Nebula's War

He controlled every major kingdom in Equestria, he had an army of monsters at his beck and call, but the one thing that Nebula truly wanted was the one thing that he could never have. When he wasn't plagued with security meetings, addressing the endless concerns of his subjects or attending the grand opening of a new store, Nebula would lock himself in his room and browse a battered old photo album. Every page of the album held pictures of Nebula's family: his grandfather and grandmother going on a picnic, his father and mother dancing at The Grand Galloping Gala, Nebula playing ball with his father and so many other fond memories.

Tears stained the pages, but never the photographs; Nebula didn't want his memories to be tarnished with spots. Nebula put his hoof on his favorite picture: he was eating ice cream with his father and mother in downtown Manehattan. That was the best day of Nebula's life: he and his family had seen a show on Bridleway, gone skating at the ice rink, fed the ducks at Manehattan Park and even visited The Statue of Friendship. He held the album close to his muzzle and closed his eyes.

"I couldn't save you," Nebula sighed. "But I can still avenge you." All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Nebula hid the album in his bedside table and flicked his horn; in an instant, his sleek blue coat was pure white, his crimson eyes were sky blue and his flowing magenta mane was golden brown. Nebula cleared his throat and called,

"Who is it?" in Blueblood's typical drawling tone.

"Drop the act, Nebula, it's me." The door opened, and Strong Arm stepped inside.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Nebula hissed. "You're supposed to call me 'King Blueblood' when we're in public!"

"Oh don't blow a fuse, we're the only ones here." Strong Arm sighed before growing into the hulking, white wolf form of Malum. "I just came to tell you that the reconnaissance teams are back from their mission."

"Fine, fine, we'll go and see them." After assuming his 'Strong Arm' disguise, Malum led 'King Blueblood' to the throne room, where three teams of changelings, dragons and griffons stood at attention.

"At ease, soldiers." Nebula sighed as he sat in the throne, and the monsters sat on the floor. "Status report, Captain Inferno?" A dragon with orange scales and blue spines saluted and announced,

"No sign of Azure Night or his associates, sir! My soldiers and I have searched every city from Baltimare to Manehattan, but we haven't found any clues to their whereabouts."

"Very well." Nebula sighed and turned to the griffon captain. "Captain Gilda, do you have anything to report?" Gilda saluted and announced,

"Ponies are seldom seen outside, sir. They only leave their houses to get food, medicine or other utilities before returning home. We suspect that they are afraid of-!"

"Not the ponies, Gilda, I want to know about Azure Night! Has anypony found him yet?" Gilda shook her head.

"Sorry sir, but nopony has seen him since before your coronation." Nebula rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Okay, let's try this one more time." He growled, and pointed his hoof at a changeling with bright orange eyes and a sky blue shell.

"Captain Seta, what news do you and your spies bring?" Nebula demanded. "Have you found Azure Night?"

"No sir," Seta admitted. "But we did-!" There was a flash of red light, and Seta was vaporized on the spot. Malum's jaw dropped as he watched the ash fall to the floor.

"Will that be all, sir?" inquired another changeling. He did not move or cry out when Seta was vaporized, but Malum noticed a glittering tear forming in the corner of his eye. Nebula did not answer, however, he just stared at the spot where Seta had stood moments ago. Then, to Malum's surprise, Nebula smiled, then giggled, then laughed, and as he laughed, his eyes slid out of focus.

"Hey, uh, King Blueblood, are you-?" Nebula fired another spell, and another changeling was vaporized where he stood. Nebula fired again and again and again, and now changelings, statues, pillars and several griffons were being reduced to dust. One spell ricocheted off Flare's chest and missed Nebula by an inch.

"NEBULA!" Malum shouted, and punched Nebula in the face. Nebula stared off into space for a few moments, and then he saw the destruction that he had wrought: most of the changelings and three griffons had been reduced to ash. In spite of the carnage, none of the soldiers had moved in the slightest or given any indication that they knew what was going on.

"Will that be all, sir?" the changeling repeated. Although he had not moved an inch, the glittering tear pooled and ran down his cheek.

"I-I… yes, that will be all." Nebula muttered. "Gilda, Flare, changelings, return to your duties." The remaining soldiers saluted and marched out of the throne room, leaving a dumbfounded Nebula and Malum alone.

"What the hay was that?" Malum cried.

"I-I don't know." said Nebula. "I was furious that Azure hadn't been found yet, and when I looked into Seta's eyes, I felt an unbearable rage. I wanted to kill him and everypony in the room, and then… everything went fuzzy. When I regained my senses, half of the soldiers were gone."

"Well then, I'll tell you what happened." Nebula said, barely restraining his frustration. "You turned Seta into a smoking pile of ash! Then you started laughing and vaporizing everything in sight, until I punched you and you came back to your senses! I mean, it's no big deal that you killed a bunch of monsters, but what if you'd vaporized your subjects, or your advisors? You wouldn't get away with that!"

"You're right, Malum, I wouldn't get away with it." Nebula said in a shuddering, almost frightened voice. "I think… I think I'm sick." He assumed his normal form and showed Malum his hooves; there were tiny glowing cracks in his skin, as if he were made of antique ceramic.

"Oh no." Malum gasped, his eyes widening in fear. "Oh no, that's not good. That is not good."

"What is it?" Nebula cried. "What does it mean?"

"It's your magic, the magic that Lord Tenebris gave you so you could overthrow Celestia." Malum groaned. "It's tearing you apart from the inside." Nebula's mind went blank.

"Tearing me apart?" Nebula whispered. "What do you mean, tearing me apart?"

"He gave you demon magic, which is more powerful than unicorn magic but also more volatile!" Malum explained. "It's like a bad blood transfusion: your body is hardwired for unicorn magic, and the introduction of demon magic into your body is like poison! It's already affecting your mind, making you crazed and bloodthirsty!" Malum gagged as Nebula's magical aura wrapped around his throat.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Nebula growled. "Why didn't you tell me that demon magic would make me insane?"

"I… didn't know, I swear!" Malum gasped. "Ponies haven't… sold their souls in millennia, and even then… Lord Tenebris makes the deals… not us! We demons just go around… causing chaos and misery, and if somepony wants to… make a deal, we call the boss!" He gagged again as Nebula's aura tightened around his neck. "I swear… I didn't… know!" Nebula peered into Malum's terrified eyes, and dropped his lieutenant to the floor, where he lay gasping for breath.

"Okay, so you're not to blame." Nebula growled. "But that still doesn't solve my problem. How do I keep this magic from killing me?"

"I… don't know." Malum wheezed. "You'd need some powerful magic to keep this kind of poison at bay!" Nebula sighed mournfully, and then his eyes lit up.

"You're right, Malum." Nebula chuckled. "I WOULD need some powerful magic." Nebula leapt from his throne and galloped down the hall.

"Hey, hold on, what are you doing?" Malum shouted as he chased Nebula down the hall. "We just talked about the dangers of running around undisguised, you know! You're acting pretty hypocritical right now!"

"Shut up and follow me!" Nebula replied, and used a spell to unlock a rusted iron door halfway down the hall. The massive door creaked and groaned as Nebula opened it to reveal a spiral stone staircase, which he and Malum followed deep into the depths of the castle. Cobwebs snagged their manes and a few steps crumbled to dust under their hooves, but they kept walking until they arrived at the bottom of the steps, where a second iron door blocked their path. Once again, Nebula unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the most dilapidated and depressing dungeon that Malum had ever seen.

"Okay, I give up.” Malum sighed. “Why are we visiting the dungeon?" Nebula and smiled at Malum, who was horrified to see a set of razor-sharp fangs instead of blunt molars.

"Where else would you go to get powerful magic?" Nebula chuckled, and Malum's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute, you're not talking about-! You can't be-!"

"I am and I am." Nebula insisted. "If this magic doesn't keep my disease at bay, nothing will."

"But this is suicide!" Malum cried. "Your body can't hold such powerful magic at such a high dose! You're literally cracking up as it is!"

"That's why I'm only going to take a small dose, just enough to keep the madness at bay." Nebula explained, and touched the tip of his horn to the far wall of the dungeon. A section of stone swung open like a door to reveal a small, dark room, which contained an ugly serpentine statue and a large crimson crystal. Malum stared in disbelief as Nebula walked up to the crystal and said, "Hello, Celestia."