Author's Note

Proofread by: Wild Balance

Heart of Darkness

Naxxramas; The Citadel of The Damned. Within it's befouled halls lurked all sorts of nightmarish creatures created by the necromancers who dwelled within and was also the lair of Kel'Thuzad and Nightmare Moon. Very few were brave enough to venture through this foul fortress and it was a place Pendragon had known all too well for he had been there once and had hoped to never return.

Upon their arrival, the heroes felt the very air around them grow cold enough to see their breath and all around they could hear the snarling and growling of the swarms of monsters guarding the halls yet what they didn't notice was that there were no guards waiting for them in ambush.

"Looks like we got the drop on them." Said Rainbow with confidence.

"For now at least. Stay close and watch for movement." Pendragon lead them down the nearest hall knowing guards would soon be on the scene and in a fortress full of monsters that was the least of their problems.

"You sure you know where you're going?" Asked Twilight while looking around for signs of trouble.

"Trust me, I know this fortress like the back of my hand."

Things were unusually quiet in the citadel as all of the snarls and growls suddenly ceased yet the group could not help but get the suspicious feeling that they were being watched.

"Hey look at these." Pinkie had found some strange silvery strings leading down to another part of the citadel and with her curious nature reached out to touch one of them.

"No wait!" Pendragon shouted a split second before she gave the string a quick twang that sent a humming noise down the halls, the pink mare giggled to herself having been amused by the sound when they heard a loud skittering noise coming from all directions.

"What is that?!?" Asked Spike darting his head around for the source of the noise.

"Nerubians!" The paladin shouted while preparing to make a break for it as the noise grew louder.

"Ner-what now?" Said Applejack before dodging a large web trying to ensnare her and spotted a large spider-like monster standing on eight legs with a set of arms and mandibles covered by a raggy cloak decorated with runes. The creature was instantly shot down by Twilight and Rarity before Spike stabbed the monster in the chest to make sure it was down, then more of them appeard from the ceiling and the walls in great numbers.

"RUUN!!" Pendragon lead them down the hall as more of them began to swarm the room followed by actual giant spiders with venom dripping from their maws, screeching with hunger.

"PINKIE!! This is all your fault!" Rainbow shouted angrily after kicking a spider off her back while Twilight used a shield spell to protect them.

"Just be glad they're not murlocs!"

"What are murlocs?"

"You don't wanna know, just keep running!!" The paladin shouted while firing off a shot from his gun.

As they ran further down the hall another swarm appeared in front of them before darting down a nearby corridor but every turn they took more and more seemed to appear.

"They're herding us!" Said Applejack after noticing they were keeping their distance at a steady pace until they found themselves in an icy chamber riddled with giant bones and It was a place Pendragon recognized instantly, Sapphirons lair. The paladin quickly readied his sword and shield as his head darted around the room looking for signs of movement along with Spike who wasted no time in protecting Rarity from the swarm which had suddenly disappeard.

"Where'd they go?" He asked while trying to peek outside.

"Guess they did their job." Pendragon answered after lowering his guard.

"What is this place?"

"Sapphirons lair. Stay sharp, he wasn't the only dead dragon to live here."

"Y-you mean there's more?" Spike got a second look at the bones to see that they were all dragons and the thought of them suddenly rising up into a giant dragon almost made him faint had it not been for Twilight catching him.

"We're close, the main chamber is just beyond that tunnel." At that moment, the entrance to the chamber was suddenly sealed by a wall of ice along with the exit behind them meaning that the nerubians had lead them into a trap.

"Welcome." A feminine voice echoed around the chamber when Nightmare Moon appeared holding Frostmourne, Pendragon gripped his chest and fell to his knees feeling the same unbearable pain from before yet despite this he kept his gaze firmly locked on the vile blade, even Quel'Delar began to surge with power eager to smash the sword to pieces for the two had crossed paths before.

"I am so glad you came." The dark princess said gleefully while looking at her new "guests".

"The Guardians of Harmony; Equestrias greatest and bravest heroes and Pendragon or should I say Highlord Scourgebane? Either way, I'm flattered."

"Watch it girls, she's up to something." Said Applejack getting ready to pounce while her friend recovered but Nightmare Moon didn't feel threatened by them at all after dealing with them so easily back in the crystal mountains in fact she felt amused that they were so eager for a rematch, even Spike still felt nervous being around the evil alicorn along with Rainbow Dash who was hesitant to try and land the first blow and kept herself at a safe distance with the others.

"Before we get started, I wish to make a deal." Nightmare waited for the paladin to stand on his feet before giving her proposal. One she thought for sure he would accept.

"I offer you one last chance to join me. You must've heard by now who really leads this invasion against Equestria so why delay the inevitable? Even if you were to defeat us here-and that's a big if-you would simply fall victim to another faction just waiting for a chance to seize this land I mean after all if your human allies found a way here then who's to say your enemies back home haven't found one as well hmm?" Nightmare smirked when she noticed the humans reaction and moved in to seal the deal.

"It's not too late heroes, think of-!"

"I've heard enough!" Said Pendragon cutting her off.

"It's true what you say; even if the scourge were to be defeated another enemy would rise up against us, be it the legion, our old foes on Azeroth or even the dark forces lurking here in Equestria but it doesn't matter! if those enemies come then I will fight them!!"

"And you can forget about us joining you as well!" Twilight replied with the support of her friends and after having her offer spurned once more, the alicorn gritted her teeth in anger and slowly held up Frostmourne with her frown turning into a wicked toothy grin.

"Well. I tried." Nightmares first target was the human standing before her as she brought down Frostmourne with a downward swing that was blocked by Pendragons shield, the rest of the group moved in from the sides hoping to find an opening but were intercepted by the nerubians who had been hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce.

"Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?" Spike asked having a personal phobia of the creatures while Rainbow Dash and Applejack began knocking them around.

"We got a plan Twilight?" Asked Rainbow after smashing another nerubian into the ground.

"Pendragon can handle Nightmare Moon, we need to keep these things from overwhelming us!"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Applejack agreed before bucking a giant spider through the ice. With her quick memory, Twilight began using the holy light to strengthen her friends as well as burn away more of the swarm before joining the fight while Pendragon and Nightmare Moon continued to duke it out in a clash of magic and steel with neither side giving in.

"Oh look. We're dancing." The dark princess teased while leaping over her opponents head leaving her underbelly exposed but as Pendragon prepared to impale her he felt another surge of pain shoot through his chest.

"Pen!" Pinkie saw he was in trouble and rushed to his aid with Fluttershy only to end up frozen in a block of ice.

"Something wrong~?" The alicorn asked leaning towards the weakened human.

"Grrr..."

The paladin could barely make out the blurred image of Nightmare Moon and was finding it hard to fend off her attacks, she had clearly been playing around with him like a cat with a toy. Pendragon could not understand why he was feeling this pain, the scar had long since healed and he had barely escaped the curse of undeath during his first encounter with Frostmourne so the question remained: Why was this happening?

"Look at you, pathetic." Nightmare said giving a smug grin before looking at her blade.

"Do you recall how Grogar drained you of your magic? Well we had a reason for that." As she continued her revelation, the nerubians began pinning down Twilight and her friends one by one.

"When Frostmourne was shattered a shard flew into the wound on your chest and when Kel'Thuzad discovered this he devised a brilliant plan but in order for it to work we needed your magic. You see he placed a special curse on the shard, a curse that would slowly weaken you and drain you of what magic you had left every time you came near this sword and judging from your complextion I'd say you have very little magic left."

Pendragon knew she was telling the truth for he couldn't find the strength to cast a healing spell let alone stand up and was starting to feel his body grow cold, all he could do was watch helplessly as the dark princess stood over him in triumph ready to deliver the killing blow when she came up with an even more sinister idea and turned her attention to the mane six.

"Before you die human, I will make you watch as I kill your friends." She grinned seeing the terrified reaction on Pendragons face.

"Then I will raise each and every one of them as my undead slaves and use them to destroy the very lands they fought so hard to protect but....who should go first I wonder?" She pondered, trotting past each one of them.

"The princess? The party planner? The dress maker? The little dragon? Perhaps the shy one? Or the athlete, Oh I know!" The dark princess stopped in front of Applejack and held Frostmourne up to her throat.

"The little farm mare. I know seeing her die would cause you great pain; great pain indeed."

"N-No!!"

The nerubians then forced Applejack to bow down before her while the others yelled furiously at Nightmare Moon to back away, seeing such despair and helplessness pleased the evil princess as she noticed the farm mare staring back up at her in pure terror with tears in her eyes as she prepared for the end.

"This is it...Big Mac, Applebloom...I'm sorry..." Applejack sunk her head in defeat as Frostmourne was raised. It seemed hopeless until Pendragon felt a sudden burst of strength and fury coursing through him, making him able to stand on his feet once more but the pain in his chest was still more than he could handle.

"Oh please. You can barely stand let alone fight!" She said in an amused tone as she stopped the blade from swinging down.

"So long as that shard is inside you, you can't hope to stand against me or the lich."

"Then...I shall remove it!"

Without a second thought, Pendragon pulled out a dagger and proceeded to cut the leather straps securing his breastplate before ripping his shirt open to find the scar on his chest glowing an icy blue.

"You're kidding. You're kidding right?" Nightmare asked just before the paladin stabbed himself in the chest and cutting open his scar. The dark princess was at a loss for words and thought it might be some sort of trick.

"PENDRAGON!!" Twilight shouted in horror as he began to viciously dig into his wound with his bare hands and coating the floor with his own blood.

"Stop you'll kill yourself!!" Fluttershy begged as he continued until finally the human pulled out a small metal shard with his entire body dripping in sweat. Pendragon looked at the small piece of metal in his bloodstained hand before glaring at Nightmare Moon with an anger so fierce that it actually made her tremble.

"I am free of you witch!" He growled tossing the shard aside as the holy light began to heal his wounds and burn away the monsters keeping his comrades captive, the sensation was warm and soothing like that of a fireplace to Twilight and her friends but for Nightmare Moon it was like standing in front of the sun as she cringed back using her wings as a shield.

"Time for round two!" Rainbow said bashing her hooves together.

"Indeed. It's time we put this ruffian in her place!" Rarity was in agreement with her friend as she flipped back her mane. All seven heroes surrounded the evil princess and prepared to charge in at once when the ice beneath suddenly sprouted spikes that nearly impaled them.

"Why can't things ever be easy?" Applejack asked when she got an unusual answer from Pinkie.

"If it were easy then it wouldn't be fun!"

"Stay focused girls. This fight's not over yet!" Twilight cautioned after seeing an icy aura surrounding Nightmare Moon. This would be the fight of their lives.

"Prepare yourselves mortals, this citadel will be your tomb!!"

End.