*Clink*

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Alastor smiled with his mouth open. "It's north where the mead is good!"

Chrysalis looked at him as she held her mug of mead while in a form of a pony with navy coat of fur and sea blue mane in a new set of clothes.

"Must you be so loud," She snared at him annoyed bring her mead to her lips.

"Come now love can't I enjoy myself in this traven filled with good ale and filled with the fine ladies," Alastor whinked at the blushing watress Abyssinian who refiled his mug. "Thank you sweet thing,"

As the cat began to walk away Alastor brought his mug to his lips while Chrysalis stared at him.

"What? I might look wolfish but that doesn't mean I can't like the fine-looking cat girls I meet," Alastor stated.

"Your drawing too much attention," Chrysalis hissed.

"Come now miss high and mighty your the one drawing all the attention," He pointed to the tavern. "Your the only pony here,"

Following his finger to the hall, his words were true for in that traven were all forms of non-ponies for she was the only one their.

"So think before you open your mouth about blending in next time alright?" Alastor told her while Chrysalis huffed.

"Please I invented 'blending in'," Chrysalis huffed.

Alastor chuckled.

"Says you," Taking some more mead.

"So what are you going to do about this conflict that is coming to Equestria's board," Chrysalis asked.

"What am I going to do?" Alastor held his chin. "Let's see... ah yes... nothing,"

Leaning back in his chair he rolled the mead in his hand.

"What?!"

"LIke I said nothing can stop what's happening. If I killed the kings than the one of the rulers sons will take their father's place and the dead kill with become martyrs used to inspire the troops to avenge their former kings," Taking a drink again he spoke. "When the north will go forward realying on their super weapon since they would have been weakened from the invasion of the CM into the kingdom of under prepared and inexperaced golden guards they will soften each other up,"

Chrysalis listen to his plan.

"Whoever remains will be ever so weak that they wouldn't expect anyone coming forth before they could recover," Alastor chuckled. "Why kill one bird with one blow when I could let another bird kill the first then strike with my stone,"

The former queen narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I'm sensing you don't have this all-powerful force now do you?" Chrysalis asked.

"Ah you got me there queenie," Alastor stated as he placed his arm on the table. "See 'Grogar' had the right idea of having a more united group to face the elements so I decided to do something similar but on a much larger scale,"

Palacing the mug down he spoke.

"I already have some... 'friends' if you can call them that,"

"Oh and where are these friends of yours?" Alastor smiled.

"You know of the palace known as the void correct?" Chrysalis froze for a moment before nodding causing Alastor to smile. "Good and you know all those who... aren't Sombra and the pony of shadows correct?"

"I've only heard stories of those who were banished and were able to escape,"

"And?"

Chrysalis looked at the red liquid in her mug.

"They... weren't the same," Chrysalis shivered knowing the truth behind the void and what befalls those who are sent their either by the elements or the pillars.

"Meaning they were wrapped into eldrich horrors correct?" Asked the dark daemon before her.

She nodded.

"You know we have something similar to the beasts of the void back home... warp spawn if I do believe but they were far more dangrious and were the phsycial product of failure to the gods," He smiled while his fingers grew claws building them across the wooden table. "But due to their dark nature I could shape them into more effective beasts of war,"

Chrysalis stared at him while his claws carved a two-headed eagle into the wood before moving his hand over it seemly changing the eagle into an eight-pointed star.

"Such a fun thing to do sometime... shaping a piece of clay into a beautiful piece of art but in this case a literal beast of death," Moving his hand over the star the carved wood was gone replaced by a smooth wooden surface as if he didn't carve into the wood. "That's the power I hold over the darkness around me,"

turning his hand over to show chrysalis palm were a white eight-pointed tattoo was now on his grey fur.

"Sombra was a child would didn't understand the darkness as I do while the 'pony of shadows' was a born into it but lacked the will and the mind to use it," Closing his hand with normal finger he moved his hand back down while light black smoke began to appear between his fingers. "I'm no god mind you... I'm just a powerful being,"

He grabbed her hand causing Chrysalis to not fight him knowing what one tap of his finger can do, letting him mover his hand over to her open palm he smile.

"So don't go around saying that I am a god. Alright? I'm just me," Dropping something into her hand he moved back to his mug while getting up. "Hey bartender how about a round on me?"

The traven cheared while Alastor threw down some bits to the barkeep.

The queen looked down at her palm to see a black coin in her hands with the eight pointed star on it turning it around held four smaller symbols divided.

One red.

One green.

One blue.

One purple.

Looking up she watched while Alastor raised his mug into the air with other residents of the tarven.

"LET TONIGHT BE A GOOD ONE!"

(Meanwhile at the crystal empire)

"Ow ow honey be careful," Shining armor told his wife while she looked at him.

"Oh quite whining you big baby it will hurt if you move," Cadance stated using her magic to heal his wounds from Sombra's attack.

"Still can't believe he got the drop on us like that," Shining armor groaned as Cadance sighed knowing he was right.

Twilight who was holding a sleeping Flurry heart spoke.

"Don't beat yourself up too much Shining," Twilight stated. "Sombra just got you down when you weren't expecting it,"

"Yeah but... We're the ruler of this kingdom we should have been on guard," Shining commented while Cadance finished healing him then pulling her lover into a hug. "We should have been ready,"

Twilight looked at Flurry heart with those words echoing though her head.

'We should have been ready,'

The princess of friendship turned to speak but the sound of a scream was heard causing the three to turn and see-

"Tirek?"

Discord's brother stood before them... well... 'stood' was pushing it seeing how he was.

"S-s-s-sparkle," Tirek stumbled forward one of his arms missing while reaching out with the one he did have.

Quickly handing Flurry heart to Shining, Twilight moved in to catch Tirek.

"Tirek? What... I..."

"Sparkle... I-" Tirek began to puke up blood while more of the elements surrounded her.

Twilight didn't know what to do, this was one of her enemies yet something in her gut told her she need to help him for how he was. Limbs missing, covered in burns, half his face was missing, and stuff that made said gut want to empty itself but she held back the vomit while the horror in Tirek's eyes was what made her worry.

"N-need to warn you," Twilight and the elements looked at one another.

Rainbow at first thought this was some kind of trick but knowing how realistic his wounds seemed and how real the pain in his eyes was she held her words back.

"Warn me? What going on Tirek,"

"They're dead sparkle... they're both dead," Tirek spoke causing all around to hear him freeze up. "Chrysalis and Cozy glow are dead,"

"W-what?" Twilight's voice broke hearing about somepony dying even if it was two of her past foes.

"He... he killed them," Tirek spoke. "Only with his claw... his bloody claw!"

Tirek then grabbed Twilight's shirt.

"Don't fight him! Just run! His very power destroyed Grogar's bell!" Twilight froze up hearing this.

"That's not-"

"I saw it happen Twilight! He destroyed the bell and the entire mountain side with it!" Tirek looked into her eyes, Applejack didn't need to tell Twilight he was not lying.

"Who? Who did this?" Twilight asked.

"He never spoke his name... but his eyes... his red eyes and that smile... he could shape his body into anything he was a monster!" Tirek began to cough up more blood.

"TIREK!"

"P-p-princess... don't fight him... just... run..." Tirek then subcome to his wounds dying in Twilight's arms while the elements just looked at one another.

Discord dropped to his knees...

Returning to his original form discord felt his brother die...

The pain was alien but it seemed to hurt even more...

Like a hot knife being stabbed into his heart while being twisted...

Holding his head he screamed as the reality around him was wrapped into madness of pain...

"Awwww queenieeeeeeeeee~ can we stay a little longer please?" Alastor was being 'helped' by Chrysalis who shook her head while playing along with 'drunk' act. "Uuuugh that barmaid though was pretty too bad she's already taken,"

The two left the tavern into the village before going into a alley.

"It's so pretty in the city that-"

"Will you stop were out of sight!" Chrysalis hissed.

Dropping him he fell on the snow laughing.

"OH come on bug butt I can have some fun?" He got up with a smile. "You know all work and no play makes Johnny a very dull boy,"

"I do not care to 'play' daemon I wish to know what your plan is," Alastor chuckled getting up.

"I've already told you-"

"You can't be serious that was your entire plan?!"

"-Part of my plan. By Slaanesh let me finish," Alastor begin laughing in his mind at what he said. "But seriously let me speak,"

She crossed her arms.

"Alright fine what is this big plan of yours?"

"Simple... you know of the bed of lies and bodies that Celestia had created after luna's banishment turning Equestria into what it is today right?" Chrysalis nodded knowing the dark truth of Equestria's history. "Than you must know the badlands weren't always... sand right?"

Chrysalis blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me the badlands weren't always known as the badlands... for it was once a entire civilization that forced Celestia to use the very power of her sun on," Alastor leaned against the alley wall as sand bega to pour from his hand onto the snow. "An entire culture years ahead of even modern-day equestrian if you believe it,"

Watching the sand turn to snow he pushed his foot across where the 'sand' was.

"This culture was a threat to Equestria so the sun princess decided... 'hey these guys have super advance machines and stuff they are a major threat' which in reality they weren't," Alastor stated while Chrysalis listened. "They were a peaceful race of intelligent folk that remind me of a race back home that wasn't like what they are but still just as effective if not crude,"

He then snapped his fingers causing a image to appear in Chrysalis mind, a image of a race of beings that couldn't be the race before her eyes. Machines of metal walked on two legs while some were on wheels like a train without a track, towers where built high to seemly touch the sky. All of it seemed impossible...

"Then came in Celestia without a word brought down the wrath of her sun," She watched the very sun seemly fire down upon them as many screamed being turned into nothing feeling a phantom pain of the burning heat of the sun on her flesh. "Millions died as those who did escape watch the remains of their home be covered up in a sea of sand burying the ones who were in the long tunnel of the underground to be buried alive,"

The image stopped as Alastor held a grim look on his face.

"The name you now know this race by is the rat-kin correct?" Alastor asked.

"Yes but they couldn't have been like that! They are merely-"

"Verman? Chrysalis they might be a shadow of their former selves but that what happens when you are divided and your history was destroyed with your home," Alastor looked down at the snow. "Yet they still remain even now they keep on building with scarps,"

Pushing himself forward he looked down at Chrysalis as he grew in size.

"All they need is a little-" He grabbed her. "Push,"

Shadows consumed them leaving nothing in it's wake.

Author's Note

Not as long as the first chapter...

But yeah these aren't skaven mind you so no warp stone, no rat speech, and no use of breed slaves.

Yes they are skaven like able to create machines and what not while being good assassins, but unlike the skaven they are loyal to each other more than their AOS counterparts.

Best way I could describe it is rat-folk/were-rats in DND from what I know so far.

Along with that the army wouldn't just be rat-kin but others who have been wronged by ponies such as...

Spoilers

Spoiler. Spoiler

Like I'll tell you without spoiling it.

And

Please stop trying to spoil the story.

Though Curse or gift will be updated pretty soon

Also no...

Maybe...

Haven't made up my mind yet.