Author's Note

Alright, in the next few chapters we'll be introducing the real problems this world has. The foremost one is Sombra. This world's Sombra, unlike the one in the MLP series, is a conqueror. His end goals are just that- Conquest. Conquest, power, and wealth. His goal is to expand his own influence at all costs. He's cold, cruel, calculating and merciless; and has programmed his puppets to be the same way, leaving a trail of bodies wherever they go. While I won't go into detail about his history too much, I'll give a brief overview.

Secondly are the plundervines. Those are self-explanatory. These two are the largest and most apparent 'oh nos'. The rest... you'll see.

Interlude - Time Goes By

"They say myself condemned to madness, so why shouldn't I drag the rest of this world down with me?" - Discord, 'Slaughtering Faust's Empire'

L

The impatient clicking of Luna's hoofsteps echoed throughout the chamber as she paced, glancing down at the city below from the grand window of the Solarium. She'd been damned to this fate, really- the excuse of her sister's absence for negotiations with the dragons had only been possible because of Sombra's return. In reality, she had left those duties to Fluttershy and Spike. The lie could only work for so long. It irked Luna, really- her sister and Oblivion conveniently being absent when the 'God of Umbra' had returned, allowing him to usurp the crystal throne once more.

The war- if it could even be called a 'war'- had been going miserably. Luna was a saboteur; her batponies were her agents of the night. Where the sun did not shine, they kept a close eye on the land from the cover of night's darkness. Espionage was the suit of the Moon, Arts, and Passion. This had left the war up to the incompetent Royal Guard and Wonderbolts, both of which had no combat experience in the modern era. So, no. The war was not going well. She was no strategist, either.

That honor went to sister.

Where she had always worked in the shadows, her sister had bathed in the glory of war. She had proven effective, as well- one did not declare war on the gods and lack true strategic and tactical genius unless they were a fool.

Or a mare once known as Twilight Sparkle.

It was nothing short of a wonder to Luna. The formerly mortal pony had acted as though defeating gods was no more complicated or difficult than eating a hayburger, something she did quite often. She was terrifyingly efficient.

And with Godhood she was all but unstoppable.

The destruction of the Elements of Harmony had come as another infuriating factor. Ever since they had crumbled to dust, it had been necessary to keep an entire division of unicorns on watch to ensure the Everfree Forest did not spread any further than it already had. Plundervines had become the bane of her existence in a short time, and had taken up any potential free time she could have spent relaxing from royal duties. If the plundervines were loose, then the Tree of Harmony was no longer active- or worse, had befell a similar fate as the one of its Elements.

It was tiring. Very tiring. The fronts were not truly fronts, so much as Sombra's mindless puppets congregating a defense behind the wedge in the pass while her army of recruits and rookies attempted to assault the empire. Safe to say, if they were preparing to launch a full-scale invasion from the north, there would be little she could do to stop them. The only thing that had stopped the Changelings from joining them had been the threat that if they did, their queen would meet her end.

The queen was another can of worms entirely. One she would await her sister's return to deal with.

The day the crystal empire had fallen- the day Shining Armor and Cadance had been captured- had been the first time the nation had known war and death in the last one thousand years.

She was beginning to miss her sister's nonsensical morning babblings about magic and politics. The reaction had been exactly what she had expected; shock, horror, and disgust. While no strategist, she knew enough to have begun a recruitment campaign. Simply flying over the glacier and destroying the Crystal Empire would have been an easy fix, but the amount of ponies whose lives would have been lost in such an event would have made her as much of a monster as the false-king. She had not the wellspring to do that, either. Even corrupted, the Crystal Heart protected the empire.

It was strange how, of all the ponies she had bedded, Sombra had been both the one she had truly loved most, and the most psychotic. That hadn't been important in her mind back then- all she had cared about was her thrill- but standing at the top of the world, looking back at the destruction his forces had already caused, she saw him for what he was.

Just another Discord.

Yet, still.. she'd always hoped for something more with him. It was all a long forgotten pipedream now. She could always hope, though. Maybe he could change..

Who was her sister to find somepony so special while she herself still had to participate in long-dead practices to get her pleasure and intimacy? T'was not fair that she was disallowed to participate in the modern practices of courtship simply because she lacked another!

The doors to the Solarium crashed open, revealing five mares and a baby dragon. "Princess Luna!" A trail of dazed and trotten guards lay behind them as they stampeded toward her.

She had contacted them on short notice, citing an unidentified surge of power. While it was true she had been unable to tell where the shock came from, she'd had a sneaking suspicious that it wasn't as far from home as she'd thought. They came to a halt a few steps away, all but the two visibly most athletic in their group panting from overexertion.

In any news, sister's return would put the houses at ease. Her sudden disappearance to negotiate terms of 'Unification' with the Dragonlands had stirred quite the press conference, and Luna lacked the legitimacy her sister held. That fact greatly displeased her- she was a princess too, was she not?- but she had kept her reservations. It was best not to push the nobility or the lords, as they had more influence and bits than they knew what to do with. It would only cause problems.

Problems she couldn't have distracting her at the moment.

Nopony had questioned where Oblivion, or 'Twilight Sparkle,' had gone- besides these ponies, who knew.. nothing of the story. The hoof full who did know- the ones who had been told everything- had been monitored constantly. It was for national security. A requirement, in the case she was to be lost, where they could find her sister. And so it was that Luna found the lack of concern their ponies had for their protector, who had felled gods in the name of defending them, saddening. Their ponies were ungrateful at best, but even so.. They all continued to play their parts nonetheless. She couldn't argue with tradition.

"Why'd y'all need'sus 'ere, Pr'ncess? Y'alls weren' none-too-clear in that there summ'nsa yours.." The Apple farmer managed. She stood at the head of their group now, having taken on the role of 'leader.' Another quirk these ponies seemed to have was how quickly they were all drawn to the strongest pony in their group for guidance. Allied alicorns had worked similarly, as few knew. Then again, so had herds.

"Greetings, fair Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Miss Pinkamena." She nodded her head at the ponies.

"I'm here too.." Spike grumbled.

"Apologies, Spike. We are.. distracted, at the moment. In fact, this distraction is why we have brought thee here. As thou may already, the war with the tyrant Sombra has not gone particularly well.. but, that means nothing. Earlier this morning, we felt the sun's magic surge. We do not know why, nor are we sure how, but we have great hope that it means sister will be returning soon."

The ponies and drake gave a collective sigh of relief. She had yet to tell them the bad news, of course- that she could no longer raise the sun by forcing the continuation of the day-night cycle- and likely wouldn't, but it could wait until after they had found out the state of the other half of Equestria's quadriarchy.

"Finally! Then we can totally go out there and kick Sombra's flank, right?" Rainbow grinned.

'Oh, foal. If you only knew the extent of how 'occupied' she was..' "Unfortunately, no. My sister's return may not be entirely... pleasant. She will require time to recuperate before she is ready to lead the battle to Sombra. Until then, we-"

"What! C'mon, we've been waiting, like, forever! What about all those ponies that h-he k-killed!" Luna noted the group's flinch at the word. "We need her! We don't even know where she's been! Why won't you tell us?!" She coolly regarded the rainbow maned hothead that had flown infront of her as the ponies' faces turned from overjoyed to disappointed. Spike, on the other hoof, looked worried.

"Is Twilight gonna be alright?" He asked. She knew what he meant, she'd given him the short of their full situation- out of all the creatures Oblivion knew, the whelp was by far the most mature, likely due to his upbringing with the mare- after which he had consistently requested to see her. While she knew it impossible, the dragon almost seemed like the mare's first child in many ways.

"Indeed. Perhaps disoriented, but she will be entirely indifferent from how she was before she gone." 'Mostly...' His sigh of relief brought a frustrated growl from the rainbow maned pegasus.

"See?! What're you two talking about? Twi's been missing too! She's our friend-"

"Cool it, RD. Ain' no need'a bring Twilight in'a this mess. Y'alls is jus'-"

"No!" Rainbow rounded on the earth pony as she came up behind her. "She and Celestia went missing at the same time! C'mon, you can't be serious! That's not, like, suspi-sus-susp-"

"Suspicious, darling?"

"-Yeah! And why do Spike and Luna have to know everything! Spike's just a kid!" The dragon in question scowled, but held back any retorts.

"Applejack, while I do hate to admit it, dear, it seems Rainbow Dash is correct. They couldn't both be distracted now, when all of Equestria is at stake, could they? At the same time? It simply doesn't add up." Rarity's ears tilted back.

"U-uhm.. I think... uhmm.. Rainbow Dash is.. right..." Fluttershy squeaked.

"Wha'ina hay? I know y'all fin' it kin'a funny they's both wen' missin' at the same time, but y'alls can't be tellin' me ya think Twi's got some'hin'a do wit'it? C'mon, that don' make a lick'a sense, ei'her! It's Twi!"

"Actually, it totally really does! I mean, Celestia was in her tower after that meanie Chrysalis ruined the wedding! And the wedding rehearsal. Y'know, that wedding rehearsal where we ran off after Cadance but then we found out Cadance was actually a big bug and Twilight was right and then something really super-duper-bad happened to her and now she won't stop calling herself, uh.. Oblivion? Yeah!" The other ponies winced at the reminder.

"Yeah... the wedding." Rainbow grunted, looking down at her hooves.

"Besides, they were, like, totally smoochy-smoochy! I mean, didn't you hear them? Celestia was all like, 'Oh Twilight' and then-" The pink-party-pony-problem was silenced by a snap of azure magic.

"Darling, while that story was amusing the first time, it is getting quite.. old. I don't mean to sound rude, but.. this is Twilight we're talking about. The Twilight Sparkle? The same mare that possessed all of Ponyville because she was afraid of a late friendship report to the Princess?"

Pinkie Pie frowned at Rarity. "But it's true! I mean, I woke up feeling a doozy! A doozy! C'mon, that has to mean that Twilight and Celestia are go- mphf-!" Luna's magic sealed Pinkie's muzzle shut.

The party pony was maddening in many ways- the way she defiled reality itself, her unending chatter, and her high-pitched voice, making Luna's ears feel like they were being penetrated by a melding iron- but her unique ability to know things simply because she did was worse. Oblivion could be explained. This mare, on the other hoof, could not.

"Miss Dash, I will explain when they have returned. For now, I will tell you that the chances my sister will be thoroughly exhausted are quite high. She will be of no use to anypony if she wakes only half when she is brought to the table. Miss Belle, you understand it is important for a mare to acquire adequate rest, yes?" Luna nodded at Rarity.

"Oh, heavens! You are absolutely correct, your highness! It would be a crime to keep our princess from her much needed beauty sleep. Though I am quite curious, you say you will explain when they return, but I do wonder what extraordinary task could take that much out of Princess Celestia?" The fashionista rubbed her forelegs together uncomfortably.

"Soon.." Luna muttered. She glanced at the tower in the distance. "We believe we should be going now. While we are unsure of what we may find, any other concerns may be answered along the way. Shall we be going?"

The ponies looked like they were about to argue, but paused as Spike sped off, fleeing toward the last place the ponies had seen the two missing ponies.

Luna's hoof took a one-way trip to her face.

"So y'all still gon' giv'sus lan' rights tuh th' farm?"

Luna nodded. "Sister is a firm believer in inheritance. It has much to do with her sense of honor, as a way for ponies to remember those of times long past, but has led to the House of Lords and Nobles decadence. While we've requested she amend it for that reason, she's refused every time. Apparently, it has become such an importance to our ponies' society that to be rid anypony of it would be seen as taking away their basic equine rights. As her Will leaves you the farm, the crown would make no move to intervene unless you were suspected of harboring outlawed substances or otherwise violating the Celestial Code of Law."

Applejack regarded the statement with a quiet sigh of relief. Granny Smith's death had been a tragedy. They'd predicted the mare would still have a few years, but to have been so wrong.. well, it'd been a shock.

'She seems to hide her grief well..' It was impressive that the farm pony had kept up her visage of stoicism. Most grieving ponies barely had the will to leave their own homes, let alone lead their clan into the future while war tore the northern nation apart.

She glanced around her as they came to a stop. The ponies seemed not to have noticed their location yet, which Luna took as a silent victory. If they knew where they were, they would start asking question. All she had to do was excuse hersel-

"Uh, darling, isn't this.. Twilight's tower?"

Ah, of course.. Rarity would be the first to notice, even with her lack of observance. Any hope this would go without questions was stomped beneath the confused looks on the other ponies' faces. Spike was likely already up the stairs waiting for her. While it wasn't her right to intrude, she'd left them in the dark for long enough.

"This is where sister and her former student have been for the last several weeks, my little ponies. Doth that answer thine questions?" She inquired.

They looked at her incredulously, while Rainbow Dash's face morphed into a twisted mixture of anger and disbelief. "What the hay! What do you mean they're here?! They've just been sitting here while we sent all those ponies to-"

"No, Miss Dash. If thou would cease thine arrogant imbecility for a single moment, we would have explained to thee that sister has truly been busy. I will be the first and only pony to warn you that currently, should any of you go up there, the possibility you may simply be unmade by one of them has increased tenfold. Their situation is very sensitive, mortal. Your interruption would only cause our problems to worsen." Luna hissed.

The pegasus jerked back. She looked terrified, but it was just what she needed to be. If she refused to acknowledge the validity of just how dangerous their brash actions could be to the emotional mares, then...

well, that was best left for a world that she hoped would never exist.

Luna stared hard. If her point wasn't clear before, she knew it was clear now, as the pegasus begrudgingly- and fearfully- lowered her head. "Before I can allow any of you in their presence, I must see what state they are in. You will remain right here while I do. Are we understood?" She set her firm gaze on the rest of the group, all of which nodded hastily.

While she may not have truly been vexed, sometimes her reputation was useful. She turned around, and slowly began climbing the spiral staircase.

Leaning against the door of the tower and letting her mind wander as her sister's moans, even through the windstorm that coated Canterlot in a layer of frost and ice, battered her ears, she idled. She'd never have guessed her sister, Celestia of the Sun, would have been a screamer.

She really never would have guessed it!

Nor had she wanted to find out.

A memory came to her unbidden.

Luna lay spread-eagle on a large, four-poster bed. The sheets had been discarded, and her hooves had been bound to the mattress below her. A tall, dark stallion lay atop her, his hooves pressing into the bed at her sides. The large, black cock between his hindlegs was barely visible as it buried itself into her. She moaned, an orgasm wracking her exhausted body. Their sweat drenched coats pressed against each other, the shadow that had surrounded him parting as their bodies met over and over.

She was panting and struggling, trying desperately to stay awake as her vagina was spread and penetrated. Her cervix was sore and her sex-driven mind wanted nothing more than to be filled. She felt him hilt and screamed,

"Sombra!"

Luna stared down at the concrete that made up the majority of the ground balcony of the tower at the arousing memory. She'd always been grateful for her lack of fertility, but now.. The wind seemed much louder now, the ponies all crying out for her death being revived in its wake.

It wasn't the first time she had missed him.

She wiped the odd tear that had slipped past her eyes and sighed, pressing her ear against the door. The moaning had gone quiet, and all that was left was the biting storm against her muzzle. She looked over at the drake, who had taken a seat next to the stone wall. He picked at his claws, trying his best to hide his nervousness. He was so young, especially in dragon terms. Seeing and hearing his only parental figures in their current position had left an impact on him.

An example of the world sister had created.

It was hard not to feel sorry for him. He'd had to take care of his own caretaker since the beginning of his relatively short life, and had lacked what most would consider a proper foal-or whelp-hood. His maturity was impressive, but a sad sign that he had never been without it. He had taken the sight in stride, but the drake had distanced himself from all of them since then. Luna had two theories on the matter.

Of course, she could be wrong. History never said she'd always been right.

She exhaled and tapped Spike with her magic. His gaze shot over to her.

"I believe they are... finished. For now. It would be a wonderful time to enter and see how they are, yes?" He nodded in response. Luna turned around, flicking her ear at the pitter patter of his scaly feet colliding with the ground. She waited until he had stopped in front of the door, rubbing his arms as he stared at its wooden frame.

Funny how sister could reduce even the hardest of metals to a helium concoction at the flick of her hoof.

After a few more deep breaths, she laid her hoof on the door. She'd spent enough time procrastinating. Her wings ruffled uncomfortably, and the dread that had wormed its way into her chest had begun choking her resolve.

She lifted her hoof and knocked.

. . .

'Thump!'

"Oh gods... what happened..?" A familiar, warped feminine voice groaned.

"I do not know, love, but I feel... quite full.." Another replied, her voice smooth as butter.

"I... I guess.. whatever in Tartarus' name just happened..." It paused, and the sound of fur-on-fabric could be heard. A second later, a faint, but audible, sigh reached her ears. "There... I like this."

"Shouldn't you have answered the door... hum, door. Strange. I could have sworn I had created your own from Solarite.."

"Probably.. and, I think that's because you melted the other one, remember?" The voice sounded more like several speaking at once, but Luna recognized it from anywhere. Even through the inequine quality.

"Perhaps I should... clean myself, before? I.. it would make for awkward conversation, would it not?"

"Don't worry. If it's important, whoever it is'll just tell us anyway. I'm too comfy, and you are really, really warm and sticky. You're not going anywhere until I say so. Besides, you look beautiful." The voices for a voice giggled, reverberating as an oddity against the sound barrier.

"Twilight... do you feel alright? That- that is quite the brash statement for you.."

A few seconds passed before the response came. "I... feel fine. A little different. sure, but fine.. am I acting different?.."

"Perhaps.. but, as am I.. but, perhaps it is not so bad, as she said, yes? I believe my.. Alphamare, would be magnificent if she were perhaps moreso. I feel more alive currently than I have in eternity."A moment later, a flash of rainbow magic gripped the door- and it seemed to crumble out of the fabric of reality.

With the addition of a grimace at the 'idle' bed talk, Luna also had a stunning hornache now.

"O-oh... I'll have to get used to that, won't I?" Was the last Luna heard from the voice as she walked in, and came face to face with the two alicorns whose changed forms radiated a light of power. One, stiff as a board, and the other, soaked from head to hoof in a thick, white liquid, hiding the gold sheen of her coat beneath it. She could just make out the sloshing bulge of semen inside of her sister's belly as she buried her face into Oblivion's sparkling, rainbow primaries.

Today just couldn't get any worse, could it?

Then she remembered Spike. She looked over at him. His traumatized look was enough for Luna to regret bringing him along almost instantly. Gods, it would be a long morning..