Author's Note

Please tell me what you think of the Dark Six in the comments.

The Dark Fortress

Nightmare Moon sat upon her throne, her dark eyes cast a hateful glare over the parade grounds. Her remaining guards, awaiting inspection under the guise she would be doing so herself. When they really were going to be reviewed by Jack, although none of the guards understood or knew that yet.

The only ponies who knew were the Dark Six, although they didn't know the full truth.

A tall, muscular, and intimidating stallion stood beside her. Blackened and charred skin stretched across his body, every so often a bubble seemed to rise in the skin before bursting in a cloud of embers and ash. It seemed as if his mane and tail were aflame. The base color was orange slowly rising in temperature to white hot at the end, and flickered in the breeze.

After a few moments a cyan Pegasus landed beside them, his wings flapped for a moment before slowly folding by his sides. Claws on his wings formed a cloak like clasp around his neck the pristine feathers rustling gently before settling. The flash of color that he was even among his peers by the rainbow main cut short in a buzz atop his head and with a similar colored tail barely touching the ground behind him. Firm muscles rippled under his skin as he stretched and worked out kinks from flying. He wore thin armor on his from, the main color was black with maroon dots splatter across it. A glowing blue whip rested up on his saddle.

There was a clicking sound like something sharp scraping the stones of the Fortress. All heads turn to see a black creature climbing down the wall. The only splash of color on it was a white torso which rose up and crossed it's hooves. A symbol marked the abdomen was visible for all, three gray diamonds. Seeming the size of a normal Pony it slowly walked up on its six spider appendages and stood beside the others.

Bubble Berry soon approached, a beautiful stallion walking beside him who had soft supple and pouty lips. Long lashes flutter as his gaze passed over the ponies around him. Wide hips swaying with each and every step tail flicking side to side. His wings flowed around his body mystifying and entrancing any who saw. Bubble Berry noticed one guard almost falling over at the sight of Butterscotch. As they passed Bubble Berry shivered at the dark grin that had formed on Butterscotch's face. The Pegasus turned, his grin shifting into an alluring smile as he let out a soft, "Hello." His prey stood still to see what would happen, Butterscotch got within a foot before puckering up for a kiss. Everyone around them thought it a simple chaste kiss.

It seemed so at first but soon Butterscotch's mouth began to widen and grow, a darkness began to coat the guard. Then the air began to whistle as Butterscotch started drawing air endlessly into his Maw. A white outline appeared from the guard slowly being drawn from his body, the skin shriveling up as the life was sucked out of him by Butterscotch. All the guards shook in fear as they saw this alluring stallion simply wipe his mouth before walking up to stand beside the others of the Dark Six.

The only one missing was Dusk Shine, and he was arriving via a portal of black swirling magic now actually. One after another the humans emerged and took a moment to peer around the parade grounds and soldiers assembled before them. Almost all the guards rushed to action as they saw the suits emerge. Even the Dark Six were twitching as they stood as a barrier between Nightmare Moon and the humans.

Kayla stepped through after a moment and she raised her shield as she locked it beside the other shield bearer. The sole rifleman standing behind the shield man as he aimed his gun and heard the lock as it slotted in the small section on the shield. Finally both heavy weapon specialists stood and planted their feet on either side of the shields, heavy hydraulics operating as their feet clamped down to the ground. Their shoulder cannons began operating as they began searching for potential targets with small red lasers as leads. Both heavy auto cannons began slowly whirring as the guards began the stare down.

Jack stepped through to find an army ready to assault his small squad, it was an odd sight of hundreds of monsters facing off for battle almost with a small five man team.

Although he looked up to see something that sort of shocked him, it wasn't the Dark Six but the mare standing on the throne. Gone was the meek mare from before. Standing atop the throne was a goddess of destruction and evil. Wings unfurled to twelve feet a side, the green light seemed absorbed into their dark plumage, upon the tips of each wing were razor sharp blades. Two claws rested at the major joints, not small claws either, these were easily a foot long of curved bone designed to rip and tear at things. Nightmare Moon stood easily six feet tall at the shoulder, her head a good seven high. Jack stared in awe as her hoof lifted up and struck down on the black marble, an echo of claws on the stone rang out to fill the parade grounds.

Soon all eyes were directed upon the beast walking down the steps towards Jack. He gulped and looked towards the others before shaking his head as Kayla aimed her rifle towards the god. Nightmare Moon stood before Jack and glared eyes of pure black hatred down upon him, a small green flame flickering inside the pupils. There was a small standoff as each of them looked into the other's eyes, neither wish to be seen as weak in front of their forces. So finally after a solid minute, a small figure appeared on Jack's shoulder only to jump at Nightmare Moon's face. The goddess was startled for a moment as she blinked and broke eye contact, then started trying to swat at the small hologram running through her mane.

Jack started laughing and received angry glares from everyone around him but Nightmare Moon and his own men. He simply ignored them as he called out, “Kerrigan stop messing with the pony, we have business to discuss.”

“But she is acting like a fool and her pants aren't even on the ground.” The small see through woman replied in a robotic echo voice.

A hoof smashed down where the program had decided to stand to reply. “Gotcha bitch!” Came the triumphant cry from Nightmare Moon as she ground her hoof into the stone. Kerrigan simply stepped through it and walked back over to Jack while giving Nightmare Moon a dual one fingered salute.

After the moments of crazy the two leaders looked at each other as Jack laid back now and relaxed. “Alright, Empress of the Night. Shall we discuss matters?”

Nightmare Moon looked down at him for a moment before nodding her head. “Let's, and we shall watch my army perform maneuvers and march for inspection as we do.”

Soon the two leaders began ascending the steps, standing at the top as Nightmare Moon took her throne. It wasn't anything grandeur just a large black marble seat with a smaller one sitting beside it. Jack assumed and sat down, receiving several glares and hisses from the Dark Six and soldiers below. He ignored them and reclined a little as he placed the Commando Rifle on the side of the chair. His C-14 Gauss Rifle laid across his lap in a ready position.

The Dark Six and Jack's squad stared at one another on a small platform a few steps below the thrones.

After a few moments Nightmare Moon nodded and a drum began to roll as the guards began marching in formations. Jack seemed a little interested before he noticed the size of the entire force, it was barely two thousand soldiers strong. It seemed rather pathetic with how much of the world he had seen, although much of the city was destroyed he hadn't seen it or been told. So he sat there thinking as Nightmare Moon started talking.

“So Jack, let us start off with my introductions of the Elements of Evil. I believe you are acquainted with Dusk Shine Element of Shadow.” Dusk simply grunted as he kept his eyes locked in a death stare on Jack. “Then let me introduce the general of my forces, Element of Fire Applejack.” Applejack stepped forward and growled before stepping back. “Next is Rainbow Blitz, he may seem colorful but he is the Element of Slaughter.”

“I just do what's fun, not my fault I can flay something alive in ten seconds flat.” Blitz boasted with his chest puffed out.

“Yes we all admire that, now next in line is Elusive, Element of Corruption. A more proper name is Father of Monsters. Elusive is an ancient being who sired most actual monsters within this world.”

“I simply injected pure evil essence eggs into unwilling beings and watched them mature then devour the parent. What came out was a mystery each time.” Elusive seemed nonchalant about all this and was lounging against his abdomen.

“Our next one is Butterscotch-“

“Like the candy?” Jack injected.

Nightmare Moon laughed a bit as he looked at the alluring stallion. “Spelled the same yes, but he is the Element of Lust. His favorite snack is souls taken from unwilling victims. His appearance means most don't take him serious till they are already being siphoned.”

Scotch fluttered his eyelashes for a moment towards Jack, that was until Kayla stepped between and leveled her gun.

“Well she's no fun at all now is she boys?” Scotch commented as he turned back to look over the troops.

Both leaders looked at one another before shaking their head as Jack pointed the the last one. “Who is that?”

“Ah, that is the master of mind and torture, Bubble Berry. Element of Misery. He is also a master of psychic abilities.”

Bubble Berry stepped forward and bowed, tentacles wriggling around on his face. “A pleasure to met you. May I feast upon your brains when this falls through?”

Jack furrowed his brow before glaring at the the tentacle faced pony. "How about I blow your brains out the back of your skull instead."

"I double wolf dare you to try pig skin." Berry smiled, well smiled in a way a tentacle faced beak mouthed pony could.

Nightmare Moon coughed as she extended a wing between the two. "Idiots, we are here to negotiate terms of peace not declare war. I know how it saddens me not to crush you under my hoof right now. But we can't afford anymore enemies of the state. We are in the verge of collapse as it stands now."

Jack blinked for a moment and realized what she had just said. "Wait before, you said you have seen suits of armor like this before. How?"

Nightmare Moon glanced down at Jack for a moment before directing a wing towards the mountain line in the horizon. "At the base of those mountains, three dormant rock formations rest. Although they lay dormat only for small periods of six months. Every three months for as long as even I can remember, the formations activate as a portal opens to another world. We don't know what's on the other side besides the enemy we face. Out of each portal a different force exits and fights us, there has been no peace. One you have already fought, upon your ship is a corpse of such a monster. They are recent and appeared in their last invasion, a nest lingers either in orbit or somewhere in a mountain cave system. It is rather hard to track them with so few troops."

Jack thought for a moment as he looked up towards the sky. "I'm guessing there are different forms and such that fight alongside them?"

"Yes although when they devour some of our people it sees to adapt them and change their biology. Since fighting them there have been several fire variants emerge. They seem mainly interested in fighting and combat abilities, everyone else they kill and leave the corpses for the birds. The entire race seems controlled by Pegasus with some sort of corruption growing over them. They look like Blitz but have some sort of growth of the monsters on them. I believe they use it as a control device, although I have never had the chance to dissect or interrogate one."

Jack rubbed his chin for a moment before eyeing the mountains beyond. "How long till one opens?"

"Another month and the center portal shall open, within are humans in suits like yours. But also ponies, seeming like my general. Firm, stout, and broad shouldered. All their abilities seem in technology and earth works along with physical strength. We have not seen any magic from that portal so at times it is easy to fight them. Although the machines of war they have are troublesome."

"Alright then, since we have two out of three I am guessing the third has a group of tall bipedal aliens who seem to communicate effortlessly. Along with unicorns or something like that?" Jack was thinking as he tried to plan around the time spans.

"Actually correct and I do say we are still recovering from the last invasion. It dealt a hard blow even here. Most of my populace was taken in the past few invasions. The first group simply slaughter most or take them away for food I assume. Forces out of the second portal actually use non lethal methods most of the time, and drag away prisoners. I hope to recover those taken one day. Now the tall aliens do have unicorns beside them, they give us the most trouble but we handle alright. Most of them time they burn and destroy the land and ponies, leaving nothing but barren sand in its place."

Jack sighed as he leaned back in the throne. "So the purge with fire option.... Well I can see ways I can assist you but am not sure how much it will help. But before we get to that, tell me about the customs of this world. Some of my people may wish to live down here instead of staying with me.

Nightmare Moon looked over her soldiers as they marched, a melancholy look upon her face. "Well crime is the basis of my people. There is no kindness shown to others, it is a purely crime based society and evil. A great compliment towards someone is to try and murder them. Dusk Shine has shown his love by trying to assassinate me over twelve thousand times."

Dusk simply grunted as he walked off towards the Fortress interior, he had poisons to craft and perfect.

Jack rubbed his chin for a moment, smirking before he started to laugh and chuckle. "Oh well that is just ironic.. I bring a ship full of criminals to a crime based world." He sighed and closed his eyes, it had been a long day already and still there was more work to do. "Now how would your people take them into society."

"Well considering humans are hated with a passion, and they want to kill or enslave any on sight. Rather well if your people can show they will obey our laws."

Nightmare Moon stopped to take a breath but was interrupted by a crack of thunder from towards the mountains. This wasnt a normal crack but loud and deafening, shaking everyone to the core. After a few moments all eyes turned towards the mountain as another two cracks of thunder followed after. The guards and Dark Six seemed shocked as they turned towards their Empress.

Nightmare Moon wasnt sitting there, the throne sat empty.

Jack wasnt sure what was happening but he knew what shit hitting the fan looked like. So immediately he stood up and activated his radio. "Skull, we need you down here now!"