The Real Nightmare Knights

Chrysalis was furious.

She was often furious about a great many things, but this took the proverbial cake. And she. Was. Furious. Not only had that snake Sombra informed her that Pupa had put her one good, measly hoof in the mess that was Crystal Hills and its forbidden prize, not only had Tempest deliberately disobeyed and forgone her warnings and flitted off to who knows where with said snake, but now Cadance, one of the three most insufferable ponies she hated the most, was currently in talks with Starlight Glimmer over what to do about them.

She was so furious, in fact, that she appeared outwardly calm and collected.

“Hey, Chryssy?” Cozy said, tapping her side.

“What?” she grunted in a deep growl.

The filly slumped down next to her, forlorn and worried. “Tempest is gonna be okay, right?” she murmured. “I mean... she’s Tempest right?”

From the other side of the room Tirek huffed and turned the page of his book. “She’ll be fine,” he said gruffly. “As for when she returns, however…” He looked up briefly, meeting Chrysalis’s stern, cold gaze with his own.

Cozy looked between them and winced, fluttering her wings gently as she made herself comfy. The room they had been confined to while Starlight and Cadance drew up some ground rules was small, but not too small, and they had been provided with comfortable enough seats—ones that had, almost inevitably, been hurled away out the window by Chrysalis. And so Cozy made do on the floor, sitting beside her changeling compatriot.

Said compatriot’s icy glare could freeze a volcano, however, her mind a whirlwind of anger and concern for Tempest. Beneath Chrysalis’s composed exterior, a storm brewed, threatening to unleash its fury at any moment. The mention of Tempest’s name ignited a spark in her eyes, a mix of fear for her safety and frustration at her recklessness.

The young Knight’s innocent question pierced through Chrysalis’s façade, causing a flicker of vulnerability to flash across the changeling’s features before vanishing like a shadow in the night. She wanted to reassure the young filly, to promise that Tempest would return unscathed, but the uncertainty gnawed at her insides like hungry beetles.

And Tirek’s gruff reassurance did little to ease the tension in the air. His eyes held a glint of something unreadable as they locked onto Chrysalis’s, a silent exchange passing between them like lightning in a stormy sky.

As the minutes ticked by in a heavy silence, broken only by the distant murmur of voices from the adjoining room where Cadance and Starlight continued their discussion, Chrysalis’s patience wore thin. The weight of the impending unknown pressed down on her, mingling with the memories of past failures and betrayals that haunted her. She clenched her hooves, the sharp edges of her exoskeleton digging into the floor, scraping up splinters.

Cozy shifted uneasily beside her, sensing the turmoil radiating from Chrysalis like a palpable aura. The young pegasus opened her mouth to speak, perhaps to offer some words of comfort, but Chrysalis’s steely gaze silenced her before any sound could escape. The queen’s focus was unwavering, locked onto some distant point beyond the confines of the room.

Tirek, sensing the escalating tension, closed his book with a deliberate snap. The sound echoed in the stillness, drawing both Chrysalis’s and Cozy’s attentions, his hooves landing with a heavy thud as he stood up and stretched his arms. He ran a hand over his head and through his beard, and peered out the shattered window at the Crystal Empire going by.

“How long have we been here?” he grunted.

“Two hours,” Chrysalis snorted.

“Is that all? It feels longer.”

Cozy pricked up her ears when she felt some familiar vibrations along he ground. “Hey,” she murmured. “Someone’s coming.”

With renewed interest Tirek turned around to face the door, resting his back against the wall.

The door swung open and Starlight entered, followed closely by a stone-faced Cadance.

The Director of the Nightmare Knights flashed the remaining Knights a quick smile. “So… we’ve been talking.”

“No. Really?” Chrysalis sneered.

Starlight bristled only slightly. “Cadance and I both agree that it’s for the best that, after today, the Nightmare Knights never set hoof in the Crystal Empire again.”

The changeling tsked and pushed herself up, towering high above the young mare, glaring daggers at Cadance beside her. “Is that all?”

“Well… that, and-”

“Tempest Shadow is now considered an enemy of the Crystal Empire,” Cadance said coldly.

A tense silence fell upon the room. Starlight grimaced and looked away, a mixture of bitterness and acquiescence on her face.

Chrysalis’s wings slowly began to unfurl, stretching up high behind her. “What?” she murmured.

The Princess of Love looked at the changeling who had once tried to ruin the happiest day of her life, holding her gaze firmly. “If and when she returns, as a courtesy I will grant her leave of this Empire, on the grounds that she never returns again.”

“As a courtesy?!” the changeling raged.

“It’s as best as we could do,” Starlight said, stepping up in front of Cadance. “And it’s final, so back off Chrysalis.”

Tirek snorted quietly and shook his head.

Chrysalis’s eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, her anger simmering just beneath the surface as she towered over both Cadance and Starlight. The weight of their words hung heavy in the air. She felt the sting of injustice burn within her, a fiery determination igniting in her chest.

“Tempest Shadow has risked everything for us,” Chrysalis’s voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade. “She has proven her loyalty time and time again. And this is how you repay her?!” She jabbed one hoof out the window. “Even now she fights for you, to save you wretched ponies, and you label her a villain—for what?”

“Sombra is very much still a very real threat to the Crystal Empire, Chrysalis,” Cadance snapped, thrusting her face into Chrysalis’s. Lightning flew from each other’s eyes as they glared at one another. “Even if it was a temporary alliance, Tempest defied my orders in my own kingdom and leagued herself with him. I cannot let that slide, and you will respect my authority, or suffer the consequences if you don’t.”

“Hang the consequences!” screeched Chrysalis. “I have half the mind to incinerate you here and now for this!”

Tirek suddenly stamped his hoof with a heavy bang, drawing her attention. “Chrysalis, enough. What’s done is done and there is no use bickering about it.”

“She-”

“What would Tempest say? Hmm?” he sneered. “Would she stand to see you here threatening a princess in the heart of her own kingdom?” The changeling cast her eyes downwards for a few seconds. Tirek snorted again and continued. “I thought not. The best thing we can do now is wait, and trust in Tempest that she will return alive and unharmed.”

Cozy fluttered her wings and rose up into the air beside him. “Couldn’t we look for her?” she said hopefully. “I-I mean… there has to be something-”

“There isn’t,” Chrysalis grunted, her voice laced with defeat. She sighed and shook her head. “For once, Tirek… I agree with you.” She shot the centaur a filthy look and levelled a hoof towards him. “But if Sombra dares to hurt one hair on her head-”

“I will help you skin him myself,” Tirek replied, taking her hoof in his hand. His voice just as low and grave as hers, full of seriousness and yet twinged with a slightly mournful tone as well, for he too wondered and worried about Tempest, alone in who-knows-where with the likes of Sombra, of all ponies.

Cozy grimaced as the three of them drew close. “Trust in Tempest,” she said quietly.

Chrysalis muttered something under her breath, the only audible word being ‘trust’.

Tirek nodded along with them. “We must. We cannot let our quarry go unchecked while we wait for her to return. Yes?”

“Yeah,” Cozy said, smiling at the former queen. “C’mon, Chrysalis. Ghosts aren’t gonna beat themselves, right?”

Chrysalis glared at her, her bright green eyes almost glowing with intensity. “Agreed,” she growled before adding quietly, “I cannot wait to hit something…”

Starlight stared at the three of them in almost awe. And no small amount of amazement at the hold Tempest had over them all. She glanced at Cadance and saw the monarch’s hardened gaze drop slightly, watching the exchange with a mixture of concern and resignation. They met eyes briefly when Cadance spotted her looking at her. The princess coughed into her hoof and cleared her throat.

“We will trust in Tempest, for now,” she said, her voice firm. “But know that the safety of the Crystal Empire is my top priority. I cannot afford to let my guard down, especially as when Sombra has been bold enough to waltz into the Empire unchecked.”

Chrysalis’s sharp features softened for half a second, her unwavering loyalty to Tempest breaking through her distrust and dislike for Cadance.

“We can understand that, Princess,” Tirek said respectfully.

Cadance bowed her head back at him. “Thank you, Tirek.”

Starlight let out a soft sigh of relief. “Alright, Princess, we’ve taken up enough of your time. The Nightmare Knights and I will go back to Equestria. Would you let me know when Tempest comes back?”

The princess nodded, turning to face her. “You will all be the first to know,” she affirmed them. “And then I will send her home.”

“And what of Sombra?” Chrysalis hissed.

Cadance paused for a moment. “I will deal with Sombra if he dares to show his face here again, Chrysalis. You have my word. He will face judgement for his crimes.”

“Hmph.”

The snort was derisive, but the flicker in Chrysalis’s eye said all it needed to. They weren’t enemies then in that moment, watching one another.

They were mothers, each standing on the same side of the line in the sand that they had drawn together, albeit very reluctantly and under more than strenuous circumstances.

The princess then bowed her head to them. “I must take my leave as well. I believe there are a few guards whom I must give a very stern talking to about our sudden lapse in security. Goodbye, Nightmare Knights. Tempest has every bit of faith from me as she does from you. I only hope that she does not need it.”

***

A monstrous storm was forming across the depths of the Frozen North, bringing with it a tempest of icy fury and ominous clouds that devoured the sky like a looming nightmare. The eye of the storm coalesced over the desolate ruins of Crystal Hills, the very air itself humming throughout the city’s empty streets as bolts of lightning crackled in a chaotic dance above the remains of the once-glorious city.

“Come on Sombra, snap out of it!”

In between breaths, a tired, battered and bruised Tempest Shadow called out in desperation, willing the stallion perpetrating the battering and bruising to break himself free of the dark enchantment that had a hold of him.

Sombra fought like something out of a nightmare. Every strike, every lash of his spells wracked the commander’s body when she blocked them, and even more when she didn’t. Hurling herself away to one side she only just barely managed to dodge another attack, watching as a crackling bolt of magic tore through the far wall, exposing them to the elements. The winds howling reminded her like tortured souls, whipping through their battlefield.

She knew she couldn’t keep this up for long, but what choice did she have? Even if she was getting tired, pushing herself well beyond her limits, what could she do but try?

“Sombra, listen to me! This isn’t you! This isn’t what you want!”

Again she called out to him, refusing to simply lay down and accept her fate just yet. If there was a flicker of him in there, of the stallion that told her his story in his father’s tavern, even the smallest, tiniest bit, then maybe, just maybe, she could reach him.

A cruel chuckle filled the hall in answer to her pleas. her eyes travelled upwards past Sombra and came to rest on the source of the offending, mocking laughter.

Sacanas watched the battle unfold with amusement, apparently revelling in the spectacle of it all. The former rage and anger at the audacity of her precious strike long since faded, replaced by a smug, arrogant grin. “Have you not realised by now, Breakhorn?” he sneered. “It is by my will that Sombra acts. What he wants is irrelevant.”

Tempest, her horn crackling with magical energy, quickly manoeuvred around Sombra to dodge another attack.

Sacanas was lying, she told herself. Sombra wouldn’t do this, he didn’t want to do this, surely. No, it was that mark burning against his flank. She had to break the connection somehow, but how?

She ducked low, almost flattening herself onto the ground as Sombra aimed a bolt at her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end as energy crackled past, missing her by a hair’s length.

What did she know about binding rituals? Trying desperately to recall the specific details as she bobbed and weaved, she vaguely remembered reading something about a seal, or some sort of written contract. That wasn’t enough. If only Tirek was here… if any of the Knights were here…

As the minutes of their duel crawled by, Tempest could feel her energy draining away. It was already very clear to her that she was losing, as every attack she tried Sombra either didn’t care for or batted harmlessly out the way, and while she struggled for breath and footing, Sombra himself seemed to grow stronger with every strike.

She caught a glimpse of Sacanas’s eyes, both glowing with malevolent energy, his mouth pulled back into a sadistic grin. Sombra was like a puppet on a string, dancing to his dark master’s whims.

Desperation consumed her as she fought to keep up with Sombra’s relentless onslaught. Every spell they exchanged, both defensive and offensive, crackled and surged, scorching the ground beneath them and creating an ominous aura that filled the air around them. She couldn’t beat him—them—alone. She needed to try something else.

With a quick twist and darting movement, Tempest evaded one of Sombra’s attacks and retaliated with a powerful blast of magic that shot towards his head with blinding brilliance. The impact knocked Sombra back, stunning the stallion for a brief moment.

Tempest saw her chance and darted forwards again, reaching out to grab his hoof. “Sombra, snap out of it!” she cried, her voice laced with urgency. “Is this what Hope what have wanted?!”

Behind him, she spotted Sacanas’s grin widen.

The stallion’s head slowly turned towards her.

“Remember her, Sombra?” Tempest pleaded. “Remember Radiant Hope?”

His lips moved wordlessly for a moment, parting ever so slightly, then he suddenly leaned forwards and tried to headbutt her. The commander pulled back just quick enough to dodge it and felt a sudden surge of anger. “Sombra I’m trying to help you, you big, dumb idiot-”

She plunged her face forwards, locking her lips around his with a cocktail of fury, panic and overwhelming emotion swirling in her gut. She kissed him like she’d wanted to kiss him in his father’s tavern down in Crystal Hills. For a fleeting moment, there was nothing else in the world but them. Aside from the fact that she was in the middle of fighting for her life; for that one blissful moment, Tempest was happy.

She held it for a couple of seconds longer before pulling away and looked deep into Sombra’s eyes. She placed one hoof on the side of his head and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper.

“Come back to me…”

Sombra’s cold, glass-eyed stare pierced right through her, however, as his horn crackled again. The fleeting, happy moment evaporated, and Tempest barely had time to shield her eyes before she was tossed away by the magical burst he released. Her body slammed against the wall with a crack and a pained, mournful cry escaped her lips as she fell to the floor, dazed and disoriented and hurt—in more ways than one.

The air suddenly stilled. The palace was silent, as if even the stones themselves had caught their breath and were watching, waiting. When she looked up, she saw Sombra slowly approaching, his eyes blank and his expression hollow.

Sacanas cackled loudly. “Try as you might, Breakhorn,” he taunted. “It is useless to resist. Sombra is mine and mine alone.”

“Sombra…” Tempest wheezed, reaching out to the stallion. “No… don’t…”

She’d kissed him. She’d put everything she had into it, and it had done nothing. So much for love being the strongest magic of all, she guessed.

Sombra raised his hoof, ready to bring it down on her neck and snuff the life right out of her, when Sacanas’s voice suddenly rang out through the hall.

“Wait…”

The dark stallion paused and turned his head towards his master.

Sacanas waved his hoof with a malevolent glint in his eye.

“Bring her to me, Sombra,” he said, almost whispering with excitement. “I wish to… dispose of her myself.”

Exhausted, beaten and bruised black and blue, Tempest let out a grunt of pain as Sombra bit down on the scruff of her neck and lifted her up, dragging her away towards the throne before forcefully pushing her towards it with his head.

The thunderstorm raged outside, tearing its way through Crystal Hills and bringing with it a blizzard of icy cold winds and thick, black clouds that blotted out the sun.

The dark mare looked up at Sacanas, meeting his intense gaze. The ghostly king leaned in closer, his eyes fixed on her. “Do you understand what it means to have your fate stolen from you, Nightmare Knight?” he jeered. “I do. I was not always as you see me now, no. Once… I was nothing, just like you. But it was when I caught a glimpse of power, real power, that a thirst was ignited, and I knew that my destiny was meant for greatness.”

Tempest locked her gaze onto him as he spoke, listening both curiously and warily. So he was going to monologue at her, was he? Great.

Sacanas extended his dark hoof and examined it for a brief moment before shifting his attention to her and made a disapproving sound. “Tell me, Tempest Shadow,” he said with a low voice. “Have you ever truly experienced it? Genuine power? Where you may hold the very fate of the world in your hoof?”

The commander felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face. Maybe it was blood. She didn’t answer and quickly averted her eyes, but a memory of what the Storm King had done with Sacanas’s own staff: turning the sun and the moon into his personal playthings, bubbled to the surface of her mind.

The dark spirit paused, deep in thought. He lowered his hoof, placing it back on the arm of his throne. “I thought not. I trust then, at least, that even a lowly creature like you has heard of the wonders of Grogar?”

Tempest froze and her eyes went wide. Her heart pounded in her chest as the name echoed through the hall, sending a chill down her spine. She certainly knew about Grogar, alright, about the efforts Bray was taking to try and bring him back, and the effect it was having on the veil between worlds. What did Sacanas know about him? Was he in cahoots with Bray himself? Questions began to fire off inside her head, each one more haunting than the last.

Sacanas slumped back in his throne, a twisted grin etched onto his shadowed features as he observed Tempest’s reaction. “Yes, Grogar,” he drawled, savouring the momentary terror that flickered across her face. “The very same being who once reigned supreme over all creatures great and small, called the Father of Monsters, Lord of the Dark and the Light, the Emperor of Tambelon and Equestria. And I? I was a common street rat. A beggar and a thief, destined to die forgotten in obscurity.” He scoffed quietly. “By chance one summer’s morning, Grogar himself took a walk in the village where I lived, disguised as an elderly mare. I saw a target, an opportunity, and I took it, and for my boldness and brazenness, Grogar the Almighty took me as his own, another of his ‘children’ as he called them.”

Children, Tempest thought? Bray, the snake-mare and the troggle. Was that what they were? Were the ones she’d already met ‘it’, or were there more, others she didn’t know about?

“I joined their ranks and became Grogar’s loyal servant,” Sacanas continued. “An unwavering champion of his divine right. And for my loyalty, like the others, he granted me that which I craved most: power. Specifically, the power to change my fate, so that I may not die in obscurity like my mother and father.”

He straightened up, eyes glinting with a faraway look. “With the power and the gifts that Lord Grogar had given me, I ascended to become King of the Crystal Empire, First of my Name! Sacanas the Imperishable! My Empire extended far into the north, carving out a piece of this world that was mine and my own. I had wealth. Fame. A horde of consorts to sire my offspring with so that my dynasty may grow and last forever...” He paused again, and something in his eyes changed. When he next spoke, his voice dropped to a menacing growl and his mouth twisted into a snarl. “But... in the end... it was not to last.”

Tempest swallowed and forced herself to stand on shaky legs. “Why was that?” she murmured. She needed to keep him talking. She needed information on her enemy, no matter where it came from.

“Why, you ask?” Sacanas growled, fixing her with an intense gaze. “Because my power had become so great, that I began to rival even that of Grogar himself! Because he and his minions, those I called my brothers and sisters, feared me, saw me as a threat! I had become a deity in my own right, adored by my subjects yet feared by all who dared oppose me!”

The room shook with his thunderous voice, rattling the very stones beneath Tempest’s hooves. Even so, she stood her ground in the face of such fury. This ancient and terrible creature before her knew Grogar, personally no less, and from the sound of it held no love for him, or Bray, so the question remained, as loathe as she was to think it: could she use that in the Knights’ fight against the mad donkey?

Sacanas huffed and fell back against his throne once more. “But… as I came to stand against Grogar,” he continued darkly, “I was betrayed. By one of my own children, no less.” He fell silent for a moment, letting his words hang in the air. “To think… my own sorry excuse for a daughter was my downfall… as if she could not have brought more shame to my name by being born a pegasus...”

“A pegasus…” Tempest quietly repeated with a disgusted grimace. A daughter born as a pegasus, to the shame of a cruel bigot. Where had she heard that before? This mystery mare, whoever she was, and Cozy had a lot in common. But who was she? She’d never heard of a pony joining up with Grogar before.

Sacanas snarled and shook his head. “A pegasus!” he spat. “I thought little already of her, but, because of her betrayal, the Dark Ram penetrated my defences and stormed my castle in the blink of an eye.” He slumped down in his throne, consumed by ancient fury. “It was then that I realised I had been deceived all along, for while I had indeed grown powerful as he had promised, the magic Grogar commanded far outweighed and outmatched my own. He overpowered me, stripped me of my mortal form... and imprisoned me.”

Tempest swallowed. She needed to be careful. “Imprisoned you?” she said curiously, glancing up at him.

“Hah...” Sacanas chuckled grimly. “Allow me to show you…”

His horn started to glow, causing the shadows surrounding him to part.

A shiver ran down Tempest’s spine as she gazed upon the skeleton nestled deep within, its hollow eye sockets seemingly staring right at her. A lump formed in her throat. This was the body she’d seen inside Sacanas’s swirling mass when he had moved. This… was all that remained of Radiant Hope. It had to be, if Sombra had told her the truth; that he had ended her suffering by killing her, only for her remains to become a vessel for Sacanas to possess.

The commander squinted as a flash of red caught her eyes, from the small circlet of iron sitting atop the skeleton’s head. It flashed again, and she noticed the bright, shining ruby in its centre, watching her like a great eye. It was his crown, she realised. Sacanas’s crown, the thing she and Sombra had come here to destroy. This was it, this was her moment! All it would take is one well placed burst of lightning and that ruby would shatter… but…

Bray’s smug face rose up to the forefront of her mind, him and his dark master. There was so much she, Starlight and probably even Luna didn’t know about their enemy, but Sacanas was there. He saw it all for himself. If he could be persuaded to help them, then…

She bit her tongue and held her magic back, glaring at his crown, at the ruby staring back at her. She hated the uncertainty surrounding her mission. She wondered what Chrysalis would say. What Tirek or Cozy would say. Would Luna be able to make this choice?

Her brief window of opportunity closed, however, resigning her to whatever fate she may make for herself now, as the shadows surrounding the crown soon returned and melted back into Sacanas’s face as he glared down at her.

“What you see here, Breakhorn, this form I have shown to you, is but a fraction of my majesty,” he said. “For it is within this gem that my spirit is encapsulated. In but another cruel jest in a line of many, Grogar thought it amusing to imprison me in that which I coveted for so long, rendering me to nothing more than a formless shadow.”

He grunted quietly and shifted in his seat, regarding Tempest coldly and uncaringly. “Now…” he murmured as his horn, instead of emitting light, began to draw in in towards it. “I have entertained you for far too long, Tempest Shadow,” he said, almost bored—like this was just another day to him. “Take comfort in knowing that your death will be swift-”

“Wait,” Tempest said quickly, raising one hoof. “Wait, Sacanas, I… I wish to make a proposal.” The words sounded like venom on the edge of her tongue even as she spoke them.

Sacanas grinned. “Do you now?” he asked her. His horn continued to draw in light, warping and bending it around it. “Speak, then.”

The commander licked her lips, keeping a way eye on his horn. “I think... I think we can help each other here,” she said slowly. “I can see clearly that you hate Grogar for what he did to you, I can understand that. Well, there’s a donkey—Bray—who’s trying to bring him back. If he succeeds, the world will be in danger and I can’t let that happen.”

The dark spirit’s horn stopped drawing in light. His eyes went wide and his pupils shrank. “Bray?” he whispered. “That vile wretch lives still?!”

“Yes!” the commander cried out, eagerly nodding her head. “He’s going to a lot of lengths to bring back Grogar, and we’re trying to stop him to save Equestria, to save the world. You know Grogar, you know his forces, his plans, what he would do if he returned. If you could help us, ally with us, then anything you say could help us fight him and stop Bray.”

Sacanas watched her, deep in thought. His shadowy form flickered and wavered as more lightning flashed outside, followed by a deep rumble of thunder. Tempest thought that for a moment, he would accept. That they would have gained another ally in their fight against Bray, albeit a mad, cruel and wholly demented one.

“No.”

His one word answered reverberated through the ancient castle. The storm even appeared to quieten down for a moment or two, letting it sink in.

Tempest stared, opened mouthed at him as abject horror spread across her face.

Sacanas twisted his mouth into a cruel, sadistic grin right back at her.

No.

He’d said no.

Even if he really did hate Grogar as much as he said, he still wouldn’t work with her. Why? Because she was a breakhorn? Because she’d dared defy him or strike out at him? Was he really that arrogant and self-centred?

She began to frown, tightening her brow into a scowl.

She opened her mouth to protest, to demand answers, but an explosion of dark magic rocked her body as the dark spirit’s horn began to draw in light for a second time, then quickly showered her with a wave of energy. Black bolts of magic snaked through the air like sorcerous lightning, and tore through her insides, setting every nerve they could find on fire in the process.

“What could you offer me, Breakhorn, that I do not already have?” Sacanas jeered, driving his magic forwards as Tempest screamed in pain. “A kingdom? Wealth? Power? I have all of this and more, you miserable cur!”

The commander fell to the ground and writhed in agony. It was like nothing she’d never experienced before, not even losing her horn hurt this much. Thinking of her horn for a brief second, she tried to call as much magic as she could to her side in the hopes of repelling Sacanas’s assault. Initially, her attempt at a shield was successful, deflecting a few of the bolts towards the ground around her, but then the strikes came at her again and again with such speed and power she felt her shield break. In the end, she could only shrink, convulsed with pain.

“I c-can f-free you...” she said in between gasps of pain.

Sacanas growled softly and drove another attack forwards. “Free me? You think you, a mere child, could break an enchantment placed upon me by Grogar himself?! Do you take me for a fool, Tempest Shadow, or are you arrogant enough to make so bold claims of your own abilities?”

Tempest screamed again as more lightning wracked her body. She coughed and sputtered, spitting mucus, blood and spittle all over the floor beside her head. “W-We can,” she stammered. “With o-others… I-I c-can… t-talk to th-them… in ex-change-”

“And in exchange I swear myself to you, is that it? I am not some common slave to be bargained away with, Tempest Shadow,” Sacanas snarled. “I am a king. King! And compared to the likes of you I am a god! I will not be bought so easily.”

It all seemed so hopeless. Obviously Sacanas had no intention of believing her or allowing her to live. She’d been so, so stupid for daring to think otherwise. And Sombra… she’d been a fool to come here alone with him. Chrysalis was really going to kill her for dying so stupidly…

She looked up at Sombra imploringly, clenching her teeth so hard she feared they’d break. He looked down at her, his eyes cold and hard, uncaring, unfeeling. He was her only friend in this dead, wretched place, and even then he wasn’t here. She’d fallen for him, and he was just standing by while she was dying, unable to free himself, unable to save her from Sacanas’s spell.

“Sombra… please…” she implored. One last ditch effort to reach him before…

The attack suddenly halted. Lying on the ground, she wondered if she’d died because it had ended so quickly.

Sacanas looked down at her in disgust. “You’re going to die here, Breakhorn. Do you understand? You are going to die.”

The commander glared back at him defiantly, panting heavily. She wasn’t going to beg for mercy. Not now. She’d look death itself in the face and spit in his eye, right up until the end. She let out a slow exhale through her nose, waiting for it, and glanced up at the dark stallion beside her, at his blank and emotionless face. What was going on inside his head? Was he even aware of what was happening? For half a second, maybe less, she swore she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

Sacanas’s piercing eyes that seemed to cut straight through her as he channelled his dark magic once more, releasing it in another shower of darkness.

Tempest writhed in pain, striking her hooves against the ground until they were red and bleeding as black, sorcerous lightning tore at her body again and again.

“Sombra…” she gasped in between wracks of pain. “Please…”

***

.

Deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest, at the Castle of the Two Sisters, lingered the remaining Nightmare Knights, awaiting further orders after another job well done.

Normally, they would have been partaking in their usual forms of banter: arguing, bickering, sharing anecdotes from the day’s hunt, and so forth. But not today. Today the castle was silent, despite its particular set of occupants, all because Tempest Shadow was not there.

Cozy, to the surprise of some, felt her absence the most. The young filly often felt like Tempest was the only one who treated her like an equal, not just a child, despite still being protective over her. Like a big sister, she thought. She’d always wanted a sister like Tempest.

She continued to drift through the castle’s hallways aimlessly, quietly humming a small tune she’d heard Tempest hum once or twice before, tracing her hoof over the cracks in the wall.

“Mm mmhm hm hm…”

She sighed heavily, letting her hoof drop, and paused mid-flight to look out the window. From this high up she could only just see above the trees and the world beyond. It all looked so far away, and yet the Knights had been all over, even to another continent. She wondered, briefly, if they’d go to more when Tempest gets back. If they’d take a trip somewhere, no ghosts or anything.

A sudden chill ran along her spine as a cold draft blew in. Despite the renovations, the old castle was still centuries old, and the occasional draft was nothing new. This time, however, it felt different, like there was a cloud suddenly hanging over her. It gave her a deep-rooted sense of dread, like something really, really bad was going to happen, or already happening.

Her ear twitched as the sound of raised voices muffled by the walls and the distance. It was Chrysalis and Tirek again, because of course it was. Regardless, she felt like she needed to tell them her bad feeling—now! She rubbed her forelegs together and beat her wings as fast as she could, darting back down where she had come from, towards the sounds of arguing. As she grew closer the voices became more distinct, clearer.

“And I told you no!” Chrysalis was raging. “If Tempest was here-”

“She would understand, you dull thing!” Tirek snapped back. “This is something I must do! Surely you can understand that?”

“I understand perfectly what you want to do, and I’m telling you-”

As Cozy burst open the door to the castle’s common room, the argument ceased. An uncomfortable and eerie silence hung over the room and the creatures within.

Chrysalis’s mane was messy and her pupils were the size of pinpricks.

Tirek was over by the sofa, bouncing one of his legs up and down quickly. When he saw Cozy he stood up and brushed his hands on his vest. “We’ll finish this discussion later,” he grunted towards the changeling.

The queen tsked and shot him a filthy glare. “Fine,” she muttered grumpily.

Cozy didn’t know what they were arguing about, but whatever it was seemed serious. Maybe she should have waited and listened—no, hang on, it wasn’t as serious as her bad feeling. “Something’s wrong!” she cried out.

“No. Really?” Chrysalis scoffed, using her magic to pick through a nearby bowl of fruit. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Just shut up and listen, okay?” the filly snapped. “I can’t explain it, but I think something’s wrong with Tempest.”

Tirek slowly walked towards her, huge and towering. “Like what?” he rumbled.

“I don’t know,” Cozy replied, shaking her head. “But bad. Real bad. Don’t you guys feel it?”.

Chrysalis let out a noise between a hiss and a grunt as she selected a nice, juicy red apple. “N0,” she said bluntly. She paused for a moment, turning the apple over in her hoof. She blinked, and her cold exterior faded, the mask she wore slipped, and a deeply worried expression crossed her face for a moment. In the next it was gone as she sunk her fangs deep into her fruit. “I will say this, though,” she said in between bites, “if Sombra’s hurt her, I will not be held responsible for what happens to him.”

The young Knight rubbed her head. “I think it’s worse than Sombra,” she said quietly. “I think they found Sacanas’s crown.”

“And you know this how?” Tirek said. The centaur folded his arms across his broad chest. “All you have to go off is this ‘bad feeling’ is it?”

“Oh, like you don’t do the same?” she retorted.

“I am older. I have a sense for-”

Cozy’s face turned bright red. “You always treat me like I’m just a kid. Well I’m not just a kid, Tirek!” she cried out, startling both him and Chrysalis with her sudden outburst. “I’m a Nightmare Knight, same as you. So just listen to me, I’ve got a real bad feeling about Tempest right now. Like there’s a storm coming. Pegasi can feel it in their wings, or something, when something big’s on its way. Wherever she is, whatever she’s doing, she’s in trouble and we need to help her!”

There was a brief pause as the others contemplated. Chrysalis and Tirek shared a weary and tired glance, like they’d been saying the same thing for a while, but to no avail. Then the centaur snorted and turned his head away, walking towards the door. “Perhaps you are right… you are undoubtedly right, but what then?” he sighed. “Princess Cadance has already made it perfectly clear that we are not welcome in the Crystal Empire. What do you suggest, that we anger her further?”

Cozy winced. “W-Well, no,” she mumbled, lowering herself to the ground. “Just… I wanna help… Tempest needs us…” She sniffed and hung her head, covering her eyes with her curly mane.

Tirek’s face softened as he paused and turned back to her. Her studied her for a moment, then noticed the tear rolling down her cheek and quickly stepped forwards. “I understand,” he said calmly, placing one hand on her head as he buried her face into his leg. “We all do.”

Chrysalis spat out the core of her apple and nodded in agreement. “The one thing we can all, perhaps, agree on, is that we miss our Tempest,” she murmured.

“Our Tempest?” Tirek coyly said.

The former queen rolled her eyes and waved her hoof at him. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Tirek. You, me, Cozy and Tempest. We are a hive in our own right, to use a changeling term. When one of us fails we all do.” She paused and thought for a moment as Cozy sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “Isn’t that what Luna told us?” she asked. “None of us can swim, so let’s all drown together?”

“That isn’t what she meant, but yes,” Tirek grunted.

Cozy let out a quiet laugh. “Boy, Luna really sucks at motivational speaking, doesn’t she?” she chuckled.

The feeling of dread was still there, gnawing away at the back of her mind, but it had been quietened at least by her team. Her family. Wherever Tempest was, whatever she was doing, she hoped that the thought of them all waiting for her would bring her some small amount of comfort.

The door opening suddenly interrupted the quiet moment. In strolled the Knights’ own secretary, holding her notebook. “Heya guys,” she said glumly, giving them all a weary smile.

“Hey, Jack,” Cozy sniffled. “What is it? We got a new case?”

“Nah nothin’ too fancy,” Jackdaw Inkwell replied with a shake of her head. She adjusted her glasses and looked down at her notepad. “Boss wants ta see yous in Canterlot is all.”

Chrysalis made a disgusted noise in her throat. “As if we don’t have enough to contend with,” she grumbled, storming over to and past the young, red-headed mare. “Now that little creature wants to speak with us?”

“Yeah. She didn’t sound too happy, neither.”

“Is she ever?”

Jack shrugged. “Probably. I mean even you are sometimes, right, Chryssy?” She flashed the changeling a grin and winked.

Chrysalis clicked her tongue and scowled.

Tirek flicked his eyes between them both carefully, watching the interaction. The changeling shot him a look over her shoulder. “Well aren’t you two coming, then?” she snapped.

Cozy sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Do we have to?”

“Yes.”

“But Chryssy-”

“We should eat,” Tirek added. “Something to take our minds off of our… situation, for a moment, at least.”

A light appeared in Cozy’s eye. “Can we get some ice-cream?” she asked, tugging at Tirek’s hand.

Chrysalis snorted. “Oh yes, by all means, you two go on ahead—enjoy yourselves,” she said sarcastically. “And leave me to deal with Starlight Glimmer alone.”

A wicked glint appeared in the centaur’s eye. “Alone? With no witnesses?” he mused. “What a dreadful idea.”

The former queen scowled at him, though the same glint appeared in her eye as well. “Perish the thought...”

Jack snorted quietly and shook her head. “Alright, before I hear anythin’ too incriminatin’, I’m outta here,” she said, walking back towards the door. “Yous guys should get goin’ too.”

The Knights all grunted in acknowledgement as they trudged after her. Tirek appeared sullen for a moment as he looked down at the red-headed mare. She smiled up happily at him before she turned to go.

Chrysalis caught him looking after her and raised her eyebrow again.

He quickly noticed her looking and stiffened his back. “I will think on the matter,” he told her, making sure Cozy was out of ear shot. “And make no decision until after Tempest has returned. You have my word.”

***

The sun beat down mercilessly on the crowded arena, the heat rising in waves as the tense atmosphere crackled with anticipation. The earth rumbled beneath the hooves of the roaring crowd, their cheers thundering through the air like a stampede.

The herald’s voice boomed over the chaos, commanding attention as he raised a hoof to silence the masses. Every eye turned towards him, waiting with bated breath for his announcement.

“My fellow stallions and noble mares,” he began, his words cutting through the hush that had fallen upon the crowd. “After countless fierce battles, we have reached the final duel of this year’s grand tournament, all thanks to our honourable king.” He gestured towards the royal box where the king and his daughters sat, watching intently.

“And now,” he paused for dramatic effect, “it is my utmost pleasure to declare our champion!”

The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of applause and cheers once more.

At the centre of it all stood Sombra, his dark coat glistening with sweat as he panted heavily. Before him lay his opponent, a towering stallion whose coat was as pale as his was dark. Blueblood had put up a hard fight, but still, he had fallen as the rest of them had. Sombra was victorious, and now he waited to hear what he wanted to hear for so very long.

“All hail... Sombra!” the herald cried out, igniting a chant that swept through the masses like wildfire.

Amidst the celebration and adoration, Sombra lifted his head high and basked in his hard-earned victory, knowing he had made his father—a humble tavern keeper—proud.

He looked up at the royal box, matching the gaze of the princess he had fought for. She stared back at him, watching him with pride and joy.

As she opened her mouth to offer congratulations, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. The world twisted and contorted, transforming into a nightmare before Sombra’s eyes. In an instant, he felt centuries older, burdened with ancient knowledge and a deep sense of regret. He grimaced as his princess let out gut-wrenching screams of agony, unable to do anything but watch helplessly as she writhed in pain before him.

Hope’s screams pierced the air like a knife, but her voice became distorted and unrecognisable, changing into somepony else’s entirely. “Sombra… please!” she pleaded.

Sombra heard his princess’s agonized cries reverberating off the walls. But it wasn’t Hope lying on the ground in front of him. It was a different figure, with a dark coat and a shock of reddish-pink hair. A jagged scar marred her face, and where a horn should have been, there was only a shattered stump.

Sombra’s voice caught in his throat as he recognized the mare before him, writhing in agony. With fear and disbelief warring within him he started to recall what had happened.

He and Tempest had entered into Sacanas’s lair, faced him down. She’d struck out at him, managed to wound him, or his pride at least. Then what? Sacanas had called out to him, overwhelmed him with a sense of authority, and ordered him to do the unthinkable.

He’d hurt her, he realised. Tempest had pleaded with him, stood by him, trusted him… and he’d hurt her. Sacanas ordered him to kill her and he’d dutifully obeyed without a second thought. The fresh memory of his hooves striking her added to his already soul-crushing amount of guilt.

The conversation they’d shared in his father’s old tavern came to him, of how she listened with empathy and not judged him for his actions of his shameful past, of how she told him of her origins. There had been something else, too, a moment between them where he felt a spark of something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

And there was another thing, too, some warmth on his lips, mixed with an unfamiliar taste and accompanying wetness. In his mind’s eye he saw them kissing, her firmly pressing her lips against his in the heat of battle, and she begged him, whispered to him…

“Come back to me…”

Like being awoken from a long slumber, Sombra felt his senses fully return to him. His mind became his own again, free of Sacanas’s influence. His hooves, though heavy and sluggish, were his and his alone to command. He swallowed, feeling sweat run down his head, and made a silent, solemn vow in that instant.

Tempest Shadow will live.

The mark against his flank still burned as it always did, as a constant reminder of his own atrocities, but the authority Sacanas once held over him seemed like a distant, terrible nightmare. He knew he had to be quick in order to save Tempest as he watched black tendrils of lightning lash at the writhing mare. He had failed to save Hope in time from her desperate folly. He had failed to save his empire, his home… but he wouldn’t fail her.

As quick as he dared and as quietly as he could he inched towards Sacanas, not that his master was paying attention. The spirit’s face was the picture of glee, his teeth bright and jagged against a dark ,shadowy form as magic lashed out again and again from his horn, each strike eliciting another anguished howl from the mare suffering his wrath.

Sombra knew that once he attacked, Sacanas would not tolerate another failure, nor would he allow such a transgression. This may have been, no, this was his only shot, his one solitary chance at redemption. He had to try, not for himself, not for Hope… but for Tempest. He exhaled slowly, then focused himself.

His horn began to glow, crackling and bubbling with green and purple energy. The familiar sting of his dark magic returned as purple smoke framed his eyes and with one swift movement of his head, he dragged a blackened piece of crystal up from the ground beneath the throne.

Sacanas let out something between a shriek of surprise and a grunt of anger as he broke off his attack on Tempest to try and stop Sombra’s attack, but it was too late. In a matter of seconds, the crystal formed around him, encasing him in it.

A second later the crystal shattered and Sacanas emerged, hoisting himself up and off the throne to tower above the dark stallion.

“I should have expected this of you, Sombra,” he sneered. “You have only brought me failure after failure. And now this insolence.” He raised his hoof and batted away each attack as Sombra conjured up more crystals to his side, hurtling them at the dark spirit. “First your princess, then your master? Tut tut, Sombra, is there no end to your treachery?”

“Enough!” Sombra snarled. “I will bow to you no longer, Sacanas!”

“You would choose death, foolishly throw away your life, for what?” Sacanas taunted. “This mare, this breakhorn?”

The dark stallion stamped the ground and flared his nostrils. “There is no pain no suffering in all of Tartarus that I would not endure so that she may live.”

Tempest stirred slightly on the ground, curled up like a new-born foal. Smoke rose from her charred and wounded body.

“Is that so?” Sacanas sneered mockingly. “Then let it be known that your doom is near, and all the efforts you have made will amount to nothing in the end.”

Sombra attacked again and again, but for each one, Sacanas harmlessly batted them away. His horn crackled to life with black lightning and lifted the stallion up, slamming him into the ground. Dark magic sprung out of Sombra’s eyes, and his horn began to crackle and bubble with green and purple magic. With a burst of magic, he teleported away and came at the spirit from another angle.

“You dare use my own power against me?” Sacanas laughed as he parried again. “Bold, Sombra. Who gave you that magic? Who first showed you how to wield it? You are but a mere shadow of my majesty.”

His horn began to glow a deathly pale. Sombra suddenly felt weak in the knees and stumbled backwards.

The dark master’s laughter echoed through the room, chilling him to the bones. “And just as I gave you my magic,” he jeered, “I can take it away.”

With a sudden realization, Sombra felt his connection to his magic faltering, slipping away like grains of sand through his hooves. A cold dread washed over him as he struggled to maintain his grasp on the dark energy that had been his ally for so long.

Sacanas advanced, a malevolent glint in his eyes as he observed his weakening state. “Do you feel it, Sombra?” he taunted. “The power draining from you, leaving you defenceless. You are nothing without my magic coursing through you.”

A surge of panic fired through the stallion. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, a way out of this dire situation. He couldn’t let Tempest down any more than he already had. But what could he do?

He hardened his gaze and set his jaw, striving against the sudden weakness that overcame him, and summoned as much of his own strength as he could, calling a different kind of magic to his aid. His horn began to glow a soft, warm pink, and with a fierce growl he lunged forwards, ignoring the mocking, cruel laughter of his dark master.

The room filled with crackling energy as he lunged and stabbed with his horn, with his light, and as Sacanas blocked or countered with his own darkness.

“Although I was your servant once, I will not be confined by your shadows any longer,” Sombra hissed through clenched teeth. “I am my own being now, Sacanas, entirely mine and no one else’s!”

“Your arrogance blinds you,” Sacanas sneered, his voice dripping with venom. “You think to defy me, the one who granted you power beyond your pitiful existence? You are nothing without my dominion over you, a mere puppet on a string. You were nothing when I came to you, just like your Crystal Empire—both insignificant specks in the vast expanse of eternity. But I, I have endured, my immortality an unbreakable chain that binds me to this world and guarantees my ultimate victory.”

He raised his head and began to draw in light to his horn. “Where I live, Sombra. You. Will. Die.”

A low hum began to fill the air, stopping him in his tracks.

Sombra looked past the dark spirit in a mixture of confusion, wonder and amazement all at once to see the commander slowly rising up, standing on shaking legs, lifting her head in defiance as her horn throbbed and pulsed with raw energy. He caught a glimpse of concern in Sacanas’s eyes as Tempest stared him down, her eyes still as bright and fierce as ever despite her injured at his hooves. It was a sight to behold, thought Sombra, both mesmerizing and frightening at the same time.

There was a beat, and then she unleashed an almighty blast at Sacanas.

The blinding light erupted from Tempest’s horn, engulfing Sacanas in a radiant explosion that shook the very foundations of the throne room. Sombra shielded his eyes as the intense brilliance pierced through the shadows, casting a brilliant glow that banished the darkness that once cloaked them all.

Sacanas screamed in agony, his form writhing within the searing light. His once imposing figure contorted and twisted, unable to withstand the pure magical energy unleashed by Tempest. The malevolent spirit’s taunting laughter turned into desperate cries of pain as he struggled against the overwhelming power bearing down on him.

The air crackled with magic as the room filled with an ethereal glow, illuminating every corner and crevice with raw, bright blue light. Sombra could feel the surge of power emanating from Tempest, her determination and strength merging into a force beyond comprehension, uncaring, unflinching in driving the dark spirit back.

Sacanas lowered his horn and aimed it at her, summoning enough strength to counter her attack and defend himself.

He twisted his mouth and snarled. “Here me and tremble, you vile little ponies,” he rasped even as Tempest’s magic assailed him. “I am Sacanas. I am eternal. And I have had enough of you!” He reared up, finally releasing his attack and pushing back the light. Tendrils of darkness, each one clawed and hungrily searching for purchase began to snake out from his body, grasping for the ponies that dare attack their master.

Sombra began to scorch them away with a blast of light here and there where he could as Tempest maintained her attack.

“Hnng…” she grunted.

He glanced at her, noticing a trickle of blood leaking from her nose. This was killing her, he realised to his growing horror. Strong as she was, it was too much; her horn couldn’t handle it. She was burning up from the inside. “Commander,” he said, stepping up beside her as the tendrils reached them.

“The… crown…” she grunted. “Hurry…”

Sombra looked back at Sacanas. If he left her his shadows would reach and torment her once more. If he didn’t, she would burn up—consumed by her own magic and die right before his eyes.

“Som…bra…” she whispered. “The… crown…”

He nodded and flared his nostrils. He jumped forwards and galloped towards Sacanas, his hooves hitting the ground hard and fast. From behind him he heard Tempest cry out and dared not look. The stream of her magic ceased. Sacanas took a step forwards, using her pain to his own ends. He didn’t appear to see the pony charging towards him, until it was too late.

The dark stallion lunged, reaching up to the spirit’s head, through the darkness, until he felt the infernal, cursed thing resting there.

With a swift motion, Sombra tore the crown from Sacanas’s head, a blinding flash of light erupting from the artifact as it disconnected its malevolent master from its unfortunate host. The room shook with the force of the release, knocking Sombra off his hooves and sending him sprawling across the marble floor. He could feel the overwhelming power emanating from the crown pulsating in his grasp, the bright red gem at its centre staring back at him like a lidless, unblinking eye. He quickly dropped it as it began to shake and tremble violently, rattling along the ground as Sacanas let out an anguished scream of fury.

“No! No!” he bellowed. “I will not be dismissed! I am Sacanas the Eternal! I will not!”

His form contorted and writhed in agony as the darkness that once surrounded him began to dissipate, being pulled towards the gem. Without the crown’s influence, his once formidable presence wavered, revealing a grim figure that set Sombra’s teeth on edge.

“Hope…” he murmured, tracing his eyes over an ancient skeleton as Sacanas was ripped away form her, unable o puppet her body any longer. She… the skeleton, for he had mourned Radiant Hope a long time ago, fell to the ground in a heap of bones.

Sacanas roared and raged, slamming his shadowy hooves on the ground, but to no avail. His terrible gaze found Sombra once more, staring with a burning and intense hatred.

“You think you’ve won, Sombra?” he hissed, spite dripping from his words like venom even as he faded from existence. “This curse that shackles me will not hold me forever, and when I am free your world will burn to ashes... and you with it.”

He flashed a final, wolf-like grin at Sombra before vanishing entirely, the last of his essence pulled into the crown’s gem. The room fell silent, save for the stallion’s heavy breaths. He looked around and saw, to his horror, a motionless Tempest lying on the floor. Ignoring he crown for the moment, he started towards her. He stumbled when he reached her and fell to the ground.

“Commander?” he whispered.

No response.

He held his head down, tilting his ear towards her mouth. He couldn’t hear her breathing.

“Commander?”

A cold chill ran along his spine as he looked down at the dark mare.

“Tempest?”

***

The large grandfather clock in the corner of the room ticked loudly.

The sun was getting low, casting rays of orange light through the sky and the window of the Nightmare Knights Director’s office. Starlight Glimmer was tired, annoyed, afraid and irritated all at once. Why, oh, why did Luna ever choose me, she thought, for not the first time. Her most recent headache, a hefty fine for destruction of public property, stared up at her from her desk. She winced, looking it over again.

“Am I ‘free to go’, then?”

She glanced upwards at the speaker, at Chrysalis, who sat across from her with an unamused, uninterested expression.

The queen flicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes. “Or did you just bring me here to waste my time?”

“You tell me if there’s a problem, Chrysalis,” Starlight snapped, sliding the envelope across the table. “Take a look for yourself and tell me if two thousand bits worth of damage is a problem or not.”

The changeling picked up the bill with her magic and scanned her eyes over it. The clock ticked loudly still, breaking the almost unbearable silence between the two. After a couple of seconds she snorted and dropped the bill. “Is that all?” she sighed.

Starlight felt a vein in her forehead throb. “No. Actually. It’s not,” she said slowly. “Since Tempest went missing you guys have been recklessly causing needless destruction of property. Besides this, there’s that poor couple that you almost-”

“Tempest isn’t missing,” Chrysalis snapped, interrupting her. “We know exactly where she is, we just don’t know how to get there because she ran off with Sombra.” She rustled her gossamer wings and flicked a strand of mane out of her eyes. It wasn’t lost on Starlight that the former queen of the changelings looked a lot… healthier lately. Not as many holes in her legs or wings.

The director inhaled between her teeth. “And don’t I know it?” she replied. “D’you know how many meetings I’ve had with Cadance and Twilight because of Tempest’s actions?”

The changeling tsked and turned her head away.

“And I asked for all of you to be here today. Where are Tirek and Cozy?”

“Getting ice cream.”

Starlight’s brow furrowed. “Getting-”

“Cozy’s not well,” Chrysalis grunted.

“Oh.” Starlight fidgeted for a moment. “Well I hope she feels better soon.”

“So do I.”

The former Headmare ran a hoof through her mane as she watched the changeling. She may have looked healthier, but there was an air of sadness about her. She was worried, plain and simple. Of course she was worried, Starlight was as well, and so was Twilight when she found out. “How long has it been?” she asked. “Since Tempest went--disappeared?”

Chrysalis stiffened her neck before answering. “Two days.”

Starlight bobbed her head and leaned across the table, putting her hoof as close as she dared to her former enemy. “She’ll be fine, y’know. When she comes back.”

“Hmph,” Chrysalis snorted derisively. “Oh yes, I know she will be,” she grunted. Her face softened and she looked the mare in the eye. “It’s what comes after that has me worried.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked curiously. “With Twilight and Cadance? I’m sure once we explain everything to them, she’ll be-”

“No. Not that.” The changeling leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling.

Starlight bit her lip. Did she dare push her luck with the one creature in Equestria who she definitely knew wanted her dead and stuffed? “You can tell me, you know. I was a school counsellor, I’m a good listener.”

“As if,” Chrysalis grumbled. She looked back down at the director and sighed. She held the stare for a minute or two in an aggressively uncomfortable silence. “Sombra. What will happen to him when they return?” she asked.

Starlight wrinkled her nose. “Sombra? Well, unless he runs again, Cadance will want him extradited to the Crystal Empire--if they come to Equestria, that is. Then I suppose he’ll be tried and sentenced for everything he’s done.”

The changeling twisted her mouth and thought for a moment. “And Tempest?”

“Whatever the equivalent of a court martial is for you guys, I guess. I don’t know exactly, Luna didn’t exactly leave every folder labelled when she left.”

Chrysalis twitched her wings and let out a long sigh. “Have you heard anything of her?” she said.

“Who? Tempest?”

“No, you miserable cretin. Luna.”

Starlight bristled at the needless insult and frowned. “No. And I’ve asked you before please don’t throw insults like that around. I’m your boss now, remember?”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes at her and huffed, straightening the collar of her jumpsuit. “Yes, yes, I remember." She made a show of bowing in her seat. "My deepest and most sincerest apology to you, oh beneficent Director.”

The mare sat across from her had never seen Chrysalis this amicable before, even if it was just for show. It wasn't nice, not really, more... unnerving. She must have been really worried about Tempest.

Chrysalis snorted again and stood up. “Well, if that’s all, then? Am I free to go now?”

Starlight bobbed her head. “Yeah. Just… please be careful. I know you’re all worried and stressed about Tempest, but still.” She gestured to the fine on her desk. “Any more like these and I don’t think I can keep them off our backs.”

The changeling thought for a moment before nodding. “I’ll consider being more careful next time,” she said.

“Thanks.”

The awkward silence returned as enemy-turned-ally stared at one another. The grandfather clock ticked loudly again, filling the silence with its impossibly loud noise. Chrysalis turned to go without another word, quietly closing the door behind her as she left.

Starlight leaned back in her seat and blew her cheeks out. She looked out the window at the setting sun and sighed. “C’mon, Tempest,” she murmured softly. “You can do this. Just hurry up, okay?”

***

There was a ringing in Tempest’s ears as she woke up, roaring its way like a clarion call from Tartarus through her head, accompanied by a wretchedly intense headache.

She sat up and looked around, gazing at the empty, inky blackness that surrounded her. Strangely, she felt light, floating, almost, like she was in the air or in a pool of water. “Hello?” she mumbled, her voice echoing in the silence around her. “Where am I?”

There’s nothing anymore, Fizzlepop, her own voice said back to her, inside her head. You used yourself up. Charge is all gone.

“What?” she said, shaking her head. The ringing and the pounding headache intensified. She winced. “What do you mean the charge is all gone?”

And then she remembered it. Sombra had come to her aid, snapping himself out of Sacanas’s control. She’d cast a spell, more magic than she’d ever used before. It hurt, and her head felt like it was on fire for the longest time… then nothing. She looked down at her hoof strangely. “Does that mean…” she trailed off.

You already know. You’re as much of a ghost as the Knights’ enemies are now.

Tempest scowled. “I’m not dead,” she told herself, speaking aloud to her inner monologue, as strange as it felt and sounded to think about. “You hear me? I’m not dead!”

The first step is always denial.

“That’s grief,” she muttered. “Not death. Now c’mon, snap out of it Fizz-” She slapped her cheek. “-you’ve got a job to do—the fight’s not over yet-”

Fight? Hah… Fight’s over, Fizzlepop. It’s been over for a while now, longer than you’ve been here.

A great, bright light appeared up in the distance, shining down on her like a spotlight. She raised a hoof to shield her eyes and squinted. “What’s that?” she asked. It felt strange, almost comforting, in a way. She felt like she had to walk towards it. Maybe this really wasn't the end after all.

Ignore it, said her inner monologue. Have a rest. You’ve earned a rest, haven’t you? The darkness behind her seemed to almost invite her back towards it.

Tempest bit her lip and turned her ears back. She was indeed very tired. And hungry. After all, she’d gone without food or sleep for what, a day, now? Two days? Three? It all blended together. Was this how Cozy felt all the time? It’d be wrong to say she hadn’t thought about calling it quits before many times, but… she couldn’t. No matter how much she may have wanted to, she just couldn’t. And she said as much while taking a step towards the light. “I can’t.”

Why not?

She shivered and thought for a second. “Because… because if we don’t do our job, what then? If a ghost is haunting the local library or zombies are springing out of their graves, who’s gonna come calling? Besides… Bray is still out there,” she said finally. “Wherever he is, I doubt very much that he’s taking a day off from trying to resurrect Grogar. I can’t just quit. I can’t go into the light.”

But you’re so tired. Aren’t you? The others can handle it, right? Why don’t you just lie down…

The darkness surrounding her seemed to close in just a bit more. The light shone brighter for a second or two.

She bit her lip again. Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy were very capable yes, and they’ve been holding down the fort while she’s been away, she hoped, but… but there was something else. Something deep within her soul that said no, I won’t give up, I won’t give in.

She squared her jaw and pricked her ears up, facing them forwards.

“Because I’m a Nightmare Knight.”

She crackled what was left of her horn to punctuate her words. It reminded her of how she picked herself up and carried on even after losing it. The darkness surrounding her faded and the light in the distance grew.

What does that mean?

“It’s a promise,” she said. “Not just to the ponies of the world that I’d protect them, but to myself—that no matter what I wouldn’t give up or give in.”

The light in the distance shifted, growing bigger and brighter.

Then keep going, Tempest Shadow, her inner voice said, except now it sounded different, somehow. Firmer. Not as taunting. Get up, it told her. Get up, stand on your own four legs, and fight!

Tempest felt a surge of energy fire through her as the light grew and grew, until finally it swallowed her whole and the strange inky blackness of the place she had been in faded away entirely, replaced by a blinding, brilliant white that moved back and forth before her eyes.

“...Temp…” said a familiar voice, fading in and out of audibility. “Com… der… an… y… hear me?”

She blinked, and stared up at Sombra’s familiar face, turning double, then triple, then back to normal. The blinding headache she had struck again, pounding inside her skull accompanied by the infernal ringing. But it didn’t matter. She was alive.

Sombra smiled and set down a tray of food on the table beside her. The stallion looked as worn out as she felt. She sat up, clutching at her head.

“How long was I out?” she said.

“A few hours,” Sombra replied, offering her a cup of water from the tray. “To be expected when somepony suffers injuries as grievous as yours. Here, drink this.”

The commander took the drink. The cold, clear liquid splashed down her throat, soothing her headache somewhat. “Thanks.” She glanced around at the… bedroom? She was in a quaint little, tidy bedroom, of what looked like somepony’s house.

The light behind Sombra’s head framed him like a halo. He had bruises and scratches on his face, his muzzle looked greyer than it did and his eyes were heavy, laden with sleep-deprived bags. “How do you feel?” he asked her.

Tempest put her head back on the pillow and inhaled deeply. It hurt to breathe, and some of her skin was raw to the touch when she moved under the sheets. ““Alive,” she muttered. The corner of Sombra’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Where are we?”

“My home,” he answered, setting the glass down and resting his hoof on the bed. “A small homestead on the edges of the Crystal Empire.”

Tempest blinked. “A homestead? Like a farm?”

The dark stallion nodded. “Yes. It has belonged to my family for generations.”

The commander glanced out the window at the sea of white snow, picturing the former king tilling the fields. They must have been in the middle of nowhere. And only Sombra knew where exactly. She swallowed, noticing he had a red stain on his hoof. Was it his own blood, or hers, she wondered? She shuddered involuntarily.

Sombra appeared to notice her sudden discomfort and retreated, stepping back from the bed. he turned his head away from her. “Rest, Commander,” he told her, gesturing to the plate of food on the bedside table. “And eat. It will help you recover your strength.”

“We need to get back to the Empire,” Tempest stated, studying his face. She realised her heart didn’t flutter quite as much anymore when she looked at him. Had going through that recent ordeal meant her crush was over? She didn’t know whether she felt relieved or disappointed if that was true. “I need to tell the Knights-”

“You need to rest,” Sombra said sternly, turning to look her in the eye.

She felt a streak of anger suddenly fire through her, a familiar spark of defiance. “I can rest later,” she snapped. “The Knights need to know what happened with Sacanas, and the crown-” She froze, save for her eyes darting around the room. “Which is... where is it, exactly?”

The stallion stiffened his neck. “I destroyed it,” he said flatly.

Tempest blanched. “Oh…” she murmured.

Sombra narrowed his piercing gaze at her. “You disapprove?”

“No, but-”

“The crown was dangerous, Commander. I know that perhaps more than anypony. It had to be destroyed.”

The commander nodded sheepishly. So that was it, then. Sacanas was gone for good, and his information about Grogar and Bray with him. “Yeah… yeah, of course,” she murmured, holding a hoof to her head.

Sombra’s scrutinising gaze left her feeling like a child with her hoof caught in the cookie jar. “And while I agree with you, that your Knights should be informed of what happened as soon as possible,” he continued, “there is the matter of your health. Should you die of overexertion, the Nightmare Knights would be left leaderless, wouldn’t they?”

Tempest opened her mouth to retaliate, then closed it a second later. She knew he was right, of course. She was in no condition to travel or make any brash decisions or long-winded explanations in her current state. The pain in her body was a constant reminder of that fact. And, in truth, perhaps she feared facing the Knights again after her actions. She sank back into the pillows, her muscles protesting with every movement.

“Fine,” she murmured, reaching out for the plate of food beside her. Despite feeling ravenous, she found it hard to muster an appetite, and only nibbled at a slice of toast. “As soon as we can, though, we’re going to the Crystal Empire.”

“Upon my word.”

Sombra watched her for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers, then, seemingly satisfied, he nodded and turned to go.

The commander bit her lip. “Sombra?” she called after him as he reached the door.

He stopped and turned to face her again. His ruby red eyes stared back at hers, ancient, tired and caring.

“Thanks,” she said. “Not just… for looking after me, but…” She winced, feeling a sudden hot flush when she remembered kissing him in the middle of their battle. She looked down at her hooves to try and hide her blush. “Thanks.”

Sombra’s face softened. “You are welcome,” he replied gravely. “Though I must thank you in turn, for if you had not fought as you did, I have no doubt I would still be under Sacanas’s spell.” He turned slightly, showing her his flank. The brand Sacanas had once seared upon it was dull and lifeless, though it skill scratched out his cutie mark entirely. “For the first time in over a thousand years, I am my own pony,” he said. “For that I thank you.” He hesitated, and a flicker of pain spasmed across his face. “And if I am to trade my newfound freedom for the cells of Cadenza’s dungeon, then so be it.”

“I can talk to her,” Tempest said quickly. “And Twilight on your behalf-”

“No, Commander,” he replied, raising his hoof in protest. “It is high time I suffered the consequences of my actions. I will run no longer from them.”

Tempest, despite her earlier thoughts about her crush, felt her heart leap up into her throat when he smiled sadly at her and simply turned away again. “Now rest. I know you’re anxious to return to your duties, Commander,” he began, his voice gentle but firm. “But you must allow yourself time to heal properly. The Nightmare Knights will understand.”

Tempest felt her face burn red with heat. She nodded gratefully and continued to pick at her food. Soon she felt the exhaustion creep up on her again, and she closed her eyes.

Sleep came surprisingly easy, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, she let herself relax, if only for the moment.

On the other side of the bedroom door, Sombra slumped down against the wall. With his patient recovered he felt his own exhaustion overtake him, plunging him into fell deep asleep, uncaring about anything else in the world, only that she lived.

As he exhaled, a wisp of purple smoke escaped from beneath his eyelids, floating around his head before it disappeared.

***

In a dark, musty corner of a long forgotten library, somewhere deep within the earth, far away from Equestria and across the great oceans, sat a donkey, on an old and worn out chair, reading a letter by flickering candlelight. The letter in question was a report of the latest happenings in Equestria, gathered by his spies, fellow members of the lost and forgotten, thanks in no small part to Lord Glow’s patronage.

Bray sighed and ran a hoof over his long ear, scanning his eyes back and forth over the yellowed paper. “So… Tempest Shadow found the crown, did she?” he murmured. “I had expected as much. But to destroy it instead of retrieving it, this I did not-” He looked up suddenly and twitched is nose. “Ah. My Lady Pupa. To what do I owe the pleasure? Queen Imago’s recovery goes well, I hope?”

A tall, slender figure emerged from the darkness behind him. Her pale green eyes shone in the dark, and her aged, ragged wings buzzed lightly as she hobbled forwards on three legs. “Lord Bray,” she crooned, bowing her head. “I do not mean to intrude, and yes, my sister’s health is returning slowly but surely.”

“Excellent.” Bray smiled even as he waved his hoof. “But I am no lord, Lady Pupa, as I have said before. I am a mere servant of a higher and greater power, and we are all friends here, are we not? How can friends intrude upon one another?” He flashed her a toothy grin.

Pupa smiled sweetly right back at him as she leaned against his writing desk. “They cannot, of course.” her eyes wandered over to the letter on his desk. “What news from Equestria?”

The donkey held it up for her to take. “See for yourself.”

Pupa picked up the letter with her magic and lifted it to her aged eyes. “My niece has chosen her allies well,” she said after a moment. “This Tempest Shadow you are so fond of is resourceful indeed. Though, as I am to understand, your plan revolved around her simply finding and retrieving the crown, was it not? Not to destroy it.”

Bray smiled. “Yes,” he sighed as he leaned back in the old, creaky chair. “Perhaps Tempest Shadow is not the scalpel I had hoped she was, but a hammer instead.” He reached up to his neck and toyed with the small glass vial hanging there. The thick, red liquid inside trickled this way and that as he turned it. “Though, a hammer does still have its uses...” He trailed off, leaving them in silence.

The flickering candlelight danced over Bray’s face, casting eerie shadows in the dimly lit library. Lady Pupa studied him for a moment before speaking, her voice hushed with reverence. “And what of the others, my… friend? What of Chrysalis and Tirek, and the child. My sister very much wants to see-”

“Cozy Glow is of no concern to us, and has already been promised to her father,” Bray said, cutting her off and letting go of the vial around his neck, the vial which carried the filly’s own blood, the blood of his ultimate enemy. His mud brown eyes gleamed with a sinister light as he leaned back in his chair. “And as for Lord Tirek and your dear niece, they are playing their parts perfectly. The Knights will rise, and then they will fall.”

Pupa nodded, her expression betraying a mixture of both concern and anticipation for what was to come. She hesitated before asking her next question. “And what of Luna?” she said quietly. “She is still missing, is she not?”

Bray’s smile widened, revealing a wide set of teeth in the wavering candlelight. “Curious, aren’t you, Pupa?” he murmured. His tone was not friendly.

Pupa rustled her wings gently and narrowed her eyes. “I meant no offence,” she stated, before flashing him a smile as fake as his own. “But I apologise, all the same. Being curious is simply my nature.”

Bray let out a heart chuckle and shook his head. “A sentiment I understand, Lady Pupa, but rest assured, Princess Luna is of no concern to us for the moment.”

Even as he chortled, the three-legged changeling detected a hint of fear in his words, and strove to supress a smug smirk from spreading across her face. She cleared her throat and straightened herself up. “Well, I suppose that will have to do now, won’t it? Now I must say goodbye, however. I am to return to Equestria at my sister’s behest and prepare our hive for her return.”

Bray bobbed his head, fiddling once again with the vial around his neck. “A noble goal. Would that I were able to be of any further assistance, you would have it, my lady.”

Pupa bowed back at him. “And we would most graciously accept it, Bray. To aid my sister is to aid life itself.” She smiled at him. He smiled back and a shiver ran along her spine. Most living creatures gave off a certain scent, especially when their heart was full of love, as he so claimed his was. In reality, however, Bray gave off nothing but fear and hatred. His ‘love’ for Grogar wasn’t love at all, it was something… sick. A need—an obsession. One she unfortunately understood all too well.

“Well if that is all, my… dear friend,” she said. “Then I shall take my leave of you.”

Bray bowed his head back to her and twitched his ear as some rip-roaring laughter echoed in from up above.

“Yes,” the donkey chortled as he stood up. “And I must return to our host. If this is to be our farewell, Lady Pupa, then let it be so.” He extended his hoof towards her. “Though, not forever, I hope?”

Pupa’s lip twitched in irritation for a fraction of a second as she sat down and gave him her good hoof, unable to stand on two legs. “Not at all,” she replied sweetly.

Bray bobbed his head as she turned to go, eager to leave this place, and him, and that strange creature up there, cackling with mad laughter. His was a name she hadn’t heard before, not in any history book or written word anywhere. But perhaps there was one in Equestria who did: that centaur her niece is so fond of.

Perhaps a visit to Chrysalis was needed, she thought to herself as she ascended the stairs, a flicker of a grin spreading across her aged face as yet another Machiavellian plot began to form in her mind. If Bray was allowed to have his secrets, then so was she. Yes, a short visit to her niece, disguised of course, and a simple whisper of that mad creature’s name should be all she needed...