In the crumbling ruins of the once great city once known as Manehattan, a gang of bandits prowls through the shadows. They pause under the cover of of a crumbling wall and the ponies warily heft rusty, improvised weapons as some unnameable monstrosity howls in the distance. The bandits brace themselves as some rubble falls from a nearby pile, over the top staggers two figures silhouetted against the sky and the bandits quickly snap off several shots from their crude weapons. A frightened squeal comes from the second figure as the first figure tumbles to the bottom of the rubble pile, revealing it to be an earth pony mare, dressed in the rags of a scrap hunter. The bandits quickly rush out and surround the frightened earth pony colt, holding rusty blades to its throat.

The earth pony colt trembles with fright as several bandits picks through the pouches on its dead mother. "Just scrappers picking what they can off the long dead bones of this city.", one bandit says as it pulls the metal spikes and barbs from the corpse. "Just junk.", the second bandit says tossing the rifled contents of the pouches aside, "Not enough here to even trade for a days worth of rations." "Though this one could get us a month's rations on the slave market.", the third bandit says running a hoof under the chin of the trembling colt. "We've got a cart back here!", a fourth bandit shouts.

"Kill the foal, take only what we can use from the cart and burn the rest.", a larger pony bandit says, "No witnesses and no delays. We were payed good coin to find a particular body."

"But boss...", one of the bandits start to protest.

The larger pony pulls out a weapon and aims it at the bandit's head, "No questions! Kill the foal, take only what we can use, or you'll join them."

A bandit slits the throat of the colt, as the others loot the cart finding an improvised crossbow, a couple of crude knives and a small pouch of gold coins. As the group of five bandits head out across the ruins, they leave behind a plume of smoke and circling carrion birds.

The bandits find a partially standing building to make camp in for the night. The leader takes out a crudely hoof-drawn map. He notes their approximate location before looking out in the fading light at a mostly standing ruined high rise. "Alright boys...", he says, "...if I'm reading this right, we should be there by tomorrow evening."

As the first pale rays of the morning sun break over the horizon, the five bandits break camp and make their way across the ruins, they keep sharp lookout for signs of predators, monster, mutants or other ponies.

"Boss?", One of the bandits asks, "I don't like this. The old stories said that after the goddesses disappeared, one of their enemies called the magic thief came to this city just before it was destroyed. You don't think the guy who hired us sent us here to find this magic thief?"

"Oh come off it!", the lead bandit said, "Don't tell me you still believe those old mare's tales. We were sent here to find a specific building. Our employer said there was something of value to him in it. He said we'd know it when we see it. I figured if it's that valuable to him, we can make him pay more for trade. If he refuses, can can wack him and trade it ourselves."

The bandit that had asked the question waved a strange symbol with his hoof.

As the shadows began lengthening, the bandits reached the building and cleared out a place on the ground floor to camp in. Several of them pocketed some unlooted shiny objects for potential trade, while the boss read the notes on the map. "Alright ya flesh crawling maggots!", he called out, "Rest up for in the morning we've got about six levels to go up."

In the morning they began climbing up the dilapidated stairwell. "Watch out for weak spots and cave-ins.", the head bandit whispered, "Last thing we need is for us to be trapped under a ton of rubble." At three levels up, the stairwell for two levels were gone, having long crumbled and the bandits were forced through the third level. They came across some good fortune when they found where a section of the ceiling had collapsed, making a ramp to the fourth level.

As the bandits crossed the fourth level, they found their way blocked by rubble. "Boss!", one of the bandits called out, "I found a vertical shaft that leads all the way up!" The lead bandit investigated it, seeing it was mostly clear of rubble. The five bandits hurled grappling hooks with ropes up the shaft and carefully shimmied upwards. Upon reaching the sixth level, they retrieved their grappling hooks while the lead bandit double checked the notes on the map and pointed down the corridor. "Keep an eye out for a door with the numbers six-one-six on it.", the lead bandit whispered.

After several minutes the bandits found the door in question. When the went to push the crumbling door open, they found it stuck fast. Two of the bandits bucked in the door while the remain three posted guard. After several kicks, the door broke loose of the frame. The five bandits walked in the room, weapons drawn and began searching. At first they only found only the long decayed mattress and the long decayed furniture, in the far corner they found the long dead body of a pegasus. The flesh on the body, though withered and mummified from the lack of scavengers picking at it, was still intact. Several puncture wounds riddled the flesh of the corpse, the decayed remains of arrows gave testament to what had killed the pegasus. A few strands of curly blue hair clung to the head of the pegasus and a few ragged pink feathers still clung to its wings, by a long withered hoof there was the heavily rusted remains of a knife and above it scratched into the wall was a message that read, "I will have my revenge!"

The lead bandit pulled out a crudely made flare, a length of pipe and a flint and steel. After making a few sparks, the fuse on the flare lit and he aimed it out the window with the length of pipe. "Ready up boys, not only did our employer see that flare, but every scrapper and mutant for miles around."

After several hours of waiting and no sounds of anything, the five bandits began growing bored. One bandit took out a small oval paper capsule and broke it open, revealing a white powder, holding it up to his nose, he sniffed the powder up. Another bandit took out a syringe containing an amber liquid, he pushed the needle into a vein and slowly injected the liquid, his eyes fluttered with a sigh. The lead bandit took out a small tin holding some little white pills, he popped a couple in his mouth chewing them up before putting them away.

After a while the bandits heard some shuffling in the corridor and they took up position ready to fight whatever came up. A strange creature with the hind legs of a dog, forelegs like a monkey, a long thin tail that ended in a monkey-like hand, it head was dog-like, sharp teeth filled its mouth, its eyes glistened with malice and dark magics, its flesh looked like it was dried leather, but still pulsed with dark magic.

"I take it that you are the rusty knife gang I hired?", Ahuizotl asked.

"Yes...", the lead bandit replied, "...we found the body for you, now where's our pay?"

"Pay?!", Ahuizotl chortled, "Who said anything about pay?"

The bandits raised their weapons and fired. Metal barbs and spikes pierced the undead, dark magic-corrupted flesh of Ahuizotl who simply snapped the hand on the end of his tail. Several skeletal cats charged in the room, pinning the five bandits on their backs. A pony covered in dull brown robes walked slowly in behind the cats and pulled out an obsidian knife, hoofing it over to Ahuizotl.

"Thank you Dr. Caballaron.", Ahuizotl said, taking the obsidian knife. He walked over to the first bandit and began chanting in a strange, esoteric tongue. With a quick flick, he cut the throat of the bandit. As the blood flowed onto the floor, Ahuizotl touched his hand to it and began drawing a strange circle. Dark magic began to crackle in the bloody circle as the next bandit had his throat cut.

The lead bandit looked to the pony that had been name Dr. Caballeron. He saw under the hood of the robe a nearly skeletal face, orbs of unnatural green light glowed where the eyes should have been. The lead bandit shivered as he prayed, "Goddesses forgive me. I allowed myself to be blinded by greed and ambition."

Ahuizotl paused when he heard the lead bandit's prayer and chuckled maliciously. "Yes, pray to your goddesses. But tell me, where have they been all these centuries while their little ponies suffered?"

"The six champions will return and the goddesses shall walk the land again!", one of the surviving bandits shouted, "They will purify the land and burn the filth away."

"What if I told you little pony that your goddesses never went away?", Ahuizotl asked, "That they are just hiding and have refused to lift a hoof to save your hide? That your champions are long dead?"

"You lie!", the bandit snarled, "It was the fault of the ponies that the land was scorched and our sins that the goddesses left across the great sea. But they will return!"

Ahuizotl leaned down into the face of the bandit. "I have met your so called 'goddesses' before, I can tell that they are not divine and in their own hubris they did not see magic go wild until it was too late. But now after centuries, I have surpassed them."

The bandit snarled and spit in Ahuizotl's face, who simply took no notice and cut his throat. The body of the long dead pegasus began to twitch as the dark magic along with the life forces of the sacrifices began reviving it. Ahuizotl cut the throat of the fourth bandit. With a final crackle of dark magic, the body of the pegasus fully reanimated and rose to its hooves.

"Welcome back Cozy Glow.", Ahuizotl said with with a triumphant laugh. He gestured to the last bandit, "Feed!"

"Stay away demon!", the lead bandit shouted as the newly reanimated Cozy Glow stalked towards him.

Cozy Glow lowered her face down until it was level with the bandit's and opened her mouth. The bandit tried to lean away, but found himself immobilized as Cozy Glow began sucking the life force out of him. After several minutes the bandit was a lifeless, wither husk. Cozy's eyes ignited with baleful green energy.

Ahuizotl looked down at the dead bandits before turning and walking out. "Come along."

Cozy Glow snickered to herself quietly before walking out.

Over the weeks the three of them trekked across the ruined land, stopping occasionally to wreak havoc on a small village or a passing caravan of travelers. After more weeks, they stopped on the outskirts of an overgrown forest. "Wait here. I shall return.", Ahuizotl said.

After Ahuizotl had left, Cozy Glow turned to Caballeron, "Why do you do everything he says?"

"I owe him for giving me life anew.", Caballeron replied, "You owe him too."

As the sun set, Ahuizotl had no returned. Cozy Glow noticed the light of a campfire glowing in the distance, she immediately had a wicked idea. Quickly she put on her best innocent act. "Look over there Doctor, there are some ponies. I bet we could have some fun with them."

Caballeron looked over at the campfire in the distance. "The master said to stay here."

Cozy changed gears, the innocent act wouldn't work, so she'd use Caballeron's loyalty to her advantage. "It would be such a shame if those ponies spotted us. They'd probably put a damper on Ahuizotl's plans. They'd probably attack us and him and try to destroy him."

Caballeron worked his undead jaw. It would be a problem if they tried to interfere in Ahuizotl's plans. "Stay here, I'll go check it out. If Ahuizotl returns before I get back, tell him where I am."

Cozy Glow tapped a withered hoof to her forehead in a salute, "Can do!" She waited until Caballeron was a good way off before taking to the air, though she had few feathers left on her wings, she still could fly. Down below she watched as Caballeron stalked around the camp, just outside of the firelight. When he sprung onto the first of the travelers, she swooped down.

Caballeron easily tackled the first traveler and crushed his throat under his hoof. He lunged forward and bit into the neck of another traveler, ripping it open, blood sprayed across his face as he spat out the ragged wet chunk. A mare screamed as he stalked slowly forward, right as he was about to lunge, a blur slammed into him from above and he tumbled into the campfire. Caballeron let out an unholy howl as the flames licked at his undead and withered flesh.

Cozy Glow bit into the neck of the whimpering mare and ripped out her throat. As the mare died gurgling, Cozy began digging through the travelers possessions, she found an amulet made in the depiction of an alicorn's head.

Caballeron managed to flop out of the fire. "Help me Cozy Glow."

Cozy Glow put on the amulet, immediately even more dark magic flowed into her body and a small horn made of dark magic sprouted from her head. She rubbed her chin mockingly, "Hmm...no." Summoning up dark magic, she shoved Caballeron's body into the campfire and held him there, once his body was reduced to ash, she removed the amulet and stashed it in a cavity in her body, then made her way back to where Ahuizotl had left them.

As the sun came up, Ahuizotl made his way out of the forest. He paused seeing Cozy Glow hiding behind a tree. "Cozy Glow! Where is Caballeron?"

Cozy Glow jumped in mock fear and turned around. "Well you see...there were these ponies with torches that came around. The Doctor tried to fight them off, but they hit him with the torches, tied him up and drug him back to their camp." She pointed to the thin line of smoke curling up in the early morning air.

"Stay here, I'll go check it out.", Ahuizotl said as he made his way to the camp with the skeletal cats, while Cozy Glow snickered quietly to herself. About half an hour later he returned. "It looks like after they destroyed him with their fire, some predators or mutants attacked their camp. Such a waste of valuable rescources. No matter now, come along."

Cozy Glow followed along looking for the opportunity to take Ahuizotl out. They walked for several hours before coming into a clearing where a long collapsed cottage was, a single weather-worn gravestone stood next to the collapsed structure.

"Behold! The resting place of my nemesis, Daring Do!", Ahuizotl shouted triumphantly, "Now you get to witness my ultimate revenge when I resurrect her and enslave her to my will!"

Cozy Glow reached into her body cavity and pulled out the amulet. Putting it on, she said, "Really?! That's your great plan? Resurrect somepony who is your greatest nemesis and enslave her?"

"Well I think it's a pretty good plan."

Cozy Glow summoned up the dark magic and pinned Ahuizotl to the ground. When his skeletal cats charged her, she smashed them to dust with dark magic. "I stole the magic of Equestria! I held the bewitching bell of Grogar! I stole the power of Discord! I brought the princesses to their knees!" She began stripping the various amulets and charms off his body.

"Cozy Glow! I demand that you release me now!", Ahuizotl bellowed.

"No!"

"Excuse me?"

Cozy rose herself up to her full height. "I am Cozy Glow! I do not bow to weak minded fools like you! I am Cozy Glow! I shall have my revenge on the princesses for entombing me in stone! I am Cozy Glow! This land will bow before me! I am Cozy Glow and I do not serve!" She sucked the dark magic out of Ahuizotl's body, then smashed him to dust. She then put on his amulets and charms, further bolstering her dark magic. Taking to the air, she began planning on where to strike first.

Author's Note

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy.

Don't worry, the next chapter will see a return to crushing the sphinxes.

I will try and take all comments and criticisms as constructive.