later, sweat falling from her forehead and her heart stuck in her throat.

Come on Fluttershy. Just keep calm … things will be ok said the mare to herself, again trying to regain composure.

However, this time it didn't work. She could feel the terror gripping her. Not being able to stand it anymore, she just broke down and cried, "But what if they won't … what is we get abused… or worse. Please, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, watch over us. Don't let anything bad happen ... and don't let that awful unicorn find the Crystal Heart. Watch over the little bunny."

Too uneasy to go back to sleep, all the yellow pony could do for the next hour was pray loudly, "Please … let everything be alright. Let someone save us!"

"Shh, shh, it's OK. Just lie down and rest" said Rainbow Dash, as she gently stroked Applejack's forehead. The pegasus was kneeling on the floor, vigilantly watching over her friend, who was resting her head on the blue mare's front legs so as to avoid setting it directly on the cold floor of the cell.

The two mares had just been through hell. Having barely survived King Sombra's interrogation, the earth pony and pegasus were then dragged to a prison chamber in the lower levels of the dungeon. The room was similar in structure to Rarity's, windowless with a door made from thick black crystal bars and lit only by a torch. Unlike in Rarity's cell however, this one had an eerie green light which barely gave off any heat.

While they were escorted by the guards, Applejack could barely move, so she was placed on the back of one of the jailers and carried over. Rainbow Dash followed along quietly. Metal cuffs had been placed around her hind legs and her wings had been bound to her body with rope. Not wanting to risk any more harm for her friend, the blue mare simply followed along her head bowed, not uttering as much as a single peep.

When they got to the cell door, the stallions opened it and threw Applejack in. That was when Rainbow Dash finally took action. Before the crystal ponies could react, she immediately rushed to her friend's side and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go even when the jailers tired to pull her away several times. With tears in her eyes, she told the guards what the king had just done to them and promised to be a model prisoner, as long as they would just let her be with the orange mare. She even offered to care of the earth pony during the night, to make sure she survived, threating that otherwise Sombra would punish his servants.

Seeing the mare's broken spirit, the guards closed the room behind them and left affirming, "If you try anything funny, you're both dead!"

Now, the night had come, and the two mares were together in the dark chamber. Looking at the wounded earth pony with both love and concern, Rainbow Dash slowly moved her hoof through Applejack's mane, staring deeply into her green eyes. The blonde mare simply smiled back, as she tried to shift her position, letting out another small shriek due to the agony her body was in.

Upon hearing that, the pegasus gently rubbed Applejack's chest with her hoof, taking extra precaution not to use too much force and thus make the pain worse. On the inside Rainbow Dash was crying, furious she was unable to aid her friend in her time of need, upset that she could not do more to alleviate the situation. However, on the outside, the blue mare looked as strong as usual, her tomboyish smile adorning her slightly arrogant face. Behind her cheerful visage, lay hidden immense suffering. Her asshole was hurting like hell and her wings ached from having several feathers plucked out; but she didn't care, all she was concerned about at this moment was Applejack.

The orange mare was in a far worse shape. Having been nearly crushed to death by Sombra's crystal cage, her body was severely aching. There wasn't a single muscle in her body which was not in agony, causing her to feel frequent spasms of pain. Being quite used to physical hardships, she wasn't shedding tears. She just lay on the floor with her head on Rainbow Dash's forelegs, occasionally twisting and turning, hoping to find a way to lessen the soreness.

Wanting to break the silence, Applejack spoke up, "Thanks for staying with me sugar cube. I just hope I won't bother you too much … oof, it hurts."

Gently pressing her hoof over the orange mare's lips, the pegasus whispered: "Shh … don't try to move too much. I am here. I will always be here for you."

Slightly blushing, the farm pony responded, "Shucks, you don't have to do that. Just give me a day and I will be back on my own legs in no time. You'll see."

Donning a big smile, Rainbow Dash replied, "I know you will. You are strong. You've always been so strong. These wimps can't bring a strong mare like you down." With that she leaned her head, bringing her snout close to Applejack's, hoping to give her a big kiss, but stopped when she noticed the rather puzzled look on the earth pony's face.

Continuing to stroke her friend's forehead, the pegasus inquired, "Hey AJ … did you … did you mean what you said back there? About you wanting that for a long time and …"

Chuckling, the orange mare replied, "Sorry hun. I don't really swing that way."

With a slight hint of embarrassment, Rainbow Dash looked away a bit. "Oh, no no … that's not what I meant …"

Again interrupting her friend, Applejack continued, "Don't worry. If I did ... I promise it would be with you," as she gently bumped the blue pony on her nose. This caused the pegasus to blush so much, it made her entire face turn red.

The two mares stared at each other silently for several seconds, until the earth pony spoke up again, "Look Rainbow … I couldn't let that tyrant do that to your wings. I had to do something. I mean, you were being mighty stubborn and …"

"And for that you allowed that monster to do that to you … you allowed yourself to be raped; and then …" protested the blue mare.

"Should I have let him tear your wings off?" retorted Applejack.

This caused the pegasus to remain silent for a minute, as she looked back at her wings. They were missing a few feathers but, for the most part, were alright, all thanks to her friend. Closing her eyes, she responded, "No … I mean … I wouldn't have let him do that. I would have eventually given in and …"

"We both know you wouldn't have. That is what I adore and hate about you Rainbow. You are so gosh darn stubborn … and yet you never give up. No matter what, you always try!" interrupted Applejack.

The earth's pony remark warmed up the pegasus heart so much, a tear fell down her smiling face. Wanting to lighten up the atmosphere, Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "Well, I have some strong competition," as she playfully pointed to the orange mare, after which both ponies laughed.

With her spirits brought up by her friend's comment, Applejack decided to joke a little, "I know. After all, you did scream louder than me, so that means I win!"

"What … I did not you big liar," replied Rainbow Dash in a funny tone, as she playfully pat her friend on the shoulder.

Caught by surprise, the orange mare let out a light huff of pain, as her body was still rather delicate to the touch.

Realizing what she had done, Rainbow quickly commented, "Sorry … I'm sorry," as she proceed to extremely carefully rub the affected area, hoping to ease the pain.

Recalling something, Rainbow Dash's face lit up as she turned to Applejack, "Hey AJ, I just remembered something that will cheer you up. I overhead some idiot guards commenting while we were taken here, about how the false rumors were effective. False rumors … did you get that? This means that Candace and Shining Armor have not been caught. They are probably still out there in the north, keeping up the resistance front."

Hearing that, Applejack's eyes light up with joy, as she replied, "Really. No kiddin'. I guess Celestia is watching over us."

Suddenly, the mares heard the sound hooves getting closer and closer. Both of them kept quiet for a moment. A bit afraid of what could follow, the earth pony started to shiver. Noticing this, the pegasus sought to calm her down. "Don't you worry AJ. If anypony even thinks of touching you again, I will tear his legs off. This time I swear it."

Rolling her eyes, the Applejack replied, "Come on Rainbow … have you learned nothing?"

Giving a playful wink, Rainbow responded, "Nope," as she got up and looked straight towards the door with viciousness, like a mother bear protecting her cubs.

After half a minute, three prison guards appeared, all heavily armored and armed with spears. They were carrying a plate of food. When they got near the door, one of them reached for his satchel, but his colleague stooped him, "Don't bother." He then took the food off the plate and flung it between the bars at the two prisoners, saying, "Bon appetite. Come on let's go." With that the three jailers were immediately gone.

Having seen the whole thing, Applejack commented, "Well, I guess we can't except a five star service in here!"

Although Rainbow Dash laughed at her friend's joke, she was very worried. Both mares were exhausted, hungry and thirsty from before and what the guards had done was not helpful. The blue pegaus rushed to pick the food off the floor as quickly as she could and put it in a pile. She was extremely cautios to pick the water cup up first, thankful that only part of the water had spilled. After she had gathered all that was eatable, she picked up the loaf of bread and some hay and brought them to Applejack.

"Here you go. Eat this. You will feel much better afterwards," promised Rainbow, as she offered the nourishment to her friend.

"Hold on. What about you? Why haven't you eaten?" inquired the earth pony.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Plenty more where this came from," responded the pegasus.

Not one to be fooled so easily, Applejack commented, "You sure don't know how to lie. Come on Rainbow, eat something first and then give me the rest. You are the one who needs your strength more."

Refusing to listen to the blonde mare, Rainbow Dash insisted, "AJ, you know that's not true. Look at you, your entire body is aching. Please … for me, just eat this!"

"I think I already did something pretty interesting for you today. As the element of honesty I can guarantee you I will not eat unless you do. So here's what's gonna happen. Everything you give me I first have to see you eating half, deal?" insisted the farm pony.

Both upset and touched by her friend's insistence, Rainbow Dash reluctantly agreed, "Oh ... fine." With that she took half a piece of bread and ate it, giving the other the Applejack. She then did the same with the hay and salad. Picking up the half full cup of water, she pretended to sip and then offered it to the orange mare.

"Really? Is that the best acting you can do?" replied Applejack sarcastically.

"Look AJ, if we share this it won't be enough for either one. It's my fault the guards threw the cup at us. I will just go lick some of the water off the floor," explained Rainbow Dash.

"If you do that, you'll not only not quench your thirst but also risk getting sick. Trust me. Just take a sip," insisted the earth pony.

"Your body needs this water to heal up!" shouted the pegasus.

"Well, you are the one who sweated more, so you need it the most," retorted the farm pony.

"Oh yeah … well you squirted more, so there. You need it," protested the blue mare with an almost childish tone, as she basically shoved the cup in her friend's face.

Looking offended, Applejack replied, "Really … how do you know? You practically created a lake in the torture chamber when YOU squirted. Now drink the gosh darn water!"

The mares then just stared angrily at each other for several seconds, before proceeding to laugh hysterically. After that, Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "Boy did I miss this. We haven't argued like this since … well since the battle started."

The two friends then looked down a bit, as they pondered in silence. What the pegasus said was true. Since King Sombra had declared war on Equestria, Rainbow had been very busy as part of the air patrol around the borders, hoping to get the attention of the Wonderbolts, and Applejack and her family had been working around the clock on the farm, trying to make apple-sauce for the soldiers. They had not seen very much of each other, or their friends for that matter. One of the reasons why all of the mane six were looking forward to the mission Princess Celestia sent them on was because it offered a rare occasion for them to be together again.

Deciding she had had enough nostalgia for the night, Applejack said to her friend, "I'll drink half, than you the other half. Deal?"

"OK!" replied the blue mare with a calm tone, as they proceeded to do just that.

After dinner was done, the two ponies started to yawn. It has been an extremely long and dreadful day and their energy was gone. It was time they went to bed. Lying on the floor, Rainbow again positioned herself so that Applejack could rest her head on her forelegs.

With a sleepy voice, the earth pony had one more curiosity, "Hey Rainbow! Don't take this the wrong way or anything, I am just curious. How long have you been … you know …"

Expecting this question to come sooner or later, Rainbow Dash gently stroked her friend's forehead, after which she yawned again and replied, "That's a story for another day. You look tried. Let's go to bed and see how we'll fell in the morning!"

Closing her bloodshot eyes, the earth pony didn't protest. She just huddled up next to her friend and said a faint, "Good night Dash."

Putting her head next to the orange mare's, Rainbow shut her weary eyes and whispered, "Nighty night AJ. And Princess Celestia … please watch over us!"

With that the two mares fell asleep, embraced in each other's touch.

Silence. Silence in darkness.

The entire room felt devoid of life, devoid of everything, as Twilight Sparkle huddled on the ground in fetal position. She just stood there, motionless, emotionless and mute, like a statue. She didn't shed a tear, didn't move muscle, didn't make a sound, didn't blink an eye. It was as if nothing mattered to her, as if the outside world had ceased to exist.

Shortly after the king had left the room she was chained in, the purple unicorn went into a massive feat of rage, cursing left and right and struggling so hard she nearly broke the chains off the ceiling. After she was done, however, the mare went into a state of utter apathy. Even as six prison guards eventually entered her room, she paid them no mind. When they undid her chains and took away the pieces of crystal armor thrown on the floor, the captive pony did not react.

The mare refused to speak when the jailers addressed her directly. She was reluctant to react even when she was threatened with violence. Not wanting to risk angering their master, the guards simply undid her bindings and dropped her on the cold floor, after which they just went out and locked the door behind them.

For several hours Twilight was like a corpse. Her prison cell was larger than all the others, having multiple torches to provide light and warmth, a fitting place for Sombra to personally interrogate captives. Since the soldiers were used to the monarch frequently putting unruly mares he fancied in this room, they stationed extra troops at the door to make sure she would not escape.

When a guard went in with some food, he left it on the floor and suggested the she ate something. He got absolutely no response or reaction, so he went close to the purple unicorn to see if she was still alive. The mare paid him no attention; she kept lying on the floor, completely inert. The stallion had to put his ear next to her snout just to make sure she was breathing. After again asking the young pony to eat, the jailer existed, shutting the door tightly.

As Twilight remained inanimate, an ocean of dark and disturbing thoughts flowed through her mind. For her, life was over. She could not care less if Equestria burned, if her friends got killed, if all of pony-kind was annihilated, if the entire world just ended … because for her it did, the moment Sombra took her virginity.

Her vagina hurt, her womb pulsated with anguish, but the purple unicorn did not event want to look at it anymore. Before, the mare took great care of her flower, but now, whenever she would even think about it, all she could see was it being pounded over and over again by Sombra's disgusting cock.

She hated the king, she despised him with every fiber of her being. As the dark thoughts continued to flow, her hatred for the monarch started to become a hatred for all stallions. Stallions … those horrible creatures which she had read were responsible for raping thousands of mares like her throughout history.

Her loathing then evolved to a revulsion for all the world. Ponies, and all species in general, made war on one another since the dawn of time. The horrors of armed conflict, its atrocities were, in fact, a product of the entire planet.

The purple unicorn even started blaming fate and the cosmic balance. If there truly was such a thing, how could it allow her, an innocent mare who had never harmed anypony, go through such an agonizing ordeal?

Her cruel imagination wanted to play more tricks on the unicorn, so it decided to focus her fears on herself. Twilight presumed that even if she somehow found the strength to get over this, even if she got back to Equestria, she would be an outcast, a pariah. All of her friends would reject her, laugh at her, call her a whore and a slut. No mare would ever speak to her again.

As for the stallions … they would probably consider her a cum dumpster and spit on her, let alone get near her. All her life, she would forever be nothing more than Sombra's whore, a stupid worthless cunt. She believed that even her own family would shun her, ashamed of what she had become.

In her darkest moment, Twilight Sparkle decided she would kill herself. She would not eat, drink or even allow herself to sleep, and thus her body would slowly dissipate and die. The mare completely ignored the plate of food, the cup of water and the cold temperature of the floor. She wanted to just sit motionless and drift away, far away from this cruel world she was in.

Closing her eyes, Twilight Sparkle waited for death's sweet embrace to take her.

Due to her exhaustion, the purple unicorn fell asleep and started dreaming.

She was a young filly again, at Celestia's school. It was a day she well remembered, and not for a joyful reason. It was the first time she had failed a test, ever. Everyone around her was upset, her instructor, her parents, even her class-mates mocked her. Feeling upset and alone, the filly cried and ran into town to clear her head.

While weeping on a park bench, an old earth pony approached her and asked her why she was so sad. Twilight explained the situation, said she had failed, she was no longer a good student and that her parents now hated her. After chuckling a little, the old pony returned with a snow cone and handed it to the sad filly.

He then pat her on the head and asked her why she thought she had failed the test? The little mare started gulping greedily out of the ice-cream, hoping to eat away her sadness. She then said she didn't really know. She had studied a lot, done all her homework, got plenty of sleep, but just choked during the test. She had literally forgotten what she had learned. It just happened.

The old pony than asked if that is what the young unicorn told her parents and her teacher, when they undoubtedly asked her why she did badly. Feeling a bit ashamed, Twilight admitted that was not the case. When asked why she failed, she would just say "I don't know." Her new friend then suggested she go back home and tell her parents exactly what she had told him, and see their reaction. He bet her another three snow cones they would understand.

As Twilight Sparkle hugged him and prepared to leave, she noticed the old pony had only three legs. He had lost one and was walking around with a cane. Feeling saddened, the filly told him she was sorry that such an awful thing had happened to such a kind pony like him.

Tapping his cane with his hoof, the old pony laughed loudly, as he said he was not. He was quite happy it had happened.

Puzzled, Twilight asked why.

The old earth pony then explained that, in his youth, he had been a spoiled rich colt, selfish and immature, not caring about anypony other than himself. He would often do shady deals and spend all his money on drinking and gambling. He didn't have any real friends, just business partners, and only loved mares until they ran out of bits.

But then, one day, he lost his legs due to an accident he caused while drunk. The stallion felt miserable as he could no longer con ponies so easily or have the same lifestyle as before. When all his money eventually went away, the earth pony was no longer able to make new partners and slowly became all alone and homeless.

Desperate, he thought there was nothing left to live for. As he wandered the streets on a rainy night, cold and alone, another homeless pony came up to him and offered to share his makeshift shelter. Before the accident he would never have allowed such a pony to even touch him, but now that destitute stallion was his only hope.

The next day, the homeless pony took him to a soup kitchen, where one of the helpers noticed he had no leg. He invited him to his house later that night and made a brand new cane for him, so he could walk.

He continued to explain that although many tragic things came from that accident, so did many great ones.

He became a new pony, considerate, caring and understanding. Due to the kindness of others, he found the strength and means to get over his pain. He eventually started a business teaching other ponies how to stop con artists, found a lovely mare he fell in love with, had a family and lived a full life. He told the filly his only regret was he hadn't lost his leg sooner.

The old pony advised Twilight to learn from her mistakes, from her troubles and not let them get the better of her. "There will always be joy and sadness the world, it's just the way it is. There's good, there's evil, and in between, there's life. But if we want things to get better, we must make them better. We have to learn to face our problems, to fight them, for it is through such struggle that we become stronger," were his parting words.

After that, the purple unicorn went back home to her parents and made up.

Waking up from the dream, a new feeling was brewing in Twilight's soul. Her thoughts were no longer clouded by fear and hate. A part of her still wanted to just give up, but another part had a completely different desire. Her existence was not a living hell. Not all ponies were created evil. There was good in the world and deep inside the unicorn knew it. She had lived a great life, got to practice magic every single day under the guidance of the most skilled teacher in all of Equestria, had a loving family and wonderful friends. Indeed, lately it had not been a smooth ride, but she was not going to let that stop her.

Yes, she had gone through much pain, but rather than give up she knew she had to fight it. If she hated Sombra, if she loathed getting raped, it was her duty to make sure that monster would not do that to another mare ever again … and she was not going to accomplish that by starving herself.

Finally getting up, she shook her legs, which had fallen asleep since they had not been used for several hours. After regaining balance, she went to the plate of food. Unlike the other mares, it appears the king decided to be more generous with her. A hefty portion of hay, a nice little salad, an apple and even a piece of cake awaited her.

As she picked up the cake, she took a small bite and said, "Thank you old pony … wherever you are now! I still owe you three snow cones!"

Soldiers scrambled left and right, rushing like crazy, trying to look as busy as possible. All the guards were on full alert, cleaning any stain from their dark uniforms, standing at attention, waiting for the king to pass by.

Marching with heavy and rhythmic hoof-steps, the black unicorn trotted through the dungeons of his castle, heading towards his private quarters. Through every corridor he passed all soldiers froze up in fear, as they saluted their master without hesitation and attempted to look as presentable as they could.

Normally, whenever the monarch patrolled the hallways there would always be at least one unlucky crystal pony caught off guard which would suffer dearly. This was the way in which Sombra knew to inspire loyalty: with terror and punishments. Today however, the king was remarkably calm, as he simply passed by all of his subjects, rushing to get to his destination.

The dungeons of the Crystal Castle were extremely complex and vast. Being the kind of ruler he was, the black unicorn an appropriately sized place where he could incarcerate all who defied him and torture all who he thought deserved it … and he sure thought lot of ponies deserved it.

Having finally existed the prison, Sombra made his way to the throne room, the only place from which the royal bedroom could be reached. There, in the large grey hall, stood an old crystal pony. His hair was as white as the new fallen snow and he had a thick bushy beard. Seeing his monarch approaching, he immediately spoke up, "My lord, I am honored you have come. There are some urgent issues which require your attention."

Barely stopping to acknowledge him, the tyrant trotted by as he went towards the staircase which led to his chamber.

Gulping heavily, trying to summon the courage to speak up again, the old crystal pony continued, "I understand my king. It's been a long day. Can I just ask how the interrogation went?"

Hearing that, Sombra stopped for a second and then quickly looked towards his servant, a wicked glee burning in his eyes. The old pony immediately started to say a silent prayer, as he prepared himself for the same fate many of his predecessors had had. But, much to his surprise, the king's answer was given in a calm tone, "Superbly. I am getting close to extracting the location of the Crystal Heart from them. I still need more time. Tomorrow I shall continue, so order the soldiers to prepare the white unicorn, pink earth pony and yellow pegasus. Is that clear, my adviser?"

Writing all that down with a speed seemingly impossible for his old age, the servant responded, "Crystal clear my king. I would just like to report that I have put a copy of all important documents I have received on your desk. Oh and … if your highness manages to find the time, your generals request your presence in the war room first thing in the morning. There has been some development in the northern front!"

The monarch didn't say a word, he just growled angrily. He had no desire to attend any meeting, he was having far too much fun 'playing' with his captives. However, being reminded about the northern front filled the king with unease. Not wanting to have to waste more time finding yet another adviser, and in a rather good mood, Sombra turned his head away and just continued walking up the stairs. Shouting so the old pony could hear him, the tyrant commanded, "Tell my generals I will think about it."

Even though the monarch could not see him anymore, the adviser bowed respectfully and waited until his master was out of sight. After that, he wiped his brow of nervous sweat and headed towards another part of the castle where he was needed.

The king's chambers were most impressive by any standards. The room was enormous, big enough to fit half a house house from Ponyville. It was adorned with numerous macabre trophies of defeated foes, such as armor pieces, broken weapons and shattered crowns. The centerpiece was the necklace of the former princess of the Crystal Empire, which was displayed just above the door.

Brown and black furniture of the finest quality filled the chamber, and golden torches light it up. Large wooden tables and elegant ottomans were placed throughout the room. A massive desk stood in the corner and an impressive fireplace took up half a wall. His bed was nothing less than a monument to arrogance: big enough to fit eight ponies, placed on four gigantic crystal pillars and decorated with black silk curtains.

Beside his bed stood four mares: a stunning middle-aged earth pony with voluptuous curves and an impressive rack, a very young and petite crystal pegasus, obviously terrified to be there, a ravishing unicorn mare from Equestria wearing a black collar and donning several whip marks on her flank and a mare whose face was covered by a black veil.

As the door swung open and the king entered, all four ponies said in unison: "All hail King Sombra, rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire and Equestria and protector of the realm. We are most honored to serve you tonight!" After that they did a graceful curtsy and bowed their heads, the young pegasus clumsily trying to mimic the gestures of the other three.

After merely glancing at them for a few seconds, Sombra trotted towards the table in the middle of the chamber and proclaimed with an uninterested voice, "I shall not require your services tonight. You may leave!"

Secretly relieved to hear that, the four mares bowed again and exited the room in a single line, closing the door behind them.

"Hmm … that new one doesn't look like much" mumbled the king to himself. On a normal evening the black unicorn's sexual appetite would be quite voracious, as he would often take three or even four mares. Depending on his mood, they would have to perform different tasks which ranged from just having to please him in classic ways, to inflicting serious harm on one other. If any of them failed, the tyrant's wrath would be severe. But this hadn't been a normal day, as the monarch had already fucked three mares. He decided that was enough for now.

Feeling hungry, he proceeded to look upon the feast prepared for him. On the main table lay numerous gastronomic delights, ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables, practically impossible to find in the frozen north, to pastries, different manners of cakes, hot dishes, alcohol and exotic drinks. Starting with a stew, Sombra then devoured some grapes and apples, downing it all with several glasses of wine and nectar.

He then went to his desk, upon which four documents were placed.

He picked up the first one and started reading the title 'Subjects starving in …' after which he immediately ripped it in two and threw it away.

He scanned through the next one which detailed how the Equestrian front was going. His troops had managed to hold the line in many strategic locations and were gaining ground in the lands between Cloudsdale and Neighagra Falls. This pleased the monarch, as he went on the third document. This one was a detailed economical report, in which Sombra just looked at how many bits had been added to the treasury and then threw it away.

The final paper detailed the issue in the northern front. The stallion read it very carefully. It explained that even though the Crystal Empire's troops managed to catch and execute any messenger the resistance had sent to Equestria in the past month, due to their extended patrols, a problem had arisen. Their battle plans were very likely given to the members of the resistance by a spy, because somehow a young messenger pony had recently managed to avoid all of them and was assumed to have gotten a message to Equestria. Even more, when the king's troops stormed the location of one of the supposed refugee camps where Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were rumored to be, they found nothing. Crumbling the document in anger, Sombra grinned his teeth and stated, "So … there is a traitor among my servants. No matter … when I get the heart they will all pay."

With that he took off his armor, cape and crown and took a shower. As the hot water touched his body, he thought back to the 'wonderful' encounters he had had that day with the purple unicorn, blue pegasus and orange earth pony. Extremely delighted with how things went, he exclaimed, "Oh, what a day. What a lovely day!"

After he was done with his shower, he went to bed. Covering himself with his blanket, he closed his eyes, smiled and said, "It's good to be the king!" as he went to sleep.

Author's Note

Initially this chapter was supposed to be shorter, but as I wrote about what each of the mane six were doing, more and more ideas starting flying through my head.
I then realized how brilliant the show's writers and creators truly are, for offering us such unique characters with distinct personalities.