The castle was quiet, not a sound echoing out from its inner chambers. The cold walls lay still, and the dead form resting in the cool pool of its own black blood still remained as it had been left. The Emperor surveyed it all calmly from the entrance - draped in a cloak that hid all of his features - looking on the scene with a calculating gaze. Every detail was taken in, every inch inspected, every nick or chip displaying the story of what had happened in their latest failure - a story he learned well. These new foes were most troublesome, and would only become more so if the issue at hand wasn't dealt with swiftly.

The door on the far end of the chamber opened, and his Justiciar walked out slowly, battered and bruised as he limped up to his lord. Taking a knee and bowing his head, the Justiciar payed his obeisance to his Emperor. The Emperor smirked at this display. If ever such a mighty beast could've been brought to heel and made into a lapdog, it was fitting that it was he who had accomplished it.

"I am sorry, my Lord, they bested me and escaped." His servant said in his low, booming voice. "I do not deserve your mercy, but I plead that you show me what I do not deserve and allow me to chase after these bastards." The Emperor huffed, his smirk growing to a self-satisfied smile. A good lapdog indeed.

"There is no need to be so... remorseful." He said, walking around his servant as he stooped down and inspected the fallen form of his homunculus. "The two of you did exactly as I required. I now have far more information on them than I would've previously." His slave turned in surprise, looking upon his lord as he dipped a finger into the open wound, bringing it up with a sheen of black blood.

"B-but... they escaped. I could not capture them as you had ordered!" The Justiciar exclaimed in surprise. He didn't want to sentence himself to damnation, but failure required punishment, that was the truth of the matter.

"Tell me, do you know how they killed our friend here?" The Emperor asked, rubbing his thumb across the black coated finger. "Dark Stone." He replied before his slave could even process the question. "I know you wouldn't know that. There isn't any obvious signs of the stone left to gather." He then pointed at the floor, more specifically a portion of the floor that looked lightly scratched. "A large crate was brought in and has since been removed. The area around the Doctor's wound has undergone premature necrosis, and beyond that." He swiped his black stained finger across his Justiciar's forehead.

His eyes opened as he felt a light tingle, a small leaching of his innate magic. The wound, or possibly just the blood, had flecks of Dark Stone still present. They barely had any power to draw in magic, but just enough that direct contact revealed its presence.

"These ponies may have not known that Dark Stone has a multiplicity of negative effects on homunculi, especially since all homunculi are in the end is magic given flesh, it could've just been an assumptive way to stop the Doctor from using his Melding of the Flesh, or possibly a gamble to ensure that he'd at least be well past fatigued if he happened to win in the end. Either way, it shows us that our prey is at least that smart." The Emperor walked away, pacing around the fallen Doctor.

"Our foes are clever, maybe not the most clever, but they are pugnacious, obstinate, and quick to think on their feet." Casting a glance to his Justiciar. "They also appear to be more than willing to disperse their artifacts, which makes ensuring we end up with all of the pieces a tad more difficult. However I have that issue resolved for the most part." The Emperor then grabbed his cloak and threw it off, revealing his full form, fully bedecked in a plethora of artifacts - from a crown to a jeweled chest piece; a short sword across his back to a fine, silken glove on his hand.

"You... you've assembled them all!?" The Justiciar stammered, and then bowed fully to the floor, raising up his hands, touching his wrists together lightly in submission. "Take mine, I pray you, that your power may be magnified! Let my final act be to raise you all the higher above my fallen state." The Emperor smirked at the display. Truly, his work had shown itself more than effective.

"No... no I don't think I will. You are my Justiciar, and until I have the final pieces I will not claim yours. I have also left Inquisitor Nightshade his artifact for now. Having one who can torment our foes at night while we torment them in the day shall be our grandest power over them."

"Then, my lord, what part shall I play?" This was the beginning of something truly great. And soon, soon it would be the end for all who had opposed him. The artifacts would ensure that.

"Firstly... firstly we shan't be making any more attacks directly on them. It's time to stop playing their little games and time for them to play our games." The Emperor said in his deep, melodic voice. He'd have them begging to be ended shortly enough, and then he had his full victory.

Nightshade sighed as he opened his eyes. It was always a gamble with his artifact. Fortunately he had protocols to follow in the case of being caught in the act by higher powers. He had had to spend the majority of his evening to this point tormenting other ponies and otherwise all across the world just to throw off the nocturnal princess, but it was well worth his security. She hadn't caught him yet, though yet was always the operative word.

Pulling himself off the couch, he stepped up to the windows, pushing two of the blinds apart. Looking around on the still shaded streets of the city, he spent a few tense seconds scanning every angle he could from his perch. The shimmering towers of the castle not a few blocks away were an ever looming threat, but presented him an equal amount of protection as he stepped away from the window.

Moving back to his bed, he sat down and thought about actually sleeping for once, but the thought of what his Emperor would do to him made it more than clear that the only sleep he'd get would be the sleep he leached from others. Grabbing the flower from the empty spot on the bed beside him, he fished out a newspaper from his bed stand's shelf. Reading over a few lines, he found what he needed - a small picture with a small subtitle 'Prince Blueblood (left) shooing off a mare who is thought to be his new mistress. Taking a whiff of his flower, he set both items down and adjusted his position in his bed. He might still have something of a trail leading towards him, he just had to make a few more stops tonight, and then he'd call it quits and move on to having a normal day life.

It was a delicate game that he played, but it was a job his Emperor had entrusted to him. A job that only he could accomplish with any efficiency. He'd hound the dreams of those insolent enough to stand up against his Emperor - THE Emperor. He'd show his loyalty, and then maybe, he'd get to keep what life he had left.

Slowly he drifted into a slumber, fading into a dream not his own, ready to spread a tad more fear tonight. He'd be a plague upon the lands, tormenting the dreams of all. The best part was when he had to run away, because then he'd get to brush against Luna. She was always a treat to see after the terrified faces of the ponies he had so rudely treated. Perhaps he might persuade his Emperor to give him Luna as a gift once they had won. That would be a splendid reimbursement for his faithful years of service. Yes, he'd ask, and even if he was refused, in the very least he'd likely get something. The other Barons and Inquisitors had always flaunted their power and their slaves, even Gunther who had at one point been much like him. Being able to do what he did.. well it didn't present many opportunities to amass a harem.

In the end, he didn't want a harem, just one good pony to fuck. He didn't even need a position of power over the pony he'd fuck, that'd just be a little bit of extra, and if that pony happened to be Luna... well that would just be something that no dream could compare to.

Author's Note

A tad bit of a shorter chapter to help me warm up and to give a peak of what the crew is up against.