Cadance peered down from her seat, the crowd around her cheering. To her sides, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight also watched with interest, each giving their own minor cheers.

The Equestria Games were well underway. Ponies from all over were competing against each other in all manner of events. There was running, jumping, throwing, lifting, pulling, swimming, racing, and even dancing. Currently they were on archery, with individual archers stationed in a row shooting at targets.

The Crystal Empire seemed to be particularly good in this sport, and Cadance had to keep her smile in check as the crystal pony representing them finished covering half the target. The ice arrows were a little strange, but it was an interesting take compared to conventional archery.

That was until a stray arrow flew straight up, disappearing into one of the clouds above.

The little distraction quickly turned into the main spectacle as ice spikes pierced through the cloud, growing in size until it was frozen solid.

“Oh dear,” Cadance said as it started to drop.

Ponies in the crowd gasped, more and more looking up as the frozen cloud fell. Pegasi from all over the colosseum flew up to intercept it, but struggled to find purchase against the slippery spikes. It lowered even more, its shadow drifting over the seats as ponies scrambled away. Commands were shouted all around, but no progress appeared to be made. The cloud dropped closer to the ground, the ponies underneath failing to disperse effectively.

Just as Cadance was about to whistle, the pegasi cleared out from underneath it, and a small, purple figure began jumping up to the cloud. In a flash, Spike blew green fire underneath the cloud. With flames licking up the sides and smoke billowing out, it slowed.

But didn’t stop.

Cadance whistled, and a second later a screech echoed across the colosseum. The worm then soared over the wall, immediately arcing down towards the ice chunk. It slipped underneath it, undeterred by Spike’s dying flame and brunted its weight.

It stopped, then was lifted back up as the worm coiled underneath. Water droplets fell in cascades as the worm pushed the icy cloud higher. It then spun, launching it up into the air before turning and whipping it with its tail.

The cloud shattered, shards of ice exploding outwards and upwards, but the worm wasn’t done yet. It growled, orienting its head upward before belching a pillar of fire into the air. Anything left was immediately vaporized, and the crowd had to shield their eyes from the intense brightness. When it was all over, all that was left was the worm, smoke pouring out of its mouth as it settled down on the field.

A moment of silence passed, followed by an eruption of cheers. Cadance let out a sigh of relief, then looked over to see Princess Celestia in complete awe, staring at the worm. Giving a small smile, Cadance then looked past her to see Twilight’s seat empty, and it quickly fell. A quick look around the area revealed she wasn’t nearby, and it was only when Caadance started searching throughout the crowd below that she saw a familiar purple figure poking out on the edge of the field.

“Excuse me for one moment,” she announced, spreading her wings and taking flight,

She fluttered down to the bottom of the colosseum, landing on the opposite of Spike as he talked with Twilight. Looking back showed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna following her while the rest of Twilight’s friends filtered in behind her.

“That’s the third time now,” Spike hung his head and kicked the dirt.

“Really?” Twilight raised an eyebrow,

Cadance gave a small eye roll, then stepped forward to put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder, “Thank you, Spike.”

He shied away from her touch, “Why are you thanking me? I barely did anything.”

“Nonsense,” Cadance said, “The worm may have taken care of the ice, but if you weren't there, then he may not have made it in time to do so.”

“Actually, if I may,” Princess Celestia interjected,

“You may not,” Cadance held up a hoof,

“Hey, if we’re speaking of who’s helping who, then what about all the pegasi that helped first?” Rainbow Dash demanded,

“You have my thanks as well, all of you do.” Cadance nodded, “Take pride in knowing that you’ve done good today.”

Spike let out a sigh, “It’s a little hard to do that when you’re overshadowed by…” He pointed to the worm as it drifted over to them, “That.”

“Ah,” Cadance began, “Well if you’re feeling underappreciated, then would you do me the great honor of lighting fireworks at the closing ceremonies tonight?”

“Can’t the worm do it for you?” Spike asked,

“If I wanted to burn half the field to a crisp.” Cadance brought a hoof back to Spike’s shoulder and smiled, “I know you have much finer control over your fire.”

He gave a small smile.

“Speaking of the worm,” Princess Luna interrupted, “Why does he look like that?”

“Indeed,” Rarity added, “I don’t remember him looking so… scaly… or flammable.”

“Oh, well…” Cadance began, turning to look at the worm.

Large chitinous plates still dominated its body, but upon closer inspection there was a newfound roughness to its skin. Scales now lined the more flexible sections of the worm, fusing with the plates to create an odd, yet natural set of composite armor. Aside from that, there were two large spots on its body that showed a lighter color, one patch residing on its underside, and the other enveloping the entirety of its tail.

“I’m sure you all know of the little… conflict the Crystal Empire was in a while back, right?”

They all nodded,

“During that, a couple of…” Cadance glanced towards Spike, “Mean dragons showed up, and we had to deal with them. The worm helped… clean them up, and as a result…”

“He has taken on even more abilities.” Princess Celestia realized, “I am unsure on how I feel about that.”

Princess Luna opened her mouth to speak, then frowned and stayed silent.

“Oh,” Cadance continued, looking away slightly, “There’s more. When I was out with Twilight more recently,” she gestured to her,

She was fidgeting in place.

“There was another instance, at the edge of Equestria. Show them please.”

The worm opened its mouth, and several flaming tendrils shot out. They quickly flopped down and extinguished, saliva soon dripping down them. They twitched and curled, probing the air and ground around them. Several of the group averted their gaze, though Princess Luna tilted her head.

“You encountered a Tatzlwurm?”

Cadance just shrugged as the worm retracted its new extremities. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.” She looked around at the group as they stared awkwardly at each other. “Now who’s ready to finish the Equestria Games?”

Fireworks crackled above, dazzling sparks and trails lighting up the sky. Cadance looked on with a smile, watching as a range of colors and a multitude of shapes flashed above. Some blew big, creating massive balls of sparkles in the sky. Others popped smaller, leaving glittering trails to arc through the air. Spike moved onto the next row, igniting the line of fuses in just a single breath. More rockets flew up into the air, screaming through the clouds before exploding like all the rest.

Smoke drifted down, faint trails and puffs falling to the field. The acrid scent reached Cadance’s nose, and she scrunched her face. She got up from her position on the field, moving closer to the edge. She passed through a particularly dense cloud, the metallic smoke making her eyes water. Stifling a cough, she settled down on the other side of the firework array, watching as the smoke flowed away with the wind.

Spike lit the next row of fireworks, and Cadance watched as they streaked into the sky, exploding brilliantly.

The stench reached her again, and she winced before holding her breath. The smoke quickly passed, and she sighed in relief, and for a time she was able to breathe comfortably and continue watching the show. Then it came back with a vengeance, a thick cloud of smoke enveloping her completely. The rancid smell invaded her nostrils, causing Cadance to rear up and try to escape from its clutches.

It seemed to follow her every move.

Tears poured from her eyes as the hot gas threatened to burn her airways. The rotten smell nearly forcing her to stop and gag.

Rotten…

Rotten eggs…

Sulfur.

Cadance fell into a coughing fit, wisps of black smoke still lingering around her. She flapped her wings excessively, heaving and hacking to try and expel the foul air. It semi worked, but the tainted smell remained in her sinuses.

She took a deep breath, snorting to try and clear them when she took note of her surroundings.

Spike had stopped lighting fireworks and was looking at her strangely, a good amount of the crowd also noticing the disturbance.

“I’m fine,” Cadance said, stifling another cough, “Really, keep go-” She doubled over for another bout. “Keep going,” she eventually wheezed, “I’m going to- get off the field.”

Spike just gave a single nod, then slowly moved to the next set of fireworks to light them. Cadance quickly vacated the area as they shot off, more smoke filling the air around them. A breath of fresh air awaited her at the sidelines, but she kept going until she was all the way back up to her seat, where the rest of the princesses were sitting.

“Are you alright?” Princess Celestia asked,

“Fine,” Cadance cleared her throat, “Just got caught up in the smoke.”

“I can see what you gave that job to Spike then,” Princess Luna commented,

“No, no,” Cadance waved her hoof, “It’s not because of that. He wanted to be helpful, and now he’s helping.”

They just nodded, then looked back up as the last barrage was set off. Deafening booms filled the air, quickly followed by crackles and sparkles. A cascade of light filtered down onto the crowd, basking them in a range of colors. Cadance tried to smile, but it was gone all too soon, and only smoke remained, the faint trails slowly falling back down to the ground.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, all of you.” Cadance said, “The Crystal Empire would be glad to house you.”

“Thank you, Cadance,” Twilight began, “But we’d better get back to Ponyville as soon as possible.”

The rest of her friends nodded, Spike included,

“I appreciate the offer, but I cannot shy away from my duties for much longer,” Princess Celestia added,

Cadance exhaled, “Verywell, I wish you safe travels.”

“I appreciate the offer as well,” Princess Luna joined in, “And I will take you up on it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it has been a long time since I have been able to experience the Crystal Empire on my own.”

Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow, “And your duties?”

“Do not require my presence in Canterlot.” Princess Luna answered, “Though I shall return on the morrow.”

“Verywell then, sister, I shall see you then. In the meantime, this year’s Equestria Games were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Congratulations to all of you, I do not believe any of this would have been possible without all of your efforts.”

There was a multitude of smiles and thanks from the group, which continued as Princess Celestia led them through the doors and out the castle, leaving just Cadance and Princess Luna.

She took a deep breath, “Let me show you where the guest rooms are.”

“Quite,” Princess Luna responded, “Though I should tell you that there is more to my decision than just wanting to see the empire.”

“Oh?” Cadance starting moving ahead, prompting Princess Luna to follow.

She nodded, “There is something I would like to discuss with you.”

Cadance gave a quick look around, “In private?”

“More or less,” Princess Luna gave a slight shrug, “The matter is not extensively private, but I would be careful of who hears it.”

“Can Shining Armor hear it?”

“Of course, it is relevant to him as well.”

“Then should we go find him?”

“Guest rooms first,” Princess Luna said, “Then we shall talk.”

“So what’s this about now?” Shining Armor asked as he took a seat,

“Important matters regarding the future of the Crystal Empire.” Princess Luna answered,

“Stuff that shouldn’t be talked about openly.” Cadance added,

“Oh.” Shining Armor sighed, “I think I see where this is going. It’s about the worm, isn’t it.”

“Partly,” Princess Luna said,

“Knew it,” Shining Armor said to himself, “So what would you like to discuss, Princess?”

Princess Luna gave a single nod, “In regards to my sister’s earlier statement about the worm,”

“About being unsure of him ‘gaining abilities’?” Cadance tried,

“Precisely.”

“Wait, we’re talking about the worm’s power level?”

“Power level?” Cadance asked,

“I would not put it so simply, but yes.” Princess Luna continued, “It has gotten to a point where something needs to be done about it.”

“Are you saying the worm is getting too strong?”

“I do not believe there is such a thing as too much strength, only the consequences from getting stronger.”

Shining Armor frowned, “What kind of consequences?”

Princess Luna inhaled deeply, “In my time I have seen many things, and been a part of many more, and one thing that has been a part of all of them, is power.”

Both Shining Armor and Cadance listened intently.

“When Equestria was still young, the world around it was… less organized so to speak, and the only way to get the things you wanted was to have enough power to take them.”

“That sounds… barbaric,”

“And not too different from today,” Shining Armor said,

“True, but it was in a different sense back then.” Princess Luna continued, “As alicorns we held quite a lot of power, and upon forming Equestria it only continued to grow. This allowed us to accumulate a great deal, but it also brought increasing opposition.”

“How so?”

“Small communities were easily taken care of, however as our power continued to expand, larger and larger threats started to appear around us. We went to war several times, I will not deny it, but as more and more kingdoms fell, the others around them grew larger.”

“You make it sound like Equestria was out conquering and taking as much as possible.”

“For a time it was, we were looking to expand, and we did, there is a reason Equestria is one of the largest nations there is today. But there came a point where we could conquest no longer, the other nations had grown too powerful.”

“So you achieved peace?” Cadance tried,

“Relatively. It simply became more viable to trade rather than to take, but the increasing threats never left.”

“Really?”

Princess Luna nodded, “When other nations stopped opposing, beings of great power rose in their place. Dragons, warlocks, cultists, Discord, Sombra, and eventually… me…” She trailed off,

“And then what?” Shining Armor asked,

Princess Luna shook her head, “It stopped, after my… outburst, my sister took steps to avoid provoking such beings. You may have noticed how much power we carry, yet how little we use. That is by design. The whole world seemed to have entered a new era, one that unfortunately… may be coming to a close.”

Cadance gulped, “Is this where the worm comes in?”

“Unfortunately, yes. What I am saying is that power attracts power, and since the worm has done nothing but grow more powerful, and nothing has been done to conceal his power, I fear that something big may be on the horizon.”

“But if he has beaten dragons, changelings, tatzlwurms, and armies, what else could the world throw at him?” Shining Armor wondered,

“Do not tempt fate,” Princess Luna warned, “Though there is truth to your words. Our world is finite, I am certain of it, and to my knowledge the worm has bested most of it. However, considering that the worm is not of our world, other beings of power may follow suit, and I should not have to tell you that will not end well.”

Cadance stared past her, “So what should we do?”

“It is important to show restraint, I understand that may be difficult for the worm, but many preventative measures are.”

“Wait wait wait wait wait,” Shining Armor began, “Go back a bit, you said something about an era coming to an end. What do you mean by that?”

“Is the worm the cause of that? I hope not.”

“No, he is not” Princess Luna assured, “As far as I am aware, he is a symptom of it.”

“Then… what is the cause?”

“I am.”

Cadance blinked, while Shining Armor frowned,

“Upon my return to Equestria, the Elements of Harmony were reintroduced to the world. Artifacts of that power simply cannot be used clandestinely, ever since our appearances, things have only seemed to escalate.”

“So the worm is here because of you?” Shining Armor wondered,

Princess Luna’s breath briefly caught in her throat, and she quickly recomposed herself.

“It is difficult to connect separate events as cause and effect, but there is reason to believe that they may be related. I will not say that the reemergence of power within Equestria directly caused the changelings to invade, as there appeared to be a number of reasons for their actions, but our power may have led to us being a more ideal target to them.”

“Which caused the worm to be released, and he holds a lot of power.” Shining Armor continued,

“He also gains it alarmingly quickly,” Princess Luna added,

“Right,” Cadance joined in, “Which leads to the Crystal Empire, then war, dragons, and wurms.”

“Hold on a sec, what makes you think the empire has had any part in this?” Shining Armor turned to Princess Luna, “Do you think the worm… or Equestria’s power is the reason the Crystal Empire returned at all?”

She inhaled deeply, bringing a hoof to her chin, “No, I believe the empire’s return was due to outside causes.”

“What kind of outside causes?”

“There could be many reasons, from the decay of binding magics to the intervention of other forces. Or, we could actually be the cause, the errant attraction to our power being enough to bring the empire back.”

“Well what do you think?”

“I am not one hundred percent certain, but given that we know the Crystal Empire was sent to another world, my best guess is that something released it, and its tethers to our world brought it back.”

Cadance pursed her lips and nodded, while Shining Armor just frowned,

“How long have you thought about this?” He asked,

“Only a few moments, this all stemmed from my sister’s earlier statement, it simply made too much sense to not bring up.”

“Well what does she think about it?” Cadance asked,

“I have not had the chance to bring it up with her yet, though I am certain she knows something is going on. I am going to discuss it further with her upon my return to Canterlot.”

Shining Armor stared at her, mouth agape, “You don’t think this is urgent enough to tell her right away?!”

Princess Luna shook her head, “There is not much that can be done in only a single day, but I understand your logic, I will return to my sister with my findings before the sun rises tomorrow. I still have my own reasons for staying here after all.”

“Alright, so what can we do right now?” Cadance demanded,

“It is as I said earlier, restraint. Simply grounding the worm or preventing any outward appearances will help in this endeavor.”

“That hardly seems fair,”

“It is not,” Princess Luna agreed, “But it may be the best and only option if we wish to preserve relative peace. This certainly is not final, we shall seek guidance from my sister, and from there we shall plan a course of future action.”

Cadance let out an exhale and nodded, “Until then, Luna, I hope you enjoy your stay.”

She stood, “I hope to as well.”

“Ca-dance.”

She grumbled, flexing her legs, wings, neck, and jaw before eventually letting out a sigh.

“Not this again,”

“Ca-dance.”

She opened her eyes, looking around at the crystal caverns, the vibrant walls once again acting as her prison.

“Ca-dance.” The voice came a third time, echoing throughout the room.

She stood, watching and waiting, “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Ca-dance.”

The chime of the crystals, right on time. The room flashed, and her reflection copied itself onto every surface. Cadance sighed again, looking downwards at the mostly barren floor, covering a reflection with her hoof.

“Ca-dance.” The chorus beckoned, the one she covered actually being muffled by her hoof.

It would’ve been funny if she hadn’t been through this same song and dance dozens of times before. Cadance had tried just about everything to get out, running, hiding, ignoring, talking, fighting, even accepting, diving headfirst into whatever was thrown at her.

“Ca-dance.”

Yet it just wouldn’t stop.

“What do you want from me!?” Cadance demanded, she stomped down on the crystal beneath it, cracking it.

The reflection only multiplied.

“Ca-dance.”

She huffed, but she couldn’t stop herself from shivering every time they spoke.

Splat

Her nostrils flared, and she turned to glare as the monster stepped out of the crystal.

“Do you want an apology?! Do you want me to say I’m sorry?!” Cadance took a step forward,

Step

Splat

“Well guess what!? I am sorry! I am sorry your kind came to Canterlot! I am sorry they got slaughtered! And I am sorry that changelings may be gone for good!” Cadance stepped forward.

Step

Splat

“But I am not sorry for you.” Cadance punctuated with another step.

Step

Splat

The walking corpse breathed heavily, the awkward wheezing causing a sucking sound from its open wounds.

“After what you did to me, everything you put me through, what you had planned for all of Equestria.”

A gurgling sound started to rise up from its throat.

“I think you deserved it.”

The abomination lurched forward, gagging and retching as green sludge spilled out of its mouth. From where Cadance was standing, a lot of stray flecks and droplets landed on her legs as the liquid splashed across the floor.

It stung, but Cadance only stepped back when the puddle neared her hooves. She then looked forward, staring into the soulless eyes once more. They were glazed over, almost foggy with a wall-eyed glare. Each eye moved independently from each other, looking around blankly and unfocused. A single cloudy pupil met her gaze, and the body tilted its head, a sickening crack coming from its neck.

It then stood up to its full height, wobbling slightly as it raised above Cadance. It leaned over her, mouth still dripping. Cadance tried her best to remain undeterred, but the acidic slime dripping on her was coming dangerously close to her face.

“Ca-dance.”

She closed her eyes, shook her head, scrunched up her face, took a deep breath and held it.

Hot, sticky breath washed over her.

“Ca-dance.”

Cadance opened her eyes, scowling, and blasted the monster back with magic. It reeled, immediately falling over and crashing to the ground in a heap, flesh sizzling and smoking. Then, with a low moan, it pulled itself back up and started shambling back to her.

Looks like she was fighting her way out of this.

Again.

Step Splat

She took a step back, circling it as it loosely followed her, its pace quickened, but still slow.

Step Splat

Step Splat

Cadance fired another bolt, striking it across the face and causing the tongue to hang even lower. Loose muscles twitched and spasmed as more green goo dribbled down.

Step Splat

Even at its faster speed, Cadance could easily keep out of its reach. In such a small room however, the only hazard was the acidic trail the thing left behind. Cadance carefully stepped over a smear on the floor, she knew what would happen if she got stuck, it almost never ended well.

Step Splat

Another blast of magic caused it to stumble and fall, where it then started dragging itself across the floor. Cadance reacted by shooting a beam at it, searing all the way through its chest and body before coming out the other end. A rancid smell started to fill the room.

And yet it still kept going.

Cadance huffed, she’d beaten this thing so many times before she knew that the only way to stop it was to either destroy it completely, or…

She angled her horn downwards and shot a beam straight at its head, piercing the skull and hopefully the brain as well.

It finally fell still, almost deflating to the ground as more green goo seeped out of every orifice and wound. Steam or smoke emanated from wherever she struck it, and there was a slight gurgling noise as any air inside escaped, but it otherwise remained unmoving.

Then it sank further, literally melting into the ground. Semisolid organs poured out of its mouth, creating an awful smelling pool that quickly joined the rest of it, once solid chitin began to bend and bow, dissolving into a deep black sludge. Chunks of flesh and slime slopped off, revealing a decrepit skeleton which quickly began to melt as well. In only a few seconds the monster was simply a puddle on the ground, a horrendous mix of black and green.

Cadance let out a sigh of relief, but steeled herself all the same. Of all her times fighting that thing, she knew the corpse was no fighter.

It was what came afterward that was difficult.

A cacophony of chitters echoed throughout the cavern, bouncing off the walls and reverberating through the crystals. Her reflections moved, jumping between surfaces rapidly and without direction. They began to change, darkening in coloration and changing shape similarly to when she first saw it happen.

The rest of the changelings were coming. Cadance charged her horn, turning in place as she watched the crystal surfaces vibrate and flash.

A black hoof reached out of one, others began to leak green blood, a broken horn followed by a crushed skull rose out of another. Cadance started shooting immediately, they weren’t fighters either, but she was up against hundreds, if not thousands of them.

She’d never gotten through them before.

“Guess I’ll see how far I get this time,” Cadance said, shuddering,

Chittering filtered down each corridor, soon followed by moaning, then hissing. It came from the floor, the walls, the ceiling. More and more changelings came out of the crystals, quickly surrounding her. Cadance swept her magic in a wide arc, injuring, but not killing many of them.

Each one was dripping the same green ichor, which was quickly coming close to flooding the room, only a few raised mounds remained dry, and Cadance found herself jumping between them.

She couldn’t stay here for much longer.

The shambling horde drew ever closer, and Cadance whipped around, searching for any sort of exit. She sent a large blast through a thicker part of the crowd, clearing the way to one of the corridors leading out of the room. Jumping across the rising sludge around her, she kicked off one of the changelings as it writhed beneath her. Flapping her wings, she soared just below the ceiling as she drew closer to the exit.

She landed on another outcropping of stone, turning and blasting the closest changeling. She then stepped back, preparing to leap to the next part, only to find her back hoof stuck.

It started to burn, and Cadance grit her teeth as she wrenched her leg free from the sticky slime. Firing a bolt at another changeling, she jumped back into the air, teetering slightly as she glided over to the next safe space, one that was quickly shrinking. Without another second to waste, she bounded off of it and continued all the way to the entrance of the corridor.

It thankfully led upwards, but only after a small dip, one that was filled with goo. Cadance landed dead center in the puddle, immediately getting all four hooves stuck. She thrashed to keep moving before the tingling even started, then redoubled her efforts when it did. She seethed as it burned, trudging onwards with each painful step. The changelings drew nearer, unaffected. Cadance turned and dragged another beam across the horde, dismembering the majority and slowing them down for a few seconds.

She took another step forward, just inches from the edge of the puddle, but the sludge held strong, pulling against her every movement and slowing her down to a crawl. Another step, and her hoof hovered just barely over dry ground. She leaned forward, fighting with all her strength to try and get out. Her hooves burned, and her legs started to ache, she didn’t know if the sludge was doing actual damage or if it was just pain, either way it hurt, and she needed to get out.

Her front left hoof pulled free, quickly slamming down on the dusty floor, her back right hoof soon followed, setting down in a much shallower part of the slime. Next came her front right hoof, then her back left, and she was out.

“Yes!” She cheered, taking a step forward, and her tail pulled taut.

Turning around, she realized just how deep it had sunken in, and even as she pulled, the slime rose to pull back harder. She grunted as hairs pulled loose, gritting her teeth from the shooting pain in her hindquarters, but it never came loose.

She was stuck.

Cadance blinked the tears from her eyes, then turned her body with what little space she had. At least she had some sort of funnel to fight from as opposed to being surrounded. The corpses shambled onward, and Cadance watched them.

Every single one of them was changeling, but that was where their similarities ended. Some were slashed, cut, gouged, and stabbed, others were shredded, crushed, or mangled, and finally, some were burned, seared, or ripped to pieces. It didn’t matter, they all pursued her just the same.

Cadance took a deep breath, then started shooting. Waves upon waves of them fell, most getting back up again. The entrance to the corridor soon became clogged with bodies, but the seemingly unending horde pressed further, a cascade of acidic sludge following suit. Bit by bit, inch by inch, Cadance’s free space was taken away as the tunnel started to flood.

She realized this quickly, once again pulling her tail taut to get as much space as possible, but it wouldn’t last long. She kept up the attacks, but in only a few seconds the sludge was once again touching the tips of her hooves. Already sensitive from before, there was a flash of sensation which quickly turned to pain as the goo started to envelope her hooves completely.

Quickly pulling them free again, Cadance tried to step onto higher ground, only to end up leaning precariously over the edge of the slime, the rest of her body hovering just inches above it.

She couldn’t get out.

Cadance laxed, her flanks barely grazing the surface of the acid. She couldn’t continue, and the more she fought back, the more stuck she would be, and the more pain she would feel. Changelings clambered over the mound of corpses, quickly falling and splashing into the puddle below. The waves didn’t travel far in the viscous liquid, but as more and more was displaced, the higher it rose along Cadance’s legs.

She breathed hard, hissing as she clenched her teeth. From where she was now, there were only two things she could do, either wait for the changelings to get her, or to end the nightmare right then and there. She instinctively breathed in to shout, but stopped herself.

If there was one thing she’d learned from this, it was that you never, ever called for help, no matter what.

Because help never came.

A brilliant blue light shined from behind her, and a moment later a piercing teal beam swept across the horde, evaporating them into smoke. The crystal walls crumbled and fell away, the dusty and rotten air whisking away in a slight breeze. The burning sensation along Cadance’s legs left, the green sludge surrounding her spreading out and darkening as blades of grass began poking through.

“Cadance,” A familiar voice came from behind her, “You will have to forgive me for-”

Then it was gone, just like that.

“Luna?” Cadance called out,

She turned around, the breeze immediately dying down, the air getting colder around her.

A mist was gathering behind her, undulating and rising as it grew denser and more opaque. Cadance squinted her eyes, the faintest hint of blue light flashing through the cloud. It darkened, quickly turning black before spreading across the ground, whatever inside it was now gone.

“Luna?” Cadance tried again, tilting her head,

The dark mist split, flowing around and behind her. A familiar smell danced at the edge of her nose.

The smell of sulfur.

She immediately held her breath, slowly turning to where the smoke was now gathering.

A darkened Crystal Empire rose in front of her, trails and wisps of smoke weaving through the buildings and streets. There was no fire, no embers, no ash. Only smoke, with the occasional sparkle of deep purple.

Cadance shook her head, staring at the dilapidated empire before her. The crystals were dull and grey, but not dark and corrupted like before. Simply lifeless.

“What?” She asked aloud,

The ground trembled around her, nearly knocking her off her hooves as a large crack appeared in the crystal road. It travelled up it, errant and uncontrolled, yet intent on its path. Lanterns fell, walls tipped, and entire buildings were shattered as the crack continued. In only a few seconds it reached her castle, hitting one of its supports.

For a moment everything was still again, then the crack started growing up the castle itself, quickly spreading across its surface.

“No!” Cadance shouted in vain,

The spire shifted and twisted, then crumbled to pieces as the entire castle collapsed in on itself, only a small plume of dust left in its wake.

“What is this!? Luna?!” Cadance demanded,

She looked around frantically, but only the chill night air met her gaze, that and the smoke that surrounded her. She stared at it, watching as it twirled and twisted. Firing a beam, it harmlessly passed through, leaving a small hole that quickly closed.

Nothing.

No reaction, not anything, just Cadance and the smoke and destruction around her.

She looked up into the sky.

“Luna!” She yelled desperately,

The moon wasn’t even visible, just the twinkling stars in the sky. Then they fell still too, becoming just spots in the void. Cadance blinked, so did the stars, one by one disappearing into the darkness.

It grew even darker, yet the air grew warmer. Cadance inhaled, a newfound warmth surrounding her. The smell of sulfur grew stronger, invading her nostrils and forcing her to cough. She snorted, then ignited her horn, illuminating the grass around her. The smoke shifted, then quickly retreated to the darkness again.

Tilting her head, Cadance increased the intensity of her magic, casting the field around her in a light blue glow. The smoke receded even further, dancing just on the edge of her light. She turned slowly, looking out across the black horizon and the rubble of the empire. Small blips of purple met her gaze, moving smoothly through the smoke, almost as if they were watching her.

“Who are you?” Cadance called out experimentally, “What are you?”

Death

A whisper in the dark. Cadance’s ears flicked towards the faint noise.

Death

It came from her side.

“What?” She asked, leaning forward and squinting,

Death

Her other side.

Death

Death

Behind her.

Death

Cadance strained herself trying to listen to the whispers around her, sweat starting to drip from her brow.

Death

Her eyes went wide, and she spun around as six purple lights came together in front of her. The smoke turned violent around her, toiling and rolling in an unfelt wind. It seeped into her light, creeping closer and closer.

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Death

Cadance paced in place, looking around frantically as the smoke closed in around her. She quickly enveloped herself in a shield just in time to watch the smoke press up against it. Tendrils wrapped around it, feeling it, probing it, tasting it. The six eyes drew closer, staring right through her. The air turned hot, quickly becoming stuffy from being in an enclosed space.

The smell of sulfur reached her nose again.

Brimstone.

Cadance acted, charging her horn to the extreme, she surged more magic into the shield, sending outwards in every direction. The smoke was beaten back, nearly destroyed as the light from Cadance’s horn grew brighter and brighter. She felt herself quickly nearing overloading, but she continued sending wave after wave of energy outwards.

Slowly but surely, a small bit of light returned to the world, the black sky turning blue. Cadance squinted from underneath her own bright light, watching as the smoke disappeared from view, sinking into the ground around her.

At the risk of burning out, she sent one last pulse of magic before slumping to the ground, sweat dripping from her body. Cool air soon met her fur, a stark difference from the heat of the smoke. She breathed heavily, gasping for breath as she stood again. Peering around quickly, she made sure there was not even a hint of smoke left, and was immediately relieved to find nothing, not even a wisp. Cadance looked up to the sky and sighed, only to frown a moment later.

It was the wrong color.

An expanse of teal shined down, creating just enough light to not be dark, but nowhere near the brightness of a regular day. There was no sun, no stars, and still no moon.

“What does this mean?!” Cadance begged,

Death

The sky turned purple, and the ground shook. Cadance stumbled and fell.

And fell.

And fell.

As the ground vanished beneath her. She flailed, eventually finding herself just floating in the midst of an endless void of purple, a faint mist present all around her. Struggling in place, she turned and blasted the thickest part of it, yet her magic simply passed through, and the mist remained unmoving.

Cadance flapped her wings, quickly sending herself into a spiral. She immediately stopped, disorientated, only to find that there was no up, and there was no down.

There was only the mist.

The breeze picked up, soon turning to a turbulent wind. Something massive was moving in the mist, the displaced air sending her spinning out of control. As she spun, Cadance caught a glimpse of something, something pink, teal, and dull purple.

She righted herself, finding once again no sense of direction. She huffed, when a flash of pain lit up her hoof. She gasped, quickly bringing it up to her face.

It was on fire, pink flames flickering brightly as they burned her hoof. Though nothing appeared to actually be happening, yet it was a pain unlike any she’d ever felt, and she needed it to stop. Cadance waved her hoof around wildly, yet the burning sensation never left, and only seemed to increase in intensity. She stopped, bringing her other hoof up and trying to pat out the flames.

As soon as they touched, her other hoof alit immediately, doubling the pain. She gasped out again, then started breathing hard through her mouth, she extended her legs fully, keeping the flames as far away from any other part of her.

Slowly but surely, the flames grew larger, fully encompassing her hooves and travelling up her legs. Cadance went back to flailing them wildly, only to overcompensate, and accidentally smack herself in the leg. The flames spread, engulfing her entire right foreleg.

It burned.

She held it as far away as possible, using her other flaming hoof to try and wipe the flames away. It was hardly effective, and as she continued, she noticed that her fur and entire leg looked fine, if not on fire, yet she found herself unable to move her hooves, only her elbows, and as her left one burned, she lost control of it as well.

It burned.

Yet the pain never left. Cadance grunted, grinding her teeth as the fire continued to spread. It reached her shoulder, searing, white hot pain lighting up her entire side. She yelled out, gasping for breath as her muscles seized. Eventually her entire arm was burnt away, leaving it just floating there limply.

It burned.

Cadance leaned her head back, straining as the flames licked their way up her neck. By now her other arm was completely aflame, but her focus was on something closer.

It burned.

The flames burned inside her body, spreading past her skin and muscle and into bone and organs. She felt her lung catch fire, every breath sending scorching air through her throat and mouth. She began to see pink flames lick out of her lips.

It burned.

She thrashed with everything she had left. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t breath, she couldn’t move her arms, she couldn’t even move her head, and as the fire spread to the base of her right wing, she lost her balance as well, tumbling through the purple mist.

It burned.

Tears streamed down her face, gliding through the flames seemingly without issue, she risked a glance down at her hooves again. Through the pink blaze surrounding them, they looked dry, dull and grey, cracked.

Lifeless.

It burned.

Her stomach was engulfed, it felt as if lava was melting through her insides. Cadance doubled over, kicking out with her back legs.

It burned.

The flames reached her heart.

Cadance screamed.

She kicked out with her legs, flailing wildly in her bed. Her covers were sent flying off the end, her pillow knocked to the side. She tossed and turned with reckless abandon, eventually tipping over the side and landing hard on the crystal floor.

She stopped, holding her breath as she stared at the blue crystal surface pressing into her face.

“Cadance, honey?” Shining Armor asked from somewhere in the room,

She didn’t respond, just bringing her hooves up to her face and touching it, then her neck, hooves, arms, shoulders, and chest, right where her heart was.

“Cadance?” Shining Armor asked again, sounding increasingly worried,

She stood slowly, grabbing her wings and pulling them open. She checked her sides, back, and midsection. Everything was fine.

“Cadance, talk to me.”

She was breathing hard, her throat and mouth felt dry, and she smacked her lips a few times as she turned around. Her eyes traced the entire room, every corner, every recess, every inch of darkened light. Her frantic gaze eventually landed on Shining Armor, who was leaning against the far wall with a hoof over his eye.

“Are you okay?” He asked,

She swallowed, switching to her nose as she inhaled and exhaled rapidly.

“Yes,” She choked out, “Yes, I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

She shuddered, “No.”

“Okay…” Shining Armor said slowly, “What was that all about then?”

“A-” Cadance paused to control her breathing, “A bad dream.”

“Was it the changeling one again?”

“No, well yes, but then it changed…” Cadance began, “Like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“Well what happened?”

Cadance flinched, then turned her attention back to her husband, and frowned, “What happened to you?”

“Oh! Uh…” Shining Armor looked away for a moment, he then slowly lowered his hoof, revealing a half closed red eye that was already starting to swell.

“Oh my goodness!” Cadance stepped around their bed to get a closer look,

Shining Armor actually stepped away from her.

Cadance froze mid step, then looked around the room again. Their bed was a mess, covers and pillows thrown everywhere.

She was the one that did that.

“Did…” Cadance asked slowly, “Did I do that?”

Shining Armor nodded weakly, “Yeah,”

Cadance’s face dropped, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t-”

“It’s okay,” Shining Armor interrupted her, “Are you okay now?”

It was at this point that a crash came from the balcony, causing the entire room to shake. A moment later there was a screech, and two giant mandibles broke through the door as the worm tried to squeeze through the frame.

“Stop stop stop!” Cadance rushed forward as the wall started to crack around it.

The worm relaxed slightly, but started clicking rapidly as it wriggled forward, causing even more cracks to form around the doorframe.

“Smaller! Smaller!” Cadance ordered, “Please don’t destroy the wall.”

The worm stopped, then in a blaze of purple flame it slithered through the doorway. Cadance immediately took a step back, but quickly noticed the color difference in the fire.

“I’m okay,” She said, “I’m okay,”

The worm coiled up and chirped, bringing its head down close to her.

“I’m okay-”

The scent of sulfur lingered on her senses. Cadance inhaled sharply, tensing and standing straight up, ears alert. The worm reacted in a similar manner, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of her reaction or if it smelled it too.

“Cadance?” Shining Armor asked, noticing the disturbance.

“It’s here.” Cadance replied, just barely above a whisper.

She peered around the room, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary.

“What?”

“It’s here!” Cadance leaped onto their bed, turning in place again and again.

The worm followed her every move, hovering just behind her and following her gaze with almost no delay.

“What’s here?”

“The thing! The thing from my dream,” Cadance exclaimed, “The- The smoke!”

“The smoke?” Shining Armor repeated,

At the edge of Cadance’s vision, a wisp trailed out of her bedside table. She snapped to attention, grabbing the table in her magic and throwing it across the room. It smashed against the far wall, crumbling to the floor and leaving a small crack in its wake. The smoke followed, tendrils whipping past before spilling out across the floor.

“There!” Cadance pointed,

Shining Armor stared in shock, then ducked down and covered his head as the worm crackled with electricity. It breathed lightning, sweeping a continuous bolt across the room, arcs scattered every which way, shards of crystal flying out as what was left of the bedside table was destroyed.

After almost a minute of electrocution, the worm let up. When the steam cleared, the corner of the room was blackened and burnt, solid crystal scorched and cracked. The table was reduced to a pile of ashy shards, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding floor. A faint trail of smoke rose from the pile, and Cadance stared at it intently, horn glowing brightly. She sniffed the air again, relishing in the fact that there was only a heavy ionizing smell in the room.

“Will you please tell me what is going on?!” Shining Armor pleaded,

Cadance glanced at him, then back to the smoke for another few moments before eventually focusing on him.

“The smoke was in my dream,”

“The smoke, from your dream?” Shining Armor asked, “Here? In the real world?”

“Other way around,” Cadance said, “I saw it before, and then it was in my dream, and now it’s here.”

“Is it just smoke?”

“I don’t know what it is, but…” She trailed off,

A pounding came from their doors.

“Your highness, are you alright?!”

“For now,” Cadance called back, “Enter.”

The doors burst open, and a multitude of crystal guards flooded into the room. They spread out, aligning themselves along the edges of the room, giving the scorched section a wide berth. They all had their weapons drawn, keeping vigilant watch as the others cleared the bedroom.

“This isn’t necessary,” Shining Armor began,

“Search the entire floor,” Cadance ordered, “Be on the lookout for smoke in the air, and pay attention to smells, report anything unusual.”

Several more guards entered, flanking Princess Luna.

“Am I interrupting anything?” She asked,

“Kind of...? Come in.” Shining Armor said,

Cadance eyed her for a moment, squinting, “Can you explain what just happened?”

“Partially,” Princess Luna answered, she then looked around the room, “Preferably privately as well.”

Shining Armor nodded, then turned to one of the guards searching, “Report.”

“Sir, no smoke except for the corner, and no odd smells in any of the rooms.” He saluted,

“Alright then, you heard her, clear out for the moment.” Shining Armor ordered,

Cadance held up a hoof, “Have two stand guard outside.”

All the other guards saluted as well, quickly leaving the room and closing the doors behind them. Princess Luna lingered at the doors for a moment before she eventually turned back to the others.

“So, let us talk.”

“First,” Cadance interjected, “Please tell me that you didn’t do it.”

Princess Luna shook her head, “I can guarantee you that my only involvement was with my intervention, nothing more.”

“Intervention? Smoke? Smells? Can somepony please tell me what is going on here?!” Shining Armor asked, exasperated,

“In a moment,” Princess Luna assured, “Do you have a place to sit? This might be difficult to hear.”

Cadance sighed, “This way,” She gestured, leading them into the side room.

Once they were all situated, Princess Luna began again.

“To start, that was no mere dream. It was a vision, a vision of the future.”

Cadance’s expression dropped even further, “You mean…?”

“Yes, whatever that was, whatever you saw, whatever you might have experienced may very well happen.”

“Wait!” Shining Armor began, “How can you be sure?”

Princess Luna looked at him, “Alicorn’s bodies are extremely sensitive to magic. As such, we are very in tune with the magic of the world. The world is very wise, it can sense when change is approaching, there are times when it shares this sense with us.”

“But how do you know that was what happened?” Cadance asked,

“Even before the smoke came between us, I could tell there was a motive behind your dream. I had hoped to console you throughout the process, however questions have only been mounting.”

“Like the smoke?” Cadance tried,

Princess Luna sighed, then averted her gaze, “Partly, though my main question is why I didn’t get a vision.”

“Were you expecting one?” Shining Armor questioned,

Princess Luna leaned forward, “Generally, when the world shares its insight with us, it is regarding major events that will affect most, if not the entire world. We are not usually privy to the details, though we will learn of important figures and dates. I can only assume that this coming… event, is not relevant to me.”

“How is something world-changing not relevant to you?”

Princess Luna finally looked at them, “I do not know.”

There was a moment of silence.

“However that is besides the point,” Princess Luna took a deep breath, “What is it that you saw, Cadance?”

She sucked in a breath, shuddering as the memories freshened themselves in her mind. Her mouth grew dry, and she remembered the feeling of the flames burning her throat.

“Perhaps… It would be better for you to start, Luna,” Cadance eventually began, “What did you see when you came to my dream?”

“I saw your nightmare. It saddens me to see that you are still plagued by them.”

Cadance gave a small nod, “What did you mean when you said ‘forgive me’?”

“Ah, that.” Princess Luna pressed her lips together, “I’ll still have to ask for your forgiveness, for I was watching the entire time.”

“Oh… And then?”

“When you got stuck, I decided it was time to intervene, which is when I felt the charged presence in your dream.”

“The vision?” Shining Armor asked,

“Precisely, and almost immediately after, the smoke came.”

“What did it do to you?”

“It blocked me from moving forward, in any sense.” Princess Luna answered, “It had surrounded me, pushing me back until I was forced out of the dream entirely. Even then I tried several times to reenter, though something was keeping me out.”

Shining Armor tilted his head, “Can smoke even do that?”

“It is possible, yes. Though I will admit that it has confused me to no end, there are not many things that can contend with me in the dreamscape. Whatever happened afterwards was seen by Cadance and Cadance alone.”

“Right… I suppose I should tell it then…”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Shining Armor leaned closer to her,

Princess Luna shook her head, “If it is of grave importance, then you may have to forgo comfort.”

“Okay. Okay,” Cadance repeated, taking a deep breath, “After you disappeared, things changed. I saw the Crystal Empire, only it was… dead.”

“Dead?” Shining Armor asked,

“Dead how?” Princess Luna added,

“Everything, the streets, the buildings, even our castle. I-I didn’t see any crystal ponies, but I could only assume…”

“Did you go into it at all?” Princess Luna asked,

“No! No, I hardly moved,” Cadance answered, “B-But then an earthquake hit, and… Everything crumbled around me.”

Both Shining Armor and Princess Luna shared a look.

“The empire was destroyed?”

Cadance nodded weakly, “But… it didn’t end there. The smoke, i-it was the smoke. It surrounded me, a-and it spoke to me.”

Princess Luna’s gaze narrowed, “What did it say?”

“One word, over and over. Death.”

Death

Cadance went rigid in her seat, and she glanced around frantically.

Nothing.

She inhaled deeply.

Nothing.

“Honey?” Shining Armor asked,

They were both looking at her with worry. She quickly calmed herself down.

“It’s nothing… I hope.”

“Then continue, if you would.” Princess Luna said,

“I um, I-I beat it back, using my magic, and for a moment I thought everything was fine, but the sky was wrong. I-It was the wrong color.”

“A drastic change?”

“No, just the wrong shade of blue, b-but it didn’t last long. It changed to purple, and I-I was somewhere else, an endless expanse of purple mist. T-There was something m-massive in there with m-me, but I-I couldn’t see it. And then… And then…” Cadance realized she was shaking, “And then the f-fire.” She squeezed her eyes shut, “It burned, so bad.”

“Was that why you screamed?” Shining Armor asked,

“It felt so real, it hurt so much.” Cadance said, tears gathering at the edges of her vision.

Princess Luna closed her eyes, a solemn expression on her face, “It very well may become real.”

Cadance blinked, “What do we do, what do I do?”

“Whatever you do,” Princess Luna began, “You must not try to avoid it.”

“What?!” Shining Armor demanded,

“I have seen enough visions to know that avoiding them never works. What you must do is prepare yourself for the future.”

“Against death?!” Cadance exclaimed,

Princess Luna winced, “The future is not set in stone. Regardless of what you saw, with enough action, things may be influenced in your favor. Not doing anything only guarantees what you saw.”

“So what?! I write a will or something?! This isn’t exactly something I thought I would have to be doing right now!”

“Cadance,” Princess Luna held up a hoof, “We are dealing with the destruction of the entire Crystal Empire, possibly more. Do you want that to happen?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you have to take steps to counteract it.”

“What steps?! What do I do?!”

“It is hard to ascertain specifics, the only thing I can tell you right now, is to train yourself. From what I can tell from your vision, something is coming. Something you will have to fight.”

“Fight what?! The smoke? And its eyes?!”

Princess Luna froze, staring at Cadance, “The smoke had a form?”

She paused, “Yes?” She responded, confused,

“What did it look like?” Princess Luna demanded,

Cadance paused, thinking back, “It had tentacles, and eyes, but I couldn’t see much more than that.”

“How many?”

“How many what?”

“Eyes!” Princess Luna nearly shouted, “How many eyes did it have!?”

Cadance recoiled slightly, “Six, six eyes.”

Princess Luna’s eyes widened, “It may already be too late.”

Cadance blinked, “For what?”

Princess Luna stood, “We must speak with my sister as soon as possible. I must leave immediately to inform her of this.”

“Are you going to fly all the way to Canterlot?” Shining Armor asked,

“If I wish to get there by morning, yes.”

“Wait!” Cadance said, “Do you want to get there by morning, or do you want to get there now?”

Princess Luna paused to look at her, “Do you have long range teleportation on hoof?”

“Not quite.”

The worm coasted to a stop above Canterlot castle. This early in the morning, only a sparse few windows showed light, the rest remaining dark, as did the rest of Canterlot.

Princess Luna quickly pulled herself up from her hold on the worm, more than a little frazzled.

“How useful, if not extraordinarily dangerous.”

“You kind of get used to it,” Cadance responded, also standing.

“We shall see, however we should make haste, time is not something we have an abundance of.”

She leapt off the worm, gliding down to the uppermost spire of the castle. Cadance followed close behind, and soon found herself tilting her head, as Princess Celestia was already out on the balcony pacing back and forth.

She looked up as they approached, a frown on her face. Princess Luna landed first, and Princess Celestia immediately walked up to her.

“Dear sister of mine, please tell me you did not have a dream this night, a dream of fire and flames.”

“I did not,” Princess Luna said as Cadance touched down behind her,

Princess Celestia relaxed, her once tense stance giving way to a much calmer demeanor.

“She did,” Princess Luna gestured to Cadance,

Princess Celestia froze, her hopeful smile fell and her face filled with despair as she stared at Cadance. She slumped down, falling into a sitting position as her gaze unfocused and her head hung.

“Sister?”

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…” She murmured, her ethereal mane slowed to a stop, falling still across the balcony.

“Sister,” Princess Luna moved to stand beside her, “Sister, we must act.”

Princess Celestia blinked, making eye contact with her sister. She then slowly stood back up and shook her head, “You are right.” She sniffled, “I am sorry, that was… just a bit to take in is all.”

“Celestia, it’s okay,” Cadance assured,

“No, it is not.” She said, “The simple fact that you had a vision makes it so. There is much we need to do.”

“Okay,” Cadance responded simply, “Where do we start?”

Princess Celestia remained silent for a moment, and she looked at her sister a few times. “We need information. What is already known.”

Princess Luna glanced at Cadance, “Powers we had hoped to have been destroyed in the past have returned.”

“I think we both know what is coming,” Princess Celestia also glanced at her,

“The insatiable hunger, the unending greed for power.”

“And the power to take it.”

Cadance tilted her head, “Who?”

They both looked at her,

“The worm’s master.”

“Oh,” Cadance said, “Oh.” She realized,

Princess Celestia turned, pulling the door to her bedroom open, “Come, there is somebody we must talk to.”

Cadance stepped forward, sharing a glance with Princess Luna as they entered the castle.

“Who might that be, sister?”

She moved over to her desk, pulling open the top drawer and reaching inside. “If the worm’s master is anything like him, then we must not risk anything being lost to it.”

“Being lost?” Cadance repeated,

Something clicked into place behind the desk, and Princess Celestia pulled it away from the wall in her magic. Cadance looked at the wall for a moment, then followed Princess Celestia’s actions as she reached behind and opened a now unlocked compartment on the back side of the desk.

“There’s only one being in Equestria that might know how to defeat this coming threat.”

Princess Luna’s eyes widened in realization, “Oh sister, please don’t tell me.”

Princess Celestia pulled out an incredibly well worn scroll, yellowed paper and cracked edges showed its age. She unfurled it onto her desk, revealing a map of sorts, with one word popping out in the center.

Tartarus

“Must we speak to… him?” Princess Luna pleaded,

“It is only one question, sister.” Princess Celestia responded, “Either he helps or he does not.”

Cadance looked between them, “Who? Who are we talking to?”

Princess Luna tilted her head back, “An ancient villain, he came to Equestria with the intent to steal its magic.

“Only to be thwarted by his own brother, with his aid we managed to repel him.” Princess Celestia continued,

“And lock him in Tartarus for his crimes.” Princess Luna finished, gesturing in front of them.

A large set of double doors sat on a raised section of stone. Jet black, only crimson runes etched into them gave them any depth. A square lock held it all together, four smaller pieces tipping each corner. Wicked branches and roots rose out of the ground to hold the frame, a series of geothermal vents lining the crooked stairs leading to the doors.

A familiar stench lingered in the air, and Cadance found herself glancing around frantically at every movement, but only the soft vapors coming from the stone met her gaze.

“Okay…” She said slowly, “So why are we seeking him out?”

“Because his dark power grants him the unique ability to steal the magic from almost any source, granting him more power.” Princess Luna explained,

“It is not an exact match,” Princess Celestia said, “However, his insight will provide a better strategy on how to deal with anything… worm-like.”

“How do we even know the worm’s master is like him?” Cadance asked,

“There is a correlation between their forms, at least from what I was able to see. We do not know much more than that.”

“Regardless, it will be useful information.”

Cadance just stared at the other alicorns, shortening her breath to try and avoid the sulfurous smell as much as possible. It was also decently hot in the area, but that was not what was making her sweat uncontrollably.

Princess Celestia stepped up to the door, lowering her horn to the lock and flashing her magic. Marks in the metal began to glow, and the doors groaned as the lock rotated. A moment later they shifted, bowing outwards as a growling noise came from inside.

Before they could do anything else, the doors were pushed open, and the snarling head of a dog peered out, followed by two more.

“Cerberus,” Princess Celestia called out, “We seek an audience with one of the imprisoned.”

Each head focused on a different alicorn, Princess Celestia stood strong under their scrutiny, as did Princess Luna, though Cadance shifted under the intense gaze. Eventually Cerberus stopped, closing its mouths and pulling back out of the doorway.

“We must be quick,” Princess Celestia said, gesturing towards the entrance.

“Why?” Cadance asked,

“A number of reasons,” Princess Luna answered, “Too many to go into right now. The point being, it is dangerous.”

“Follow me closely, do not fall behind.”

Cadance just nodded, quickly following Princess Celestia into Tartarus. Once inside, the smell actually got better, as opposed to the harsh sulfur outside, a stale air met them inside. Spires of crystalline rock rose out of a dark void, only a few glints of a far away surface visible in the darkness. Winding paths connected each part, and they started down the first of many on their journey.

Cages upon cages of creatures were stacked in every space imaginable, even then, some hung from the ceiling, while others teetered precariously off the edge. Not many took notice of their approach, though Cadance still avoided eye contact with any creature that looked her way.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached one of the tallest spires visible, where only a single cage sat, chained to the center of the platform. Whatever was inside did not move, even as they reached the top of the stairs. Cadance went to get closer, but Princess Luna held her back.

“Tirek.” Princess Celestia began, “We need to talk.”

The form in the cage shifted, a mess of cracks and pops coming from its body as an incredibly lithe form stood up.

“One, two, three. Three princesses have come to me, to me.” The figure said, “To what do I owe the honor of this?”

Princess Celestia kept her gaze level, her expression flat. “We seek advice.”

“Oh, but what advice can I give? How to deal with betrayal? How to cope with millennia of solitude?”

Princess Luna stepped forward, “We seek advice on how to deal with an adversary similar to yourself.”

“Ah, now there’s something I do know.” Tirek stepped forward, a long white beard coming out of the shadows, soon followed by red and black skin. Glowing yellow eyes remained in the dark, though they still pierced through each and every one of them.

Cadance averted her eyes.

“This threat is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, except for you. So you are going to tell us how best to defeat it.”

“Now why would I go and do that? Why would I help those that have imprisoned me?”

Both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked at each other.

“We could-”

“Make it worth my while?” Tirek interrupted, “Ha! Don’t make me laugh. You cannot let me out, and you won’t give me what is rightfully mine. There is nothing you have to offer, and so there is nothing I’m offering to you.”

“I told you this was a waste of time,” Princess Luna whispered,

“But…” Tirek continued, “You must truly be desperate if you’re coming to me with these questions.”

“Do not press your luck, Tirek.” Princess Celestia said,

“This threat must be… destructive.” A wicked smile flashed in the darkness. “Verywell, I offer you this, but only to safeguard what is mine for a later date.”

Cadance looked up, only to find two yellow eyes staring right at her.

“If this opponent is as similar to me as you say, then do not risk fighting it together. There must be one, and only one to match this foe. If not, then you will find yourselves divided, and conquered.”

“Are you asking us to put all of our hopes on a single individual?” Princess Luna asked,

“I am telling you, that if you cannot match an enemy like me upon first meeting, then it will grow in power until it becomes unstoppable to anything.” Tirek shrugged, “It’s what I would do. Now, care to let me in on the details?”

“You have given us enough,” Princess Celestia said, “If all goes well, then you may be entitled to a reward.”

“Oh… You don’t actually know, do you?”

Laughter echoed throughout the cavern.

“Well then, you have my best, and finest wishes. You know why.”

“Come, we are leaving.” Princess Celestia concluded,

Cadance readily followed her back down the path.

Tirek watched them go, all the way until they were out of sight before laying back down.

The scent of sulfur reached his nose, but he just closed his eyes and curled up in the middle of the cage.

“...So… You told them to gather their power under a single pony.” A voice came from behind.

His eyes shot open, and he quickly picked himself back up again. A mass of smoke was gathering just outside his cage, a moment later purple cloth billowing out, forming a hood of sorts. Six purple eyes shifted into view.

“The mysterious threat, I presume,” He bowed with a smile.

“Only the envoy.” The wraith returned a curt nod,

Tirek dropped his smile, “I take it you didn’t like my advice?”

Whispering laughs emanated from all around him.

“No, quite the opposite. It will only speed up the process, saving my master from having to gather it all up. Besides, we’ve been looking for a proper fight for some time now.”

“A proper fight?” Tirek snorted, he reached out and grabbed the bars to his cage. “Those ponies will put up anything but a fight. If you’re looking for something proper, let me out, see what I can do with all that magic.”

The wraith moved closer, tendrils lapping at the corners of the cage. Tirek smiled again.

“Under other circumstances, maybe. But right now, there are only two things that must be consumed, and you are not one of them.”

He scowled, “What?! Afraid I’ll pose too much of a threat to your master? Are you scared or something?”

The tendrils wrapped around the bars of the cage, snapping the enchanted rock. Tirek took a step back as smoke began to pour through the gaps.

“You are of no threat to the master, and the master is of no threat to you. Neither are the ponies.”

“What makes you say that?” Tirek demanded, “Once I get out of here I’m not only going to take all the magic in Equestria, but all the magic in the world! Maybe then we’ll see who’s a threat to who.”

“The master is of no threat to you,” The wraith repeated, the purple cloak phasing through the bars, “Because the only threat to you,” The six eyes pushed forwards, coming out of the cloak. “Is me.”

The tendrils the eyes were attached to pressed together, contorting what might be a face together. Almost like gnashing teeth.

Tirek stepped back, but soon found himself pressed up against the other side of the cage.

Death

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

Who doesn't love debuffs? Quite a lot of people I'd imagine. There is a discrepancy in descriptions, for the longest time I thought the tooltip for God Slayer Inferno said "Your soul is on fire", hence the interesting effects it has on Cadance.

Oh boy, we're reaching a climax here folks, and that is all I will say on that matter.

Tirek, the end all, be all. At least for me. Season four is kinda where I dropped the show, I watched a little of season five, maybe some season six, but I simply lost interest in it for a time. I never got to watch all eight seasons, and I have absolutely no idea about the student six or the triple triad, meaning Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow.

To clarify, Tirek is 100% dead, and he never escaped Tartarus earlier. Twilight v. Tirek will not happen. Cadance v. ... Will however.

🎇Happy American Independence Day!🎇