The Lost Prophecy of Equus

by AlphariusOmegon

Rating: teen
Tags: Profanity, Violence, Dungeons and Dragons, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Warhammer, Romance, Adventure, Sex, Science Fiction, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 30476

An ancient past forgotten, now to be remembered.

Twilight Sparkle is to ascend the throne and become the ruler of Equestria. Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Grogar have finally been defeated for good. You think this would be the end, right?

If only that was the case. Behind the scenes, ancient forces outside of Equus have been gathering. Every moment has been leading up to something unimaginable. An ancient past of secrets, legends, and war will finally begin to reveal itself. A war between two ancient forces, one friend, and one foe, is about to resume. This war will dictate the fates of not just Equus, but of the entire universe. And the secrets of an ancient prophecy will finally begin to be unraveled.

WARNING!

THIS STORY CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING:

Blood, gore, general violence, sexual inuendos or outright sexual themes (no actual sex scenes), cheesy romance, stupidity, Jojo references, jokes that will only land on people who are a niche within a nice within a niche, probably a few plot holes, and a ton of profanity.

Notice: This author may upload chapters on a VERY inconsistent time schedule due to college occupying most of the author's time or just general burnout.

Published 2019-09-25 11:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-04-28 12:45:09 UTC

I. A Day for Celebration

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

II. Secrets and Siblings

Author's Note

Forgot to mention that certain stuff mentioned in the entirety of the story, is based of the franchises mentioned in the tags. Sorry if that was a bit unclear. Also, It's here I'll be putting voice claims for each new character that pops into existence.

Sol - Gandalf from the LOTR movies
Star - Galadriel from the LOTR movies

and a new one who will be introduced mid chapter
Nocturne - Loki from the MCU

Secrets and Siblings

Twilight was amazed at their beauty. Sol and Star were truly the gods of this world's creation. You could tell by their cutie marks. Sol's Cutie mark was almost identical to Celestia's, however there were two differences. In the center of the Sun, there was a depiction of the Elements of Harmony, and below the Sun, was a mini version of Equestria, orbiting the Sun. Star's cutie mark was the same, except it was a full moon instead of a Sun. The royals from other races bowed before them. Even the Griffons and Yaks, who are usually extremely stubborn and proud folk. Twilight was lost in thought completely. Then, Sol broke the silence that had so entranced everyone.

"My friends, and my children. I am honored with your reverence towards me, however, today is not about me, nor will the next eighty days be. Rather, they are about Twilight Sparkle." On these words, everyone cleared a path for Sol to approach Twilight. As Sol approached Twilight, she felt warmer and more like she was in a father's loving embrace. His radiance and glory were truly greater than what Twilight had felt around Celestia as a filly. She could feel his joy, and he could feel hers.

"So this is the Princess of Friendship I've heard so much about."

"Indeed father. She has preformed many great works and done many services to Equestria and its many creatures." Celestia was actually bowing. Twilight had never seen this before, her mentor, her teacher, bowing before someone else. And Twilight understood perfectly why.

"Very well, my daughter, then it is time for her to take the oath that you once took all those years ago."

"Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. Do you solemnly swear to carry out the duties as ruler of Equestria?

Sol was using his Royal Canterlot voice. It boomed for miles so that everyone could hear it. Twilight was caught off guard by this, but she remained firm nonetheless.

"I do"

"Do you promise to rule justly and wisely, and to never let personal ambition blind your purpose?"

"I do"

"Do you swear to live by and rule by the principles and virtues of Friendship and Harmony"

"I do"

"Do you swear to keep the peace of Equestria, forever keeping the world in balance and ensuring that you will only use war as an absolute last resort?"

"I do"

"And do you swear to guide Equestria in times of strife, and defend this world from all threats, internal and external?"

That last one caught Twilight off guard. What did Sol mean by external? She knew about threats within Equestria such as Chrysalis, Tirek, Sombra, and Cozy Glow. But to think that there was danger beyond this planet, more so this galaxy, was quite terrifying. But her answer was firm nonetheless.

"I DO!"

Everyone was shocked. Twilight had just used a Royal Canterlot voice! Ponies gasped in shock. Rarity just straight up fainted at this point. Pinkie Pie could barely contain her excitement. Fluttershy was a bit scared due to the fact she had never seen her friend this firm and determined before. Rainbow Dash went wide eyed thinking that this was the (second) most awesome thing she had seen in her life. (First would be her first Sonic Rainboom.) Applejack's jaw dropped in sheer suprise. She had heard Twilight amplify her voice with magic before, but this was something completely different. It commanded authority and respect, wisdom and justice. Twilight was surprised that she had actually done this. Sol smiled when he heard. He knew this would happen. It had happened with Celestia and Luna when they took the oath. Now Twilight had done the same thing.

Very well. I hereby dub thee, Twilight Sparkle, PRINCESS AND GODDESS OF FRIENDSHIP!

Now everyone was even more shocked! Twilight, a goddess?! She knew the princesses were goddesses, but this, feeling for the first time that you're a literal god, it was overwhelming. And it was because that it was so overwhelming that she nearly passed out.

"Welcome to the Equestrian Pantheon Twilight. You're one of us now."

The crowd cheered. Pinkie Pie went absolutely insane, bouncing around all over the place. Rarity fainted, again. Rainbow Dash decided to to a triple Sonic Rainboom to celebrate. Fluttershy celebrated in her own little way (cuz she's humble like that). Applejack let out a celebratory "YEE(and I cannot stress this enough)HAW!" Everyone felt it was truly the turn of an age.

"Welcome to the family." Sol muttered to Twilight.
It has begun...

When darkness and light collide, and form an unexpected bond...

And then, Sol hugged Twilight. Twilight started to cry straight up tears of joy. Almost like a fountain. Star also joined in on the hug, the feeling of happiness was amplified even moment. And then, it was cut short by a scream...

The sky darkened and thunder clouds raged. Lightning struck all around and every creature ran for cover, except for Sol, Star, Celestia, and Luna. Luna seemed a joyful but Celestia seemed a little on edge at this.

“I was wondering when he would arrive. Welp, now we all are here.”

A black chariot descended from the sky. It was pulled by pale, sickly ponies, with clad in black armor with a single red eye made out of ruby and onyx in the center of their chest plate. Once the chariot landed, the lightning seemed to cease, but the thunder clouds were still there. The pony on the chariot was in a cloak. As he stepped out, he started to approach Sol. The royal guards jumped into defensive positions, but Sol’s personal guard seemed at ease. The cloak started to dissolve into bats (like Luna did in the Nightmare Night episode). The full features of the pony were revealed. He was Luna’s size, his fur was as white as snow, his mane and tail were long and black, as black as a night with no stars and moon. So we’re his wings, and oddly enough, so was his horn. He didn’t wear royal armor, but rather he wore a suit, a red tie and golden buttons (of course he doesn’t have pants, and get your damn mind out of the gutter).

“Hello father.” And at these words, the clouds cleared.

“Ah, Nocturne, so glad to have you here. Always like to make an entrance don’t you.” Sol was being a bit snarky.

"Well, don't we all have our own entrances? Besides, you put on quite the show with the solar flares."

"Well, I guess it just comes with the job."

And then, they both started laughing. Not in an evil laugh but rather a joyful one. Twilight was just straight up confused at this point. To be frank, I don't blame her.

"It feels so good to be back on Equestria." Nocturne breathed in a breath of air. "Yep, still smells like a massive flower garden." Nocturne paused and looked over to Luna.

"Lu!"

"Noc!"

The ran to each other and embraced.

"Oh, dear sister, it's been too long. How's your side of the dream realm?"

"Oh, busy as usual. At least I have you protecting the outskirts from the Dreameaters."

"Actually, on that topic, there have been no Dreameater sightings on the outer edges by the Gargoyles. I think they might have given up, or they flung too many of their kin at my forces that they're going extinct!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Not as wonderful as seeing you again."

Somehow this made Twilight feel at ease. Seeing kindness and compassion from what she would normally define as a monster who used dark magic. This was but one of many times Twilight would see light and darkness and light get along in the following months. Then Nocturne released his hug and looked over at Celestia.

"Tia." Nocturne said with a mischievous smile.

"Brother." Tia said this with sternness. It was quite clear to Twilight that the relationship between Nocturne and Celestia was a bit shaky. "You didn't have to scare everyone with that show you put on."

"What can I say? I'm quite the troublemaker."

"Still! You could have just ridden with father."

"I'm the Prince of Nightmares, it's my job to scare every creature."

Celestia was quite offended at that remark. Star stepped in to diffuse the situation.

"Tia, Noc, what did I say about differences?"

"Put them behind you and leave them behind you." They both answered simultaneously.

"Good. Now, while I do agree with Celestia that the scare factor was a bit unnessicary, I must also agree with Nocturne that it's in his nature. Maybe Nocturne could just limit it down to the bat cloak next time."

"Sorry mom." Nocturne said embarrassed.

"It's okay my little batty-bat. I don't blame you."

"Mooooooooom, don't use that nickname! It's embarrassing and were in public."

Celestia snickered at her mother's remark.

"Oh, don't act like you're off the hook, Sun-bun."

Celestia's face turned bright red at this remark. Luna started laughing, lost her balance because of it, fell over, and still kept laughing. Some in the audience snickered trying to hold back their laughter. even some of the royal guard found it funny. Nocturne was on the verge of laughing, but knew if he did, he would get a sun beam to face, and he didn't want to ruin his glorious mane.

“Alright, you’ve all had your fun,” Sol said through a chuckle. “You can all save your insults and name calling for later. As playful as it is, I don’t want you starting a civil war.”

“Are you kidding?! Celestia hasn’t blushed this much in AGES."

"Enough."

Nocturne shrunk in fear. "...ok."

"Creatures of Equestria, without any more interruptions, LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN!'
They have no idea what's coming...

III. Memories of an Era Long Ago...

Memories of an Era Long Ago...

65 Days until Ascension

Twilight’s palace was the perfect place to tell stories, especially around the Cutie Map. Twilight, her friends, and the Royals all sat around the table. The Pillars were there as well. Everyone brought their own chairs.

“So, the patient finally woke up, his skeleton was missing, and the doctor was never heard from again!” Nocturne had just finished up his story. Pinkie and Rainbow burst out laughing. Everyone else were just plain confused.

“And that’s how I lost my medical license.” Nocturne said with a snicker.

"Wait, what?" Star Swirl and Twilight asked simultaneously.

"AAAAAAAaaaanyyyyyyway, moving on." Celestia said with the utmost haste. Clearly she did not like to dwell on this subject before everyone was driven mad over if Nocturne was an actual licensed doctor, or an absolute mad stallion. And to make matters even worse, Fluttershy and Mage Meadowbrook were absolutely terrified at the thought of a patient waking up with their skeleton missing, let alone that's how someone lost their medical license.

"So, shall I also tell you about the time Celestia got drunk?"

Celestia's face turned fully red. "Brother, I thought we agreed that this topic would be buried for eternity."

"She got up on the table and did a Discord impression. She wasn't half bad."

"CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY!" Celestia's mane changed from its normal colors to that of fire. A beam of solar magic hit Nocturne flinging him straight into the wall

"I deserve that." Nocturne groaned in pain.

Twilight was shocked. Celestia had never been... angry-angry before. Sure she may have gotten frustrated from time to time, but this, this was a whole new level. Everyone else except Luna, Star, and Sol were surprised.

"By the Primordials, would you two stop fighting, FOR FIVE MINUTES?!" Sol was not happy. His mane also flamed up but it wasn't as flamed up as Celestia's.

"Wait a minute. Who are the Primordials?" Twilight asked. "I swear I've heard the term in my studies but it's so faint in my memory."

Starswirl was eager to respond on this matter.

"The Promordials were beings of immense power who came into existance before the gods themselves. They are considered to be the creators of all magic. Some gods are shards of the primordials, like Sol and Star."

"Well, if they were so powerful, why don't we recognize them?" Twilight summoned a quill, some ink, and a stack of paper. She was eager to learn about this new subject. Starswirl smiled and thought to himself "She reminds me of me when I was younger."

"Well in that case," Sol said with a grin, "I guess it's time for my turn to tell a story." Sol's horn lit up and the room was enveloped in darkness

"In the beginning, there was nothing. The nothingest nothing that never not existed."

"What?" Everyone was confused.

"Yes, I know that doesn't make sense, but hear me out. There was one thing however, or should I say, one creature. The Architect. The god of all gods and all of existence. He found the empty nothingness extremely boring, so he created the singularity."

A little orb of light appeared in the middle of the table.

"Then, this singularity started to expand with the force of what you would call a massive explosion."

The little orb of light exploded outwards throughout the entire room.

"This event came to be known as 'The Big Bang' because the explosion was so big, that technically, it's sill happening. The Universe is constantly expanding, and thus, new things are coming into existence every day."

"Awesoooooooome." Flash Magnus and Rainbow went wide eyed at the explosion.

"It's like the Universe's largest party cannon!" Pinkie said with joy. "But why did the Architect create the universe? Did he make the Universe so he could make a children's TV show and sell merchandise for it?"

...

"Moving on," Sol was just damned confused. "The energy and magic from the massive explosion that gave birth to the energy was used to form the stars and planets, however, there was still some left over."

"So out of this leftover magic and energy came the Primordials?" Applejack asked.

"WOOOOOW. Give this mare a PHD for crying out loud. Like that wasn't the most obvious thing that father was building up to." Nocturne was being straight up sarcastic. It was here that everyone noticed Nocturne was hanging from the dent in the wall like a bat. His mark was now in full view. It was a crescent moon with a brown bat flying around it. It had the same black patches as Luna's mark, but the moon was facing the opposite direction.

"Son, as much as I love you, you're NOT helping."

"Love you too, dad!"

Sol was annoyed, but he knew that patience was a virtue. Otherwise, he would have gone insane many, many years ago.

"Back to the story. Yes, to answer Applejack's question in a less, snarky way, the Primordials were a result of the leftover magic and energy. Both of the Light and the Darkness. The Primordial's, at first, were like beasts. They went around wrecking the place, devouring planets, stars, sometimes even entire galaxies. The Architect decided that something had to be done about them. So, He created the first gods in order to deal with the problem. This conflict was known as the Divine-Primordial war. It shook the Universe to it's very core and resulted in new planets, stars, and galaxies while also resulting in the destruction of others. The war ended after all the Primordials were either imprisoned in planets, or outright destroyed. One such Primordial that was imprisoned was none other than what we know today as the Spirit of Harmony."

"Oooooooooh." The Pillars and the Mane Six said simultaneously. Nobody really knew where the Spirit of Harmony had come from up to this point. Not even Starswirl or Twilight who both tried to do research into it but came out empty hooved.

"Mum, as I like to call her, was bound to this very planet. It was around this time that she developed... how do I put this... some form of sentience, which would eventually develop into her consciousness. She recognized that this world was barren and lifeless, so she decided to do something about that. She shattered herself into the first generation of Equestrian gods. There was me, Star, my brother Hammer, and his wife Anvi. They'll be visiting within the next few days. Hammer is quite the character." Sol smiled thinking of all the fun he had with his brother when they were younger. The amount of shenanigans that they got into was too high to count. "It was through this shattering that the Elements were also created."

Twilight was a bit puzzled. "Then what about the other races? If it was only Equestrian gods, then where did the other races come from?"

Now it was Star's turn to explain. "After the Divine-Primordial War, the gods... didn't really get along well. There were a quite a few wars of rival gods battling each other for territory in the Universe. It was nasty business. Lots of unnecessary death. The gods of the other species, were refugees of those wars. Sol and I allowed them to come to this world in peace and create without them having to worry about their creation being destroyed."

"Like the Storm King and the hippogriffs?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes! Exactly like the Storm King and the hippogriffs! Very astute observation Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled happily at the praise. It's not every day one is praised by a god.

"And that's everything about the creation of this world." The vision of the Universe collapsed back into Sol's horn. The room became normal again.

Twilight was still a bit confused. "Wait, Lord Sol, didn't you say that the Primordials are both manifestations of Light and Darkness?"

"Yes, yes they are." Sol knew where this was going.

"Then those you described are the gods of light, are there gods of darkness as well?"

There was a long pause. Sol took a long breath in and sighed. His eyes dimmed, thinking of the one he was about to describe. "Yes. There is one. His name is-"

"Sheol." Everyone turned. It was Luna who had cut him off. Sol took no offense to being cut off like that. He knew this was a sensitive topic for Luna to talk about.

"He knows nothing of friendship. The only thing he takes joy in is making others suffer. He is cruel, unjust. He is a demon. A god of demons. He is the one who took advantage of my feelings and corrupted me to become Nightmare Moon. Before that, he plunged Equestria into an age of bloodshed. Millions died by his hand. Millions which I want to avenge. I still hear their screams. I still feel their pain. Not just those of this world, but of others. Others which share the same sentiment that I do. He murdered so many innocent lives. He killed entire families. HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Luna's rage was about to flow over, she looked like she was about to turn. Darkness enveloped the room. But then, it receded as Sol spoke.

"Luna, that's enough." Sol sighed. "You may leave the room if you wish. I will not stop you."

Luna galloped out of the room with tears in her eyes, tears that only Twilight saw.

The Void Master sat in the command room on the ship, hearing calculations and preparations, aiding in that which was to be planned. Planning for every outcome. His brothers were reliable tacticians. Veterans of long wars and galactic conquests. And then, he felt something, something which caused him to shed a tear.

"Brother, are you alright? You seem very distraught about something."

The Void Master looked at his brother, Magnus. He spoke only this.

"Even when I am so far from her, It feels as if we're so close. She weeps for me...

...and I weep for her."

Author's Note

These next few chapters are gonna be a bit of a lore dump, however, it will be worth the read. Otherwise, if I chose to save the lore dump for later, when we get to the good stuff, you would all be confused and bored as hell. It's better to get it over with in my opinion. At least the Void Master made an appearance. And who are these brothers of his?

Void Master - Keanu Reeves
Magnus's Voice (0:35 and onwards. The big dude with wings and one eye)

IV. ...in which Darkness reigned supreme

...in which Darkness reigned supreme

43 Days until Ascension

Twilight couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning side to side in constant thought. Not even the ultra fluffy mattress she had in her room would help. She had so many questions. "What happened? What did Sheol take from Luna? Bloodshed and war? There's nothing in the history books, not even the most ancient records I could dig up. Everything just begins with the Windigos being defeated and then Celestia and Luna come to Equestria. Why is there nothing about Sol, Star, the Primordials, and other stuff like that? I guess it could have been forgotten if it was that long ago, but even still, someone must have some knowledge about what happened. By the Sun this makes my head hurt."

"Having trouble sleeping?" Star asked.

"Star?! But, you're in Canterlot, how are you-"

"Twilight, I have the same powers as Luna and Nocturne combined. I'm the Queen of Dreams, remember?"

"Ooooh. Sorry I forgot." Twilight mentally kicked herself for forgetting.

"Anyways, you want answers, correct?"

Twilight nodded.

"Very well. It all happened ten billion years ago, a very long time before the Windigos came. Sheol had plans to conquer Equestria and beyond. But first, he needed to rally a true army, and to do so he needed a massive victory in order to inspire demons to join him. Some lesser demons such as imps are easily persuaded by charisma, with promises of ascending to greater ranks and power. However, most demons, want a deed that proves that this is a leader they should follow."

"So what did Sheol do?"

"First let me tell you a story, about how two races were united under one banner. During the Divine-Primordial war there were two who were arch-enemies. Azur'rath, god of the Void, and Asgorath, Creator of Dragons. Near the end of this war, Azur'rath had managed to capture Asgorath and imprison him in a dimension known as the Astral Plane."

"The source of all magic and the space between the planes of existence!" Twilight blurted out. She covered her mouth with her hooves. "Forgive me Star, I did not mean to-"

"It's alright Twilight. With your intellect and knowledge, I would expect you to know a little bit about what I'm describing."

Twilight blushed in embarrassment.

"Anyways." Star resumed. "Asgorath was imprisoned in the Astral Plane. He became its guardian, making sure the fabric of reality was stable, and that no one tried to tamper with it. It was here that he created the first dragons, the Astral dragons. They have no wings but instead move with their minds, for the Astral Plane is a place of knowledge and will-power."

"Sounds lovely, although I would probably never leave if I went there." Twilight was fascinated with that one had to use their minds to move instead of motion.

"Oh trust me, I wouldn't either." Star and Twilight both laughed.

"Among these first dragons, Asgorath created his own children who would guide the dragon race in his stead. Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon of Order, and Tiamat, the Five Headed Dragon of Chaos. However things didn't go so well between them."

"Oh yeah! There was a massive civil war between the chromatic dragons and the metallic dragons. Ember mentioned this a few times in discussion but I didn't think it was as bad as she described."

"Nope, it was worse, a LOT worse." Star emphasized.

"Oh..." Twilight sheepishly looked at the ground.

"But let us not dwell on it. During the exact same time, Azur'rath tried to create a world for his own species of mortals, but it collapsed in on itself and the debris shot off at the speed of light. To prevent any damage to others, Azur'rath created the Void, and he locked his failed creation in it. He was very sad too see this happen. It was after that he didn't try creating anything again for a time. He thought to himself that he would always fail at creating. Keep in mind, Azur'rath is a Dark god, he's not evil, he's more attuned to destruction than he is to creation. He was a warrior, not a builder. He was created to fight in the Divine-Primordial war."

"I feel so bad for him. He could really use a hug. I bet I could give him some confidence back."

"I bet you could." Star chuckled. "Fortunately, you don't have to. It was one day a certain goddess was wandering through the Astral Plane, when she came upon the gate to the Void. Her name is Melindi. She entered and found nothing but large asteroids of pale rock scattered everywhere, and it was here she found a lonely Azur'rath, sitting in the center of it all. She recognized that he was lonely and tried to cheer him up. Azur'rath turned her away but she didn't give up so easily. Day after day she visited him, and eventually, he started to come around. Eventually, he started to have feelings for her. I think you know where this is going Twilight."

"Did they get married?" Twilight asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Yep, they got married. It was after their marriage that the first Azur were created. Immortal beings who live in the Void. They also had direct children which are known as the 'Four Patrons', however they don't have names, rather they have titles. There's the Whispers in the Void, the Composer of Strands, the Eater of Worlds, and the Instrument of Desire. They also had a fifth child known as Arwen. Now, the four patrons did not like to share power, they wanted to be the favorite child and have power over the others. This started what is now known as 'The Great Game' in which four houses devoted to one of the four patrons were in civil war with each other. A four way civil war between the Azur."

"So we have two civil wars going on, one with the dragons, and one with the Azur. I don't see how this adds up."

"Trust me," Star assured Twilight, "This is where it gets good. Arwen was walking through the mortal plane, wanting to stay out of her brothers conflict. She had a preferred spot where she liked to rest and relax. A planet known as Veldor. Most of the world was a giant forest with mountains that cut through it. Upon these mountains lived blood-thirsty trolls, however, Arwen didn't know of this. All she knew about the planet is that there was a young, yet strong monk who was followed by seven golden canaries who she had a bit of a romantic relationship with. One day Arwen was walking to meet him when she was attacked by the trolls!"

Twilight let out a small yelp. She was scared. Something about Star telling this to her made it feel like she was a filly all over again. Her brother reading her bed time stories about heroes, princesses, and evil monsters.

"Fortunately, the monk heard the screams and came to save her, it was here the identity of the monk was finally made known to Arwen. It was Bahamut, and the seven golden canaries were his gold dragon bodyguards! They finished off the trolls within seconds. Arwen was truly thankful and now she finally knew who her lover was. Bahamut never wanted to disturb anyone with his true appearance, so he took on the form of a human with eyes as blue as sapphire and glorious platinum hair. Then they got married in secret, for they knew that if their fathers found out, there would be bloodshed."

"Did Asgorath and Azur'rath find out?" Twilight was eager, she wanted to hear the rest of the story. She was scared for these two lovers, who had parents who hated one another. Just like that one book she read. However she couldn't really recall the title.

"Well, a few months later, Arwen got pregnant, and then she dissapeared for a while. She was in the Astral Plane fearing for her life and her father's. Azur'rath sent out his minions or 'Void-spawn' to find her. One of these Void-spawn saw Arwen and Bahamut with Asgorath! She was almost about to give birth and Asgorath had already spoken on the matter. He was okay with it, but when Azur'rath heard the news from his own minions, there was a screech of rage which echoes in the Astral Plane to this day. Arwen knew the jig was up. Bahamut and Azur'rath decided to take up a defensive position and guard Arwen. Azur'rath charged through the Astral Plane, with the intent of killing both Asgorath and Bahamut. Azur'rath finally made it to Asgorath's cave, a cave filled with magic gems, items, and scrolls and books with the knowledge of every spell in existence. Even the ones that have not been discovered by mortals."

"Please don't say they died!" Twilight was on the verge of tears.

"No, no creature died." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief at Star's words. "Instead, the first Void Master was born! Azur'rath was about attack Azgorath and Bahamut when he heard the cries of his own grandson. And then, he saw him. An Azur with four platinum horns and four wings. His scales were of black obsidian, and his eyes were purple He morphed in-between hybrid and full dragon form erratically, finally settling upon hybrid form. Azur'rath saw potential in the child, and he also saw the salvation of both species. Asgorath and Azur'rath put aside their differences and blessed their grandson. Azur'rath allowed Arwen to stay in the cave until her child was fully grown, for he knew exactly what this child would do. A hundred years later, this child had become a mighty warrior. He had already brought down Tiamat, winning the civil war of the dragons and forcing them to reconcile their differences. And then, with an army of unified dragons at his back, he proceded to conquer the four houses and thus he was declared: God-Emperor of the Azur and the Dragons, the Void master. He soon took a wife for himself and a daughter, who was his heir to the throne, and nineteen sons, who were to serve as his generals and closest advisors. All was well, but then, disaster struck..."

Twilight shivered as a chill ran down her spine.

"Sheol somehow entered the Void, killed the Void Master, killed his wife, killed his daughter and burnt the Obsidian City to the ground. That's how he raised an army."

Twilight was shocked. How? How could some creature bring themselves to kill a great hero?

"But all was not lost, for you see, the Void Master had become good friends with Sol and I. When his sons escaped to us and told us what had happened, we were truly distraught. They also told us that Equestria was Sheol's next target, and that we should prepare for war. But what was truly shocking, was that they said, that in the Void Master's dying moments, he gave his soul and his power, to his youngest son. However, his youngest son had not reached the age of becoming, where an Azur is given their name, so they just called him Void. Void became the next Void Master, and he swore vengeance against Sheol. The war that followed was long and bloody, but, in the end, we won. But not without great sacrifice. Void sacrificed himself to banish Sheol to Limbo."

A sudden realization dawned on Twilight. "Wait, are you saying that Sheol is the Pony of Shadows?!"

"Yes, he is when he is not in his true form. He merely used Stygian as a conduit to wreak havoc once more. Possessing Stygian at his weakest, promising revenge against the Pillars for banishing him."

"I knew there was something more to it than just hatred and anger. No pony could grow that powerful on anger and hatred alone."

"Indeed." Star sighed. "That is where the story ends."

"But what about Luna?"

Star froze. A grim expression came over her face. "I am not at liberty to discuss it without her permission."

"But-" Twilight was cut off by Star.

"No more questions. Besides, it's quite late, you better get some sleep. Oh, and before I go, tell no one of the knowledge I have granted you. It's very important that it remains a secret." Star then disappeared without warning.

Twilight was confused but she didn't want to defy Star's orders. Star was gone however, she sensed another presence, but she shrugged it off as her mind laying tricks on her. Little did she know that someone was watching. A massive bipedal creature about eight feet tall, adorned in golden breastplate decorated with numerous runes and symbols from which two horns protruded from both sides of the front of the breastplate, blue leg pieces with what seemed to be adorned with golden scarabs, and a belt with a buckle in the shape of an eye. He held a staff, powerful and ancient. His skin was as black as night, the feathers of his wings were colored red but blue near the bottom which gave off to completely blue the farther you went down his wings, and his hair was like a lion's mane, scarlet red. Two horns protruded from his head, upon his forehead sat a crown adorned with a ruby in the shape of an eye in the center, and he only had one eye, for his left had been lost long ago in battle.

"So this is the one the prophecy speaks of. Very well bother. I trust your judgement on this one."

Magnus the Red, the Sorcerer King, then teleported away, leaving a note for Twilight.

"When the Crimson King hears whispers of secrets he already knows..."

Author's Note

Again, more lore dump. I'm so sorry but better to do it sooner than later. Otherwise y'all wont understand who and what's happening. Trust me, the next few chapters are gonna really pick up the story.

V. Chance Encounters

You got mail... from an alien

Twilight woke up at 6am. She knew it was going to be another long day of festivals and activities. Something different every day, truly masterful planning on Sol’s part.

She looked over to her nightstand, and saw a letter. The stamp was made of black wax with a five headed dragon imprinted on it. Two heads looked to the right, two to the left, and one to the center, and the center head had four horns, where as the others had only two.

She picked up the letter and began to read.

Princess,

I'm sorry this is being delivered on such short notice. Believe me, I would have delivered this way in advance but due to certain circumstances I was not able to. I cannot tell you who I am, at least, not at this time, but we will meet in person soon enough.

My agents and I have been watching you since the very beginning. We've watched your progress and we've watched you grow. When you became an Alacorn we knew the time was right. We knew what would come next and now we have entered the calm before the true storm. The only thing you need to know is that the enemy is on our doorstep. The one who's been pulling the strings for the past nine years. You defeated all his minions, Nightmare Moon, Sombra, Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and "Grogar". Grogar was the one my agents and I were looking for. Grogar was only the herald of the coming Darkness.

As of now you have two options on what to do with this information. Either you make it public and rally Equestria’s armies under your banner and plan your defenses, or you can keep this information secret. Besides, you might sound like a mad-mare if you try and tell anyone. Secrecy is my best weapon after all. Don't worry, you don't have to reply. My agents are always watching and they'll report to me what you decide to do with this information.

We work in the Darkness to serve the Light,
A friend

Twilight was confused but she shrugged it off since she had more important things to worry about. She just stored it in the back of her mind and went to et ready for the day.

She really should have been a lot more worried...

VI. Dreams

Author's Note

Ah, brotherly love, such a wonderful thing isn't it.

VOICE CLAIMS:
Fulgrim: Rarity if she was male, and a lot creepier
Angron: Jasul Barass (2:04:46)
Mortarion: Darth Vader, no mask, same pitch

Whispers

39 Days until Ascension

Sunburst was practicing magic. It was a sunny afternoon in the Crystal Empire, not a cloud in sight. In other places it would be hot as Tartarus, but since the Empire was located to the north, the temperatures were slightly cooler. Usually, Sunburst would be practicing in his home, but after constant pestering from his mother to 'get outside and get some fresh air', he gave in and decided, "Why not?"

He actually felt that practicing outside was better than practicing at his house. He had a birds-eye view from the hill he was sitting on. The crystal spires that made up the city were beautiful from this view. However, the mountains which blocked the view to the rest of Equestria were quite annoying. He wasn't up here for sightseeing, rather this increased view would allow him to tap in to more magic using the local auras. He could sense a lot more magic energy from up here. As he reached out into this area's magic, he felt that something was about the local aura was... off.

At first it was just a small anomaly. Nothing too much. This stuff happened from time to time. Little fluctuations were noting to worry about. However, the anomaly started to grow extremely rapidly. Sunburst was worried, he knew that large fluctuations could cause a lot of damage to the land, local magic, etc. This fluctuation was growing, and he knew he had to do something about it. He started galloping towards the source of the anomaly, using a tracking spell.

"If this isn't controlled soon, this could have major consequences. I hope a rift into the Astral Plane hasn't opened yet. Or worse..."

Sunburst had a natural ability for finding anomalies in magic. Ever since he was a little colt he could sense the slightest disturbance. Over the years, the small disturbances got less annoying to him, however, he knew when there was a large disturbance, there was real danger.

A few minutes later of galloping faster than he had ever galloped before, he made it. He had found the source, however what was once a disturbance, was now, something else entirely. These four beings were powerful, they radiated magic which was completely new, and filled with both Darkness and Light. He could feel that these creatures were ancient, EXTREMELY ancient. They were bipedal, massive, the tallest standing about nine and a half feet. The shortest standing at eight feet. Their skin was black, their eyes glowing purple. They wore robes and casual clothes even for a noble. And then, as he moved closer, he overheard their conversation.

"So are we all in agreement?" The eight feet and two inches giant spoke. He had one eye and a mane of red hair. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, a symbol in the middle that looked like the skeleton of a snake devouring itself. His horns looked like they were made out of bone.

"Yes, yes. Spare me the boring antics already, Magnus. I probably fell asleep four times during that whole thing." The eight foot giant spoke. His hair was black, tied back in dreadlocks. He wore a red shirt which depicted some sort of symbol, its jaws devouring what seemed to be a planet. He had blood-red horns.

"I hope that isn't Equus." Sunburst thought to himself. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

"Angron, be niiiiice. Remember, Magnus likes to plan for every possible outcome." This giant was nine feet tall, wearing a purple t-shirt which had a symbol, which looked like a wing attached to talons of a hippogriff or any other bird of prey. His lower body was that of a python instead of two legs. He easily could have been much taller if he used the full length of his tail. His horns were a dark purple. He started to lean on Angron.

"Shut up you creepy snake eyed whore!" Angron shoved Fulgrim away but didn't knock him over as he intended. Sunburst's jaw dropped when he heard this language. "Mortaiorn, brother, could you release the crotch-rot on this creep and make sure his dick falls off completely?"

"Brother, as much as I would like to, he can regrow his lower body through shedding. His you-know-what would regrow completely in a few months." This giant was eight and a half feet tall, he wore a green shirt which depicted three white skulls in a black circle, one on top of the other two in a triangle formation. His horns were dark green.

Angron grumbled. "I know brother is determined to defeat Sheol this time, but a prophecy that's older than we are? Come on man. It will never come to pass."

"Do not doubt the power of prophecy, Angron. Even now the signs come to pass and the time draws near to Sheol's return."

"Well I'm sick of waiting around on my ass all the time." Angron took a rock and tore it in half like it was a piece of paper.

"We're ALL sick of waiting." Mortarion said while leaning on his knee.

"I guess that's the one thing we can agree on. Besides, darling, I can promise you that there will be enough bloodshed to drown an entire galaxy." Fulgrim slithered over to Angron, admiring his raw strength. Angron gave him an angry glare, but Fulgrim only took more pleasure in it.

"Fulgrim, would you please stop 'checking me out'? I have a girlfriend you know."

"Oh please, that's the worst lie I've ever heard come out of your mouth. Besides, even if you did, you would probably killed her already with your massive d-" Angron punched Fulgrim in the face, breaking his nose and knocking out a few teeth. "If I had a woman I could call my own, she for sure wouldn't be a creepy snake slut like you."

"Love you too, big red." Fulgrim regenerated his teeth and fixed his nose, although there was still a little bit of blood, which was purple. Angron just chose to ignore Fulgrim this time.

Sunburst was confused, these four were brothers, they should be loving each other in a family way, not like this. His contemplation was cut short as he felt himself starting to be lifted off the ground.

"I'm sorry my brothers but it appears that this conversation is no longer private." Magnus lifted his finger and levitated Sunburst out of his hiding place. The brothers turned to look at the pony who was now suspended by magic mid-air.

"How did you know I was here?" Sunburst was panicking, knowing that any moment he could meet his end here.

"The same way you found us." Magnus stated. "Everyone has their own unique magic signature. By the looks of things, you must have sensed the disturbance in the local aura. Don't worry, we're not going to cause a tear in the fabric of reality. We've been at this for billions of years, and we are aware of the power we emanate." Sunburst was stunned. Clearly the one levitating him was an extremely powerful wizard to have given off such a powerful aura.

"What should we do?" Mortarion asked.

"Leave him," Magnus responded. "Besides, no one will believe him if he tries to tell anyone about it."

And with those words, the four brothers disappeared in the blink of an eye. Sunburst dropped to the ground with a small thud. Sunburst started to question his own sanity. He got up, seeing the broken in half rock, confirming this wasn't his mind playing tricks on him.

"Magnus, Angron, Fulgrim, Mortarion. I should do research into these four if I can find anything. Maybe I'll ask the princesses if they know anything."

Sunburst headed home, packed his bags, and headed out for Ponyville.

VII. Imprisioned

[CLASSIFIED]

17 days until ascension

—INSERT PASSWORD—

*************

—ACCESS GRANTED—

—LOADING REPORTS—

OPERATION: NIGHT RAVEN
LEGION(S) INVOLVED: NIGHT LORDS & RAVEN GUARD
LEADER(S): PRIMARCH KONRAD AND PRIMARCH CORVUS
LOCATION: EVERFREE FOREST
OBJECTIVE: ESTABLISH BEACHHEAD FOR FURTHER OPERATIONS. REMAINING UNDETECTED IS CRITICAL

TIMELINE:
1800: Drop pods carrying two squads of Night Lords and Raven Guard are launched from vessel Dragon’s Wings

1810: Drop pods land in Everfree Forrest

1830: Surrounding area is verified as clear of hostiles. Primarchs Konrad and Corvus are launched in their own respective drop pods

1840: Primarchs Konrad and Corvus land and join up with their respective squads. Temporary radio frequency is established

1900: Forward operating base is set up

1905: Contact with hostile timberwolves. Hostiles dispatched with flamers. Minimal noise is made

1920: Perimeter of forest is secured. Beachhead established

Mission successful

OPERATION: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
LEGION(S) INVOLVED: RAVEN GUARD & THOUSAND SONS
LEADER(S): PRIMARCH MAGNUS AND CHAPTER MASTER KAYVAAN SHRIKE
LOCATION: EQUUS
OBJECTIVE: SURVEY PLANET FOR CHANGES IN GEOLOGY AND NATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED. REMAINING UNDETECTED IS CRITICAL

SUMMARY: Thousand Sons and Raven Guard cooperated well. Thousand Sons were able to create a psychic shield around each squadron member of both legions that would hide magical signature and amplify concealment. Equus was surveyed in a matter of days. Changes from ten-billion years ago have been noted. No geological change, changes in civilizations have been found. New nations documented.

Note from the Void Master:
I immediately want Alpha Legion operatives on the ground to gather as much information as possible. Infiltration of society through use of polymorphine has been authorized. Kidnapping and forceful interrogation of civilians and government officials is off the table. (Get over it Fulgrim.)

OPERATION: SPINE HEART
LEGION(S) INVOLVED: THOUSAND SONS & SPACE WOLVES
LEADER(S): PRIMARCH LEMAN & PRIMARCH MAGNUS
LOCATION: CRYSTAL EMPIRE
OBJECTIVE: SURVEY CRYSTAL EMPIRE

TIMELINE:
2200: One squad from each legion is launched from Dragon’s Wing. Primarchs Leman and Magnus are deployed along with them

2210: Squads and Primarchs land 11 miles from outskirts of Crystal Empire

2240: Squads arrive at outskirts of Crystal Empire on foot

2300: Base camp established. Extraction beacon is primed for use at end of mission

2330: Magnus and Leman take their squads and stay together. Thousand Sons provide psychic shield to hide magic signature

2400: Magnus flies to the Crystal Palace and successfully infiltrates it. Teleports rest of forces, including Leman, into palace.

0200: Sweep of the palace is conducted and completed without detection

0210: Magnus and Leman enter the room of Flurry Heart alone.

Magnus and Leman entered Flurry Heart’s room as silently as they could. Of course this is no easy feat when you’re in massive power armor, unless you’re Corvus or Konrad. Magnus was trying to be stealthy, Leman just waltzed right in. Brushing by Magnus. Magnus could see the yellow diamond with a black wolf’s head in the middle, the symbol of the Space Wolves. His grey armor stomping all over the place. His wolf cape didn’t help either. Magnus facepalmed himself.

“We’re supposed to be stealthy you dumb-ass!” Magnus said in a whisper.

“Well I don’t care. Besides, it’s not like any one can put up a fight against the both of us.” Leman was using his “inside” voice, not caring if he was drawing attention. He knew Magnus could just teleport them out of the palace if need be.

“Brother, I swear to Azur’rath, I will punch out your heart again if you don’t shut up.” Magnus was angry, but he had more important things to focus on. Specifically, he wanted to see Flurry Heart. He moved over to the cradle in which she slept. That’s when he went wide eyed.

“So the rumors were true!” Magnus whispered excitedly, “A naturally born Alacorn! This is only time this has ever happened.”

“What about Celestia, Luna and Nocturne?” Leman was mocking Magnus with this question.

“You know as well as I do that Sol and Star are both gods. It makes sense for them to have divine children. Flurry heart on the other hand, her father is a unicorn.” Magnus was frustrated with Leman for seemingly not knowing the obvious.

“Oh quit yer whining. I’m just annoying you. It’s my job as a brother after all.” Leman chuckled at his own weak jest.

“Not all the damn time.” Magnus retorted. He levitated Flurry Heart into the air. “Yes... wow! The amount of magic she is giving off is astounding. She’s an Alacorn in both physical and magic. Maybe Sol gave the couple his divine blessing? Hmmm... it’s a possibility...”

As Magnus started to pace back and forth while hypothesizing, he gently let down Flurry Heart back into her cradle. Leman went over to the cradle and looked down into it. ”This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Leman thought to himself. Then, Flurry yawned and opened her eyes. She giggled seeing Leman’s face. She seemed to be attracted to the black skin giant. She started to tug at his fluffy white facial hair which he never shaved. Fortunately his facial hair had grown out to its maximum. He picked up Flurry and cradled her in his arms. His armor should have been cold but Space Wolf Armor has a built in heat generator that can be adjusted. To the user’s preference. Flurry giggled. She flew up to his big mop of hair and landed in it. She found it warmer than his arms.

“...there are so many theories I could write about this. Who knows what secrets could be... LEMAN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” Magnus wasn’t whispering at this point. He was caught completely off guard by Flurry’s antics.

“I think she likes me.”

“BY THE GODS LEMAN PUT HER BACK! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?!”

“Oh clam the Muspel down Magnus. Can’t you recognize how adorable she is?”

“LEMAN, THAT’S A PRINCESS, NOT TO MENTION THE ONLY NATURALLY BORN ALACORN THE UNIVERSE HAS EVER WITNESSED! PUT HER BACK DAMMIT!”

“Fine, but it doesn’t look like she’s gonna go back to bed willingly.”

”In that case,” Magnus lifted his finger. Flurry was levitated into the air, “I’ll do it.”

Flurry started squirming. She wanted to go back to Leman’s fluffy hair. Especially under his pony tail. His hair provided more warmth than her swaddle ever could. She stuck her tongue out at Magnus.

“Don’t give me that kind of lip, child. Off to bed you go.” Magnus was not happy at this point. He set Flurry down in her cradle. Leman moves over and started rubbing her stomach with his finger. Leman made sure not to use the tip of his finger, for his short claws were extremely sharp. They could have cut through Flurry like she was a piece of paper.

“Can’t you just not be a book worm for once in you’re life and recognize when something is cute?”

“Yes I know she’s cute, but we have more important matters to focus on-“

Shining Armor bucked the door open. Magnus quickly raised a magic shield with his staff, protecting himself and Leman. Just in time too. Cadence shot a beam of magic at Magnus and yelled “STEP AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!” It was clear that she wouldn’t risk having her child kidnapped after Sombra came back from the dead.

“ALRIGHT, WE ARE OUT OF HERE!” Magnus yelled. Purple fire enveloped both brothers, and they were gone. The squadrons were teleported as well, just before they were discovered by the guard.

“That went well!” Leman said cheerfully.

“Shut up.” Magnus grumbled.

0230: Magnus and Leman are detected by Crystal Empire forces. Squadrons and Primarchs are teleported away by Primarch Magnus

0235: Extraction beacon is activated

0240: Primarchs and squadrons are successfully extracted and transported to the Dragon’s Wing. Mission is abandoned by order of the God-Emperor

“I can’t believe you two.” The Void Master was not happy.

“HE STARTED IT! HE LITERALLY WOKE UP THE CHILD AND THEN SHE MADE A NEST IN HIS HAIR!” Magnus yelled and pointed at Leman.

“Oh please, if you hadn’t wanted to verify rumors, none of this would have happened. You know I have a soft spot for cute things.”

”ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU! YOU ARE BOTH AT FAULT HERE!” The Void Master’s voice was like thunder. Magnus and Leman were both silent.

*Sigh* “I am sorry my brothers. We are all a bit on edge right now. Leman, you shouldn’t have woken up Flurry Heart, but Magnus you shouldn’t have gone looking for her in the first place.”

“I understand, brother. I’m sorry.” Magnus said with remorse.

“Sorry, brother. I should have resisted my urges to cuddle that which is cute.” Leman said guiltily.

“It’s alright. I know it’s in your natures. You both have always been this way and you always will be. But for right now, could you try and focus on what’s going to happen? Sheol is going to make his return in seventeen days. We need to be ready.”

Magnus and Leman nodded in agreement.

“You are dismissed, my brothers.”

Magnus and Leman left. The Void Master sat in his obsidian throne. He started to ponder. He remembered his own two children, how they were on board waiting to see their mother again. They should have been adults by now, but thanks to their mother’s magic, they remained in stasis until a year ago, when the Void Master found them and brought them back into his fold. He started to tear up.

“Dad, you okay?” A small black pony with a dark blue mane entered. His mane echoed the magic of the night sky and the constellations. He had two short platinum dragon horns and a small black dragon’s tail with small platinum spikes that dotted the spine of it.

“Ender, my son! I didn’t hear you come in, and in pony form I see. I guess you want to get used to it before you see your mother again.”

“Yeah. So, when are we gonna see her again?”

“You’ll feel it when the time comes. You know, you remind me of her in so many ways.”

“Yeah I know, you’ve told me before.”

The Void Master chuckled. “Son, there are trying times ahead for everyone. You need to be there to comfort her when we make our return. Your sister included.”

A blue pony with dark blue fur entered. Her mane was purple, it echoed the magic of the Void. She was an Alacorn.

“Star Rift, my daughter, How are you?”

“I’m okay, father. Say, when are we going to see mom again?”

“Soon, my children. Very soon.” The Void Master embraced his children. Tears flowing from his eyes.

Author's Note

Something wicked this way comes...
Also, God-Emperor is what the Azur know the Void Master as. Those who aren’t Azur know him as the Void Master.
Leman’s voice

VIII. Condemnation

Author's Note

Imagine this grand cathedral, in a spaceship, looking out into the cosmos. The rest I'll leave to your imagination. Also, listen to this while you read, trust me, it will set the mood.
EDIT: The names that don’t have voice claims next to them are links. Sorry about not including that earlier

Lion - Aragorn
Purturabo
Jaghatai - Bruce Lee
Rogal
Konrad - Karsten Brill
Sanguinius - Orlando Bloom
Ferrus
Robute
Lorgar - Malos Vrykan
Vulkan
Corvus

Last Rites

10 DAYS UNTIL ASCENSION. THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN. THE DARKNESS APPROACHES

Twilight stood outside of her bedroom in her palace. She took a deep breath. She knew, once she fell asleep, there was no turning back. Everyone was silent. Not a single soul would utter a whisper. She breathed again, it was time. Two guards opened the doors, she trotted in, and the doors were closed. No one cheered. No one sang. There was only silence. She looked at her bed, she could feel fate drawing her to it. She got into bed, and closed her eyes. She instantly fell asleep. The crowd departed in silence.

A figure stood before a massive altar. His armor was a dark scarlet red. His cape was as black as night. He had three horns jutting from his head, two on the sides, one in the front. Ancient runes were tattooed on his face, for he was the high priest. His name, was Lorgar. Behind him, sat the one of his gods. The Void Master, who was in a deep trance.

"Brothers and sisters of the Azur Empire," Lorgar spoke, looking out at the many colors of the legions, "Today marks the beginning of a new age. Not an age of peace and prosperity, not an age of joy. But rather, an age of trial, and age of sword, an age of bloodshed. But with faith, we shall endure."

"For we are eternal." The crowd answered.

Lorgar turned to the legion armored in dark green. One stood above the rest. An Azur with blonde hair and a blonde beard. His armor was dark green and trimmed with gold, and he wore a green cape. On the right shoulder of his armor, a white sword, blade facing downwards, with white wings stretched out. For this was the symbol of the first legion. He was the one known as Lion, Primarch of the Dark Angels.

Lorgar spoke, "A lion is the king of the jungle. He must assert his authority over the other lions who seek to oppose him and claim his throne. For that is the duty of the Dark Angels to the Emperor."

"And our bolters shall roar in his name." Lion responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in purple. One stood above the rest, clad in purple armor, trimmed with gold. His cape was purple, his hair like platinum. On The right shoulder of his armor was an image of an eagle's claw connected to an eagles wing. Has name, was Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children.

Lorgar spoke, "You mold yourselves to perfection. Masters of blades. Truly no one can match your skill. There are those who are better than even you, they will try and challenge you, they will try and challenge the Emperor. You must perfect yourselves even more in order to overcome the foe. For that is the duty of the Emperor's Children."

"And we shall know no limits." Fulgrim responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in iron. One stood above the others, his armor trimmed with gold. On his right shoulder, a picture of an iron skull encircled by a diamond of rust. For this was the symbol of the fourth legion. He was the one known as Purturabo, Primarch of the Iron Warriors.

Lorgar sopke, "There are enemies who will not surrender. Those who will cower in their fortresses, behind their walls, hoping beyond hope. For the duty of the Iron Warriors is to tear down those walls."

"And break the spirit of those who cower behind them." Purturabo responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in white. One stood above the others, his armor trimmed with gold. His hair black, tied back, and his goatee straightened out. He wore a white cape. On the right shoulder of his armor, a red lightning bolt. The symbol of the fifth legion. His name was Jaghatai, Primarch of the White Scars.

Lorgar spoke. "There are enemies who haste into battle unprepared. Those who do not plan in advance. It is your duty to cut them down before they can prepare and regroup."

"For our blades shall be swift, and so to shall be the enemy's death." Jaghatai responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in grey. One stood above them. Of course, you have already seen him. For he wears the symbol of the sixth legion. His name is Leman, Primarch of the Space Wolves.

"You are wolves. You hunt in packs, with your brothers and sisters. Never leaving each other behind. For that is your duty to the Emperor."

"For we will not abandon him in his hour of need." Leman responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in yellow. One stood above the rest. His yellow armor trimmed with gold. He wore a red cape, and he had short, grey, hair. On the right shoulder of his armor there was an image of a black fist. The symbol of the seventh legion. His name was Rogal, Primarch of the Imperial Fists.

Lorgar spoke, "You are a mountain, forever still, forever vigilant and watching. You are the wall who defends, you are the phalanx of the Azur, for that is your duty to the Emperor."

"And we shall stand the test of time." Rogal responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in dark blue. One stood above the others. His blue armor trimmed with silver. His hair long and black. His cape a blood red. On his right shoulder, a skull with a pair of red wings. His name was Konrad, Primarch of the Night Lords.

Lorgar spoke, "You are death incarnate. You use the night to your advantage. You are the darkness which children fear. You are assassins, bringers of justice and that is your duty to the Emperor."

"For justice shall be served to the foe." Konrad responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in red and gold. One stood above the others, clad in gold, his hair like gold. He had the white wings of an angel. On the right shoulder of his armor, is an image of a drop of blood with white wings, for this is the symbol of the ninth legion. His name was Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blood Angels.

Lorgar spoke, "Truly you are angels incarnate. You are a shining beacon of light in the darkness. For your duty to the Emperor is to guide others who are lost."

"And we shall lead them to paradise." Sanguinius responded.

Lorgar turned to face another legion clad in iron. One stood above the others. His hair was short and black, he wore a silver cape. On the right shoulder of his armor, was a symbol of an arm and hand made of iron, the symbol of the tenth legion. His name was Ferrus, Primarch of the Iron Hands.

Lorgar spoke, "Your persistent. Headstrong. You are the spear of the Azur. Your destruction knows no bound. For that is your duty to the Emperor, to lay waste to his foes."

"And we shall leave only rubble." Ferrus responded.

Lorgar looked over to a legion clad in red. Their armor was trimmed in bronze, but the one who stood above them was clad in brass and red. He wore a red cape and had red, dragon-like wings. You've seen his symbol on his shirt, the symbol of the twelfth legion. Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters.

Lorgar spoke, "You are rage, your blessing from the patrons. You are strength, you are violence. You are gladiators. Born only to slay until finally slain. For that is your duty to the Emperor."

"And we shall slay in his name."

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in blue. One stood above the others, his armor blue and trimmed with gold. A golden halo surrounding the back of his head. His hair, short and blonde. On the right shoulder of his armor, a white inverted omega. For this was the symbol of the thirteenth legion. His name was Robute, Primarch of the Ultramarines.

Lorgar spoke, "You are devotion, you know only faith. You never back down, you face challenges head on. Many names in history are from your legion. For your duty to the Emperor is to serve him without any doubt in his wisdom."

"And we shall know no fear." Robute responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in a pale sickly green. One stood above the others. He was clad in green armor and wore a purple cape. His wings were like an angel's, but no feathers, rather pale white flesh. You have seen his symbol, that which is of the symbol of the fourteenth legion. His name is Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard

"You are plague. You spread like disease and rot among the foe. You spread panic, the foe does not know who is infected, and thus the roots of disease grow stronger. You duty is to spread this disease, but also to find cures for that which would affect us."

"For disease is our weapon, and it is also our cure." Mortarion responded.

Lorgar turned to a legion clad in blue and gold. One stood above the others, you know who he is, you've seen him before. For he bears the symbol of the fifteenth legion. His name is Magnus, Primarch of the Thousand Sons.

"Your knowledge knows no bounds. Scribes, scholars, philosophers, you ponder on existence itself. Knowledge is your weapon. Your duty is to gather knowledge, and share it with others."

"For we are blind to nothing." Magnus responded.

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in green and fire. One stood above the others. His armor green, trimmed with gold, wearing a black, scaled, cape. On the right shoulder of his armor was a black dragon head, the symbol of the eighteenth legion. His name was Vulkan, Primarch of the Salamanders.

Lorgar spoke, "You are fire, controlled yet wild. You spread and burn the foes of the Emperor. But you give warmth to others, give them light and shelter. For your duty is to protect those who can not protect themselves."

"For we are a light of hope in dark times of despair."

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in black. One stood above the others. He was clad in black armor trimmed with silver. Two steel wings arched from his back, attached to a jump pack. A white raven on the right shoulder of his armor, the symbol of the nineteenth legion. His name was Corvus, Primarch of the Raven Guard.

"You are ravens. You are bird of prey. Majestic birds who hunt through swift movements." You ambush the foe. You catch them off guard. Your duty is to observe from the shadows."

"And when the moment is right, we strike in the light."

Lorgar turned to face a legion clad in the blackest of the black. Their symbol, a golden eye. The sixteenth legion.

"The Black Legion, sons and daughters of a slain mother. You are the avatar of vengeance. You are the Emperor's fury incarnate. For revenge shall be yours against the demon foe."

"And we shall strike as one." Abbadon responded.

"Brothers and sisters, today we give thanks for this great gathering. Today, we put our faith in the gods. My duty is to make sure you retain your faith. The twelfth legion, a skull ablaze, resting on a book of faith. I am Lorgar, Primarch of the Word Bearers, and soon, our faith shall be rewarded. SING PRAISE TO AZUR'RATH, SING PRAISE TO ASGORATH, SING PRAISE TO THE FOUR PATRONS, SING PRAISE TO MY BROTHER, THE GOD-EMPEROR OF THE AZUR. FOR HE IS THE VOID MASTER, THE DIVINE CONDUIT, KNOW HIS NAME, FOR HIS NAME IS VOID!"

"SING PRAISE!" Everyone responded.

X. An Oath Upheld

Condemnation

Twilight found herself alone, floating in what seemed to be a place of infinite darkness. She could tell this was only a dream, but it was different from any other dream that she had. She felt that her mind was completely empty, devoid of any thoughts or feelings that would usually contribute to her dreams.

"Okaaayyyyy... this is weird..." Twilight said in worry. "Maybe it's a side-affect of my ascension? Yeah... that has to be it..."

She started to wander a little, navigating the infinite expanse, hoping to find someone or something. All she found was even more darkness. She sighed and sat down, contemplating what to do next. For the first time in her life, she was truly and completely alone. There was just, nothing. But then, she heard something. It sounded like a mare who was crying.

"Hello?" Twilight shouted into the darkness. "Are you okay? Don't worry, I'm coming to help you. Just stay where you are."

Twilight started galloping towards where the crying was coming from. As she got closer, the crying seemed to intensify into wailing. Twilight was no doubt disturbed at this. She hesitated to go any further, but she knew someone might be in trouble, or worse. Her instincts overcame her hesitation and she galloped at all speed. As Twilight galloped towards the crying mare, she could start to make out a figure in the distance. A blue mane that sparkled with the stars, and a blue coat of fur, with black spots on her flank that surrounded her cutie mark: a crescent moon. Luna.

Twilight slowed her pace when she realized who she was galloping towards. "Princess Luna, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Luna said nothing, instead she continued to cry. Twilight noticed that in front of Luna was an orb of purple light. She seemed attracted by this orb. It seemed to be, drawing her in. As Twilight moved closer, the image of Luna faded away, and only the orb was left. Twilight felt as if this strange orb was extremely ancient, as if it was waiting for something. Or someone, some-pony. Then it dawned on Twilight. The orb was waiting for her.

The moment she came to this realization the orb was opened. The orb was an eye. A dragon's eye. It started to draw Twilight in with the force of a black hole. Twilight tried to resist but the force was too much for her. She was pulled in, and found herself falling...

5 DAYS UNTIL ASCENSION. THE EYE HAS OPENED

Sunburst was undoubtedly pissed off. Being threatened by his former mentor was a shock to him. The one who was like a second mother to him, who taught him the ways of kindness and compassion, threatened his own life. Ever since that day, he couldn't sleep. Not for a moment, fearing that he would be killed by some secret order of royal assassins. He was scared, he was frightened, he was angry at Celestia. Starlight was with Sunburst as he ranted. She thought that Sunburst had gone completely insane and that he was making up these accusations. Nonetheless, she was undoubtedly disturbed.

"So, let me get this straight. You believe that Celestia has been hiding the fact that there have been these 'super beings' called 'Azur' for ten billion years, and that at one point they saved the entirety of Equus through their leader's sacrifice? And now they've come back preaching about the end-times? And you also claim you've become friends with one of their rulers whose name is, Magnus? I don't know, Sunburst. Sounds like your mind might be infected with poison joke or something." Starlight had started making the poison joke cure right there and then.

"YES!" Sunburst yelled. He was very annoyed that his best friend wasn't taking him seriously. Then again, he should have seen this coming. "And now they're back to finish the fight that was started so long ago by this dark god known as Sheol. From what I've heard he's MUCH worse than what Grogar was like."

"Yep, you've definitely gone off the deep end. Here, take this, you'll stop your rambling if you do."

"No! I refuse!

"Dammit Sunburst, TAKE THE DAMN CURE!"

And the chase ensued. For a few minutes, Starlight chased Sunburst throughout Equus. Teleporting to different locations all around the planet, running, conjuring magic portals and going through them. Startlight yelling the occasional "GET BACK HERE!" and Sunburst yelling the occasional "OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Eventually they ended back up back in Sunburst's library right where they had began. Startlight was able to pin Sunburst to the ground and cast a spell that would inhibit his magical abilities. But then the chase continued, with Sunburst climbing up the bookcases, knocking them over and throwing books at Starlight in an attempt to stop her. All the while, Magnus looked on in amusement. Eventually he burst out laughing and his invisibility spell wore off. Sunburst was relieved to see Magnus. Starlight was shocked and confused.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! BY AZUR'RTH *snort* THIS IS THE *snicker* FUNNIEST THING I'VE SEEN *snort* IN AGES! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA....haaaah oh that was funny. Heheh."

"WHAT IN TARTARUS IS THAT THING?!" Starlight yelled.

Sunburst took up an 'I told you so' attitude. "Starlight, this is Magnus the Red. The Crimson King, Champion of the Whispers in the Void, and Sorcerer King of Prospero. He's the one I was telling you about earlier."

Magnus put on his best regal attitude and looked at Sunburst. "Sunburst, I am flattered but please, just call me Magnus." Magnus then looked at Starlight. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Time-Bender. Truly, your magic and knowledge knows no bounds. May your wisdom grow ever greater."

Starlight was confused by the title she was given. "Hold on. Time-Bender? Why are you calling me... OH." It dawned on Starlight that this 'Magnus' creature knew of her whole changing-the-future-to-the-point-of-nearly-destroying-the-entire-timeline incident. Starlight blushed in embarrassment. She really wanted to forget that whole fiasco.

"Oh, don't be so ashamed!" Magnus said with a comforting tone. "Besides, I was once like you. Reckless, always wanting more power, all of that yadayada. We all learn our lesson in time. And trust me when I say, being forgiven is much better than loosing an eye. Whole council of Nikea thing was so shitty. Why the fuck did Leman get to decide my punishment? By the gods I hated that... Sorry, I'm getting off track."

Starlight was nervous. "It's okay. I'm surprised that you're actually-"

"Real?" Magnus finished Starlight's question.

"Yeah..." Starlight felt ashamed for not believing Sunburst.

"It's alright. I can't blame you. Being gone for ten billion years tends to do that. But as we were such a pivotal part in Equestrian history, really makes you think twice about Celestia's honesty."

"Dammit, now I'm questioning the Princess." Starlight said in frustration. "Do you think Twilight knows?"

"It is a royal secret. She may know something but not everything as you do. Probably just the basics like who we are, where we came from, all that jazz."

"So why keep it a secret?" Starlight was now very curious.

"Most likely because it was the most violent time in this planet's, if not the Universe's history. To put it simply, the rivers LITERALLY ran red with blood." Magnus replied.

Sunburst and Starlight shuddered at the thought. After a small moment of silence, Starlight spoke. "Greaaaaaaat." She said sarcastically. She sat down in the nearest chair and slumped over. "Now I know the truth and I'm going to be killed for it. What a wonderful life this is. Just when I thought everything was over, life throws another obstacle right at you."

Magnus leaned on a bookshelf and let out an audible sigh. "Trust me, I know how that feels. But, let us keep a stiff upper lip and our heads held high."

"We can't just confront Princess Celestia with this information." Sunburst said with panic. "She would kill us all if Starlight and I decided to confront her about it. Sol, Star, Nocturne, and Luna are touring the various kingdoms in Equus, giving Celestia free reign to exercise her rule in Equestria. We could be put on the most wanted list, if she even has one."

"Weeeeeelll," Magnus said with a grin, "I could grant you two a temporary political asylum if you do confront Celestia about what you've learned. It would make for some interesting debate seeing her subjects turning on her."

Sunburst and Starlight looked at each other. They both knew it was only a matter of time before Celestia found the both of them. They could only imagine what she would do. The ancient knowledge was too important to be kept secret. If no one knew of what was coming, what then? Equus would be caught off guard entirely. The entire planet would be slaughtered. Every creature needed to be warned, they needed to be ready for the coming war, or they would all perish.

"Ah, I see your decision is made." Magnus said with a smile. Starlight was stunned. "How did you-"

"He can read minds." Sunburst answered.

"Very well. Lorgar shall finalize the papers. Brothers, you may come out now."

Fugrim, Angron, Mortarion and Lorgar suddenly appeared. Their invisibility spell wearing off at Magnus's command. Starlight was awestruck when she saw them. Sunburst just simply smiled.

Lorgar spoke facing Sunburst and Starlight. "Let us give refuge to those seek it. For the word of the Void Master must continue to spread without persecution. For the time of his return draws near, and so to does the return of Sheol. The people must be warned about the coming Darkness, or face death unprepared."

Twilight woke to find herself in what seemed to be Ponyville. She still remembered her fall when the eye sucked her in with the force of a black hole. She could feel that this was definitely not an ordinary dream. This wasn't even a nightmare. This was different. As she looked around she noticed that there was no grass. The earth itself was a deep scarlet red. Buildings seemed burnt to a crisp. Smoke completely choked the air, and the sky was completely blotted out by black clouds of ash. There we cracks in the earth which seemed to go down for miles, all the way to lava.

"What happened here... Is this some sort of alternate reality?"

It was then that she noticed some sort of creature. She couldn't really get a good look at it, but she could see that it stood on what seemed to be two hind legs, and that its skin was red. It had an elongated head from which two horns curved forward. It seemed to be clothed in some sort of black armor. It was leaning over something, something that Twilight couldn't make out.

Twilight approached the creature. As she got closer, she smelled a stench coming off the creature. It smelled of sulfur, like the dragon lands, but a lot more poignant. She could feel a dark aura surrounding this creature, like something wasn't right, like it's existence offended reality itself. Nevertheless, she decided to introduce herself to it.

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle! What's youuuuurrrrrsssss..."

The creature turned around. It's eyes were like brimstone and it's face was monstrous. Its teeth like iron daggers, and its mouth filled with blood. She could instantly tell what this thing was. It was a demon. And it was devouring the corpse of a brown mare. Specifically a unicorn.

Twilight was revolted and terrified. As she screamed, the demon pounced at her. Its eyes filled with murderous intent. As the demon leapt towards Twilight, a black sword with a blade surrounded with purple fire sliced through her. It passed through her as if she was a ghost, cutting the demon's head off in one fell swoop. She put the pieces together right there and then.

"This...this is a memory. One of Luna's no doubt."

Twilight looked behind her, and she saw a massive towering figure. His armor was black, adorned with some sort of purple gems. She could tell it wasn't amethyst, but rather something that was completely undiscovered, and much more magical. Upon the shoulders of his armor were carved heads of dragons. His black cape adorned with a symbol of a five headed dragon guarding a star, all outlined in platinum thread. He was a dragon, with four wings and four platinum horns. Much bigger than others, he dwarfed the size of normal dragons by far. His left eye was purple and his right eye was completely white. A long purple scar cutting across it. She knew exactly who this was.

This was the Void Master.

4 DAYS UNTIL ASCENSION. LET THE SWORD CONFRONT THE PAST

Celestia hated being on damage control, especially while the rest of her family was gone. The press were being a lot more nosy than usual, especially since they had received an anonymous tip that someone had been locked in the dungeon for the first time in forever. Now she was out on the balcony overlooking the royal garden, giving a press conference to the reporters and civilians.

"Settle down every-pony. One at a time, one at a time. Raise your hooves if you have a question to ask."

Hooves instantly shot up. Celestia mentally sighed, knowing that this was going to be a long day. She pointed at at one of the reporters.

"Celestia, is it true that a pony was locked in the dungeon? If so, for what reason?"

"Yes, it is true that a pony was locked in the dungeon." This sent a flurry of murmurs and gasps through the crowd. "However, I had good reason to, and it was only for a few hours. No punishment was involved." Some hooves went down and others were raised. Celestia pointed at another pony. "Yes, you, in the hat."

"You didn't answer why the pony was sent to the dungeon."

"It is royal business that I shall attend to along with my family when they return. It is information, that if revealed, would put you all in grave danger."

"It is even more dangerous not to reveal it!"

Sunburst stepped forward out of the crowd. Murmurs ran wild, ponies gasped at seeing one of Celestia's own students defy her. This had not been seen since Sunset's betrayal, and even then that was kept under wraps. Starlight stepped forward too.

"Why did you lie to us? I know it was from such a long time ago but if you don't listen then that era is going to repeat itself ten times over!"

"You do not know the half of what you speak of, Starlight. Sunburst, I told you to tell no one. How could you betray me like this?"

"Because we all must prepare for what is to come. This is not an age of peace that is dawning, but rather an age of war. Blood will be spilled, lives will be lost, and if you don't start mobilizing the army then many more are going to die!"

Celestia gritted her teeth. She had had enough of this. "GUARDS! SEIZE THEM!"

As the guards moved forward to arrest Sunburst and Starlight, Fulgrim revealed himself. His tail twisted around the squad of guards like a boa constrictor about to devour its prey. He grinned in giddy excitement, for he had not had this much fun in ages. A squadron of the Emperor's Children lined the rooftops, stalker bolters in hand, ready to fire at a moments notice. Magnus conjured a shield that protected Starlight and Sunburst from physical harm, Thousand Sons sorcerers in a protective circle around the shield. Mortarion flew overhead searching for any other potential threats. The Death Guard had already made quick work of the guards stationed outside the courtyard with anesthetic gas, which put them to sleep immediately. Angron and the World Eaters were on crowd control, making sure no one would escape and alert the rest of Canterlot. Pure confusion and terror spread through out the crowd of ponies, and then Lorgar shut everyone up.

"SILENCE!" Lorgar yelled. Everyone was immediately quiet. He stopped in the middle of the crowd, which moved out of the way for this creature, for fear of what he might to to them.

"Citizens of Equestria, do not be afraid. My brothers and I mean no harm here. Please, everyone, lower your weapons. We are not here to start a war." For some reason, the guards found Lorgar's voice calming. They lowered their weapons, and the Azur lowered theirs.

"While it is true that Celestia has kept her own secrets over the years, we must not forget what she has done for everyone here. She helped to bring Equestria out of the ruin caused by Sheol ten billion years ago. For that I respect her. Lorgar's voice now became harsher in tone, like a father disciplining his child. However, Celestia, you have not heeded the signs, you have turned a blind eye to the warnings. Sheol's return is immanent."

"SHEOL IS DEAD, LORGAR! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TRESPASS ON EQUESTRIAN TERRITORY LIKE THIS!"

"Oh but I do have good reason, Celestia. You endanger your people by keeping them in the dark. Have you not seen what is happening? The door to Tarturus is no longer enough to hold Sheol back. My spies have gathered intelligence that demons are gathering in Hell once more. They are rallying under one who calls himself the Pony of Shadows. His banner is that of a world on fire. You know who this is. You've always known, but you refuse to believe it! Even now, Sheol presses his advantage while you sit by idly and do N O T H I N G. To be completely honest we did expect more out of you, but those chances have long been squandered. You are but a shell of your former self, Celestia."

The whole world stood still. Celestia said nothing. She just stood there, with tears in her eyes. All the sorrow, all the pain, it was all coming back to her. The blood, the gore, the violence, the fire, the suffering. She didn't want to go through all of that again. And yet, deep down inside of her, she knew it was about to happen again.

"I figured as much..." Lorgar, his brothers, and the squadrons covering them teleported back to the Dragon's Wing. Sunburst, Starlight, and Magnus were still there. Magnus felt sorry for Celestia, and he decided to try and comfort her.

"You know, you don't have to blame yourself for his death. Void made his choice of his own will. He knew the risk and he knew the sacrifice. You taught him well and I get that he meant a lot to you, but sometimes... sometimes we just need to let go."

And with that, Magnus, Starlight and Sunburst were teleported to the Dragon's wing.

Celestia collapsed in grief and sorrow. No pony dared to speak a word. They all left, leaving Celestia alone.

XI. A Temporary Peace

Author's Note

I assume you have read the story from the beginning. If not, go back and read the previous chapters.

This was a long chapter to write considering my schedule. Now the reason why I didn't put in more description as what the demons look like, is because I want you to imagine them for yourself. Think about it, there's no one set uniform for all demons. Throughout the years, demons have been depicted differently in different cultures, and more recently, in TV shows, video games, you name it. Also, these are demons from all over Hell who have come to fight for Sheol, so there are many different types. They could be the demons from Warhammer, Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Hazbin Hotel, or maybe just straight up giant flying spaghetti monsters. Point is, it's up to YOU, the reader. To imagine what these demons look like and how they function. If there is a demon who is going to play an actual role in the story, like the one Twilight encountered, they will be described in detail. Also don't read this in dark mode.

Sheol - Oryx, the Taken King

Abbadon - I've posted his voice later in the chapter... for... reasons... :)

Hammer - Demoman

Anvi - Meridia from the Disney movie "Brave" (Go watch it. It's actually really good.)

The Drums of War

Twilight stepped aside so she could see the memory play out. She saw the Void Master kneel beside the slaughtered mare, planting his sword in the ground. He seemed moved, but not shocked. How could he be? He had seen this kind of slaughter many times. He knew the sorrows of war and bloodshed.

"Void." A voice said. Twilight spun around to see who it was. It was Celestia, adorned in golden armor, carrying a golden pike radiating with the energies of the Day. Beside her was Luna, adorned in blue armor, carrying a sword which radiated with the energies of the Night. "We must keep moving. Ponyville has been completely destroyed. There is nothing for us here. We're pushing the demons back to the Taturus gate. Soon we will overwhelm them, and finally banish Sheol back to the pits where he belongs."

"No. We make camp here and stay the night. There might be survivors, and the troops are becoming fatigued." Void retorted.

"He does have a point. We could all use a break. Besides, survivors could join our ranks, all the more hooves to drive Sheol back to Tarturus."

Celestia gave a small huff, but she relented. "Fine."

Twilight was confused. How? How could Celestia just disregard the welfare of her own people, let alone her own soldiers? This wasn't the Celestia she knew as a mentor. And yet, she could feel that this actually happened.

Time sped forward. Twilight found herself at the top of a cliff. Looking down at the surrounding field. It was a slaughter. Demons of all forms, shapes, and sizes, clashing with the armies of Equestria. She saw Celestia below, mowing down the demons with her pike. Slaughtering them with extreme efficiency. She took joy in slaughtering those who would hurt her kin. And yet Twilight found it disturbing, and yet, she felt that these creatures, these unholy abominations, these twisted things birthed from pits in the lowest planes of existence, that they deserved it.

Twilight then found herself in a medical tent. Behind the lines of battle, those who were wounded were being treated and helped. Both Azur and Pony alike were there, both wounded and treating those who were wounded. She found Void there as well. Conversing with those who were wounded and giving them comfort. He was happy and joyous, using his magic to heal instead of to harm. No creature seemed intimidated by him, they only took comfort in his presence. Void was kneeling beside the bed of a wounded Pegasus. One of his wings was completely gone, he had cuts and bruises all over his body. Twilight was undoubtedly disturbed at the sight.

"Void Master, thank you for carrying me here. That demon got me pretty good. I'll admit, if it weren't for you, I probably would have been dead. Thanks to you I'll live another day. Maybe they might send me home due to my injuries."

"You need not thank me. I'm just doing what I can for others. A good ruler must always protect his people. Otherwise they will abandon him and leave him for dead." He paused for a moment. "Tell me, why do you fight for Equestria? And don't tell me for the fate of the Universe and everyone in it. Trust me, I've heard that more than enough."

The Pegasus paused, contemplating on his answer. "I fight for my family. They're a long way from here in Manehattan, but I think of them every day. I would gladly give my life for my wife and daughter. That's something something you can surely share sentiment with. You being a father and all."

Void nodded. "Indeed. Truly a noble cause. It is a shame so many families have been ripped apart in this war."

"No to be insensitive, Void Master, but even yours." The Pegasus added.

Void closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, even mine. My mother and father's death was a heavy blow to all of my brothers and I."

"Truly you must be thankful for Luna's support through these dark times. She has been a beacon of hope through these dark times. I wish I could say the same for Celestia though."

"She is a beacon of hope in her own right. A beacon for warriors, honor, and glory. Even though I may not agree with her sometimes, she still taught me about warfare. Without her, I probably wouldn't be what I am today."

"Amen to that, Void Master." The Pegasus said.

The vision then shifted again, and Twilight found herself in the middle of battle.

3 DAYS UNTIL ASCENSION. WAR DRAWS NEAR

Sunburst stirred. Last night had not been a fun one. He couldn't sleep. He felt guilt over what had happened yesterday. How he saw Celestia absolutely destroyed emotionally by Lorgar. If only he had decided to keep his mouth shut. But it didn't matter now. He found himself in a bedroom aboard the Dragon's Wing. It was a small yet comfortable room, reserved for visitors or diplomats who wished to have an audience with the Void Master, or the Emperor as he was also known as by his own kin. Sunburst couldn't keep up with titles at this point. He had way too much on his mind. There was a knock at the door. Sunburst hurriedly threw on his blue cloak, trying to fix himself up for whoever was at the door. The bed he had slept in was very comfortable, almost too comfortable.

"Dammit! I slept in!" Sunburst thought to himself. He was supposed to be meeting with the rest of the Primarchs today at a war council. He didn't remember when it was scheduled but he felt that it was soon. "Give me a minute!" Sunburst shouted in desperation. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the Void Master. The door opened and Magnus stepped in.

"Nervous to see my brother aren't you?"

"Yes! Very!" Sunburst responded.

"Alright, let's not keep him waiting any longer. Fortunately you're not the only one who slept in." Magnus remarked.

Sunburst was relieved that he wasn't the only one. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Good!" Magnus exclaimed in joy. "Now, would you like to take the scenic route or the quick route?"

"The quick route thank you very much!"

"Alright!" Magnus snapped his fingers. In an instant they were outside of the meeting hall/throne room. It's tall, obsidian doors menacing. Their engravings of Dragons and Azur staring down those who would dare to enter. Sunburst had never seen a more beautiful door.

Magnus grinned. "If you think that's beautiful, then just wait until you see the Eternity Gate."

Magnus knocked on the door, and it opened on its own. A grand meeting hall stood before them. A long rectangular room, lined with twenty obsidian pillars, each representing one legion of the Azur Knights, or Space Marines as Sunburst called them. In the center of the room was a circular obsidian table, with eighteen large and obsidian chairs surrounding it. At the top of each chair, the symbol of each legion was engraved. There was no chair at the very top of the table, rather, at the end of the room itself was a throne, the throne of the Void Master.

Every Primarch was already at their respective seat of the table. Sunburst found Starlight sitting at the seat of one of two Primarchs that seemed missing. Sunburst sat in the other one, right next to Starlight. The chair was far bigger than he was, but he managed to get on it and sat down.

The Primarchs were conversing with one another, talking about their legion, political matters, weather, debating who's tactics were better, long standing legion rivalries, the whole shebang. Starlight was relieved that Sunburst was sitting next to her. She had been stuck there for thirty minutes with no one to talk to.

"So, this is new. Never been to a 'War-Council' before. What do you think it'll be like?" Starlight asked nervously.

"I have no idea. Seems calm so far."

Magnus was on the other side of Sunburst. "Nope. It won't be calm. There hasn't been a War-Council in ages. And when there have been, they're usually when we're about to openly go to war..."

Sunburst started to sweat a little, and worry a lot.

"Don't worry, it probably won't be that bad." Starlight tried to reaffirm. She didn't do a good job. Then, Abbadon entered the room and everyone was quiet. The Primarchs stood up. Sunburst and Starlight were confused.

"Stand!" Magnus whispered to them.

They both stood, on their chairs. Magnus sighed. "It will have to do" He thought to himself.

Abbadon spoke. "This meeting is now called to order." With this he stood next to his seat, right next to Starlight.

Void then entered the room. Everyone saluted him as he moved across to his throne. As soon as he sat down, everyone else sat down. Sunburst and Starlight still stood. There were a few glances.

"Oh! Sorry." Sunburst said sheepishly. He then sat down, followed by Starlight. Magnus sighed. Everyone's focus shifted to Void.

"It's alright. It has been more than ten-billion years since a Pony has been in the presence of an Azur. I am not surprised none of your kin know of Azur customs. Especially those outside of royalty. All is forgiven. Now, let us move on with this meeting. The severity of the situation is paramount, and we are ready for what is coming. The problem is that Equus is not ready. Not by a long shot." A map of Equus was projected from the table.

"However, there is some good news. Thanks to the effort of the Alpha Legion and it's operatives, we now know where Sheol is going to strike." The map zoomed in on Canterlot.

"Here." Void pointed at the palace. "On the eve of Twilight's first raising of the sun, Sheol will strike, and we will strike back."

Sunburst went wide eyed. "But that means Twilight is in danger. If the process of her ascension is interrupted then she won't become a goddess!" Everyone turned and looked at Sunburst.

"Twilight will be fine. Trust me." Void assured Sunburst. "My agents are well in place and ready to defend her if needed. Besides, she will be awake before Sheol strikes at the heart of Equestria. You'll see."

Sunburst was confused, but somewhat put at ease as well.

Robute then spoke. "Brother, since Twilight is secure and the royals are more than capable of defending themselves, we should rally the Dragons. They are your second kin after all and the return of the Dragon-King would rally all dragons across the Universe to your cause. They are an essential asset. Too long have they gone without a single leader they can trust. They have fallen into petty power struggles among themselves. You know of the events of the Gauntlet of Fire a few years ago. Torch resigned his position honorably, and now his daughter, Ember, is in charge. In order to gain control-"

"Yes, I am very well aware of the situation, Robute. I know what must be done. I will go alone to the Dragon-Lands."

"Don't you at least want some backup?" Lion asked.

"No, I will be fine." Void responded.

"Aye, that he will. If there's one among us who knows the dragons better than all of us combined, it's Void. Besides, we all know of the duel he must face if Ember refuses to submit to Void's authority." Leman said with confidence.

"She'll be utterly obliterated!" Starlight interjected.

Lorgar spoke to Starlight. "It is unwise to doubt the Void Master. The Dragons will recognize his divine authority. There will be no bloodshed between Azur and Dragon." Starlight was still suspicious.

"You treat Void like he's some sort of super important divine god or something." Starlight said with a huff.

There was a moment of silence in the room before Lorgar got up and started to approach Starlight, slowly making his way around the table.

"Ooooooohhh shiiiiiit. Now she's done it." Magnus whispered to himself.

"You dare to question his divinity?! You ungrateful wench! He is responsible for saving your people from the brink of extinction! He sacrificed himself for your people and yet, here you are, uttering blasphemy against him! I should have you executed for this, you HERETIC!"

"Lorgar, enough."

Lorgar was immediately quiet. He went back to his seat with his head hung in shame. He sat down and said, "Forgive me, Brother. My zealotry blinded my judgement. I sincerely apologize."

"Your sins are forgiven, my brother. Take care, these are our guests, not foes. Again, it has been a while since I have paid visit to this world openly. Due to the passing of time, the memory of the Azur on Equus has long passed into nonexistence. On the subject of our guests, I would like to ask if they have any input to give on the subject of defending it."

A few moments of silence passed while Sunburst processed what Void had just said. "Wait, you're asking us how to defend Equestria? With all due respect, Lord Void Master or whatever I'm supposed to call you, I am not rehearsed in the arts of warfare. Nor is Starlight. We're scholars of magic, sure, but I think Magnus has long surpassed Starlight and I in that field long before we were even born."

Starlight blushed in embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't call myself a scholar of magic..."

Magnus stepped in to help. "You have clearly shown your ability to control the forces which are birthed from the Astral plane. You even manipulated time itself, which, even by my standards, is no small feat. That's the reason why I give you the title of Time-Bender. You should be honored."

"Albeit she had malicious intentions..." Leman said.

"YOU HAVE NO SAY IN THIS LEMAN! YOU KNOW I RESPECT SCHOLARS, AND OTHER MAGIC USERS BOTH GOOD AND EVIL! Except Sheol, he can go fuck himself, BUT STILL!"

"SHE NEARLY CAUSED A TEAR IN THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM! WE HAD TO ISOLATE EQUUS IN A TIME LOOP IN ORDER TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE UNIVERSE!" Leman retorted.

"fffffffFFFUCK YOU LEMAN! Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Abbadon yelled. "Your constant arguments are not helping the situation at hand!"

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP?!" A voice came from the doorway. It was Ender. "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP DAMMIT!"

"Sorry, son, but your uncles are fighting again." Void shouted from the other side of the room. "Do you wanna join?"

"Sure. I got nothing better to do." Ender answered. In an instant he was in the lap of his father, as small as Ender may be compared to a massive Azur Dragon in his royal power armor. Starlight and Sunburst were surprised. Another pony? But he was different. He had the same four horns as his father, albeit smaller. He was basically a mini-ponified version of his father. But his hair flowed with familiarity.

"Wait, that's your son?" Starlight asked.

"Yep, and he has a daughter as well." Star Rift appeared from the ceiling, falling through a teleportation rift and landing in her father's lap. And judging from her coat of fur, it didn't take a genius to figure out who the mother was...

"I now realize who the mother is, and holy shit it all makes sense now..." Sunburst said, eyes wide open.

"Ah, yes, the Dream Weaver, the Queen of the Azur." Sanguinius said.

"Luna... PRINCESS LUNA IS THEIR MOTHER?!" Starlight yelled.

It was a slaughter, Ponies, Azur, and demons dying left and right. Twilight ran frantically trying to get out but she found herself being drawn right back in. Blood and gore were everywhere. The smell of rotting corpses made Twilight gag. She tried to hold back from vomiting as best as she could, but to no avail.

"This is horrible! How could a world so peaceful once be so violent? Why were these events not written in our history?" Twilight thought to herself.

A roar sounded from above, powerful and commanding. Twilight looked up in fear. She saw the former Dragon-Lord, Torch, covered in steel armor, along with an entire army of dragons who carried weapons. They started to descend upon the demon hordes. Twilight could hear shouting orders at the demons. A tall figure stood among them. One of the captains of the demon army.

"STEADY, STEADY, FIRE!"

A volley of arrows loosed from the demon archers' bows. Black arrows which soared through the sky with unholy grace. They were made to pierce the scales of dragons. Torch, now realizing what the demons were doing, spread his wings in order to shield the rest of the dragons from the arrows. The arrows tore through Torch's wings, but he seemed undeterred. He let out a roar as he plunged into the demons, his fire breath making short work of them. He landed and started to fight the demons, crushing hundreds under his feet and killing more with his talons.

As Torch started to rip and tear through the hordes of demons, a new wave of ponies, led by Celestia, Luna, Sol and Star, charged into the demon lines. Celestia herself and her battalion joined in on the dragon's slaughter. Luna's battalion of Ponies moved to the east for an encircling movement to cut off the demons' reinforcements should they call for help. Sol joined Celestia, their weapons flashing with magical energy and cutting down their foes. Their martial prowess was unmatched. Star provided support from above, using the power and light of the stars to rain holy fire upon the demons, sending them shrieking in confusion and terror.

And then, the ground erupted. Chunks of earth flew into the air and stayed in place. Some flew higher than others. A column of lava and earth was now in the center of the battlefield. The biggest one flew above the clouds, with two figures on it, Void and Sheol. Twilight flew up to see what would happen.

It was quiet above the clouds. A disturbing, yet peaceful quiet. She couldn't hear the battle below, yet she felt that it still raged on.

Void stood on one side, sword in hand. He was wounded badly. One of his wings had been torn off. Cuts and wounds adorned his body. His armor was beaten up and sliced open in some areas. Yet even through all the pain, he was still determined. In fact, Void's wounds seemed to heal right there and then. His body had stopped bleeding profusely, but his armor was still damaged, and his upper-left wing was still gone.

Across from Void, Sheol stood. His wounds also healing up in a matter of seconds. And it was now that Twilight beheld Sheol's true form. It was similar to the Pony of Shadows, but more physical, and darker. His mane and tail were that of hellfire, and his armor was made of brimstone. And his eyes, his eyes were of pure light, but the light they emanated was a pale and sickly white.

"So, it's just you and me now. Just like you wanted." Void said with a smile.

"No tricks or aid shall save you this time Void. I've made sure of that."

"Oh don't worry. I know this fight is ours alone to fight."

"You foresaw it, didn't you? I am not blind to your gift of foresight. Well then, perhaps you'll be able to foresee THIS" Sheol charged and swung his scythe at Void, who was able to block the blow with his sword. The two were now locked together in fierce combat. Seeing who would be able to land the first blow.

"Why do you point out my gifts? Is it because you're afraid of me? I've made quite a reputation for myself in Hell."

"The names they give you have fallen on my ears. Doomslayer, Hellsbane, Anathema, but these names do not trouble me. I know I am above you. It is me that they should fear." Sheol kicked away and landed a few feet away from Void. Void raised his sword in anticipation for Sheol's next attack. Twilight could tell that Void was playing defensively. She knew Void was waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of Sheol's aggressiveness and end the fight with one single blow.

What happened next, was not what Twilight was expecting.

Sheol charged at Void, scythe raised in anticipation. A dark grin spread across Sheol's face. Void simply smiled and charged. Twilight closed her eyes. She couldn't take seeing anymore death and gore than she already had.

SCHKK

Twilight opened her eyes. She saw Void impaled by Sheol's scythe, but Sheol was also impaled by Void's sword, it's flame dying out. Sheol had an expression of shock on his face. Void was simply smiling through the pain.

"You... knew... this... would happen *cough* didn't you?"

"Yes I did."

The ground around the two crumbled and they started to fall. Twilight caught herself from falling with her own wings. The pillar of lava collapsed back into the earth, along with the chunks of earth. The cataclysm opened a g The battle below had stopped entirely. Both sides looked up in horror as their leaders were falling right into hell with massive wounds through their chests. At that moment, demon, Pony, and Azur knew that the war was over. The demons fled through the pit/portal that was now emerging in a desperate attempt to flee. Now that their leader was dead, they knew that they would all be slaughtered if they didn't run back to Hell. One shriek sounded above the rest. Luna. She was emotionally destroyed by this, and she would be for years to come.

Twilight flew next to Void as he fell. Sol and Celestia were holding Luna back as she desperately tried to fly after Void. The tears in her eyes were unbearable to watch.

"NO! I WILL NOT LET HIM GO! PLEASE LET ME GO AFTER HIM!" Luna shrieked.

"LUNA ENOUGH! THE ENTIRE VALLEY IS COLLAPSING! WE NEED TO GET EVERYONE OUT, NOW!" Sol yelled.

As Void fell through the portal it closed up entirely. Luna collapsed wailing and shrieking. Celestia and Sol were shedding tears as they tried to control their emotions. Star cried, but not as much as Luna. Nocturne, just stood there, paralyzed by pure shock and grief.

As Twilight looked upon the scene of sorrow, she saw a peculiar figure out of the corner of her eye. He was hooded and robed in black, and he seemed to absorb the vision as it collapsed. There was no orb now, for the figure now stood in its place.

"...Twilight..." the figure whispered. It started to approach her. She stepped back a little, now seeing that the figure was much taller than she was.

"Do not be afraid, Twilight." The figure said in a calming tone. "I am not here to harm you."

"Who are you?" Twilight asked nervously.

The figure took off his hood. Twilight couldn't believe it when she saw him.

"I am the one who you saw falling. The one who sacrificed his life for this world." Void said.

"But I thought you-"

"Regeneration."

"Of your entire body?!"

"Yes."

"That shouldn't be possible!"

"Twilight," Void said with a stern look on his face, "You have no idea what's possible, but you will soon come to learn. Even gods may die."

"Wha-"

"And that is what will happen to Sheol. Twilight, the hour draws near where you must lead your people, as I must lead mine. The hour of truth draws near."

Twilight didn't speak. Rather she pondered. Everything was now coming to light. All the rumors, all the stories, they were all true. The Void Master was real, the Azur were real. Equus wasn't the only planet in the Universe that could support life, it was barely a blip on the Universal radar of life.

"You begin to understand." Void said.

"I just want to know one thing," Twilight said with tears in her eyes. "How many will die?"

Void paused. He spoke no words but gave a slight nod towards Twilight, indicating that there would be death on a scale never seen before. Twilight started to cry.

Void put his hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, you must not dwell on this. Sacrifices must be made, and casualties in a war like this, can not be avoided."

Void stood up, he now faced away from Twilight. "I apologize but I do not have much time. We will meet again soon and in person. I will answer as many questions as I can when we do."

Twilight nodded in understanding.

"Then awaken, Twilight Sparkle, for the time of your Ascension has come."

And then, she woke up.

12 HOURS

"How long have we been in here again?" Starlight asked.

"Two days." Magnus responded.

"Wait, isn't it the day of Twilight's ascension?" Sunburst followed up.

Angron sighed. "Yes. It is, but until Void awakens from the dream realm, we can't do anything. It is very boring here."

It was then that Void entered the room.

"THE TIME HAS COME!" Void roared.

A few minutes later, Void was leading Sunburst and Starlight down a hallway.

"So, it's beginning?" Sunburst asked.

"Yes, it is. And we shall witness it together." Void answered quickly.

Void stopped at a door and knocked.

"Just a minute brother!" A voice came from within.

The door opened and Vulkan appeared. "Hello, brother!" Vulkan stretched out his arms.

"Sorry, Vulkan, but we don't have time for hugs. We must make haste."

Vulkan lowered his arms. "Yes, sorry. It is a force of habit."

"It's alright." Void reassured Vulkan, patting him on the back. "Did you make the armor I requested?"

"Yes! The armor for our new Pony-friends is over there." Vulkan pointed at two suits of armor. Both of them were made to fit a Pony. Both of them had their own symbols on the shoulder plates. "I customized it to the colors of their coats while still maintaining the fierceness of the power armor. I have also given them a shoulder mounted bolter, albeit downsized, and with the help of Magnus, implemented custom Thousand Son's modules that will amplify their magic. Also they have power swords on their belts. Their suits are marked with their cutie marks on the right shoulder, and an image of the Elements of Harmony on the left."

Starlight and Sunburst stared at their new suits of armor. They had never seen armor like this before. They put the suits on. It took a minute to adjust into but they eventually got the hang of it.

"Hey, what does the button in the left gauntlet do?" Starlight asked.

"NO!" Vulkan yelled.

*BANG* The shoulder bolter fired one of its rounds and ricochet off the wall. Void was able to catch it with his bear hands, stopping it completely in its tracks.

"Oh, that's what it does." Starlight said with a nervous smile.

The legions were now assembled in the meeting hall. The table was gone. Void and Abbadon stood on at the head of the room. Sunburst and Starlight watched from where the Salamanders stood.

"Brothers and Sisters, today we stand, ready to face the dark foe as we once did ten-billion years ago. I know of the concern of the return of the Azur to the Universal stage of politics and the troubles we will have reasserting our role as a great power, but let us not think of that now! We must think of our lives, our homes, our families. We must think of those who died all those years ago, selflessly sacrificing their lives so that the Universe may live, and they did it on the very planet we now orbit. Equus, the planet on which the war was ended, and now where it will begin again. I still hear you sing the songs of long ago, but now, let us make new songs! Let us write a new chapter of Azur history! And we shall do it side by side with our old allies, though they may not remember us, they shall come to know us once again!"

"MU ALOK NOL FIN ZEIM LINGRAH VODAHMIN!" The legions shouted.

Void looked over at Abbadon. "Warmaster Abbadon, would you like to give today's briefing?"

Abbadon took a long breath and he spoke.

"BATTLE BROTHERS AND BATTLE SISTERS, TODAY THE ENEMY IS AT OUR DOOR! WE KNOW OUR DUTY AND WE WILL DO IT! WE FIGHT FOR OUR HONOR, AS AZUR KNIGHTS, AS SPACE MARINES! AS YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR FORCES ARE STATIONED ON EQUUS, AT AN OUTPOST IN THE EVERFREE FOREST! SOME OF YOU ARE TO JOIN THEM THERE BUT WE ALSO NEED BOOTS UP HERE, PREPARED TO DEEP STRIKE. WHEN THE FOE DECIDES TO REVEAL HIMSELF, WE DESCEND UPON THE FOE! WE WILL OVERWHELM HIM! CODEX ASTARDES NAMES THIS MANEUVER STEEL RAIN! AND IF WE DIE THIS DAY WE DIE HEROES DEATHS, BUT WE SHALL NOT DIE, NO! FOR WE ARE THE EMPEROR'S FURY, WE ARE THE SPACE MARINES, AND WE FIGHT IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR!"

"DEATH TO THE ENEMY! FOR THE EMPEROR!" The legions yelled.

Twilight awoke with a jolt. She sat up and looked around, wondering why she was sweating so much, and why there were tears in her eyes. The memories of the dream, or vision, of the night before came flooding back to her. She shivered in fright. To think what she saw actually happened, was too much to bear. She needed to tell someone, but who?

She got up nervously, her legs feeling weak and wobbly. Standing up, she realized that she was a lot taller than she was before. She spread her wings, seeing that they were much larger. She felt her horn, its length had obviously grown by a few inches. And her face, well, let’s just say it felt a lot different than it had before. She trotted out of her bedroom and into the hallway. The guards outside her room couldn’t help but stare at her as she trotted by. They held their tongues, not wanting to say anything that might offend the new Goddess of Friendship.

Twilight began to get used to her new form. As much as she preferred her smaller and previous form, she knew that the change was permanent. At one point she did stumble over her newly elongated legs.

"Milady!" A guard rushed over to Twilight's side, obviously concerned that she might have hit her head or something. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Twilight answered. "I'm alright. Just getting used to this new form. That's all."

Twilight stood up and continued along the hallway. As she got closer to the cutie map room, she started to hear voices on the other side of the door. She ignored them, not wanting to listen in on private matters. But she did pick up some of the conversation.

"...this is unbelievable. If he is truly who he says he is then maybe, just maybe, Void is..."

"Twilight!" Celestia yelled in shock. Everyone turned and looked at Twilight. Star and Sol instantly smiled with joy. Nocturne gave a slight grin. Luna was... well, to put it lightly, she looked like she had a rough night. "We didn't expect you to be awake for a few hours!"

"And even better, it looks like nothing went wrong!" Star said eagerly. "Truly this is a joyous day for Equus!"

It was then that Twilight's stomach made a loud groan. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, that's right, you must be starving! Trust me, I was when I completed my ascension process. Would you like some pancakes?" Celestia levitated a massive stack of pancakes towards Twilight. They were decorated with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream. Twilight's mouth watered at the sight of them. She yanked the pancakes out of the air, sat down, and immediately started eating in a frenzy. She went through the entire stack of pancakes within ten seconds. She looked up from her empty plate, embarrassed that she had not remembered her manners.

"Oh, it's alright," Sol said to Twilight. "Celestia and Luna were the same way. And Nocturne especially."

They all shared a good laugh.

Void walked across the lava burnt lands. The smell of sulfur and smoke was all to familiar to him. He was completely alone. He knew the sacred tradition of the Dragon duels, and before he departed for the Dragon-Lands, he made damn sure that no one followed him.

He stepped into an arena of sorts. Carved out by the Dragons themselves long ago when they first settled on Equus. In the center of the arena was a large plateau, obviously reserved for the Dragon-Lord. All of the other curved rectangular plateaus were reserved for the rest of the Dragons.

A loud roar sounded from the heavens. "Ah, so it appears they have been watching me. I wondered why it was more barren than usual." Void thought to himself.

Torch descended from the clouds. He landed on the central plateau. Ember was on his head, holding her staff.

"Who dares to enter the Dragon-Lands unannounced? You are not counted among us, yet you are a Dragon." Ember said with a commanding voice.

"I am the one which is spoken of in the Dragon lore. I am he who returns from death. I am he who has come to reclaim his crown." Void responded.

"You are but a stranger in these lands, yet you seek power."

"You know the ancient customs as well as I do. The Dragon-King has the right to seize direct control."

Surprisingly, none of the Dragons laughed at Void's remark. This was a good sign for Void.

"Then prove to me that you are him. Show us your true form as a Dragon." Ember commanded.

Void's form started to change. He grew higher and higher, larger and larger. He now walked on all fours. His platinum talons and platinum horns grew immensely larger. Soon enough, he was fully Dragon. Easily taller than Torch. Ember, for the first time in her life, was intimidated.

Void spoke no words. He could tell that this was enough to convince the Dragons. Torch bowed immediately, then Ember bowed as well. Soon enough the entirety of the Dragon-Lands bowed before him.

Void roared and shot a pillar of purple fire into the sky. All preparations were now complete.

He was ready to march...

...It is time...

Twilight had her own reservations of where the event should be held. She suggested that it should be moved to the bottom of the mountain on which the palace was situated in order to let more creatures see the raising of the Sun, since the palace courtyard was too small to fit everyone. Sol and Star agreed to the change. Within a few hours, everything was prepared. Ponies and other creatures were socializing and dancing with one another. The rulers of each individual species had also shown up. Changelings, Hippogriffs, Dragons, Griffons, Yaks, Crystal Ponies, Saddle Arabians, and others.

And then, a loud, Scottish voice rang out from the heavens, as two white Alacorns clad in steel armor descended from the heavens. Both had mane and and tail as red as a sunset. Their manes were tied back with rings of gold and silver. One of them had a beard the same color of his mane.

"AYE, GUESS WHO!" The bearded one shouted.

"HAMMER!" Sol shouted in joy.

Hammer landed and the two brothers embraced.

"I am so sorry I'm late to the party. I got caught up with a few things." Hammer said apologetically.

"Ah, it's alright. I'm glad you could still join us here today." Sol reassured Hammer.

"Aye, SO LETS HAVE SOME MJOD!"

Everyone looked at Hammer in confusion with eyebrows raised. Hammer blushed in embarrassment once he realized what Equus usually had to drink these days.

"Oh, right, alcohol hasn't really been a thing for a while. My bad."

"This is going to be a loooong night." Anvi said.

"Agreed." Hammer said as he summoned a mug of ale.

The night's celebrations went on. Hammer just socialized with his brother, and he seemed to get along very well with the Yaks and the Dragons. Anvi told stories to the young around a campfire she had made. Some parents found the tales a bit disturbing when it came to how she described combat, but nonetheless, they let their children listen.

Anvi actually got up and told the story of the Azur and Sheol, but she didn't mention that it was actually real. She was speaking to children after all, but adults too were fascinated by the tale of this so called "Dragon-King". As she did, the stars themselves to life, constellations of the characters moved around and interacted with one another. They showed the gory of the Azur, the fierce battles between the demons and the dragons, the images of famous Ponies who were long gone, and those that were still here. The stars were being manipulated by Star of course. She loved bringing stories to life. Children stared up to the sky in amazement as they listened to the tale. When Anvi was finished, they all applauded her for the story. No one actually believed it was real, except those who already knew. But then, something peculiar happened. The constellations formed into images of Void and Sheol, and played out their last battle, word for word. Everyone saw that this was not Star's doing, nor was it Luna's, or any other royal. As the scene finished, a terrible laughter sounded out, one that Sol knew all to well.

"Sheol..."

"Ah, so you finally come to realize the truth."

"Show yourself, demon."

""As you wish." A shadow of Sheol made of pure darkness manifested in the center of the crowd. Creatures ran in terror and screams rang out. Guards immediately surrounded the Princesses, and Sol, Star, Nocturne, Hammer, and Anvi immediately summoned their weapons. Celestia surprisingly didn't summon hers. She was paralyzed out of fear and shock. Everything she had heard, everything she was warned about, was now all coming to fruition. The truth was finally dawning. The nobility found themselves bound with chains of darkness, not allowing for even the slightest bit of movement.

Twilight spoke up, she had faced villains before, and she knew how to deal with them. "You have no authority or right to be here. I know who you are, Sheol. You do not scare me. I have faced

"Ah, so you DO know of me. To be honest, I would have expected Celestia and the rest of the 'nobility' to keep it a secret from you."

"Honesty is one of the Elements of Harmony. Then again, no one is perfect, not even the gods themselves." Twilight knew that what Celestia did was wrong, but she had been taught to forgive mistakes, even the mistakes of her own mentor.

"Moving on, I have other business to attend to. The shadow of Sheol moved towards Luna with malicious intent. Four guards jumped in front of her, forming a phalanx wall to protect their princess. It was to no avail. In the blink of an eye, the shadow summoned a scythe and cut through the guards like tissue paper.

"YOU BASTARD!" Luna yelled.

"Since when did you start caring for your own people? Where is the nightmare I once knew? The one that Ponies feared for a thousand years? I know she is still in there somewhere. In time, you'll come right back, just like you once did. You were so broken, so sad. You tried to hold off the Darkness for so long... but you eventually gave in to it. You eventually embraced the true nature of the NIGHT."

Luna said nothing. Tears were welling up in her eyes. The shadow grabbed Luna by the throat and started to strangle her. The people looked on in horror. Demons manifested all around and in the crowd, cackling as they did so. They were hungry for flesh and souls, and they knew that this would be a banquet.

Suddenly, a sword was thrust through the shadow's chest. It gave an agonizing cry as the sword was driven deeper and deeper, and as it was lifted into the air. The chains dissipated and the shadow let go of Luna. The details of the sword started to manifest. A black sword, with decorations fit for a king, with a blade encircled in purple flame. Its wielder was all to familiar to Twilight as she gazed on.

"Get your hooves off of my wife, demon scum." Void grabbed the shadow by the throat, cleaving it in half from the heart up with his sword. The shadow dissipated into nonexistence. "Coward doesn't even have the balls to fight openly. But now, he feels pain. He feels fear." Void thought to himself. Void roared loudly, and a massive column of purple fire descended from the heavens. It landed fifty yards away from the outskirts of the crowd. The fire dissipated, and in its place was a massive army. The legions of the Azur had come. Abbadon and the Primarchs were at the head of the army. Void looked at Abbadon, their gazes meeting, and they smiled to each other.

All Guns Blazing - Sabaton

"HEAR ME MY SOLDIERS! LET US DRIVE THESE FOUL DEMONS BACK TO THE PITS FROM WHENCE THEY CAME! LET US SHOW THEM THAT THE AZUR HAVE RETURNED, AND THE DRAGONS HAVE BEEN UNITED ONCE MORE! TODAY A NEW AGE DAWNS! CHARGE!"

The legions charged with the cry of battle, smashing headfirst into the demons. Fully armored Dragons descended from the skies. They immediately started to mow down the demon lines, one by one. Twilight was both amazed and terrified at their ferocity. Bolter fire whizzed through the lines, blasting holes in demons who were unlucky enough to be in the bullets' path.

A few legions stood out in particular to Twilight, based on their tactics and how they fought.

Looking at the Salamanders, see saw their unique use of fire. She also saw the Salamanders protecting civilians, sheltering them against the demon hordes. A demon had actually cornered a group of children, its jaws open wide, ready to devour them. Twilight would have rushed over to help, had Vulkan not been there first. He picked the demon up by its head. "Hey, demon, are you Elon Musk?" Vulkan threw the demon up into the air and readied his massive war-hammer, "Because I'm about to send you..." The demon started to fall, screaming and hollering as it did, Vulkan tightened his grip on his hammer. "...into outer SPACE!" Vulkan swung his war-hammer, hit the demon like it was a baseball, and sent it flying out of the atmosphere. Vulkan made a big, booming laugh at his own joke. The demons who saw this tried to flee, but were mowed down by other marines.

"That... was... AWESOME!" A young filly said. Twilight recognized her. Her small wings, magenta mane, and orange coat were all to familiar. "Where did you learn to do that?" Scootaloo asked with wonder in her eyes.

"I was born with this strength. But it took me a long time to master it. Practice makes perfect my small friend." Vulkan answered while patting Scootaloo on the head. Scootaloo would have been insulted for being called "small" but she was too awestruck at the sight of the massive giant that had just saved her and her friends. "Remember kids: Stay in school! Don't do Drugs!" Vulkan then lept back into the fray. Pulverizing demons with his war-hammer.

Twilight was relieved that the children were safe. Then she heard the whirring of some sort of device. She looked over and saw the World Eaters. They were completely covered in blood and gore. She noticed that they found immense joy in combat.

Angron was hacking away with his twin chain axes. He smashed them down into a larger demon, the blades slicing its head open and carving down the middle. The joy he felt was overwhelming to him. He had not experienced true combat in ages, and now he was at the front lines. Twilight was terrified what would have happened if this beast of an Azur was one of the demons of Sheol. A massive red demon with green eyes and goat-like legs charged at Angron. Angron simply laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHA! YOUR SKULL WILL MAKE A FINE ADDITION TO MY THRONE!"

Angron charged into the demon. He gutted it with his chain-axes, pulverizing its insides immediately. He hoisted the demon into the air, and tore the demon in two with his bear hands, showering himself in the demon's blood and guts, laughing as he did so. He then took the upper half of its body, and ripped its head clean off. He raised the head and yelled:

"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

Twilight nearly vomited at the sight of all this. She decided to move as far away from Angron as possible. As she galloped away, she noticed the Emperor's Children, and their color scheme. "Huh, they actually kind of look like me. Color-scheme wise." She saw that they were a lot more sophisticated in their slaughter. Quick and painless deaths were what they were good at. Twilight caught a glimpse of Fulgrim strangling a demon with his tail. Usually, she would be horrified at such a display. But in this case she found it... beautiful in a way. Almost... romantic, and pleasurable. After Fulgrim was done strangling the demon, he noticed Twilight looking at him with lust in her eyes. He slithered over to her, graceful and alluring as he went, his platinum hair flowing in the wind.

"Why hello there." Fulgrim said as he slithered around Twilight.

"H-hi." Twilight stammered. She was entranced by Fulgrim.

"You must be the new Goddess of Friendship, aren't you?"

"Yes... my name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Well, Twilight, you truly do sparkle in more ways than one."

Twilight blushed at Fulgrim. He was so hypnotizing to her. She could almost just kiss him right there and then.

"How about we, I don't know, have a drink after this whole ordeal is over?" Fulgrim asked flirtingly.

"S-sure." Twilight's senses were completely gone at this point. Fulgrim basically could have just kissed Twilight right there and then, if it weren't for Magnus casting a spell that nullified Fulgrim's effect on Twilight.

"Wait what the-" Twilight now realized that a literal snake-man was flirting with her.

"FULGRIM!" Magnus shouted. "WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"

"You're no fun!" Fulgrim hissed back. He gave Magnus the middle finger and slithered away. Twilight puked a little at realizing that she had been successfully charmed.

Magnus landed next to Twilight. "I'm sorry for my brother's behavior. He tends to have that effect on people. Trust me, it's very annoying. Especially when he's flirting with someone mid-battle." A demon tried to pounce on Magnus, but he beheaded it before it even laid a finger on him.

Twilight recognized this magic. "Precognition?"

"Yep." Magnus responded as he beheaded another demon. "I was born with it as a result of my patron's gifts. Four Primarchs have specific patron gods. Me, Mortarion, Fulgrim, and Angron. You can probably tell what kind of gods they are based on their champions."

"Actually, I don't think I've seen the fourth."

"Oh, you haven't seen Mortarion? Well he's-"

The explosion of a plague-grenade a few yards away cut off Magnus mid sentence. The gas completely eating away at the demons' flesh.

"Ah, it seems he's using the death eater virus this time around." Magnus said.

"It smells." Twilight said while holding her nose.

"That's the smell of rapidly decomposing demon flesh, not the gas." Twilight vomited at Magnus's remark. "And I saw that coming from a mile away." Magnus remarked.

"You're not helping." Twilight grumbled.

"By the way, you might want to move to the right a bit."

"What do you mea- HOLY SHIT!" Twilight jumped out of the way of a drop-pod that was coming straight down on top of her. It landed with a massive thud. The door opened and a squad of the Thousand Sons stepped out, jumping into the fray immediately. And two Ponies that Twilight did not expect.

"STARLIGHT?! SUNBURST?! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ARMOR?! WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

"It's a long story, Twilight." Starlight responded. "We'll tell you about it later."

Sunburst did not hesitate to jump into the fray. Cutting down demons with his new power-sword, and using his shoulder-mounted bolter to punch holes through the demon lines. It was obvious that he was having the time of his life.

"Sweet Celestia have mercy..." Twilight said to herself.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they actually wanted to join the Thousand Sons." Magnus remarked.

Twilight continued to observe the legions of the Azur. The Blood Angels and their ferocity. The White Scars and their speed. The Ultramarines and their chivalry. The Word Bearers and their zealotry. Each legion all had something unique to them. But there was one Azur who stood above his entire army.

Void was slicing through demons like there was no tomorrow. What surprised Twilight the most is that he showed no emotion when doing so. But Twilight could feel his anger, his joy, his intellect, his raw determination. All overwhelming, yet masked behind his cool complexion. That was, until his power-armor started to malfunction. Somehow the servos locked up, and he was stuck.

"Really?! Of all times this had to happen! Right now?! I'm going to kill the tech-priests responsible for maintaining this thing. Welp, there's only one thing to do now..."

Void triggered a mechanism and was enveloped by smoke. The smoke dissipated and Void stood where it had once been. Only this time, there was no armor, there was only a purple loincloth.

Ay yay yay yaa.....

Everyone now beheld the glory of the Void Master's muscular physique. His obsidian scales glistening in the moonlight. His chiseled abs on full display for everyone to see. Void had an eight pack, AN EIGHT PACK! No creature on Eqqus could ever have achieved that. Not even the strongest of the Azur were able to either. (Not even Vulkan, even though he was taller and larger than Void.) The moonlight reflected off of his chest, blinding demons as he strode forward. Mares fainted and stallions' jaws dropped. If there were any doubts that Void was an actual god before, those doubts were quickly crushed under the immense weight of Void's glorious physique. Void looked at Celestia. Celestia bushed in embarrassment as she was caught staring. Luna didn't even need to look one second before her nose just started gushing out a fountain of blood as she fainted.

"OH SHIT!" Void yelled. He immediately rushed over to Luna as she fell limp. "I knew I shouldn't have done this! Shitshitshitshit-"

Suddenly, a golden drop pod descended from the sky. When it landed, five Azur, smaller than a Primarch, but larger than the average marine, rushed towards Void. They were clad in golden helmets, no breastplate but with gold plated leggings, decorated in red cloth.

"My fabulous overlord! The awakening of your chiseled abs summoned us here. What do you require of us?" One of them asked.

"Kill any demon that comes near me, while I try to revive my wife." Void responded.

"She couldn't handle the absolute fabulousness of your commanding presence?"

"Yes, Wamuudes, she fainted when I got out of my damn armor."

"Is this a bad time to try and say hi to mom?" A voice asked from behind.

"ENDER?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Void shouted.

"Killing demons." Ender responded.

Void facepalmed himself. "Just... don't get yourself killed. It looks like things are just about wrapping up anyways."

"YAY!" Ender shouted. He immediately ran off, his braided pony tail in his mane flowing in the wind. The three curls in the front of his hair bouncing as he went. Twilight observed the whole scene. Her jaw dropped to the floor. "A PARENT LETTING THEIR CHILD FIGHT IN A WAR? WHAT IN CELESTIA'S NAME IS THIS IRRESPONSIBILITY?! AND HE'S A PONY?! THIS MAKES NO SENSE!" Twilight thought to herself. She was so caught up in thinking, that a demon tried to pounce at her. Ender stopped the demon with a flurry of punches.

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!" Ender yelled as he rained a flurry of punches on the demon. It died immediately, for its skull was completely pulverized.

"T-thank you..." Twilight stammered.

"Oh, so you're my new aunt! Or would it be cousin because Celestia is almost like an adoptive mother. Then again, you're now her equal and technically that would make you Sol's adopted daughter in a way... I guess I'll just call you auntie Twilight!"

"And you must be my new... sorta nephew?" Twilight asked with a nervous smile.

"Yep!" Ender responded.

They both shared a good laugh. In time, the battle started to wrap up, with the remainder of the demons being slaughtered by the Azur. Those demons who tried to flee were intercepted and destroyed. The Azur set up a perimeter just in case the demons would try anything, but they were doubtful. They mostly just relaxed, some even interacted with the creatures of Equus. Void himself took some time to meditate on the events that had just taken place, and to get some clothes on.

"ENDER! STAR RIFT!" Luna cried in joy.

"MOM!" They cried back. The three embraced, tears of joy flowing from each of them. Luna had not felt this happy in ages. The two children released their grip once they saw their father coming over. He was dressed in ceremonial robes of black and purple. A platinum amulet hung around his neck, engraved with obsidian and that strange purple jewel. A halo of purple flame surrounded the back of his head. The Azur knelled has he passed by them. Dragons tried to gently touch his outstretched wings. Sol gave Void a nod of respect. Void returned the gesture. Luna morphed into an anthropomorphic form, with a blue dress and she still had her mane. Void decided to do the same, although he still retained the horns, wings and tail, he now had the face of the average Azur. He even had hair which echoed the magic of the Void. Luna started to approach Void to meet him.

"Oh, you're approaching me? Instead of just staying there, you're coming straight at me." Void said with a smile on his face.

"I can't cuddle the shit out of you without getting closer." Luna said.

"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like." Void said with outstretched arms.

The two embraced each other. Tears were visibly streaming down their eyes. The Azur started to chant:

"Holy! Holy! Holy! The Emperor has been reunited with our Queen! A happy day! A joyous day! The flower of love blooms once again! For that flower shall be eternal from now until the end of time! Praise be to Azur'rath for this holy union of love!"

And then, Luna and Void started kissing. It went on for a few minutes, and then it started to get weird, REALLY WEIRD.

"Oh my..." Fulgrim said with an aroused snicker. He was immediately punched by Angron for this remark.

"Oh gods, please no." Magnus said.

"Shield your eyes!" Mortarion shouted.

"MOM! DAD! GET A ROOM!" Ender shouted. That got Void and Luna to stop.

"Sorry, I got carried away." Luna said as she blushed in embarrassment.

"It's fine. I did too." Void sighed.

After a moment of silence, they both laughed together. The Azur and Sol laughed with them.

Twilight, was still confused. Starlight galloped up to her.

"Do you want me to explain now?" Starlight whispered to Twilight.

"Yes. Please tell me what the fuck is going on." Twilight responded.

XII. Played Like a Fiddle

Author's Note

Well... this took a while. I know you're all asking "Alpharius, WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!" I got caught up in a lot of holiday stuff with the family, and now school is busier than ever, leaving me with almost no time to write. I'm trying to do everything I can in order to manage my time. I hope you all can understand.

A Temporary Peace

"So, basically, what you're saying is that Void has come back to wage war against Sheol, AGAIN, FROM THE DEAD, and that he's also the husband of PRINCESS LUNA?!" Twilight shouted. Twilight was sitting at a table with Sunburst and Starlight.

"I mean, you've already seen one of his children..." Starlight trailed off.

"ONE OF THEM?!"

"Yeah. They have two children together." Sunburst chimed in. "Ender and Star Rift."

"Well, this is one hell of a way to get an extended family." Twilight said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it seriously is." A voice said from behind. Twilight looked around, seeing no one other than Sunburst and Starlight.

"Down here!" The voice said. Twilight turned around and saw a small filly. "Hi! I'm Star Rift! You must be my new auntie Twilight! Nice to meet you!" Star Rift held out her hoof to Twilight.

"Nice to meet you too..." Twilight nervously grinned while shaking Star Rift's hoof. "I'm sorry if I seem rude. It... it's just that... all of this is just so confusing..."

"Pfft, don't sweat it. Besides, you'll get used to it. Say, how about I introduce you to a few of my uncles? I'm really sorry that they all seem a bit... violent, but they all have good sides. Especially uncle Vulkan. He gives great hugs." Twilight felt that Star Rift was being genuine, and she didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying no.

"Sure." Twilight said nervously. "Besides, it would make things a lot less... awkward."

Star Rift giggled. "Follow me!" She took off galloping. Twilight followed. Star Rift led Twilight towards the World Eaters. Many of them had their helmets off, their scars of war visible to Twilight. She shuddered at the sight of some of them. Still, she followed Star Rift despite her fears. Twilight wanted to be diplomatic. And she would get her chance.

"IT'S MY SKULL-TROPHY!"

"NO, IT'S MINE!"

"I KILLED THE DEMON! THEREFORE IT'S MY SKULL!"

"YOU DIDN'T DO JACK-SHIT! I WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT DOWN TO IT'S KNEES!"

Twilight rushed over to the commotion. Two of the World Eaters were fighting over the skull of a demon that had been slain in combat. They were wrestling on the ground, trying to pry the skull from each other's hands while a crowd surrounded them chanting, "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" She could tell that solving this problem wouldn't be easy. She needed a way to get their attention without sounding weak.

"HEY! STOP FIGHTING THIS INSTANT!" Twilight yelled. This got all of the World Eater's attention. The two who were fighting immediately ceased their squabble and stood up.

"He started it!"

"No, you did!"

"Enough! Both of you! It sounds like you both gave an equal amount of effort to bring down the demon. Can't you just share it?" Twilight said. The response she got was not what she expected.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SHE WANTS US TO SHARE A SKULL?! AND SHE'S BEING SERIOUS?! BY THE BLOOD GOD! THAT'S HILARIOUS!" The World Eater fell over and rolled around on the ground laughing hysterically. The rest of them started laughing at Twilight as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Dammit Twilight! Why did you try and help the situation?! Now you've just made a fool of yourself in front of an entire legion!" She thought to herself.

Every World Eater ceased their laughter as Angron walked over to see what the commotion was all about. Star Rift was on his shoulder. Angron stopped at the two arguing World Eaters, giving them an angry glare before yanking the skull out of their hands and breaking it right down the middle, giving one half to each of them. He turned and walked back to his tent. Twilight followed him, not wanting to loose sight of Star Rift.

She entered the tent timidly. The skulls that adorned the inside did not help to calm her down. In the center of the tent was a brass throne, adorned with the skulls of Angron's greatest kills. (At least, the ones who's heads weren't completely smashed and mutilated by his chain-axes.) Leaning on each side of his throne were the two chain-axes that he had wielded for billions of years. Angron sat on his throne, meditating on past events. That was, until he was interrupted by Star Rift.

"Uncle Angron, I would like to introduce you to Twilight Sparkle! Twilight, this is uncle Angron."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Angron..." Twilight was visibly sweating at this point. Nevertheless, she held out her hoof in a gesture of good will. Angron said nothing.

"Is he always like this?" Twilight whispered to Star Rift. "I thought he was a unstoppable killing machine from wherever you guys come from." Angron snickered at Twilight's remark, catching her completely off guard.

"I'm sorry!" Twilight squealed.

Angron sighed and walked over to the now terrified Twilight. He stood over her, chain-axes in hand.

"Twilight, I am sorry if I come off as intimidating, but I'll give you some advice." Angron held out his chain-axes out to her. "War allows you mind to accept certain things. Discipline, brotherhood, valor, glory, bloodshed, despair, and most of all, death on a massive scale. I know you are not accustomed to these things, but you grow to accept them. Like it or not. But know this: I was born in war. Born only to slay in the name of the Imperium and the Emperor. That is my purpose, and it has made me what I am."

"But you aren't all 'Kill! Maim! Burn!' uncle Angron. I've seen your kinder side before." Star Rift nudged his leg. "Besides, how are things with Lotara going?" She whispered.

"That's my business alone, and you know it!" Angron snarled.

"Star-Rift," Twilight said sternly, "I think we should leave your uncle alone now. We should take our leave."

"That would be most wise..." Angron growled. Twilight wasted no time grabbing Star-Rift and bolting straight out of the tent before Angron had the chance to rip their heads off.

"That was fun!" Star-Rift said with a mischievous grin.

"You could have gotten us killed!" Twilight retorted.

"Well, if you would like to talk to the opposite of uncle Angron, let's go see uncle Vulkan."

"Great, another nut job." Twilight said sarcastically.

Star-Rift took offense to this. "Hey! I'll have you know that uncle Vulkan gives the BEST hugs in this entire Universe and he is the nicest Azur you'll ever meet!" Star-Rift looked around. "Oh! It looks like he's talking to uncle Leman and uncle Magnus!"

"We shouldn't interrupt-"

"Even better!" Star-Rift shouted as she bolted over. Twlight sighed. She knew she couldn't keep with Star-Rift. Nevertheless, she made an effort to do so. By the time she had reached Star-Rift, she was out of breath.

"Uncle Vulkan!" Star Rift leaped into his arms.

"Star-Rift! My best niece-friend!" He embraced her with a massive bear hug.

"Hello, Star-Rift." Magnus and Leman said simultaneously. Vulkan released his embrace on Star-Rift.

"Uncles, I would like to introduce you to Twilight Sparkle! Twilight, this is uncle Vulkan, uncle Leman, and uncle Ma-"

"Oh! Hello Magnus!" Twilight said.

"Greetings Twilight!" Magnus replied.

Star-Rift was surprised. "Oh. You to already know each other?"

"We met on the battlefield." Twilight answered. "He saved my life. Twice." She shuddered thinking about Fulgrim. "I also saw Vulkan defending a group of young ponies. I can't say I've seen Leman though."

Leman frowned. "Well, I guess book worms hang out with book worms."

"Pardon my brother. He is not the most appreciative of knowledge." Magnus said. "Trust me, you get used to it."

"It's your thirst for knowledge that got us in trouble with the Crystal Empire, Magnus."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

"By the gods, Leman... Void told us to drop this subject."

"Oh, I know, I'm just annoying you. Also Princess Cadence is right behind you."

Cadence unleashed a flurry of magic at Magnus and Leman. Magnus was able to raise his shield in time before any of them were hurt.

“You’re seriously not going to let this go, are you?”

“You trespassed upon the territory of the Crystal Empire, and of you don’t explain what the hell you were doing in my daughter’s bedroom, I will assume you were trying to kidnap her. If that isn’t a worthy reason for a declaration of war, I don’t know what is.” Everyone could tell that Cadence was being dead serious. Twilight remembered when Sombra had tried to kidnap Flurry Heart, and the effects it had on Cadence’s parenting. Cadence didn’t allow Flurry Heart to go anywhere without supervision.

Flurry Heart shook off her swaddling clothes and flew into Leman’s arms at the sight of him. She was happy to see him. Cadence was shocked. Her horn lit up again, intending to blast Leman to smithereens.

“AHEM.” A voice came from behind. Void stepped forward, scowling at both Leman and Magnus. “Princess Cadenza mi Amore, forgive my brothers for their intrusion. The intent was to have them as a scouting party to map out the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately... Magnus had other ideas. My agents in your land had relayed the message of Flurry Heart’s birth, and that she was an Alacorn. Magnus wanted to see this sight for himself.”

Cadence nodded. Her horn starting to dim. For some reason, she found comfort and honesty in Void’s words.

“It appears that, during my brothers intrusion, Flurry Heart formed a bond with Leman. I don’t blame him. He is the fluffiest of all of us. She probably mistook him for a massive dog. In fact...”

Void fetched Flurry Heart from Leman’s arms and give her back to Cadence. He summoned a tennis ball out of thin air and yelled, “Fetch!” Leman ran after it, catching it mid air with his teeth. Cadence and Magnus laughed as Leman sprinted back to them with the ball in his mouth.

“Magnus, on the other hand, just wanted to know if the reports were true. He definitely found the answer.” Void explained. “There was no malicious intent behind their actions. And, if it makes you feel better, I have already disciplined both of them for it.”

Cadence's horn completely dimmed. Twilight was astonished at Void's incredible charisma and way with words.

"If you think that's impressive, know that he has convinced entire armies to lay down their weapons and make peace with each other using only haikus." Magnus whispered to Twilight.

"Divine charisma is a blessing from the Instrument of Desire, one of the four sons of Azur'rath." Lorgar spoke as he walked up to Twilight.

"Oh! Twilight!" Star jumped up and down in excitement. "This is uncle Lorgar. High-Priest of the Azur. It's his job to maintain religious stability within the Imperium."

Lorgar knelt before Twilight and placed a hand over his heart. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Goddess of Friendship."

"There is no need to bow to me. We're all friends here..." Twilight said uncomfortably.

"I must insist. You are a goddess, and it is my job as the High-Priest to honor the gods of the Azur and our allies."

Twilight sighed. "I guess it just comes with the job. Very well, you may rise, Lorgar."

"Thank you, Goddess of Friendship." Lorgar said as he got up. "There is one thing that bothers me though..."

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"Since you are a goddess and all, shouldn't you be worshiped? In fact, the devotion and worship of the Equestrian pantheon seems to have dwindled into nothingness. Perhaps I should order my legion to build a temple to the Azur and Equestrian pantheons. It would be a symbol of unity between our two peoples and would bring back the worship that the gods deserve..."

"Lorgar," Twilight interrupted, "as much as it would be a symbol of unity, worship on Equus is not really a thing. When Celestia came to power, she specifically stated that she did not want to be worshiped, lest it cause her to go mad with power..." As she spoke, Magnus glanced at her. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Very well. I shall take my leave and tend to my legion. May your light spread to a thousand worlds, Goddess of Friendship." With that, Lorgar turned and walked away.

"So... my brother has granted you visions of the past..." Magnus muttered.

"Yes... he has. Suffice to say... they were... quite troubling..." Twilight muttered back.

"Sol! You old stallion!" Void shouted.

"Void! You son of a void-spawn!" Sol shouted back.

The two rulers happily embraced each other.

"It is so good to see you, old friend." Void said warmly. He released his embrace and turned towards Celestia, who was still quite shocked that Void was alive after all these years.

"Void... how?" Celestia couldn't even find the words to properly greet him. Her shock was overwhelming. Her right eye started to twitch rapidly as the crippling insanity of how Void was even alive started to creep into her mind. She saw him die all those years ago. She saw Sheol drive that scythe right through Void's chest. She saw them fall into the pits of Hell itself.

"Hello, mentor." Void said with a mischievous smile. He made a slight bow to her. "I believe you have a few apologies to make to a few Ponies... not to mention a few of my brothers..."

Celestia scowled in anger. "I am in no mood to discuss this with you, Void, even if you are who you say you are. How do I know my eyes are not deceiving me? How do I know it's not some sort of shape shifting demon?"

"You've already seen my scars while my armor had malfunctioned. You have seen the wound that was made by Sheol's scythe all those years ago. Do I need to explain any further?"

Celestia was silent. She knew it was Void himself, but she always had her... reservations about him. Especially after... the wedding.

Luna came up to Void and nuzzled against him. "Void, do not let my sister trouble you. I'm sure she'll come around in time."

Celestia was clearly offended by this display of affection.

"So... what's our first move?" Sol asked. They were all sitting together in the palace. The festival was over now so everyone had retired for the night.

"Well, you're definitely going to have to fortify Canterlot. If the demons can get here, as they have so displayed, they can get anywhere." Void responded. "We also must inform the rest of Equus of Sheol's presence. Everyone must be ready."

"And what do you suggest?" Celestia retorted. "Conscript the masses into fighting a power they barely understand anything about?"

"What? No. Absolutely not. Anyone who wants to help defend Equus will have to given the proper training anyways. Let those who want to fight, join the fight. We're going to need a LOT of weapons and armor. I expect that many will want to join in the fight."

"Leave that to us." Anvi said with a grin. She was the best at smithing armor, and Hammer was the best at smithing weapons.

"Divine weapons are extremely hard to forge and take a very long time to do so. Not to mention maintaining them is a massive pain in the ass." Celestia interjected.

"Then we will teach others how to make their own." Vulkan stepped forward. "The Salamanders are all trained in the art of forging and maintaining their own weapons. I can instruct some of the Forge-Fathers to give lessons to the populous. One Forge-Father has the equivalent of an entire life of smiting under their belt."

Void nodded in agreement. "Vulkan, see to it that it is so."

"Yes, my brother." Vulkan replied. He stepped out of the room to send the order to his legion.

"What about supplies? If we are at war there will be an increase in demand for food, not just for the people, but the soldiers as well. We might even have to militarize the economy. Something which would have severe effects upon the citizens." Celestia spoke with the attitude of a commander, something Void hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Rogal will see to the management of civilian resources. No one will go hungry in this war. He'll make sure of it." Void responded.

"Brother," Rogal interjected. "What of the defenses? The people of Equus are severely undefended. I haven't seen a single defensive wall. Choke points must be prepared and trade routes must have increased security lest they be attacked."

"I am also putting you in charge of that as well, along with Perturabo." Void turned to Perturabo. "You will be overseeing military resources. Guns, artillery, ammunition, and medical supplies. I am sure you will have no difficulty providing us with our war machines."

Perturabo smiled devilishly. He was looking forward to bringing in the big guns.

"That's the spirit." Void said while patting him on the back. "Other preparations have been made already with my brothers. And, Celestia, I guess we're giving a press conference tomorrow in the throne room?"

"You read my mind, Void. The public will have to be informed of the coming changes... especially those dealing with war..."

The throne room was absolutely filled with journalists of all creatures. On one side, were the creatures of Equus, and on the other, the Azur. Both were speculating and discussing, but it was clear that the creatures of Equus did not feel comfortable with the Azur around. The Griffons and Yaks especially did not trust the Azur. Ponies, Changelings, and Hippogriffs had a feeling of "the heebe-geebes" around the Azur, but they felt that they could be partially trusted. The Dragons, on the other hand, were absolutely ecstatic to see their "cousin-kin" again. The two races were united under the one banner of their ruler and the pact their gods had made with each other so long ago, and thus, there was along history of peace, prosperity, and friendship among them.

As the doors opened and the royals of Equestria entered the room, a flurry of questions began to arise. Celestia was obviously uncomfortable as most of the questions were aimed at her. The people questioned her honesty and her virtues, some even went as far as to compare her to Nightmare-Moon. Regardless, she held her chin up knowing her family was with her, as she would be the one who would do the talking.

And then Void entered the room. The Azur reporters stood up and bowed as he did. Even the Dragons were bowing! Twilight marveled at the sight of the Dragons actually being humbled before a ruler they accepted without any test of strength nor bloodshed. A few hours before, Void had debated with himself on which form he should take. He decided on his Pony form in order to promote a sense of unity between the people, and to symbolize his relationship with Luna. Rest assured, he still had his horns and wings to symbolize his authority. His tail hadn't changed at all as a matter of fact. He took a seat next to Luna, who smiled and blushed as he did.

"This meeting is now called to order. Questions will be taken one at a time, starting with the Azur since they are our guests." Sol's voice boomed through out the room. Everyone went quiet and the journalists raised their hands. Celestia pointed a hoof and the questions commenced.

"Celestia, before the incident at the last press conference you held to discuss the Sunburst situation, you denied the existence of the Azur. Tell us, how long have you actually known of their existence, and, if so, were they your friends?"

Celestia gulped a little. "It... was a very, very long time ago. Ten-billion years I think. One tends to loose count when they're immortal. I've known of the Azur since birth, as they were our most trusted ally in the war against the demons. A few days after Sheol's defeat, they disappeared entirely. I figured that they returned to the Void and had closed themselves off to the rest of the Universe... after a few hundred years... I... I assumed that they had died off entirely without a ruler to sustain them. Clearly I have been proven wrong. So... Void... may I ask you what was happening during all those years."

"Well, I'm not opposed to it. You know of how gods can regenerate their physical form if it is destroyed. Well, that's what happened. My physical from had been completely destroyed save for my own skeleton, which was fetched from the pits and placed upon the Obsidian Throne, where it would remain for billions of years. I sat dormant upon the throne for so long... truth be told, I was ready to return a-thousand years ago... but then... Nightmare Moon happened... and I lost all will to return." Void choked up and was silent for a little. "But then, the impossible happened. A young unicorn and her friends freed my wife from the Darkness that had consumed her. I decided to sit idly back just a little while longer and observe. In my absence, the Azur prepared themselves, for they knew that Sheol had not been truly vanquished and that war would come again. And then somehow a text-to-speech device implemented into the Obsidian Throne by the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, my own personal body guard. Once the so called 'Legion of Doom' had been defeated, I knew it was time to return."

One of the Custodes next to Void spoke. "The ten years in which he spoke to us through that text-to-speech device were... weird to say the least." He shifted his grey cape around a little. He wasn't like the rest of Custodes standing next to Void. Part of his armor was silver and he seemed in much more high esteem than his comrades. He even had a few feathers sticking out of his right pauldron... quite similar to Magnus's wings in fact...

"Yes, you in the middle." Celestia pointed her hoof at a Changeling.

"Lady Celestia, forgive my skepticism and worry, but, when we were still apart of Chrysalis's hive, she often muttered to herself about a... legendary menace to our race. One with four wings as black as night, four horns with the likeness of the purest of platinum. A great beast with an... appetite... for changeling flesh... one that slaughtered millions upon millions of us and nearly drove our species to extinction..."

The whole room was silent. All eyes were focused on Void. His expression was serious. After a moment of silence he spoke to the young Changeling.

"That... was a very long time ago... In recent years I have received word of the Changelings' reformation. I now consider your people as my friends. Not my enemies. And yes, while it is true I have a tendency of being brutal and violent towards the enemy to the point where the demons of Hell itself fear to even speak my name, your people are now redeemed in my eyes. The beast you speak of... I, shall trouble you and your people no longer."

The Changelings breathed a massive sigh of relief. It was obvious that they were extremely nervous about Void before he answered the question. Twilight was disturbed at the level of violence that she could only begin to imagine. Then again, she had seen the ferocity of the World Eaters and how they slaughtered the demons.

Void pointed to a dragon he was quite surprised to see raising her hand.

"Ember? I thought you wouldn't have any questions considering you're the Dragon-Lord. Tell me, what is it that you wish to ask?"

"Well... truth be told, I don't really know that much about the conflict that engulfed the galaxy. Granted, every dragon has heard about the legend of the long lost Dragon-King and how he would return to his people in their time of need." She gave Void a slight nod. "It's just that, dad never really told me much about you personally. I know dragons are immortal and all but I didn't think that dad was that old! Especially considering our... competitive nature."

Void chuckled. "Your father, Torch, was one of the greatest Dragon-Warriors of the time. He slew legions upon legions of demons and put himself in harms way on more than one occasion to save the lives of his troops. Perhaps I should invite him to dinner sometime so we can catch up on current events... Sorry! I trailed off there. So what are you asking exactly?" Void slightly blushed in embarrassment.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask you is, will the Azur and Dragons be under your direct rule once again as one united empire?" Ember asked.

"Yes." Void answered. He then pointed at one of the Azur reporters.

"My lord, is it your divine will to reinstate Princess Luna to the position of Queen of the Imperium, to serve alongside you as a caring and loving figure to our people and as a symbol of unity between Equus and the Void?"

The room went silent. Void blushed and stood up to answer. He smiled.

"Let it be known, that on this day, Princess Luna, my lovely and devoted wife, mother of Prince Ender and Princess Star-Rift, shall be reinstated as Queen of the Imperium by my will. So let it be written, so let it be done."

The Azur stood and applauded. Truly this was a joyous day for the Azur. They shouted "All hail Queen Luna, mother of heirs and lover of the God-Emperor!" Luna stood next to Void. She wiped tears of joy and happiness that formed in her eyes. After the applause died down, the two sat back down, Luna resting her head on Void's shoulder for the rest of the press conference.

XIII. Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus

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XIV. Making Friends

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Prologue

Author's Note

Hello there! This is my first work for this website and I hope you all will like it. Also, leave some constructive criticism for me in the comments on how I could improve. I'll be publishing every chapter at the end of every month at the least. These first few chapters will probably be a bit short. Alright, you're probably sick of reading this so ON TO THE STORY!

Prologue

He stood on the deck, alone. Being alone wasn’t unfamiliar to him. Besides, after being “dead” for billions of years, he grew used to being alone in the cold darkness of the never ending expanse of space. He was pondering. “It’s been so long,” he thought to himself, “and yet, it only feels like it’s been but a blink of an eye.”

His pondering was suddenly interrupted by one of his most loyal servants. He instantly knew who it was, for no one had the courage to interrupt his pondering, not even his own brothers. “My lord,” Abbadon said reverently, bowing on one knee. “Abbadon, what news do you bring?” he asked. “My lord, the fleets are prepared and the legions have been rallied. We are ready to march on your command.”

He looked at his servant. Abbadon had served him for billions of years. His black armor had dents and scratches from previous battles. To some, unkempt armor is a disgrace. To Abbadon, it is a sign of experience, courage, and loyalty. It was for this loyalty, that he was awarded Drach’neyn, the sword of his mother who had bravely sacrificed her life ages ago.

“Abbadon, take but one message to my forces,” the Void Master made his tone more serious and direct, “We march.” Abbadon rose up from kneeling. “It will be done according to your word my lord.”

Abbadon exited the bridge. The Void Master returned to pondering. “It’s time. A new era is dawning for Equestria and the universe…”

“… an era of war.”

IX. The Drums of War

Author's Note

Alright, imma be real with you guys. I really didn't describe what the Azur look like, and it's been causing me a lot of pain to describe each Primarch individually. Especially when it comes to skin color. So, to save myself a massive headache, and you the readers from boredom, imma just straight up tell you about them this chapter. Anyways, enjoy!

Imprisioned

9 DAYS UNTIL ASCENSION. THE VOID DESCENDS UPON EQUUS

Sunburst found himself in the palace dungeon. Bleak and dreary, the air was stale from years of not being used. Iron bars encased Sunburst in a stone cell. There was no light save for the torches that lined the hall. He was hear for the simple crime of curiosity, wanting to know more.

So how did he get here?

He sought an audience with Celestia after he had done his research on the Primarchs he saw. He didn't find anything in the libraries, even the really old ones. So he decided to go to Celestia for answers. She was less than enthused about the questions. She refused to answer them outright. Then, when Sunburst told Celestia of what he saw, she thought him mad and a liar. And now he's here, in the dungeon. He was actually quite surprised that there was a dungeon.

"Guess she built it just in case something like this happened." Sunburst was nervous, and he knew he couldn't get out through magic. There was a magic seal that nullified any spell that might be cast. It wasn't powerful, but it was enough to get the job done.

"Oh, she knew. She just didn't expect it to be this late."

Sunburst jumped at the voice. He turned around, and there laying on the stone bed was Magnus.

"Do not worry. I am not here to harm you. Besides if I did want to harm you, I probably would have asked Konrad to do so." Magnus chuckled at his own joke.

Sunburst was stunned at Magnus's sheer size. His glorious armor and wings up close, he could now see much more detail.

"Would you stop gawking at me? I know you want to ask questions, so go ahead, ask away. Besides, I am not the type to keep secrets from others, like your princess."

Sunburst was stunned. "How did he know I had questions."Magnus had been in this scenario before. Young wizards and scholars coming to him asking for knowledge about the Azur race.

"So, what are you?"

"I am part of a race known as the Azur. Tall, black skinned beings with purple eyes. We are an ancient race of creatures that has been around for more than twelve billion years. Our empire spans the entirety of a plane of existence, which is our home, known as the Void. It is a cold cold and dark place. Unstable and ancient magic rages through out it, magic which we have tamed to use to our advantage. We are one of the most powerful races in existence. It is a good thing you are our allies."

"Wait, allies?" Sunburst asked in confusion.

"Yes, long ago the king of your people signed an alliance with mine. Protection in exchange for information and outposts. Azur military was a common site among this planet many years ago. Outposts dotted all over. Don't worry, we weren't overlords enslaving your people to do the bidding of my people. It was a friendship. Before this world was created, Azur'rath, god of the Void, and Sol, your god of the Sun, were and still to this day are best friends."

"So, where do you fall within the Azur hierarchy?"

"Well, there's the common folk, who range from six to six and a half feet tall. Then there are the Azurian Knights, more commonly known as the Space Marines by other races, who range from seven to seven and a half tall and are more muscular due to genetic modification upon becoming a Knight. Then there's the Primarchs of the twenty legions of Knights. This is the category I fall into, along with my brothers. We range from eight to nine feet tall and are more muscular than the Knights."

"And the Emperor?"

"Ah yes. My brother Void. Once he was destined to be a Primarch, but after father's untimely murder at the hands, actually hooves, of Sheol, he became the new God-Emperor of the Azur. The Emperor is supposed to be ten feet tall but due to the circumstances that no one saw coming, my brother remains at eight and a half feet tall. He also has four horns, relating to the Draconic heritage the royal family has."

"Yes the whole Bahamut marrying one of your gods thing." Sunburst said.

"Huh, you really did do your research. I respect a scholar of knowledge who actually does his own research." Magnus truly was a little impressed.

"So, if your brother is a god, aren't you one as well?"

"Yes, but I am a minor god of knowledge. The major god of knowledge is the Whispers, I am simply his champion."

"So I'm guessing the other three are also champions to the other gods?"

"Yep. They are the champions of the sons of Azur'rath. Angron is the champion of the Eater of Worlds, Fulgrim is the champion of the Instrument of Desire, Mortarion is the champion of the Composer of Strands, and I am the champion of the Whispers in the Void. Four champions for four patrons. They are recognized and worshiped in the Azur pantheon. Along with my brother who is the God-Emperor. The Divine Conduit, the End of the Cycle to name a few titles. He is most commonly known by other races as the Void Master."

"I see. So why is Celestia so reluctant to talk about him?"

Magnus paused in thought. He sighed. Just before he spoke there was the sound of hooves trotting, and armor following. It was Celestia.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Sunburst but I-" She completely stopped in her tracks. She saw Magnus.

"Y-you-you're-you're-"

"Hello, Celestia, it's been a while." A grin spread across Magnus's face. He was obviously looking forward to this.

"You went missing... the entire Azur race disappeared after Void's death." Celestia was still in shock. Someone who she thought was long dead and gone, now showing up out of the blue ten billion years later. Celestia's expression turned from one of shock to one of anger. "Why did you leave us? Why did you disappear?"

"My kin have their reasons. We faded into myth and legend, and eventually, non-existence in the minds of your people. All because of you. You wanted to forget. You wanted to put everything that had happened behind you." Magnus stepped off the rock bed and walked right up to the iron bars, which started to melt away. He was right up in front of Celestia, staff in hand.

Celestia summoned her pike from ages long past. It materialized and she pointed it at Magnus. "Why do you torment me so? I wanted to protect my people. I wanted them to forget the bloodshed. It was too much for any pony to bear."

"And look where forgetting has gotten you. The past is now coming back to haunt you. Sheol is on your doorstep" Magnus retorted.

"SHUT UP! I KNOW YOUR GAMES, MAGNUS THE RED. THE SORCERER KING OF PROSPERO, CRIMSON KING, IF YOU EVEN ARE HIM! I KNOW OF THE WAYS OF THE DEMONS, THEIR TRICKS OF LIES AND DECEIT. SHEOL IS DEAD, NEVER TO RETURN! YOU DARE MOCK VOID'S SACRIFICE! BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT DEMON! RETURN TO THE PITS OF HELL FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!"

"And yet here I stand in the flesh. The omens are clear. The Lost Prophecy is coming to fruition." Magnus remained calm.

"THAT DAMN PROPHECY DIED WHEN VOID DID!"

"But he didn't die."

Celestia was silent. She was outraged.

"My brother is alive and well. His heart was not struck by the anathema scythe of Sheol. He fell down into the pits, we found his body, and brought it home. It seems you've forgotten that gods can regenerate if their physical form is destroyed. Granted the amount of damage relates to the amount of time it will take one to regenerate. He's been biding his time, preparing for the true fight, the true war. And that war is on our doorstep."

"BE GONE FROM THIS WORLD! NEVER COME BACK!"

"...As you wish, Sword of the Sun, Goddess of War, Champion of the Light. Truly ignorance is bliss, but what will happen when the problem shatters your ignorance, and you have no choice but to face the problem head on?"

And with those words, Magnus was enveloped in purple fire, and disappeared.

There was silence for a time. Then Celestia finally spoke.

"Tell no one of this, for if you value your life, you shall not speak of these events."

Sunburst understood, and he took off galloping.

When the time draws near, The Sword will be forced to confront her past. She will not believe the Crimson King, although he speaks the truth. For Sheol draws ever closer, and so too does the Void Master.