Thunder rumbled in the distance as dark gray clouds covered the hills and mountainsides that made up the country of Transalfangya. A lone pony grunted as he gripped the side of a clifftop and pulled himself up, his night black fur whipping in the wind. He’d been away from his homeland a very long while, far too long if he was to be honest with himself.

“Puteţi să mă ajutaţi vă rog Faust? Give me a good answer why I came back to this place.” Galaxy asked as his hooves touched the ground of the clifftop, feeling the cold stone beneath him as a flash of lightning lit up his unusually unarmored form. Galaxy sighed to himself, he felt exposed without his regular armor, it’d be far too easy for somepony to stage an attack on him from behind and stick a knife into his neck.

“Is it really paranoia if there are creatures out to get you? The little buggers want me dead, and while I suspect that’ll happen one day as we all have to go sometime...“ Galaxy thought to himself as he looked at a rock that he could have sworn wasn’t there a few minutes ago. Galaxy pulled out the bone knife he had nicked from R.I.F.T Headquarters and walked towards the rock. His every step was filled with caution, his ears flicking at the slightest sound. A ruffle in some bushes, the sound of wing-beats, even a simple chittering sound from what most would think to be just an ordinary bug set him on edge. The knife plunged down into the rock and Galaxy waited for the shifting of form and the body of a changeling scout slumping to the ground, it’s green tinted blood oozing into a puddle. He waited a few seconds, but nothing happened and he pulled the knife out of the stone. He then strapped it back to his right foreleg.

“...Got lucky that time, but all the same, I can’t be too careful. I’m not as young as I used to be, and even if I can handle myself in a fight I can’t afford to be taken by surprise. Not this time around.” Galaxy grunted. “What I’m here for, it could shift the balance of power between two constantly feuding states, and unseat a tyrant from her throne,”

“...Faust knows I want to be there when SHE finally goes down, and her horn ripped off and her very life-blood pooling out beneath my hooves. That crown of hers, shattered. After what she did to me, my family it… It would put me at ease. While I’d still have nightmares, it’d bring me great satisfaction to know that her race would have nightmares of their own… Nightmares of me.” Galaxy continued thinking to himself. He knew it best to avoid speaking aloud, as the valley had ears all over. The Queen wasn’t a stupid ruler, she wouldn’t leave behind a few scouts of the nation she’d ripped apart after she’d unseated it’s ruling family. Galaxy admitted that was partially his fault, he’d turned and ran from his birthright after what had happened so many years ago. But the pain of just looking at the merciless slaughter of his family was just too much for him.

Îmi pare rău… M-am îndrăgostit de tine my Sagittarius, but I let you be slaughtered and let her drain every ounce of love from you. Not just you, but the little ones as well. And what did I do? I turned and ran, instead of putting this shattered country back together,” Galaxy thought to himself, a tear trickling down his face from his golden eyes as he remembered the screaming and that maniacal laughter. Oh, that laughter. He heard it every time he shut his eyes.

“I hope whatever Hell I send you to you insectoid bitch, that there’s a devil waiting just for you. And I know with all the things I’ve done in my life, I’m probably following you. Hopefully, I’ll be that devil.” Galaxy snarled and chuckled darkly to himself, the sheer idea of putting pins and needles in the Changeling Queen’s body as she burned in the fires of her own making just giving him a small hint of a smile. Galaxy continued walking forwards into a dark forest, known infamously as the Hoia-Baciu Forest. The forest covered an area of about 3 square kilometers if Galaxy had to guess. Its southern border began on the ridge Galaxy currently was on which ran from the east to the west side of the area. It had long renowned for paranormal activity, and in the center of the miles of untouched wilderness was a mysterious ring where no plants grew.

It was a mystery numerous scientists had tried to solve, but nopony ever had. It was said a dark ritual had been performed here by a mad cult led by the infamous unicorn Spell Nexus, and that this was where Nightmare Moon was truly born. That pure ritual of darkness cut off all light and kept any plants from growing in this inner circle. Galaxy scoffed at this. He didn’t put much stock in that. If it wasn’t in the history books, it didn’t happen. While he did know dark forces overtook Princess Luna in one of her moments of weakness, he highly doubted a dark cult of any sort was behind the creation of those forces.

Creatures chittered with every step he made as he disturbed their slumber. His lamp like eyes lit up the forest, and he whirled around as he swore he saw something black and insectoid like with chitin like wings scamper off into the woodland.

“So they are here. I knew it.” Galaxy said as he pulled out the First Blade again. Galaxy had always been fascinated by the history of the so-called First Blade, it was said it was used by the father of the great pegasus Commander Hurricane to murder his brother out of pure spite, so he’d get the honor of leading the pegasus tribes into battle. As the years passed, it went through many private collectors until finally, it ended up in storage in Canterlot. Galaxy had delightfully taken it out of the armory's hooves. At that point, where everything possibly dangerous or cursed was being re-sorted and reorganized, Galaxy had pilfered it. It was said the First Blade could kill anything, although personally, Galaxy didn’t put much stock in old mare’s tales. Galaxy continued walking through the forest but suddenly his hooves ground to a halt. In front of him was a small fountain, made out of simple stone and lying in ruin after years of miscare. But Galaxy’s eyes widened at the inscription on the fountain. It wasn’t just a fountain, it was a memorial. Galaxy read off the words, which were written in old Romanian and he smiled sadly. Here’s what they said.

“Here lies Lord Scorpius-Tepes, the ruler of the kingdom of Transalfangya and a loving father, till the very end.”

Galaxy chuckled and murmured. “So that’s where they think I’m buried.” as he smiled at the loyalty of his subjects, even after their Lord supposedly was killed in the massacre of the Tepes family. Galaxy, or rather Scorpius had ordered his subjects if he ever were to be killed in battle to bury him somewhere far, someplace remote to keep his body from being disturbed. The same went for any members of his family. He knew there were a lot of creeps who would conduct some sort of arcane ritual in order to bring back bodies as Inferi. The belief of life after death, or at least a body without a soul moving about and about was an old superstition that still lingered in these parts.

Galaxy continued trudging through the forest for hour after hour, thunder continuing to rumble in the distance, the threat of the oncoming storm looming over him. And then, as he reached the edge of the forest which overlooked a once grand castle, the clouds let loose their deluge. Rain poured on top of Galaxy as he gazed upon what was once his castle, named the Targoviste. A tall grand tower made up the central structure, which was built all around it. A grand hall, once covered and now exposed to the elements was connected to this tower, among others by various walkways over great rifts in the earth. Smaller towers, functioning as emplacements for ballistas were scattered about, some in ruins. Others were left exactly the way they were seemingly untouched by the passage of time. Moss covered and crept up the stonework walls, each with small holes in them for gun emplacements or archers to fire their barrages out of.

“I left this place to rot… My father must be looking down upon me in shame. I ran from my past, in fear and terror. ...Now, it’s only guilt out of not going after the Queen who ruined my life, my family!” Galaxy snarled before his very body began to shake and quiver as he sobbed at what he had done, and his part in it. Behind him, two blue insect-like eyes watched the former lord of Targoviste break down and let his emotional barriers fall like the castle walls he once defended. The owner of those eyes looked away in sadness and felt a small tear slip from them as the pony-like creature turned to walk away and he hung his head in sadness.

“What have we done? We’re supposed to absorb love, yes as that’s the only way for our species to survive but wherever we go we also leave ruins and destruction in our wake.” The Changeling, a younger member of his species thought as he vanished into the forest and assumed the simple disguise of a regular bat-pony. “Me and Thorax… We both know there’s got to be a better way than this, there has to be! But not while Queen Chrysalis is in charge. Not right now.”

Meanwhile, Galaxy remembered…

Twenty-One Years Ago…

Galaxy smiled as he watched his two young children frolic and toss a ball back and forth between them in the Grand Hall before they led each other on a game of chase laughing all the while. One, a gray filly with purple hair and another pure black with his own brown mane, an exact image of his father in all but the eyes which were a cool blue. Galaxy smiled as he looked at the stain glass window nearest to him, an image of his father shown and Galaxy let the metal horseshoes which made up part of his pure sterling silver armor clank as they hit the floor with each hoof step. He watched his father, an exact image of him right down to the eyes seemingly look at him with pride at the kingdom he ruled.

Suddenly, he felt a soft caressing nuzzle from his wife, a pure gray bat-pony with green eyes and an indigo mane.

“Remembering again?” She asked.

“Y-Yeah. Adrianna, I have to ask… Would my father be proud of me? It’s been ten years since he passed, and I was only a young foal then when I had to take the throne. I wasn’t ready, and I have never felt like I’m living up to the expectations that he set for me,” Galaxy questioned as he continued watching his father in the stain glass window, whose eyes were now seemingly judging him.

“Faust knows he wouldn’t have approved of you. You’re not even of any royal bloodline.”

“Well…” Adrianna began. “I don’t think that matters. Bloodline or not, you picked me out of all the other possible suitors your advisors set out for you. Me, a simple farmer!”

“Let’s be honest here,” Galaxy said as he nuzzled his wife in return. He never really showed affection to her in public, not while his royal guards all dressed in blood red armor watched. This was a rarity indeed and it surprised his wife knowing how reserved in his affections Galaxy normally was. “All of those… mares, to use the polite way of putting it were just gold diggers who only wanted this castle, not me. No small wonder I fired my advisors when they started lining them up for the choosing.”

Adrianna chuckled. She remembered the shouting that could be heard from the Grand Hall that day when Galaxy had gone missing. He would later show up at her family farm dressed in just a simple brown tattered and very worn cloak. At the time, he stated he just wanted to help out. It was only after she had recognized him that Galaxy confessed he wanted to see how the lower classes lived their lives and that he needed to get away from the castle life for awhile. At the time, he didn’t state exactly why but whenever she saw Galaxy overhear and shake his head in pure disgust at the various noble-mares talking about the possibility of being Galaxy’s wife did she figure it out.

Then, Adrianna smiled and laid a hoof on his shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about your father being proud of you or what choices you made with what you wanted to do with your life. You’re not him, and you never will be. Your father was a tyrant, always imposing tax after tax. You… When you took the throne you lifted every law he made and tried to make life better for us. That’s all that matters.”

“Mă simt bine cu tine,” Galaxy replied. “Tu mă faci fericită, you always know what to say.”

Adrianna then wrapped her hooves around her husband and gave him a long lingering kiss before nibbling on his neck.

“Now, you’ve been paying so much attention to your kingdom and not me that I’m feeling… left out,” She purred in an almost disappointed tone before Galaxy smiled and nibbled back. “Well, guess we’ll have to remedy that… Won’t we?”

Later that night, Galaxy awoke and shot up from his bed, and tossed the sheets off him while his wife murmured his name in her half-asleep state. He pulled aside the drapes covering the bed and rushed to a window and threw it open letting the cold air rush in. A buzzing sound filled the air and the moon was seemingly black as night. But Galaxy narrowed his eyes and as he looked in closer, the moon wasn’t covered by an eclipse at all. The darkness was seemingly writhing and moving of its own accord. Galaxy’s eyes widened as he realized what was coming and grabbed a sword off the wall before he shook his wife awake.

“W-What… What’s happening?” She murmured drowsily. Galaxy said one simple word, one which made Adrianna’s eyes widen in terror and her blood run cold.

“Changelings.”

Galaxy ran out of the bedroom and grabbed another sword off the wall as he shouted for his men to ready the defenses and grab whatever they could.

“Alright then Chrysalis, you want a siege? I’ll give it to you, and then some!” Galaxy snarled mentally as he ran into the Grand Hall and the doors shattered wide open as the Changeling Queen herself, flanked by guards in dark blue armor entered. Chrysalis allowed a smirk to crawl onto her face.

“So, you’re the famous Scorpius-Tepes,” Chrysalis purred as she licked her lips like a hungry animal. “My name is Queen Chrysalis.”

“Yeah, I know who you are, you bitch.”

“Now, now,” Chrysalis chided as Galaxy prepared his swords and his men flanked him as Chrysalis’s own guards advanced around her in a form of protection, chittering as they did so. “Is that any way to speak to a fellow royal? Must say, love what you’ve done with the place. It’s… elegant. A bit of slime here and there, and I’d feel at home,” Chrysalis remarked as she observed the room. The tension grew all the more thicker. “Which is honestly why I’m here. Inima mea îţi aparţine?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but Sunt însurat. Besides, how stupid do you think I am? I know why you’re really here, and you’re not getting it,”

“Oh well, a girl had to try. Couldn’t hurt to ask and all that,” Chrysalis remarked cheerfully before she chittered “Wipe them out, all of them. And as for the royal family, well… They’re mine. I can just feel the love for his wife and children oozing off of the Lord here. It’ll be fun to suck it all dry.”

The battle began. Bat-pony engaged changeling and sword met sword. Confusion was sown amongst the ranks as changelings used their natural shape-shifting abilities turn into other guards and then throw them off balance before they took them down. Heads fell to the floor with sickening sounds while Galaxy was blasted backwards into his throne shattering it to pieces by a blast of green magical energy from the Queen.

Several of her elite guards rushed him but Galaxy quickly recovered and flew over them before cutting one off at the hind leg and then sticking one of his two swords through the guard as it fell to the ground. Another flew towards him but Galaxy slid beneath the changeling and sliced through its unarmored belly soaking his armor in green blood. He then leaped into the air and landed a kick to the face of another elite guard sending the changeling flying back and through the stained glassed window of his father.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.” Galaxy chuckled before he whirled around to stab the final of the four guards in the chest. He spun his swords in his hooves as more changelings surrounded him. Queen Chrysalis screeched in rage and yelled something in the changeling tongue. He groaned in pain and began to feel weak as the changelings began to absorb his love for his family and toppled to the floor and slipped away into unconsciousness…

Galaxy didn’t know much about how long he was unconscious, but when he did awake, he found himself being pulled out of a cocoon slime dripping off him and dragged into the changelings’ main hive. All around him, the walls shifted and moved and eyes peered out of holes in the darkness. And in the center of it all, sitting atop a throne of her own making was Queen Chrysalis herself. Nearby, coated in slime was Galaxy’s family.

“Glad to see you’re awake,” Chrysalis cooed as several changelings spat gunk at him to hold his hooves in place. “It was a shame we had to take you prisoner, but... C’est de la vie.”

“Now, shall we begin? Where is it? Where’s the remnant!?!” Chrysalis snarled.

“Sorry, but you got to Targoviste too late. It got destroyed in a fire long ago, few years before you came here. An accident in the kitchen started it, I think.” Galaxy replied dryly and all the changelings hissed in an odd way before he realized he was being laughed at, in a sense.

“Oh… Playing coy are we?” Chrysalis asked. “How cute. Sadly, I’m in no mood for games. I know the perfect way you’ll give it up. STAG!”

A female changeling covered head to hoof in dark blue armor advanced and trotted in front of Galaxy’s family.

“Now… If you won’t give up the information willingly… Maybe seeing your family have all their love sucked out and getting turned into useless husks will change your mind. Unless… You decided to answer right now, and I’ll spare all your lives.”

Galaxy grimaced before he let out a snarl of “Fine. It’s in the church. Can’t miss it, under the grave of the high priest of the moon.”

“Good… Now, Stag, if you please?”

Galaxy’s eyes widened as what happened next changed his life forever. He had to watch as Stag smirked and then had her squad decapitate every member of his family, wife and children. Their blood spattered his face and Galaxy let out a screech of rage and tried to rush Stag but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“They weren’t going to be of use anyways. Now, as for you dear Scorpius… You’re not much use to me either, now that you don’t have a single dollop of love in your heart. I’ll let you live, but only with the knowledge that no matter what you could have done, you could never have saved your family,”

Chrysalis turned to two changelings.

“Dump him somewhere in the badlands. I’m not partial to where, but make it somewhere where he can at least crawl back to civilization. Maybe he’ll find a new life, settle down and I can take it all from him again, but then again maybe he’ll die from dehydration. I don’t care about either outcome.”

Now:

Galaxy snarled at the memories and shook his head to clear them away as he reached what was once him and his wife’s bedroom. He tapped a brick, and stone walls began moving aside to reveal a secret compartment where a small brown chest lay. Galaxy opened it, and a blue glow reached covered his face from what was inside. He let a sadistic smile crawl onto his face.

“Perfect.”

Then, Galaxy heard the cock of a shotgun and heard a female voice ask “Where the Tartarus have you been?”

Galaxy tensed as he heard the shotgun cock and went for the First Blade strapped to his foreleg but then felt the barrels touch his neck. The box he had found he was clutching with his left wing.

“Make another move like that, bug, and we’re all going to see what the inside of a changeling’s brain looks like when it’s splattered clean across the wall,” The female voice continued, with a distinct Romaneian accent. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, impersonating my dead son. Sure, he may look about twenty years older and he may have lost the accent but I’d know him anywhere.”

“M-Mamei…?” Galaxy asked as his head took a slow turn to face his mother and reached out to stroke her aged white coated face, unable to believe his own eyes. Her dark blue hair may have had streaks of gray in it, but it was her alright. However, his mom flinched and snarled out “Nu ma atingeti!”

“It’s me mamei, why can’t you believe that? N-am facut nimic rau!” Galaxy asked putting the box on his bed with a simple move of his wing letting it softly fall to the sheets. The box’s contents rolled off the bed and fell onto the wooden floor with a clinking sound like crystal.

“How… How dare you!” Galaxy’s mother screeched with a fury, slapping him soundly across the face. “You claim to be him, but I know Chrysalis, the bitch, she took him and his whole family to her hive in the Badlands! Slaughtered them all!”

“They dumped me, left me to die.” Galaxy argued. “I almost did!”

“Well, if you really are him I’d say you probably should have died!” Galaxy’s mother snarled out and he flinched as if she’d struck him again. “This whole country, without its leader… It’s fallen into ruin! Chaos runs amuck in the streets, no Royal Guards to keep the peace!”

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?!” Galaxy roared out, his mom taking a step back as his eyes flashed demonic yellow and his fangs bared themselves in his fury. Galaxy, noting how scared his Mamei was of him took at once felt a great guilt hit him and he felt like he should have been struck again. He was going into his “Reaper of Canterlot” mood and if he didn’t calm himself he would strike down the very last member of his family that he had left. “I… I was a coward! I stayed in Canterlot as a member of its Royal Guard and then eventually rose to the ranks of the Captain of the Night Guard… I may have left the Guard under the pretenses of “Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome” after the Changeling invasion but… But honestly? I was scared of what had become of this country, and I wanted to come back. At first, it was only to retrieve that,” Galaxy confessed, pointing to the small shard of gleaming blue and red crystal that had fallen to the floor. He smirked, the last remaining shard of Princess Mi Amore when King Sombra had scattered the pieces to the winds. “As I knew it would be one of the only things that could kill Queen Chrysalis, but now…”

Galaxy’s tone took a firmer tone, one of pure outright rage.

“Show me what’s become of my country.” He growled out and his mom gave him a look.

“Why should I? How do I know you’re not Queen Chrysalis herself in disguise come to finish the job and take that shard for yourself?” His mom accused, her blood red eyes flaring like hellfire not too dissimilar to how Galaxy’s own did when he was enraged.

“Please,” Galaxy scoffed. “If I was that bitch of a bug, I would have taken that shard and shattered it, and you would be lying dead at my hooves with your blood pooling out all over the floor,” he remarked.

“We both know what that shard is, and who it was once a part of, so we both know what it could do to Queen Chrysalis if I even got a single blow in with it melded into Blood Moon.” Galaxy continued. His mother finally sighed and then pulled Galaxy into a crushing hug sobbing all the while about how her little scorpion had come home at last.

“Alright… I’ll show you what’s happened. But first, you need to tell me your side of the story. All of it.” Galaxy's mother requested. No, not a request Galaxy realized, a demand.

Galaxy sighed and motioned for his mother to sit down on his bed.

“Okay, this will be one of those long stories…”

Galaxy’s POV:

The Badlands certainly earned their name, that was for sure. Nothing for miles but rocks and sand and creatures that I can’t even name ready to rip you limb from limb. You’d be officially considered insane for even thinking of taking a trip out there willingly, even prepared for what’s out there. How Queen Chrysalis and her band survive out there… Well, that’s beyond me.

As for me, well… I didn’t have the luxury of being there willingly. The wind hit my face and sent granules of sand cutting into my fur as I stumbled through one of Equestria’s harshest terrains, the blood of my family still covering my face. What little water I found, I took for myself. I used the rib bones of a fallen creature as a blade to fend off anything that was stupid enough to try and take me out and have my flesh as it’s next meal. How many days I spent out there, I couldn’t count. Time loses all sense of meaning in that particular slice of Tartarus. On one day, I heard a howl cut through a canyon I was passing through. Sand Coyotes, even I’d heard of their ruthlessness and how once they got to you, they never stopped hunting and when you tired out you were theirs. I ran, not caring for food nor water as I was far too frightened of the coyotes to care about those things.

Eventually, they caught up with me, and the leader of the pack blindsided me from my left and pounced sending me smacking into a rock. I clutched my chest in pain and went for my weapon. I staggered to my hooves and swung at the beast, its eyes glowing red and it smacked me aside with one huge paw. It’s maw dripped with drool as it closed in for the kill. But I wasn’t going down without a fight. I knew I was done for, but I intended to take this creature with me and do Equestria a very large favor. I lunged and plunged my weapon into its neck and true to the creature’s name sand began to pour out of the wound before it dissolved back into the sand from whence it was born. I fell to the ground bleeding heavily as the rest of the pack, intent on avenging their leader closed in. I closed my eyes and braced for death, happy on knowing I was about to see my family again. But death didn’t come for me on that day. There was a flurry of arrows and I looked up to see a platoon of Royal Guards led by the stallion whom I would later curse the very name of Thaddeus Boltstrike, his golden and purple adorned armor glinting in the sun. As my eyes closed, I felt soft feathered wings wrap around me and a warm glowing presence all around me as the entire area was turned to ash…

Years passed, and I rose through the ranks of the Royal Guard and when Princess Luna returned from her thousand year banishment, I was the first to be selected to lead the newly reborn Night Guard. By then, I’d gained a reputation as the Reaper of Canterlot for my sheer ferocity in battle and never leaving a single opponent alive. I was cruel, sadistic in my ways. O enjoyed the thrill of a battle, and although I hated to admit it, me and Boltstrike weren’t so different. All throughout it all, I kept one thought in my mind, Queen Chrysalis. I thought of how unpleasant it would be for the bitch when I finally met with her again. I would make sure that rats devouring her mane and head as she felt every second and every nibble would be merciful compared to what I planned to do. I would prolong her pain, and enjoy every second of it leaving her begging for mercy although I would have none before I finally granted her death’s sweet release and making sure that she knew I was the one to topple her from her throne. There was no denying it, I was almost completely insane and I knew it. The only thing that made me different from Boltstrike, the ONLY thing, was that I on the other hoof, would never betray Equestria or hurt a child. I would never do that, not after what Chrysalis did to me or how I betrayed my own country for running to Equestria’s open arms.

Might not even believe this, but I even took on a student, a young bat-pony mare named Escape. Taught her everything I knew, she became like an adopted daughter to me. Had about as much true grit as myself, if I dare say it. When the time came for me to retire, I knew there was only one possible successor.

As I handed her my helmet and shield, I said this to her. “Now, what’s the personal creed for the Night Guard?”

“United we stand, together we thrive,” Escape repeated and I asked her this. “Now what’s my personal creed in leading the Night Guard?

At that moment, I knew Escape remembered what I had told her long ago when she was just a guard in training and I was showing her my helmet. “Now remember the responsibilities of putting on this helmet. Protecting the Kingdom and it's allies, helping those who can't help themselves, and kicking ass and looking damn good doing it. Remember those words, okay? Might save your life someday.” was what I had said.

“Fight strong, fight swift and don’t let them know you’re coming. Also,” she began and I smiled as she placed my helmet on her head and her armor gained the distinct golden adornments of a Captain as my ex-troops saluted us both. “Kick ass and look good doing it.”

“That’s my girl,” I said with a wink. The times had changed, and now it was up to her to finish what I had started in leading the Night Guard to a new age and defending Equestria.

Galaxy’s mom took in his story and swallowed hard before pulling him into another hug.

“Oh, my little Scorpion, I never knew you’d gone through so much… Tell me, in that other life of yours, besides a daughter, did you find somepony to make you...Happy?” She asked.

“To be honest, yes,” Galaxy said sadly.

“Then why do you not seem pleased about it?” His mom asked.

“Well, I think he isn’t interested in my advances, might swing for the fairer sex, or if he does swing my way he’s too oblivious to my flirting. I mean, I’ve offered to take small sips of his blood!" Galaxy shouted, throwing his hooves up in the air in frustration. “I mean, how much more obvious can I get? What, do I need a neon sign floating above my damn head that says “Nightningale, I want to have sex with you!”

His mother actually threw back her head and laughed.

“Oh, that’s what stallions are like. Faust knows your father-” Galaxy’s mom laughed and Galaxy threw up a rude gesture with his wing at the mere mention of his father and received a sound slap to the back of the head and a “Show a little respect for the dead!” from his mom before she continued. “As I was saying, Faust knows your father was pretty much oblivious to whenever I was trying to flirt with him, about the only good trait you received from him I thi-”

“And here you were lecturing me on showing disrespect to the dead,” Galaxy smirked. “Oh, the hypocrisy.”

“Oh no, in this country you remember it’s the son who must show respect. Anypony else is fair game.” his mom gracefully reminded him. “Now, it’s time to see what’s happened to your kingdom since you left, Scorpius.”

As Galaxy walked through the cobblestone streets, everywhere he looked he felt as if he was continuingly punched in the gut. Houses lay in ruins, mares of the night just sat on street corners whoring themselves out to any stallion (Or mare) who was up for a good time. A gunshot rang out from somewhere in the once proud city.

“Now you see, my son?” His mother asked him.

“Yeah… Now I see.” Galaxy snarled in fury before he ground to a halt.

There he saw it, the church where he used to pray every night. Its tall spire that held the church bell had been completely blown off and the remnants of the brassed iron bell lay in two pieces in front of him with the rest of the spire being scattered around. Graffiti had been drawn on the sides of the church walls, and the once beautiful age-old stain glass windows depicting various events from Equestria’s history now lay shattered. As he walked towards the doors, remembering every time they creaked when he entered and how the bell sang when it rang he left out a short sob.

“I caused this. Faust above, I caused this by running and hiding like a coward.” Galaxy thought to himself as he walked past the doors laying in front of him as if they’d been blown outwards by some great force. A hole in the roof allowed the rain to fall in as Galaxy walked between overturned church pews. Then, he heard laughter and a whimpering sound. Galaxy broke off into a gallop and saw three rough and scarred looking stallions pointing a gun at the priest, his white robes stained with blood and a hoof clutching his chest.

“Not so tough are you now, old man?” One laughed while another cackled “Faust isn’t going to protect you now, is she?”

The priest crossed himself with a hoof. “No matter, for She is with me. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Lady Faust is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1, you might want to read it.”

“Please, I stopped praying long ago, you might want to start though old man.” The leader remarked.

The priest continued quoting. “Samuel 22:3-4: my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the LADY, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Then everyone present felt a hoof step from behind them and turned to see Galaxy Swirls, Blood Moon in his mouth as if summoned by sheer thought.

“Trust me father, Faust was watching,” Galaxy snarled. “As for these poor fools, I really suggest they pray to whatever deity they believe in and hope he or she shows mercy, as I don’t.”

“Get ‘im!” One of the stallions roared and all three charged at him. Galaxy tripped one up with a hoof before kicking him right into one of the confessionals before grabbing another in the mouth with the blade end of his scythe and tossing him into a pew. The final stallion threw a punch, but Galaxy caught it and knocked him to the ground with the butt of his weapon and into unconsciousness.

Galaxy slammed the blade of his scythe into the ground and as his mother picked up the priest and helped him up. The priest’s eyes widened in recognition and he let out a small gasp.

“Tell everypony… That Lord Scorpius-Tepes has come home and he’s here to stay.” Galaxy snarled as thunder cracked in the background and lightning flashed illuminating the thestral’s form making him look like some sort of hellish angel. The Reaper of Canterlot had arrived, and anypony who dared go against him and his kingdom’s laws was about to get a VERY rude awakening...

Author's Note

Okay, I admit, to anyone who's read my trashed story "The Return of Doctor Whooves",
this comes from that. But some things are just too damn good to leave out to rot in the trash folder and this was one of them. So, here you go... Once, more, with feeling!