Mille Nox Noctis

30 AB crudelitas (cruelty)

I swing the Luname in vicious stabs and parries as you block my attacks with expert precision. The ring of metal and our panting carries across the barren lunar surface.

With a final lunge, I draw a thin line of blood on your foreleg, a victorious whinny escaping me as I back away.

We bow and lay to rest, looking up at Equestria.

“When we escape, shall we take Canterlot by force? Or better yet, subvert her ponies and corrupt her very land from the inside?” Your gleeful voice is only matched by my grin.

“We will first eliminate the last weakness we have, we find the weapon she used against us and destroy it.” I reply, looking upwards.

“Do you know where our castle was?” I ask wistfully.

You gesture to the forest that cuts across the sun goddesses realm. “The Everfree Forest. Once the capital of all Equestria, we drove the sun from it and claimed it as our own. Creatures of great power and magic defenses of every sort were put in place to keep her from attacking us directly.” Your face falls as you pause in your recollection.

“In the end it was our own brash actions that led us to fall. We must never give quarter, must never accept anything but victory.” You tell me.

I smile, a wicked smile.

“I have already watched myself kill my only friends and companions, what could possibly stop me?” I smirk and stand to trot back to the castle, and I could swear as I leave you look surprised, possibly even frightened.

31 AB Depravo (depraved)

The little one has become more akin to me than I ever thought possible.

I cannot help but ponder the effect this will have on her mental stability, after all I do live in her mind.

She seems determined to destroy you, which I feel is a wonderful triumph, considering that just years ago she held you as an idol.

If you cannot hear us, then you will be taken completely unaware when we come for you. If you can hear us, then I am sure this is just tearing you up inside.

I truly hope you can hear us.

I hope every word echoes in your head like your damnable apology haunted mine.

For now, my little apprentice is in need of training, and we are going to begin finding a way out of this prison.

No force can hold us. No being can stop fear itself.

32 AB dominatio (despotism)

The illusions of grey ponies you have made for me offer a semblance of power and comfort. My subjects stand guard around the castle and serve us.

Though the food and drink are illusions, it offers a comfort I have sorely missed in the last three decades.

You take your throne next to mine and lean in conspiratorially. “One of the illusions in this room is a spy from the sun princess, how do you figure out which one it is?”

I ponder the question for a moment.

“I suppose I cannot simply execute them all?” I ask you with a grin.

“No, you do not have the resources to replace them all.” you answer with a similar smile.

“Very well.” I call the illusionary ponies forward.

“You may all go home early, we will not have need of your services for the upcoming meeting.” I intone in a bored voice, and then I dismiss them.

You smile, and a moment later I get up and glide silently to the door, catching one of the servants hiding behind a pillar. “Boo.”

He panics and tries to run but I grab hold of him and rip his head from his neck.

The illusion fades and you applaud.

“Excellent. You are learning quickly.” you say with pride, and we leave to spar in the rock strewn wastes.

33 AB praestrigia (an action taken to deceive)

I must work ever harder against the subconscious of the little one, as she begins to take control of my illusions.

Even when asleep the foal is influencing my creations, as they move about the castle and go about the motions of living beings, I catch them talking to each other in gibberish or doing odd things like dancing or humming.

This must end. I cannot let her have control over the very tool I am using to subvert her.

I disenchant each fictional pony that displays these traits, creating new ones from moon dust and magic to take their place.

The replacements begin to do the same things and in my fury I destroy more and more of them, my anger building until the floor is covered in small piles of dust.

“You will not best me, foal.” I hiss, before bringing forth my magic for one final attempt, and bring forth my servants.

When I open my eyes, the crowd of grey ponies are staring back at me, then as a herd they turn and resume their duties.

But now they are watching me, my own creations are watching me!

Their eyes are full of fear and they are wary of me, abandoning each room as I enter.

How is this possible? What mad sorcery is it that the little one is calling upon to twist my little ponies to her will?

I will find out, and I will punish her for using it.

34 AB conscientia (consciousness)

My days are spent in a fog of training, puzzles to solve, and talk of ruling a nation.

You have begun to make the illusions more lifelike.

I am ashamed to say I enjoyed the screams as I killed the last “spy”.

They bow to me when I pass and they avert their eyes from my gaze, as they should.

I heard two of them talking about a rock garden, imagine that. Illusions talking of rock gardens. You truly are a better illusionist than I, Sister.

I have named the illusion that waits on me most often.

“Onyx” is darker grey than the others, and speaks in a grave voice, just like a butler I once had.

“Good evening madame.” he will say, and I will chuckle and remind him there is no evening on the moon.

“Good moon evening then.” is the response he always gives.

A simple illusion but endlessly entertaining.

The fun stops when I find Onyx standing over me as I sleep, looking down on me with pity in his eyes.

“Madame.” he says and walks away.

I have now taken to sealing my doors against illusions of all things.

Is this your idea of a joke Sister? Have you decided to train me in how to be as paranoid as you as well?

It is working.