Heart to Hoof

Chapters

Twilight in The Tower
Twilight and the Four Alicorns
Twilight and the Two Cups
Twilight The Fool

Twilight in The Tower

Twilight sighed, turning the letter over in her hooves one more time. It was an official invitation from the King, and not one she could turn down. Absentmindedly, she tapped her horn, wishing she could simply use magic to burn it away. All it would take was a simple spark, yet she hadn’t been able to do that in years.

Sombra had made quite clear that she was not going to be casting magic for a long time. Her life wasn't bad, per say, but magic in particular was something she missed intently. Her wings had long ago been clipped, but they had never been as much a part of her as her horn.

At least she still had books. Each and every floor of her tower was filled to the brim with them, and he allowed her to wander her tower with impunity, only posting a couple of guards at the base. She’d escaped more than once. The guards didn’t bother trying to stop her. She’d always make it about halfway through the courtyard before some contingency spell teleported her back to the top of her tower with a quiet “pop”.

The irony didn’t escape her. The princess of magic was trapped by the tyrant king with a spell, while she was rendered powerless by the black crystals he’d peppered throughout her leylines. The other princesses hadn’t been as lucky, and decorated the courtyard garden as statues. At least Flurry and Cadence couldn’t see what he’d done to their empire. Twilight had been kept around like a pet, trapped in her tower, stripped of magic and flight, while otherwise disgustingly pampered.

She took the invitation and held it over a candle, waiting for it to slowly burn the old fashioned way. He could rot for all she cared. She watched the fire spread slowly through the paper, causing it to crumble and ash in her hooves. If she had been mortal, it might have burned her. As the smoke cleared she heard a laugh.

“Ha! Always so dramatic, Princess,” his voice lingered like a sickly cloud, befouling her senses.

“Hello, Sombra,” Twilight growled, “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?”

“I had hoped you got my invitation, and I thought to bring a gift. After all, it is Hearts and Hooves day.”

She turned to look at him, anger flickering in her eyes. “We both know I wont be allowed to turn down your invitation.”

He smirked. “You can always turn down my invitations. Never once have I forced you to do anything but stay in this tower.”

She let the anger do more than flicker. “Perhaps I’d like to leave this tower.”

“But then you’d deprive me of my most beautiful flower!”

Twilight felt her voice go cold as ice. “Your flower is wilting, Sombra. It’s bright petals are drooping from lack of sunlight and fresh rain. I think it’s time you let it die, or at least dry it out and put it on display with the others.”

Sombra sidled up next to her as one of his smokey tendrils coalesced behind her head and held her neck with a cool grip so that she had to listen. His voice was lower, more threatening. “Are you suggesting I pick my flower?”

“If that’s what it takes, then yes.” She shivered.

His green and red eyes narrowed. “If I’m forced to pick it before it’s ready, then I’ll put it in a bouquet. It will go from being my favorite to being one of many. I’ll enjoy the bouquet for a time, but when I’m done it will be pressed with the rest. Just another dried out flower to add to my collection.”

Twilight’s shiver slipped into her words. “That’s more than you deserve.”

“Also the least that I’ll get. Though, I’d prefer the other possibilities. Flowery innuendo aside, have you considered my other offer?”

“I’ll not consider it.”

“A shame. Your mother would want to see you married before she passes on. She’s aging you know.”

“I have only your word that she still lives, and your word is not something I trust.”

“I haven’t lied to you, Princess. I never do. Well, enjoy the flowers. I’ll take you for a walk this evening, after I set the sun. You did ask for fresh air, after all. Do wear something nice.”

Before Twilight could answer, he was gone, leaving only a tiny puff of black smoke. She hated when he did that. He’d say something quick and harsh, usually bossing her around, and then leave before she could say anything in return. Of course, she’d follow his instructions. He never threatened her with more than she asked, but there were implications.

Twilight was dangerously, sickly aware of the implications. She’d been his prisoner for years now, and never once had he forced her to do anything. He’d been rude, occasionally demanding, and certainly evil, but he’d never touched her on more than her neck or face. Once, he’d absentmindedly brushed her flank, but it had truly seemed an accident and he’d even apologized.

Of course, his verbal sparring had dared into the realm of degenerate rudeness on more than one occasion. Even in this encounter, he’d threatened something foul and disgusting. It was far from the first time he’d made such a threat. Perhaps most unnerving was that he never threatened her life, only her dignity.

Usually he only threatened her when she asked him to turn her to stone. It seemed to anger him, and when he was angry he talked about what he’d do to her before he turned her to stone. Flowers were a frequent metaphor, but she’d been compared to an unopened wine, a wild animal in need of taming, a petulant child, and even an unread book.

She’d almost liked the last one, he’d promised to put her on the shelf with the other books he’d read. He certainly “read” often. Sometimes he’d have the gall to show up immediately after one of his sessions, letting his wet penis dangle loosely from his sheath while he still smelled of sex. He never said anything about it, but he’d occasionally stare at her with an unabashed hunger.

If that was the price to pay for her final rest, she was considering it. One night of vile humiliation, and in return she’d get an eternity in a silent and still stone prison. Humiliation was nothing new by now, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t taken everything else anyways.

The girls were alive, at least, but it had been years since she’d seen them proper. Sometimes she watched from her tower window, and a mare that looked suspiciously like Fluttershy occasionally visited the garden, checking the statues and cleaning them.

She was probably waiting for the day that Twilight joined the rest. Twilight had asked him about their fates once. Applejack was tending her farm and family, Rarity was allowed to work as a seamstress, and Pinkie was still working at Sugercube Corner. Apparently, Fluttershy worked in the castle on occasion, tending to the animals. Rainbow, though, had suffered an ill fate.

He kept her as a guard. While they’d all tried to rescue Twilight at least once, Rainbow had almost succeeded. Two years into his rule, back when hope was still possible, Rainbow had managed to lead a small rebellion of pegasi that had almost assassinated Sombra. Rainbow’s little squad had actually impressed him, and that wasn’t something anypony wanted to do.

Now Rainbow stood guard over his bedroom. He’d let Twilight know, very explicitly, that the only reason he’d allowed Rainbow to live after the attempt had been because of his affection for Twilight. She’d almost been grateful, until he detailed exactly what he’d done to Rainbow and the rest of her pegasi. Rainbow would had rather have been killed than suffered through that.

Sombra was a monster. His soft spot for Twilight stood alone against his horrifying nature. Rainbow was now one of his royal guards, and also one of his concubines. Twilight wished that she didn’t know how much he enjoyed Rainbow’s trim figure and bright colors. He liked to gloat to Twilight, sometimes arriving with his dick still wet and his hair disheveled.

She’d yelled at him once for leaving a pool of slime in her tower. He’d thought her anger hilarious, but at least wiped himself off now when he came to taunt her. Secretly she’d been ashamed that she hadn’t yelled at him for what he’d done to Rainbow. It felt so alien, so extreme that she usually tried not to think about it.

On days like today it was important to think about it. No matter how charming he would be, no matter how polite he was or what gifts he showered her with, she needed to remember his crimes. She needed to remember how he conquered Equestria and the Crystal Empire with violence and dark magic. She needed to remember how he took what he wanted from everypony without remorse. She needed to remember how he made everyone suffer.

Because tonight he would once again put on an overly friendly smile, be polite and handsome, and attempt to charm her. It was hearts and hooves day, after all.

Author's Note

Twilight doesn't have access to any major arcana while she's in her tower.

Twilight and the Four Alicorns

She stood at the base of her tower, wearing a purple dress that had Rarity’s signature stitched in the hem. Undoubtedly Rarity knew who it was for when she’d made it, there weren’t too many alicorns left around, but Twilight hadn’t worn it in the years she’d had it. She hadn’t had a reason to. Even tonight she had been torn.

Sombra wouldn’t truly chastise her for simply wearing nothing, at best he’d sling a rude barb or some veiled comment about her being ready for him. That comment would start one of their jousts, a verbal contest where she’d insult him in some way and he’d do the same back. She couldn’t help it, and she knew it. In that moment, she’d enjoy the banter and forget that he was a monster.

So she’d worn the dress. In a way it was armor—one layer of protection to keep her mind focused on the reality. She hadn’t seen Rarity in years because of him. Her world, no, their world had been ruined because of him.

Her musing was interrupted as he walked around the corner, dismissing her guards with a nod. The night had begun.

“I’m glad you chose to join me for a walk, Twilight. You look stunning.” He held out a single flower in his magic.

Twilight frowned at him as she grabbed the flower with her hoof. She crushed it without thinking, then dropped it to the ground, following it with her eyes. “I’d considered not coming. I’m not particularly in the mood to play your cruel game tonight.”

He smiled darkly. “You’d be keeping me company one way or the other, Princess. The sole ruler of the lands wouldn’t be spending the lover’s holiday alone.”

She stared at him, studying his face. “So you say every year. Why not entertain yourself with your concubines?”

He motioned for her to walk, and she did. Keeping step with him would allow her to leave her tower if only for a few vile minutes. “And which would you have me choose? The rainbow one? Or maybe your other pegasus friend? The soft and warm yellow one that I enjoy every month or so?”

Twilight’s stomach soured, but she didn’t lose step. “Is that what Fluttershy has been up to while she visits?”

“Don’t be too jealous. She has no choice in the matter, unlike you. When I order, she obeys. Just like the rest of your friends. They’re a small part of my harem, but I do enjoy them all.”

The rest of her friends. He rarely brought them up, and he hadn’t mentioned harassing the others before. Just Rainbow. Bitterly, Twilight asked the question she didn’t want to. “So, you’ve raped all of them then?”

He glanced back at her, surprised. “You didn’t know it? Didn’t even guess?”

“I guess I just didn’t want to think about it.”

He shrugged, focusing back on his walk. “They are my property, like all things. I enjoy reminding them of that.”

A fire bubbled in her stomach. “All things? Then why not spread your affection across all things? Why my friends?”

He laughed, opening the door to the garden in the courtyard and inviting Twilight to stand under the cool moon. She hadn’t put a hoof outside proper in a year, since last hearts and hooves day. While he waited, he smirked. “Isn’t it obvious, Twilight? It’s because of you.”

She glared at him, cursing the fact that she had to continue this conversation. “Your actions are not my responsibility, Sombra.”

He followed her closely as she stopped on the grass. “Indeed, they are mine. But your actions are your own, unlike everypony else’s. You are the only thing that doesn’t belong to me in the same ultimate way. Not yet.”

She fumed, spitting her answer coldly. “Is tonight the night you change that, then?

He let his eyes graze over her dress. “It could be. You couldn’t stop me.”

He took a step forward. “You couldn’t fight me… Would you run?”

She glared at him. “Where to? No. Your spell would put me back in the tower.” Twilight looked over towards the castle, wondering if she should have stayed in tonight and risked his anger.

“Not tonight, it wouldn’t. You’re anchored to me tonight, Princess. Run too far, and you’ll find yourself warmly in my hooves.” He put his nose in her mane and took a deep breath.

She didn’t answer, ignoring his closeness and staring impassively forward. Her defilement had always been a matter of time, and oddly the fact that her friends had all been raped by him made her own impending fate all the more bearable. A flicker of anger rolled through her body at the thought of how abhorrent that line of thinking was, and she put her hoof up.

Forcefully, she pushed him back, away from her and literally out of her hair.

He looked at her hoof in confusion, then laughed. “I forget what it’s like sometimes. Nopony dares denies me, Twilight. Nopony but you. Let’s continue our walk.”

He walked, and she followed, still fuming. She lingered behind him, watching him and analyzing him. The red cape he wore looked new, but she knew it was ancient. A magical artifact he’d created eons ago to augment his magic, and highlight his physique. It certainly set across his broad shoulders and rested back, obviously framing certain masculine features. If you followed the lines, it trailed all the way to his flanks, where the muscles rippled underneath as he walked.

Sombra was physically powerful, and he flaunted it. Even without his magic, he was likely much stronger than Twilight. There weren’t many ponies still bigger than her, but Sombra was one. She trailed behind him, feeling oddly small in too many ways, even as her anger bubbled.

A question lingered, one she’d asked before but never been satisfied with the answer. “Why are you so cruel, Sombra?”

He glanced quickly over his shoulder with curiosity on his face, then looked forwards as he spoke.

“Your question is answered with another, Twilight. Why are you so timid? I’ve done terrible things to everything you love. I can feel the hatred you hold for me in your heart. So why do you not strike me down? Why do you meekly follow in my shadow, staring at my flank?”

She jerked her face to the side, ripping her eyes away from the base of his tail. She’d been studying how his tail was connected to his dock when he’d called her out. “You would easily stop anything I could do. Then more would suffer. You’ve made it clear that when I lash out, you get your relief from other ponies. I don’t want them to suffer any more because of me.”

They turned, crossing by a green hedge-wall and finding themselves before the alicorn statues. He spoke slowly and carefully as he stopped. “That is your answer. My cruelty, like everything else in this world, is a tool. One that gets me exactly what I want, and keeps me from wasting time.”

Twilight swallowed her rage, sadly looking over the statues. They looked well cared for, at least. Even under Sombra’s cruel rule, Fluttershy was still kind. “What if your cruelty was a crutch, and kindness could be the tool to get what you wanted?”

He shrugged, stepping towards Celestia. “Kindness has been taught to me. I understand it well. It’s not the virtue you think it is, Twilight. It’s simply another tool. Your little friend tried to wield it against me. It didn’t work out so well for her, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed her efforts.”

Twilight’s anger fumed while she watched as he gently touched Celestia’s face, seemingly lost in thought. “You only spread misery and hate.”

He shrugged, turning from Celestia to Luna. “Also safety and stability. Equestria is far more safe than it’s ever been. There is no crime, for all fear me. Foals can grow up without their parents being murdered. All are equal under me. This is very real security is actually a virtue, unlike the esoteric concept of kindness.”

Twilight glared down at his hooves, not wanting to look at her once peers. “They might live, but at what cost?”

He stroked Luna’s hoof absentmindedly. “It’s not as bad for them as you think, Twilight. Most ponies don’t care who rules. Now that I own them, the masses are left to their own devices. Even your friends, whom I know are dangerous, I let be free enough until they commit a crime or I need entertainment.”

Sombra let go of Luna’s hoof, and walked to Cadance, leaning in close to meet her stone eyes. Twilight shivered, focusing on the grass in the moonlight. “And what of the innocent? I know you blame those three for something, but she’s as innocent as can be.”

Twilight motioned towards the fourth alicorn statue—Flurry Heart.

He left Cadance, and looked down at Flurry appraisingly. “I suppose she is. But I can only let one of you roam for now. She isn’t in any pain. At most, your brother’s heart breaks for her.” Sombra glanced back to Twilight, “And perhaps yours.”

Twilight lowered her head, ashamed to look. Her heart didn’t exactly break for the juvenile alicorn. She was envious of Flurry’s fate, and that fact made her feel guilty.

“No matter. I care not if he suffers, and your suffering is with purpose.”

She hated this part. It always happened one way or another. The conversation always turned here. Her words were laced with disgust even as she fought to hold them in, “My suffering? My life is far from suffering. If anything, you pamper me.”

He turned back to Flurry with a curious smile. “If you are so pampered, then tell me. Are you happy?”

The answer was easy, same as it always was. “No.”

“Then make yourself happy. Take what you want, Twilight. If you can’t get it, then ask me and I will get it for you.”

The wish. He was alluding to the wish. He’d promised her, long ago on another night much like this that he’d grant her wish on Hearts and Hooves day. Every year he offered, sometimes directly and sometimes like this.

Her answer was soft and timid. Just like how she’d become. “Not this year, Sombra.”

He laughed, patting Flurry’s head as though he was an affectionate father. “Another year then? Will we do this forever? We’re both immortal, and you aren’t going anywhere. All that will happen is the mortals will die off. First your parents, then your brother, then your friends. A hundred years from now, you’ll have no one but me and the castle guard that even knows you’re alive.”

Twilight closed her eyes, holding back tears. He was right. He would do it, and she would too. An eternity of this morass, of guilt and regret. An endless amount of that ever bubbling hate she so despised. Would even that cool eventually? Would the hate burn itself to cinders and leave her hollow and empty? A bitter old mare who doesn’t feel emotions anymore?

Sombra held his hoof on Flurry’s head. “Given enough time, you’d become a mere legend. Ponies would question if you were ever even real. There would be a forbidden tower in my castle that housed an ancient evil. One that only I communed with. Is that the fate, no, the legacy you want?”

She kept her head down, feeling the hot tears well up under her eyelids. Her answer was a whisper. “No.”

He sighed. “Your mother and father age. Your brother ages as well. Break this cycle and free them. Agree to my proposal and I’ll treat them well in their silver years. Even little Flurry here will be freed. Allow Shining to see his daughter again.”

Twilight fought back a sob as she shouted. “You… None of that is my doing. You did it! You hurt us all and now everyone suffers!”

He let go of Flurry’s head, and turned around to face Twilight, his yes dark but his smile calm. “I take full responsibility. I did, in fact, do this to your ponies, your friends, and your family. I’m not going to stop on my own, though. You’re the only one who can make it stop. Will you finally take responsibility, oh Princess of Equestria?”

She glared at him, the bubbling hate turning into a roiling red froth that rose through her spine. She felt her hooves tingle and her wings twitch as she imagined hurting him. If she could, she would break him. Her heart raced with sick pleasure and she imagined pressing her hoof down on his face. She would make him bleed.

Guiltily, she lowered her head, the burning tears blurring her vision as they dropped into the grass, “How can I? I hate you.”

“Hate can be just as binding as love.” He sneered.

Twilight felt dizzy, furious at his audacity and confidence. Here she was, trembling from disgust with herself and he was playing some inane game with words. “Does hate make flowers grow? Does hate bind the world?”

“It does, Twilight. Allow me to teach you. You’ve always liked teachers, haven’t you?”

She glared at him, her restraint finally cracking. “Teach me? You want to teach me? You think I don’t know what it means to hate? After ten years of being your little dress up doll? Ten years of watching you lord over my people, rape my friends, and torment innocents? Ten years of this?”

She gestured towards the statues, her vision finally blurry beyond use from the tears. They cascaded down her face like her words as she struggled to breathe and scream at the same time.

Sombra darkly laughed. “There it is. I’ve been waiting to see it, and it’s magnificent.”

Twilight screamed, stomping her hoof with her earth pony strength. The last vestige of her power flooded through her, causing the earth to tremble with a tremendous clap. “Magnificent? It’s foul. The world is wrong because of you!”

He stepped closer, blowing softly on her face as he cast some spell. Her vision immediately returned, sharper and clearer than before. Without thinking, she swung her hoof, slamming it into the side of his head.

The impact numbed her hoof, and she pulled it back in surprise. She’d lashed out to hurt him, intending to kill him with the strength of an earth pony. It had done nothing. She held her hoof staring at it in horror before looking up to see his smirking gaze. Her words were a quiet whisper of realization, “I’m wrong because of you…”

“You’re more beautiful than ever.”

Twilight felt the tears welling in her eyes, but they didn’t block her sight. They didn’t even roll down her cheek, seeming to evaporate off her immediately. “I want to kill you…” She’d known this, but the admission was freeing in some way, so she said it again, but more clearly.

“I want to crush your face and watch you bleed out. I want to strangle you with my hooves and pierce your heart with my horn.” Her heart raced, furiously beating as the world around her seemed to pulse in tune with her rage. She looked at him, tilting her head as the revelation and admission shook her to her core, far more pleasantly than she ever imagined it could.

Sombra smiled hungrily. “Stunning.”

Twilight tried again, the words feeling almost comfortable as they danced on her lips, “I want you to die, and I want to be the one to do it.”

Sombra’s smile flickered curiously. “Have you finally made your wish? Is that what I have to grant?”

Twilight shook, fury possessing her as she glared at him and tried to will him dead with her mind alone. More than anything, she wanted to end him. The burning in her gut rose to her mouth, and the word tasted sweet, “Yes.”

He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “It’s granted.”

Twilight watched carefully as his horn began to glow. A light surrounded him, and she could see the strands of dark magic unravel. One by one, spells she’d previously never noticed were lifted from him and ruptured violently over the two of them. He was making a show of it, tearing each spell off and pulling it apart above them just for her to watch. A spectacle of him stripping.

The dark magic cascaded down with green and red sparkles, each speck causing her to tingle when it touched her. She felt the magic in a new way, the evil spellwork becoming clearer and more obvious with each exposure. As the spells were ripped from him, he seemed to shudder and shrink, until he was only slightly larger than Twilight.

Last he grabbed his cape, tossing it to the side and leaving himself naked in body and magic. He nodded to Twilight. “Why don’t you take off your dress? If you are going to kill me, we might as well make this intimate. All my protective spells are gone. I’m just a pony now, princess.”

Twilight bit her lip and lunged.

Surprise crossed his face as she slammed her hoof into the side of his head again. It still went numb from the impact, but this time he was forced to turn away with a sickening slap. When he slowly looked back at her, there was a welt and some blood where her hoof had hit.

She’d hurt him. Her heart raced.

He blinked, his eyes wide and pupils small. He moved his jaw, concern on his face. “I’d forgotten what pain feels like. This is going to be unpleasant.”

Twilight scowled, “Very.” and reached for his neck.

He didn’t flee, or even struggle as she grabbed it and began to squeeze. The sensation was strange. She could feel magic under her hooves, but also his blood and life. She squeezed harder, her vision going red. She could kill him. She could finally hurt him.

Her hooves pressed with earth pony strength, and she felt a crunch. Sombra gurgled. Euphoria rushed through her veins as some primal part of her recognized that she’d just done very real damage to another being, and she threw him to the ground. He twitched in pain, writhing on the grass and clutching at his neck while Twilight watched him struggle.

He didn’t seem like the monster she knew he was. He looked weak, and mortal. No longer a titan, he was now just something writhing and hurt that she could crush underneath her.

Slowly, she raised a shaking hoof and pressed on his back.

A million emotions raced through her. He was under her. The tyrant ruler, the bane of her existence, was under her and squirming. She could let him go. She could stop and walk away and tell him that everypony deserves a second chance.

She could, but she wouldn’t. She pressed down hard, fueled and burning with desire, and heard him gurgle.

She spoke plainly, uttering her heart’s wish one more time. “Die.”

Twilight’s hoof smashed down, beating and crunching him. Blood oozed from his face as the twitching stopped, and her hoof dug through his flesh with each powerful slam. She didn’t stop with him when he stopped moving. She screamed in frustration, tears evaporating from her eyes as she continued to smash him.

“Ten years!” She screamed at the corpse. “Ten years, you monster!”

Her hooves dipped red, stained with his blood as she turned his body over. His back was wet and sunk like a collapsed bridge. When she flopped him onto it, his face stared blankly up. There were still tears in his eyes and blood pouring from his face.

She began to pound on his chest, watching his head convulse with each slam. “This is too little! This is too good! You hurt everybody! Don’t you understand? You did this!” She screamed at his dead face as she felt his chest crunch under her weight.

She was sobbing, but there was no evidence. Her body shook, and her mind raced. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t who or what she was. She still couldn’t stop. She didn’t even want to stop. She cried out in rage, disgusted and horrified with herself.

“You broke me! Is this what you wanted?” She pushed her face against his, soaking in the grisly visage. His eyes were empty and his mouth hung open. Blood soaked his fur and his lips, pouring from him like a thick wine.

Twilight pressed her hoof between his crushed ribs, displacing them until she found it in his chest. Heavy and meaty, it was still there. She grabbed it, feeling it under her hooves.

She whispered to his bloody corpse, “Happy Hearts and Hooves day…” and pressed her lips forward to taste his blood. Sombra got his kiss.

She pressed her hoof down until she felt his heart crush under her hoof, grinding it into a jelly paste.

Twilight stopped then, panting and dizzy. He was dead. Her lips tasted of iron, and she licked them. The blood seemed to crawl and lurch within her, but she forced it down. She looked around the garden, watching the blood slowly pool. Her hooves were stained red and she’d been speckled in Sombra’s blood. Shaking, exhausted, she took a step back and collapsed onto the wet grass.

What had she just done? Her mind couldn’t focus. There was too much blood around her and within her. Everything was red. It ran from his body, through the grass, and was seeping up the statues and her leg. Crimson ichor stained everything as it spread. She lay on her side, gasping for breath and feeling like the world was spinning while she was falling uncontrollably. The blood seemed to move around, her, flowing and rolling in unnatural red streams. Almost like it was searching for something.

Twilight covered her eyes, and tried to cry. She wasn’t like this. The rage that had come over her still burned, still ate at her. She wanted to kill him again. She wanted him to suffer more. The realization agonized her, and she sobbed softly and dryly into her hooves. He’d broken her, and done something so that she couldn’t even cry. She felt the tears, but they never fell from her eyes.

Her eyes. Relieved, she looked up, checking out of the corners of her vision. That’s what he’d done. This had been a nightmare vision, like he’d used long ago. She hadn’t done that. He’d tricked her, like he always intended. She never would have done that. Twilight Sparkle never could have possibly beaten somepony to death in rage.

That’s why it had felt so good. That’s why her legs trembled and her mouth tingled. That was why her tail was damp and her inner thighs were wet. It hadn’t been real. She watched the blood slowly spread across the grass. This was obviously a hallucination, one to show her how far she could fall. One to tempt her with how good it felt, how amazing it would be to finally give in.

Slowly, the blood reached the cape, and Twilight had another, deeper fear. She watched in horrified interest as the cape pulsed, and the blood began to ooze towards it.

“No… No no no!” She screeched, scrambling to her hooves with a too late realization.

Sombra stood again, rising from under his cape in a misty swirl.

“I killed you! You’re dead!” She shouted, her anger overwhelming the confusion.

Sombra’s head extended from under the cape, and he rolled his neck. “You did. I hate dying. I’d only go through that for you.”

Twilight hung her head, glancing at the statues. Their hooves were stained red. Just like hers. Her ears pulsed with rage as it burned through her.

Sombra smiled, “Your wish has been granted. Now I get what I want—your hoof in marriage.”

She shuddered, still euphoric and trembling from the rush of what she’d done. She’d forgotten that she’d seen Sombra killed before. Never so graphic, but it was far from the first time he’d died. He’d granted her wish, as promised. Now he’d take what he wanted. He always took what he wanted. Had she been tricked? Or was this simply a natural consequence of her wish? It didn’t matter.

Nothing really mattered anymore. “Yes.”

“I hope you don’t mind if we have the honey-moon before the ceremony… your little show of passion has me all worked up. Take off that dress.”

Sombra licked his lips, and Twilight’s face flushed as she imagined killing him again while she unclasped the bloodied dress with her still shaking hooves.

Author's Note

Are the statues upright or upside down? Does it matter? Each is an alicorn, an amalgamation of all pony magic. In human magic, a full suite of casting would be represented with a pentacle. This symbol represents fire, water, earth, air, and spirit. Of course, these ponies don't operate with that. Perhaps they have earth, air, magic, light, and dark? I figure a pentacle best represents an alicorn conceptually, but I'm not sold on how just yet....

Twilight and the Two Cups

As her dress fell onto the blood red grass, Twilight felt strange. Sombra was watching her undress with a hungry glint in his eyes. He’d done that before, wordlessly taunting her in her tower, and it had always disgusted her. Right now his lecherous gaze made her shudder in a not entirely uncomfortable way, and that disgusted her even more.

The night stars sat in the sky, unable and unwilling to descend on the madness that surrounded Twilight. Everything had been covered in blood. At the back of her mind she had a nagging worry, “Should we clean up, first?”

Sombra’s smile was wicked. “Not at all. You’re beautiful covered in my magic and blood.”

She looked past him, eyeing the statues. Of course he’d want to do this here and now. This was the site of his victory, and Twilight was another conquest. Just another mare for him to debase. The blood and the grass wouldn’t bother him, and the stony stares of Celestia and Luna surely excited him. This would be her first time, but for him it was just another day of endless debauchery. She didn’t care, of course. Emotionally she was empty, only the softly burning rage still flickered behind her heart.

He stepped forward, whispering into her ear, “You’ll be a perfect queen.”

She stuck her nose in his mane, drawing a deep breath. He’d always smelled smokey before, but now she could taste the magic in the air. He was like an ember, always burning with dark and hungry emotions that fueled his magic. She took another breath, letting the dry, crackling magic soak into her lungs.

How had she never noticed before?

His hoof was heavy as he pushed it down her back. He didn’t wait, and he wasn’t tender. He grabbed the base of her dock, and pulled it painfully to the side, forcing her to flag her tail. The pain bit sharply, but her dock stayed bent to the side without any thought. He’d put her on display, and apparently her body liked it.

She mumbled into his hair, complaining as tried to breathe in more of his crackling magic, “Are you really such an ignoble creature?”

He pulled her back, looking into her eyes with his as he spoke. “I am, Princess. You are, too. If you happen to have forgotten that, allow me to remind you.”

His kiss caused her to shiver. He still tasted of iron as he slipped between her lips, forcing her mouth open with his own. Twilight had never been kissed like this before, and she wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to bite him, but the tingling sensation from his tongue was electric in a different way, and the scent of his burning magic now filled her senses.

It was all about him. He pressed into her. He forced her mouth open. His tongue invaded her. His magic pulled her mane back, slinging the blood soaked mess over her neck. His eyes bored into her. Everything was about him.

Twilight growled in the back of her throat and pressed forward. This was going to be her first time, so she was going to get something out of it. Her tongue slipped past his lips, and her hoof slipped over his head, pulling him into her. She breathed into him, filling him with herself.

Her humiliation was momentarily forgotten as she focused on the little victories. She couldn’t stop him, but she could control some of their interaction. She suckled on his tongue, meeting his gaze even as the tingling sparks from his magic arched down her spine.

She pushed him back, ending the kiss by grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head out of hers. He smirked, finding it amusing as she tried to keep herself from gagging at the realization of what had just happened. His tongue had been in the back of her throat. He’d been inside of her body, and she’d tasted his spit—it wasn’t as foul as she’d hoped.

Sombra’s smirk was maddening as he spoke. “I think I’m going to enjoy you.”

“Shut up.” She leaned in and kissed him again. This time she pushed him backwards with her intensity, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. The kiss hurt from how hard she was pressing, and a tingle in the back of her brain let her know that this was the right way. It should hurt when she was with Sombra.

She needed to remember that he was a monster, and a little pain was a small price to pay to keep what was left of her determination and focus. If he had been gentle, if he had taken her comfortably in a silk bed while whispering loving words into her ear and gently nibbling as his large coal black body covered her like a smokey blanket…

Twilight shuddered, horrified at how much that thought had warmed her. No, this bloody field was where the act should happen. It needed to be violent and horrible. It needed to be monstrous. She needed it to temper her, not break her.

This time as he curiously pulled back she was breathing heavy and angry. What would have been hot tears were just smoke, billowing out of her eyes. She grabbed him, wrapping her hooves around and pulling him with her to the ground.

Sombra was strong enough that he could have fought her, letting her slide shamefully into the bloodied grass on her own while he watched, but he didn’t. He went with her, almost diving into her as they fell.

She found herself on her back, breathing heavily and angrily glaring at Sombra as he settled over her belly. He was sneering. “This is hardly befitting of royalty.”

“It’s befitting of us.” Twilight barely recognized her own voice. She sounded cruel.

Sombra laughed, then buried himself in another kiss with her. His weight on her body and tongue down her throat was suffocating, and she found herself breathing his heady smoke. Her lungs filled with the caustic, burning magic as it seeped into her and saturated her insides. Her hooves found themselves around Sombra’s back, tightly pulling him into her.

She squeezed harder, mashing her mouth almost violently into his as she used her earth pony strength to try to snap him in half.

His spine was like steel, hard and unyielding as he slammed his hoof next to her head and pulled out of the kiss. She watched the smoke rise from his smoldering hoof as he snuffed the life out of the grass next to them.

Sombra licked his lips with a wicked smile. “You only get one wish tonight, Twilight. Though, next hearts and hooves day is only a year away…”

Twilight relaxed her death grip and instead felt the muscles down his rippling back. “And what will the next price be, my king? What will it cost me to snap your spine? I’ve already promised you marriage, and you already have my kingdom.”

He blew into her face, filling her with the tingling black smoke, and her heart raced. She wanted nothing more to crack him open for what he was doing to her. He was the reason she felt like this, and that made him all the more a monster.

Sombra’s smile grew malicious. “Perhaps… a foal.”

Twilight snorted in frustration as she pawed at his hard shoulders. “I’m not feeling very motherly right now, Sombra.”

He leaned down and gently kissed her this time, only softly nibbling her lips for a moment before he slipped past her mouth and next to her ear, “Of course. That’s why it’s the price for a wish. We’ll discuss it later. For now, let’s practice. I know the ground isn’t fertile, but I still intend to plant my seed.”

She growled, frustrated that now he was comparing her to dirt. She had much preferred the book metaphor. It didn’t really matter, she decided. Twilight twisted her head to the side to look away from him, studying the blood in the grass as it seemed to crawl up the statues. Earlier it had just been up to their feet, now it covered their knees. How much had she been stained by the blood, rolling around in the thick of it? The blood certainly soaked the ground beneath the grass’s roots.

Maybe dirt was a more apt metaphor than she’d originally considered.

“Plant away.” Her invite was crass and simple, and her voice was emotionless. Hardly the romantic line she’d imagined using to woo a potential suitor decades ago. Once she’d ascended, she’d dropped the idea of proper romance altogether. Nopony had been her equal, and the other princesses hadn’t seemed appropriate paramours. Of course, none of that mattered. She was hardly Sombra’s equal now, but he didn’t have the same misgivings about abusing her power that she’d had.

Obviously she’d been wrong. Had she been as ethically empty as Sombra, then perhaps she wouldn’t be so burdened by this simple task. She’d easily have had a parade of handsome stallions and pretty mares to suit her fancy. Then Sombra’s little game wouldn’t have gone on for over ten years. Her ponies wouldn’t have suffered.

Maybe he would have even turned her blissfully into stone once he realized she wasn’t the tantalizing challenge of a pure princess. Angrily she glared at her sister in law. It had worked for Cadance.

Sombra grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “Now, now, my soon to be queen. You can rage at the others later. Right now you should be angry at me…”

His red and green eyes were almost pretty. She felt something pressing around between her legs, but she ignored it. Instead she glared at him, squinting as she focused on his eyes, “I understand your cruelty, but why this?” She gestured down the both of their bodies with her wings. “Why the perversion of what should be a loving act?”

Even if she had abused her station to bed pony after pony, she would have done it with affection at the bare minimum. Maybe even love, at least similar to what one would feel with a pet. Certainly not with the roiling hate that she felt in her veins right now, or the gross desire to shatter something. Her eyes flicked to Cadence, but resettled on Sombra. This was his fault. She needed to remember that above all else. No matter how hard or how far she fell, it was his fault.

Sombra licked her neck possessively, the spit burning warmly with his magic. He sighed, contentedly as he spoke. “Sex is a tool just like anything else, Twilight. Whether used for affection, hate, or a little of both, it’s simply another tool for me to use. I used it to tame your friends, each in their own way, and now I’m using it on you.”

“I don’t feel particularly tamed. If anything, I feel like a pet that’s been… unleashed.” She stared blankly past him to the night sky, wondering what she felt. It seemed like nothing, but the fury was still there. The world felt more clear, and the colors were sharper even if they were tinted red. An hour ago she’d been crippled with fear and regret, now she only had hate. Unlike her fear, her hate was a real motivator. Nothing seemed impossible if it meant she could hurt him.

He leaned upwards, holding her head firmly to face his with his hoof. It hurt where he grabbed her. His eyes were strange, and emotion she didn’t recognize briefly flitted across them as he spoke in an uncharacteristically soft tone, “I never intended to tame you.”

She glared at him as her legs quivered. Something about the timbre in his voice made her feel weak. Her heart beat furiously as he gently rocked his hips forward. She felt him press against her, and she wondered why she was so eager for this. Why her tail was still flicked to the side and her thighs were wet. Had he cursed her some how?

She had used to think that was impossible. But now with her horn covered in glittering black magic and her body shaking like a leaf, she was hard pressed to deny the possibility. Twilight growled as her legs forced themselves wider, unbidden from her mind.

“Then what did you intend to do to me, tonight, Sombra?”

His lips pressed tight in concentration as he silently pushed forward. Her lower lips spread wide, and he sunk into her.

Twilight studied his face as the world seemed to fade out. It was such a simple act. A base, natural thing that every single one of her ancestors since the dawn of time had done. And yet, it hurt.

Sombra didn’t look happy as he raped her. There was no grinning, no sneering, no taunting. Even his breathing was measured and tempered. Just a cold, focused glare while he methodically fucked her.

For a horrifying moment, Twilight empathized with him.

The silent statues watched as the last Princess of Equestria became Sombra’s bride in all but name, and the blood soaked into the land. While the statues would eventually be wiped clean, there would always be a patch of dead grass tinted red where it would never grow back. If one looked at the patch they could make out four splayed legs, two spread wings, and a head with a horn.

While the castle was open for visitors, the courtyard especially, there was one day a year where nopony was allowed in. On Hearts and Hooves day, the King and Queen celebrated their love. The morning after, the statues would need to be cleaned before the guests could arrive and the patch would be a deeper shade of red.

Over the years, the patch grew to be considered a symbol of love. Only the King, the Queen, and the statues knew the truth.

Author's Note

I have a few more chapters actually written, and an actual story to go with this. Should I continue it? The "end" here is more of a beginning. The other chapters might have "hot" porn, even if the content is intentionally vile. I didn't want the first section here to be hot though, so it's kinda weird and gross. Sorry about that. It was a conscious decision, but probably not a good one.

Happy Hearts and Hooves day!

(Ultimately I just wanted to write a hearts and hooves day story where Twilight smashes Sombra's heart with her hoof. Is that too much to ask?)

Twilight The Fool

The wedding court was a strange experience. It almost felt normal. Having courtiers show up and address Sombra wasn’t much different from when Twilight used to sit next to Celestia during the early days of her ascension. The biggest change was the general attitude of the courtiers.

They groveled. Every delegation was downright servile towards Sombra, unlike the ones that had approached Celestia, or later Twilight herself. They all had gifts to “celebrate” the wedding. Most brought jewels and clothes, some for her and some for Sombra. A few had the gall to bring their daughters, Sombra’s appetite for mares being well known. They’d offered them as castle servants, but everyone present knew what they meant.

Twilight wanted to be disgusted by it, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. It was just a new, more terrible, form of nobles sacrificing others for their benefit. They all wanted something; no one would risk Sombra’s attention for no reason. Their hopes ranged from a place in his court, to a piece of land to work, or maybe simple leniency when they next failed to follow the tariff laws. Not all of them said what they desired, but they all made sure their names were recorded. She almost found it amusing that they thought Sombra would care.

Twilight at least somewhat respected the few poor ponies who offered their adult children in the hopes of getting them a better life as a “castle servant”. They had found a utilitarian purpose in the otherwise pointless wedding court ruse. Sombra didn’t seem to mind even comely attendants, he accepted all gifts with a hungry smile.

She didn’t bother to guess at what he planned to do with them. If they were lucky, he’d sample them once and then they’d become actual castle servants of some fashion. The few he fancied might find themselves in a more permanent position as a royal concubine. The unluckiest would find themselves joining his guard, willingly or otherwise.

She shivered, wondering if the nobles truly knew and understood what fate they were chancing for their offspring. She wondered if ponies had always been this cold-hearted, or if this was the inevitable rot of Sombra’s rule. At least many of the gifts of gems and jewelry were ostensibly for her. One pony had even brought a book, a first edition of their novel. She was legitimately excited about that one, and had almost cracked a true smile in a moment of eager excitement. Most had awkwardly ignored her, congratulating Sombra on his marriage. At least none had offered her a stallion, yet, but she was sure it was only a matter of time.

Twilight mused on that. Would Sombra be amused or angry when it happened? Would she accept the gift? Could she even turn it down? Sombra hadn’t denied anything yet, and Twilight had found no reason to. She’d only offered a quiet “Thank you,” for all and a polite smile if she actually appreciated the gift.

More strangely, she’d recognized more ponies than she was comfortable with. At least none of her close friends had attended the wedding court. A few more empathetic ponies had tried to surreptitiously offer her some sort of apology or condolence for the situation. She wasn’t sure how to handle that. Sombra hadn’t seemed to care, so she’d just smiled sadly back, refusing to acknowledge what they were implying.

Even if they were utterly and entirely correct in their assumptions.

The court passed without event, each moment bleeding into the next. A least it did until the last delegation. They were griffins from Griffinstone, with someone that Twilight recognized. A proper griffin diplomat from back when she had ruled, with a full entourage. The observation caused her to worry—Griffinstone diplomacy was nothing like Equestrian diplomacy.

“King Sombra, we thank you for inviting us to your opulent wedding.” The griffons bowed.

Sombra raised an eyebrow and smiled, and Twilight knew him well enough to recognize confusion and interest. She quickly realized that he hadn’t invited them, but now he intended to play with them.

“You’re very welcome. Might I ask what you brought for a wedding gift?”

Twilight grit her teeth, watching the griffin intently. Griffins didn’t bring gifts, and Sombra likely knew that.

“King, we have brought our presence. In Griffinstone, it is custom for the wed to provide their guests with gifts.”

Twilight paled. They couldn’t be this stupid. Griffins were greedy, but Sombra had ruled with an iron hoof for over a decade now. Surely they knew how disastrous this would end.

The griffin looked hopefully towards Twilight while Sombra thought.

She wondered if they had intended to deal with her, thinking the marriage meant that old Equestian diplomacy was back on the table. The old bird in charge was experienced, but he was certainly greedy enough to try if he thought he was dealing with Twilight. She hadn’t thought he’d been greedy enough to risk his life, but clearly she’d miscalculated.

Sombra’s voice was dripping with amusement, causing Twilight’s hair to stand on end. “And what gift would be appropriate for the wedding of a King and a Queen?”

The diplomat looked between the two, then seemingly shrugged and focused on Sombra when he realized that Twilight was not going to say anything. “There is a little mountain towards the south that hardly any ponies live on at all. It would be the perfect site for an aerie. Perhaps a small gift of land?”

Twilight blanched. He’d tried to negotiate that parcel in the past. Farmers dotted the side, and it would be an excellent military foothold. The mountain also shielded some of their lands from the more wild parts of the dragon lands.

Sombra laughed, uproariously. “And here I thought you were about to ask for a night with my wife. I might have given you that.”

Twilight shivered, glaring at him with visible loathing as the room grew silent. He was laughing, but clearly hadn’t been joking. Ponies and delegates turned to look at her, staring, as Sombra continued to cackle. She found herself grateful that the griffins had come last. Some of the nobles were certainly regretting their requests right now.

The griffons whispered to each other, seemingly confused.

Sombra’s laughing dwindled, and then he glared. “Enough. Begone, your gift is your lives.”

The diplomat grew concerned. “So you are… turning us away with empty claws?”

Twilight’s ears perked up, and her loathing was replaced sheer panic. Sombra was about to say something when Twilight decided to speak.

“We offer honor.” She stood up, turning frantically between Sombra and the griffins.

The griffin visibly relaxed, and Sombra looked at her curiously. She continued, desperately channeling her old role as Princess. “The gift is a duel of honor. Your champion against ours, and the winner may claim the mountain.”

Silently, Twilight prayed Sombra would accept it. The griffin diplomat cocked his head hopefully. “That is a generous offer, Queen. A duel of honor would be a perfect gift, even lost.”

Sombra eyed Twilight with interest. “If the Queen wishes, then it is so. Although she best not disappoint me.”

The delegate prodded one of his soldiers, pushing him forward. “This is our greatest knight. A hero who’s fought many battles, and many foes. His honor is impeccable. Who shall be your champion?”

Twilight recognized the soldier, and her heart dropped. He was a terrifying fighter, and had on occasion won duels between her and the griffons in the past. She didn’t know Sombra’s guards, or even what their titles were. The uncomfortable realization that the odds were uncharacteristically in the Griffin’s favor washed over her with a slow dread.

When she’d ruled, she’d known her guards inside and out, and could pick one to win or lose as appropriate. Rainbow had always been good in a fight, and was technically a royal guard. Maybe she should call for Rainbow? The thought of using her friend like a pawn as their first interaction in ten years sickened her.

Twilight’s eyes danced between the guards present. None looked particularly stand out, and quite a few seemed vacant eyed and slack with signs of Sombra’s influence.

Sombra interrupted her panicked searching. “My Queen, You seem confused. I was clear, was I not? You best not disappoint me. You will be my champion.”

Twilight stared at him in shock.

The griffons seemed concerned, muttering to each other quickly before the ambassador spoke up. “Pardon, oh King, but we can’t fight an alicorn. They wield the magic of the world. Our loss is guaranteed, and there is no honor in such a duel.”

Sombra sneered, obviously amused. “She’s bereft of magic and flight. Beaten, plundered, and laid low by my power. Are you so scared of my crippled bride that you’d tuck tail and run? Do you dare sully my court with such cowardice?”

Twilight shook as she stepped forward, once more unbuttoning a dress for the monster. She had to do it, somehow. Last night the rules had changed, and if she didn’t play Sombra’s new and horrid game then all of Equestria and now Griffinstone would suffer. A few mindless attendants came to her, carefully stripping her of the wedding dress.

She wondered if Sombra was truly surprised by this turn of events, or was familiar with the concept of griffin duels. Had he known this would happen the moment he saw the griffin delegates? Twilight had oversaw more than her share of duels with the griffins. Usually it was a token effort, something that allowed the griffins to save face when their request was denied. If it was something serious, they’d fight to the death, but Twilight had never let it get that far. Celestia had warned her about that.

She’d offered the duel on reflex, knowing the ritual importance and that sending the ambassador home with nothing at all would lead to war, quickly. War was not something she was willing to risk, though perhaps Sombra was. It would be a massacre. The griffons would die quick bloody deaths either by his army or at his hooves. He’d probably enjoy it.

She had always had incredibly capable royal guards to win her battles when she needed, so it hadn’t occurred to her to ask. Briefly, she wondered if she should have stayed quiet and let the war happen. It wouldn’t have been her fault.

But she had the power to stop it. Twilight glanced at Sombra and glared angrily. That revelation was more than enough to inform her. He had planned this. Maybe he’d even ensorceled one or more of the diplomat’s entourage to goad the old fool along. This was another of his lessons. He was trying to teach her something again, but she hadn’t figured out what.

Angrily, she stepped towards the champion. She knew how to start a griffin duel, and so she did even as she fumed at Sombra’s carelessly dangerous mischief. “For honor and pride, we fight. Be it horn or hoof, I am Equestria.”

The griffon grunted, acknowledging her opening. “For riches beyond measure, we bargain. Be it claws or beak, I am Griffinstone.”

Twilight frowned at his introduction. That wasn’t the griffin she knew. He had never before fought for money, and preferred a weapon. She supposed the world had changed, but it bothered her how much and how little at the same time. Crossly, she wished it were entirely different. A world without griffon duels or without courts would be nice. This was too familiar and yet too wrong. She shouldn’t be in the duel. She should be watching.

The duel had started, and the griffin circled Twilight, looking for an opening. She waited, watching it as her ire grew.

This situation was a disaster, and she was keenly aware that it was going to get worse. The griffin was a highly trained soldier, one of the best she’d seen, and all she had was her earth pony strength. Twilight could beat him in a grapple, but he’d have to be dumb enough to get close without slicing her open. She knew this one wasn’t.

The griffin kept a stone cold face, focusing on the duel. Did Sombra expect her to fight to the death? That was unlikely. If anything, she’d have to surrender for the griffin to win, and she briefly considered it. If Griffinstone had a legitimate claim on Equestrian lands… no. Sombra wouldn’t allow it.

First he’d punish her for failing, and then punish the griffons for this idiocy. The first to die would be this delegation. Maybe he’d keep one as a pet. Twilight couldn’t allow that. She had to win. Swallowing her frustration, she tried an appeal to the griiffon’s heart.

“Please surrender. The King is far more capable than I, and his wrath is something to be feared. Your honor has been met.”

The griffon crouched, and his answer was quiet and determined. “You know I cannot surrender, Princess.”

Twilight winced as he spoke, almost feeling pain from the respect in his voice. How dare he still call her that? She didn’t deserve the title anymore, and certainly not his respect. At least the title of Queen was tainted with Sombra’s influence, as she was.

“I’m a Queen now.”

The griffon’s muscles’ tensed, preparing to lunge. “I am aware, Princess.”

Twilight’s anger flared as he pounced, baring his claws. The griffon’s attack was quick and determined, a straightforward lunge with his claws extended. She couldn’t block him with her forelegs without them getting shredded to ribbons, and she was too slow to dodge completely. At best she’d escape with a slash across her sides, at worst he’d sever some tendons.

He wasn’t aiming to kill her, only to maim her. She could use that. Twilight twisted, throwing her throat into the path of his claws. Hopefully she was wrong and he’d kill her. The thought almost made her giddy, imagining Sombra’s face as she bled out on the throne room floor.

Unfortunately, she’d been right and the griffon curled his claws into balled fists at the last moment. This left him close enough for her to grab as he slammed into her. The impact would have at least dazed and confused a normal pony, but Twilight had been beaten and slammed in fights more times than she could count, and her alicorn constitution kept her coherent.

She wrapped her forelegs around his chest, not caring about her unprotected neck. It was a terrible way to fight; he could kill her at any time with his beak. He hadn’t been prepared for the completely suicidal attack on her part, and didn’t seem to have a plan to counter it. He obviously hadn’t been planning on killing her.

His loss. She squeezed the griffon tight, crunching his chest in the process and making him squawk out in pain. Coldly, she dropped the crippled griffin on the floor, and watched to see if he moved to get up.

He didn’t.

Sombra chuckled at the spectacle, and addressed the Griffin diplomat. “It’s Equestria’s win. Our crippled queen has won, as expected. I assume the matter is settled?”

The diplomat looked flustered and confused at how fast the duel was over, and how poorly his soldier had fared. He glanced a panicked look at Twilight, then sighed. “I… we shall honor the agreement, King.”

Sombra sneered. “Excellent. Take your soldier and leave with your lives. I am in an excellent mood tonight.”

Twilight spoke up, almost absentmindedly as she stared at the downed griffin. “My King, I request to take care of their soldier.”

Sombra laughed, his eyes dancing in amusement. “Has the soldier caught your fancy, My Queen? Take what you want, if you can. I have plenty of toys to entertain me tonight. I’ll not deny you your own plaything.”

The diplomat frowned, distaste on his beak. “I cannot allow you to take a soldier of Griffinstone.”

Twilight sighed, looking at the diplomat sadly. “And I’m afraid I can’t let you take one of my royal guards. Gallus needs to be treated immediately, and unless the King has been doing paperwork behind my back, he has yet to be properly discharged from my personal service.”

Author's Note

Do you have any idea what you've done?