"I'm done with your games, Rufusdraco. You took everything from me for the last time. And this time, there will be nothing that will save you from your fate."

Rufusdraco seem to carefully consider Shadow's words. But just out right burst into a fit of laughter. The determination in Shadow's eyes never wavering for a second.

"I'm honestly surprised you're still here. Shouldn't Nightmare have taken you out already? It is very difficult trying to kill the unkillable in its Beast form." The bull Rufusdraco remarked.

Shadow glanced at the down Nightmare Moon feeling the slightest bit of pity raise in him, but he crushed it with ease. "I don't need to take you on in my many forms to beat you," he materialized his trusty Apocalypse getting into a battle position. "I apparently don't even care what you have up your sleeve. You'll be a perfect example for my message in this known universe."

The bull's playful grin dropped hearing those words. He sighed annoyance graced his features. "Even now you size yourself up. I have been, and will always be, a perfect creature since the beginning of my existence, Dovostro. And no one will be able to change the fate of this world. Its fate has already been sealed! And I won't let an old enemy of mine ruin that chance!"

My horn magic lit as Shadow rushed toward him. "We shall see about that, old friend."

The bull Rufusdraco manifest his sword into existence after he was mere a foot away. Their blades clashed sending a mini shockwave around them. The palace structure vibrated underthe pressure still managing to hold itself together. The two battled it out in lethal combat.

Regardless of them being former enemies, Apollyon dragged the severely injured Nightmare Moon away from the battlegrounds. When they hit blades again, Shadow angled his blade parrying his opponents attack causing him to slip his careful composure. Shadow used this chance to slice Rufus' side. Rufusdraco roared in pain clutching his wound before giving himself room. He growled before snapping his fingers. Instantly, a horde of crystallized minotaurs appeared in the palace. "Feed my children! Let nothing stand in your way!" Rufus shouted at them.

They groaned before wildly charging at Shadow and the two alicorns. The bull Rufus took this time to flee. Shadow roared in rage at the crystal titan. How dare he just up and leave a perfect fight to the death like a coward!

He was not his priority now, so he snapped his fingers surrounding both Apollyon and Nightmare Moon in a protective barrier of magic. The horde harmlessly bounced off the powerful shield of magic while Shadow phased into it to confront them. Apollyon stood before him flinching under his unamused glare.

"I'll deal with you later." He quickly rushed to Nightmare's aid activating his powerful healing magic through his hands. The green energy effortlessly went through her body closing up and healing all burn and cuts. She groaned opening her eyes to stare into his. "Good, she's still alive." Shadow felt relief flood through him.

".....Shadow? Is that... you?" He smiled showing a winning grin before Nightmare cried into him, to Shadow's surprise.

Apollyon didn't exactly know this black unicorn, but her instincts told her this very powerful monster of a pony. Just his aura alone felt unimaginably crushing raw power against her will. Almost demanding respect around him. Apollyon didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

Shadow direct his attention back to the flaming alicorn analyzing her reflexes. "Seeing an Angel of Death and in a pony form on less? Rare indeed. Tell me little Apollyon, what do you think happens to tyrants who think they are better than everyone else?..... They get dethroned, and replaced with someone better or worse. And I think you don't want those naive spoiled nobles doing your job, do you?"

Apollyon winced. She has wittnessed through Celestia's mind eye what kind of ponies these greedy nobles were. Just imagining what could happen sent shivers down her spine. "No."

"Good, then you'll help me out." Both alicorns were floored with his statement.

"W-What?"

He gave her a stern look directing one hand pointing at Nightmare. "If you had noticed, Nightmare is in critical condition and I, for one, do not have time to continuously treat her wounds. We are the only support in his castle thanks to your little stunt you pulled. It gave Rufusdraco enough room to catch you both by surprise. You're coming to help clean this all up."

The crystallized minotaurs clawed at the forcefield desperately while Apollyon seemed to show a massive amount of guilt for her actions. Shadow sighed. He then summoned three copies of him into existence surprising the two mares. "Protect Nightmare no matter the cost."

They nod in agreement before Shadow exit the forcefield forcing his magic in his pointer finger and slashing the air in front of him. A slash of light cut through the minotaurs like butter. Apollyon took a few moments before following in step behind him. She knew she'll have to deal with the consequences later.

"Um, where do you think this Rufusdraco is?" Apollyon asked.

"Most likely in attempting to take the capital's treets becore advancing toward me. He may have ran, but he's still a blood thirsty brute when it comes down to it." Shadow snapped his fingers making both Apollyon and Shadow disappear.

They reappeared near a defensive line where the Royal Guards were getting slaughtered. Captain Shining Armor seem to be obtaining command at the moment, so Shadow walked up to him causing the poor captain to nearly jump out of his fur.

"Oh, Shadow, it's you. Wait, is that the Princess too?" Shining asked.

Shadow looks back briefly. "Ah, yes, it is. I'll explain once this is all over. Have you seen a giant Minotaur with a crown on his head anywhere?"

"A glimpse. He went east of here. That's how these damn mintoaurs got here to begin with."

The black unicorn nods. "Good, as a token of thanks I made something for you." Shining's ears perk up in interest.

Shadow wave his hand in the air just as a strange looking rapier sword appears in his hands. The rapier had a strange purple glow to it that had raw magic power radiating off it. The blade of the weapon had serval colors of purple running into the balde itself in an eternal state of being making it seem like the blade was made of raw energy. Shadow hands the sword to Shining Armor watching as the sword glow a brighter purple in Shining's magic.

"This sword is designed to your magical power specifically. Anything else it touches would cut its power by third-fourths once taken away from you. A small gift to you for your cooperation." The black unicorn simply replied.

Shining thanked him way longer than necessary before he went back to chasing after the bull king, followed by Apollyon.

After turning down another street corner, Shadow and Apollyon were able to catch king minotaur and Princess Luna in a one-on-one fight to the death. Luna appeared to be cut in various places, some were nasty gashes, while Rufusdraco seem to effortlessly regenerate from her cuts and slashes. It appears his antimagic ability was still active, even with the new magic in his body, seeing that Luna's magical attacks harmlessly gets absorbed into his body.

Rufusdraco gave a toothy smile at her struggle, but not before dodging a slash almost delivered by Shadow's Apocalypse. The king minotaur growled giving himself some space. Shadow changes into battle position, Apollyon entering the area.

"Apollyon, take care of Luna. I'll deal with crystal parasite over here." Rufus' temper spikes hearing the insult. He roars charging menacingly at the black unicorn.

Apollyon did as she was told before Shadow used Apocalypse to parry Rufus' downward strike. The ground below trembled from the impact. Shadow then kicked Rufus in the gut sending him through a nearby building.

"Found you, Rufusdraco. Now, finish what you started." Shadow said.

A bone chilling laugh rung out from the rubble. The bull proceeds to get out of the hole made in the building activating his massive amounts of stored of magic. "You don't seem to get what my plan is, do you, Dovostro? Fine, I'll spill a bit. Have you wondered why my magic has grown all of a sudden? What do you think would happened once I obtain more magical power?"

Shadow's eyes widen in realization. Rufusdraco smiled a sinister aura being released from his magic. "It seems you have realized your mistake in taking care of two lower beings than us. Think about it, Dovostro. With your hidden ability and my ever-consuming, destructive abilites, we can become more than gods! We can become the absolute form of ALL gods! Don't you crave to join the winning side for once? I can make that happen for you." Rufus replied seeing the confliction in the stallion's eyes.

He closed his eyes breathing in deeply before opening them again. "My time as the Multiversal King as ended long ago, Rufus. I didn't wish to have fought you, but..... That all changed when you murdered and broke the will of my wife! And for that, I will never forgive, never join, or fight with you! Now, I will say this once:...... go to hell, you backstabbing asshole!"

There was a short pause before Rufus seemed to have a flash of disappointment in his eyes. "I guess I expected too much." The bull literally blinked in and out of existence in front of Shadow give him enough time to teleport behind him to avoid his sword.

Shadow used the momentum to create more force behind Apocalypse slashing Rufus' back in almost a short blur motion. Rufus cried out in white hot pain feeling something eat him in his wounds. Rufusdraco turned around just in time to meet Shadow's fist crashing him through another building. Shadow dashed up toward the bull letting his magical aura freely come off himself in large waves. He twisted the magic into a single point in the tip of his sword seeing the downed king minotaur before him.

Rufus seem to smile again before spontaneously shooting a beam of flame magic with such power it blew Shadow out of the building and roughly down into the streets. Rufus teleports beside Shadow kicking him into a nearby fountain completely destroying the statue of Celestia. Shadow groaned in pain before picking himself up.

The king minotaur used this time to charge a beam of all magics he found into a rainbow ball of energy. "Ever heard of the 'Elements of Harmony', hmmm? Well, I figured out how to replicate there power a little while back. And guess what happens to creatures like yourself?" A single small beam zapped Shadow's shoulder causing the stallion to cry out in immense pain. He dropped Apocalypse clutching the singed hole in his flesh. Meanwhile, Luna, Apollyon, and any Royal Guard watching stared in horror. "Apparently, the elements would just completely annihilate your existence. Ironic, huh?"

Shadow growled in annoyance picking his blade back up. Rufus shrugged firing a few more short beams of harmony magic. The black unicorn did his best not to touch the rainbow energy beams, but it got to the point were he could no longer keep up with the assault of harmony magic. Rufusdraco laughed at his expense and agony.

The black unicorn, covered in singed holes still stood even after the barrage of magic. He used his sword to keep himself standing. This made the minotaur chuckle. "So you still think that you can beat me. That's just a pointless achievement," the harmonious ball of energy grew three times its size. "I thought you would show some gratitude for being allowed to join my ranks as my general, at least in my vision of conquest. After all, we did came from the same universe at one point. Regardless, it's only fitting you get a painful death before departure. Make sure to say hello to Zecora in hell for me. She did a real good job in the end."

The pain and anger mixed with each other in Shadow's mind, his head lowered. The giant beam of harmony magic blast down on the black unicorn to everyone's horror. Only the beam stopped after running into Shadow's hand. The impact shook the very earth once more causing the Shadow to make a crater in the ground, yet he didn't budge from his original spot.

"Your arrogance and superiority complex is your down fall, Rufus. Now you face my real terror," Shadow's neck snapped before a wild expression replaced his usually calm demeanor. All the pony quickly ran to find cover.

The black substance covered his hands seeming to suck all light it touched. Even coming into contact with the harmonious energy caused the rainbow to deteriorate at an accelerated rate. Rufusdraco's eyes widen in shock. To his knowledge, harmony magic was the purest form of order ever known, and his enemy effortlessly destroyed it, defying physics itself.

In his rage, Rufus launched a beam of dark, solar, and death magic combined into another beam blasting it down on Shadow with his other hand. However, Shadow just used his other hand to hold the beam in place. Rufusdraco roared in frustration and a hint of fear. The black unicorn gave a cruel smile before using his hands to combined the two beams. The result made a mininuclear explosion blasting anything in its path.

Once the dust settled five miles of buildings were completely gone leaving only rubble remains of the previous buildings. Luckily, any unicorn, or magic user used their left over magic to produce shields to avoid dying from the blast. The only being left was standing was Shadow who looked to have regenerated lost flesh from the blasts of harmonious energy. Rufus was won carrying burn marks from his own magic. The bull's mind caught up to recent event picking himself up and using his accelerated healing to any injuries on his body. "You fool. You thought that a little blast of magic could somehow slow me down? You must be more stupid then I thought previously."

In response, Shadow looked to have instant teleport into existence behind the crystalized bull running Apocalypse through Rufus. The sudden pain tore through the ancient crystal being. "No, you are mistaken if you think that I would finish this with magic. You are obviously immune to it. Let's see how long you last from the gift of the void." Shadow smirked a hint of complete madness behind the facade of calmness in his eyes.

Rufusdraco's eyes shrunk to pin pricks as the fear of true terror finally took its course. A black substance flood off Apocalypse directly into the bull. All Rufus could do was scream and wail in agony. His futile attempt to pull the blade off stopped when he realized that the black substance was now eating his hands. A sadistic grin formed on Shadow glaring all his hate into the skull of the creature before him. The black substance even manage to bring so much pain to him it brought tears to the bull's eyes. Shadow didn't seem care about his suffering. In fact, he seem to enjoy his pain.

It all end too soon as most of Rufusdraco's body was consumed by the black substance by now. Shadow's head snaps again seeing only sadness gleam in his eyes before the last bit of Rufus is dissolved in the black liquid. Its purpose finished, the substance retreated back into his skin and sword.

Stunned silence reigned the battlefield. Some stared in horror at the black unicorn, few in awe at his strength and abilities. He walked over to Apollyon who was anticipating what he planned to do with her.

Shadow's left hand suddenly glowed bright blue. "I'm sorry, Celestia, but this will hurt a bit."

His choice of words confused her until the hand was thrusted in her chest. To everpony's surprise, the hand phased right through the flesh before pulling back out glowing red sphere in his fist. The unusal features Celestia's body had before seem to vanish into nothingness leaving Celestia's original body in plain sight. In that instant, Celestia had passed out only for Princess Luna to save her from her fall. Luna teleported a blanket overtop of Celestia to cover her more private areas. She glared harshly at some of the guard's lustful gazes at her sister.

Shadow nod in approval. He then looks at the soul bringing it to his face. "If I catch you wondering this world again, I'll make sure that you end up like Rufusdraco except I'll use you to feed my own power. Do I make myself clear?"

The red soul blinked rapidly in response. Shadow gave a toothy smile in approval. "Oh. And don't forget to tell your angel buddies too. Some might know me if you have an interest in my origins or whatever." With that said, the black unicorn released the soul. The red soul waste no time in zipping straight into the heavens above. Shadow shook his head chuckling in amusement at the Death Angel's reaction.

Nightmare slowly got on her hooves realizing the worst of her wounds were healed by the black stallion himself. Shadow looked at the alicorn before she hugged him tight. He was momentarily surprised at how strong her grip as gotten and how more developed her muscles have grown.

After another tearful re-reunion of one of my dear friends, we decided to go back to Ponyvile for a little while. We head to my house for me to be met by a familiar fiend. Shadow stares at Queen Chrysalis fully expecting her to try and pierce his heart, but instead she greeted him with a warm welcome; No tricks, no magic deception.

During lunch, Nightmare filled the black unicorn in on what has been happening during Shadow's long absence. Whether Shadow enjoyed Chrysalis' presence, or just simply hated it was a mystery seeing he had a poker face during the entire conversation.

Anyway, when they finished there meal it was around sunset making the sky turn orange. Shadow looks at the window before a slight degree of sadness washed over him. He looked to Nightmare and Chrysalis who seem to realize his change in demeanor too.

"Starting today, I'll no longer guard nor have my presence here on Equis." He said.

This caused both of the mare's eyes to widen in shock. "Hey! You can't just randomly appear out of nowhere before disappearing again! Do you know how long moony has been 'mourning' for a miracle from you before you 'died'?!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Shadow gave an even stare. "I am well aware, Chrysalis, but I have failed to mention why I'm choosing this path." The two mares impatiently wait for the black stallion to continue. "I stayed in my universe like a home base, once upon a long time ago. However, the longer I stayed the more dangerous it was for the people around me to live the next day. I ended up killing everything I know of with just a few words, or worse, tinker with something that wasn't supposed to happen causing the worst possible scenario to occur. I have the worst case of being unlucky. Very unlucky. That's why I have to be careful of what I do or say. Hell, I nearly destroyed your planet the first time! Do you think that was purely coincidental?"

Chrysalis seem to understand in mute shock at the situation he was in. Nightmare just seem to get depressed and sad at the news. Shadow stretches his arm to ruffle her mane. "Don't worry, I haven't scarred this world for good. Once I leave, your natural order of things will take over again." He reassured.

"But, what about the friends you made now? What about us?" Nightmare said almost desperately. "Don't you even care?"

Shadow softly smiles. "Of course I do. I just can't risk any of you getting hurt anymore. If one of my enemies was here who knows what else I would attract if I stay?" he gets close pulling something out of his space dimension thing before placing it in the palm of her held out hand. "I need you to do something for me before I depart, Nightmare. I need you to be its new hero. I need you to get stronger too. There are many bastards out there who love weak and defenseless planes of existence for themselves. I want you to promise me you will protect this planet for me."

There was a brief pause of Nightmare astonished face on full display. She hesitated before sighing in defeat. She gripped the medallion I gave her looking me square in the eyes. "I promise, Shadow. This world is in good hands."

"Remember your promise to me then when times are tough. I know it's a lot of responsibility, but I trust no other being to do it the right way." He said before getting up and walking out the door.

Chrysalis looked flabbergasted at Nightmare like she yanked a lollipop directly out of a baby's mouth. "So you're just going to let him walk away like that? No fuss after all you have been through?!"

Nightmare gave Chrysalis a hard stare before sighing heavily. "I know what I did was unlike me, but I've learned something over the years about Shadow. He sees, hears and feels things that normally no one takes notice in. He's a stallion of mystery that I don't think we have scratched the surface of. I want to help him, but I know I can't. Unlike most stallions I have seen he seems to hide his pain from the rest of the world, and until he opens those secrets they will stay secret. Chryssie, no matter what I do, I can't seem to reach him, so I'll do the next best thing for the being who saved my mind and took care of me when no one else would. Protect the world in his place."

The two looked at each other not sure what the future had in store for both of them. What was for certain is that they had to rebuild Equestria's government quickly or else the nobles take advantage of the situation at hoof.

Shadow

My heart felt too heavy to be a part of me right now. I had to lie to my friends here in this dimension. Why? Because the real reason is much darker. I've realized my mistake the first time after ending up in this universe through a space-time crack. I must leave this world behind if I want to spare it from the same fate mine went through.

I have killed many beings just for the sake of killing them, and for what? It got me no where except for more pain and suffering. Nothing can make up for my mistakes not even death. The death of Rufusdraco will be an everlasting scar in my mind. I utterly destroyed the other two beings that survived the destruction of my home universe. Sure, both Hades and Rufusdraco are psychopathic asshole they use other people for their own gain, but am I really any better? The crystallized minotaurs amd their king could have been saved if I had kept a leveled head. I didn't have to kill every demon I saw, and I could have just simply had the Elements of Harmony banish the Lord of Tartarus into stone, or another prison.

I was given plenty of choices to steer away from my old habits. To perform the right justice to my oldest enemies. And I chose revenge over justice.

You did this to yourself.

I wanted to cry to feel something other than the tiredness and dread of tommorrow. But I couldn't cry, not anymore. My tears have all but left me millions of years ago.

Maybe It's time for a change in scenery.

A smile forced its way on my lips. An endless amount of possibilities for fun to explore! I snapped my fingers making a pitch black oval hole appear before me. I stepped through awaiting the next quest.

EPILOGUE

DARKNESS

The silhouette of Darkness looks around the void in complete boredom. Yet, he didn't feel an urge to do actual work rise in him. Darkness glanced at the world Shadow used to reside in: Equis Planet 3797498947494748741- The number was way too long to even fully read in his mind. He didn't feel like reading a ridiculous number of all times anyway. He moved his hands gathering a cluster of nothingness deciding to form a mirror out of it.

Darkness effortlessly made a spectating mirror. It swirled with purple energy that would make most gods, and all mortals, go insane from a glance in it. He sighed before using a mere thought to direct his way through the various infinite amount of multiverses that existed. But he had no interest in all multiverses available. No, he was more interested in one small corner of the cosmos'.

Darkness stopped upon a world where a familiar being named Discord reside in a 'hidden' dimension in his own world seeming to be watching a figure through a portal of sorts. Darkness narrowed his eyes instantly causing the portal he made to zoom in on Discord's portal. He saw a particular tree-woman with wings walking on a flying wooden ship of sorts. Darkness took a few more seconds to admire the scene before instantly changing the universe view.

This time, he saw a certain quadrupled legged mare with a 'Pipbuck' on her right foreleg heading into a tower stretching above the cloud covered in the middle of a nuclear wasteland. Darkness knew even before she went into the building of her terrible fate, yet he could not feel sympathy or sadness for her situation. Just.... emptiness. He didn't seem all too upset when he automatically changed universe again.

This time, is a world where Dainn's rule was still alive and destroying themselves in pointless sexual activity against half dead mares and cows. To most, this would sicken them to such a degree they would act on the spot. Darkness, however, knew the out come about ready to be delivered to this version of Caribous. A black unicorn, in an anthro form, with a top hat and suit walked out of a forest with foot soldiers and mages by his side. They seem to be marching to a Caribou stronghold.

"Dainn's Caribou will fail. They always have."

The next world made him actually feel a tinge of.... curiosity? Darkness examined the world seeing it had a similar set up to the last world except there was a lich with..... rainbow magic.... seeming to be drinking himself almost half to death and freaking out the nearby ponies with his oddity of a greeting. Regardless, this human had the slimest of potential for the ancient being, but he quickly blurred passed that world too. He set his eyes on Shadow opening a suspended black hole in front of him. Darkness felt Shadow's pain and sadness flood him, yet the ancient being hardly seem to notice the feeling. Instead, he focused on Shadow's smile.

Darkness hummed to himself before closing the portal with his thoughts. "So the vessel chose to leave this world behind. An interesting turn of events, I say. You did well to secure the safety of this world. But what will become of you next? What path will you choose for yourself?"

The ancient being felt another disturbance all out from its world into a different one entirely again. That damn 'Merchant' never cease to piss him off. Even his bosses think they are unseen by their deeds.

"No evil deed goes unpunished."

The emotions he had began to fade seeing that this 'displaced' had a different feel than most did. One of raw power.

Darkness frowned trying to understand why the merchant and several other versions of him would give this individual so much power? It didn't matter because that 'displaced' wasn't his problem. Nothing in creation ever is his problem anyways.

"Well, looks like another game of poker is in order, it seems." he said to himself.

He made a deck of cards out of nothingness waiting for his opponents to step forward into his realm. Three hooded figures floated over to Darkness. The ancient being gave a small smile before materializing a card table and chairs into existence.

"Same bet as usual, I presume, Darkness?" the tallest hooded figure asked.

"Of course, where has Death 191 went off to?" Darkness asked the other Deaths.

"She kind of went off on her own since, you know, she's jobless and homeless after it came into her universe." the skinniest Death replied.

Darkness could relate in a way to the dread of not being able to find any purpose in your immortal life. So he shrugged off her absence. "Alright gentlemen, put up your wages."

The tall Death bet, of course, three somewhat tainted souls. The skinny Death had an interesting soul seeing it had enormous power which radiate off it like the soul could be from a God. And the last Death pulled out nice price to behold. A pure piece of Sentient Corruption in a divine sealed jar. Darkness smiled at the prizes up for grabs. He searched through his storage and materialized a rare kind of soul, since their's were also of high value as well: an archangel soul. The three Death's eyes literally bug out of their hoods in a comedic way seeing Darkness' prize.

"This is unexpected..."

"I'm definitely feeling lucky today."

The last Death stroked its nonexistent face like it had a beard on it.

"Well of course, my vessel has succeed in destroying another one of the Void's henchmen. Think of my prize as a feeling of gratitude for this turn of events. Regardless of my prize I would hardly lose to a bunch of second-rate Deaths."

The Deaths didn't seem amused by Darkness' infamous hubris streak he got play poker. But the Deaths knew how to counteract it.

"Right, and how many times have you lost to me? A hundred thousand times? A million?"

Darkness tsked at his record counting. "True, I have lost some times. I still have one hundred thirty million wins over all of you. You don't stand a chance against me."

The tall Death smirked. "We'll see."

Last Death nod and oddly had a huge sense of determination coming off the silent Death. Darkness shrugged handing the deck to a card dealer he made a second ago. Once the cards had been dealt the game began anew.

Author's Note

Hello everyone. This is sadly the last part of the series because of plot confusion I have made reguarding the storyline. I will start other stories I have piled up on the back burner, but ultimately, this story is closed.

If you are interested in the stories I have referenced, you can click the links I provided:

Diaries of a Madman

Fallout Equestria

Don't You Dare

and

The Life and Times of Xante, Baron of the Frozen Wastelands, First among Liches, Lord of the Dead, and Fabulous Rainbow Magic User.