Kingdom of Shadowsby cherryfourierChaptersThe shadow stirsHidden amongst the pagesSummons answeredThe pathwaysThe shadow stirs"It awakens. Slumber, interrupted by the currents of fate and time, comes to an end. The gate weakens and soon it will crumble under the shadow's indomitable will." The silence reigned, interrupted only by a soft hum of magic. It was as if the land itself chose not to cause any inconvenience to the speaker - begging him not to stop; to grace every living creature with more of his wisdom. The dark figures stirred, whispering among themselves. They talked and argued, unable to reach a consensus, louder and louder, as if a thunderous storm of discord brewed in their very souls. Unrest grew, panic gripped them. The mass of bodies clashed like great waves fighting for domination in a dark ocean. Their quarrels elicited screams and shouts, the dark cloud of ponies threatening to plunge into violence. Then, as quickly as a falling shadow, they, all of them, stood without voice. The moonlight danced silently upon their masks of overlapping silver stripes. Not even a smallest breath was heard. No words uttered. The cacophony has been replaced with gaping emptiness, as if the very nature of sound was violently ripped away from reality. Silence rang painfully in their ears. The white stag was about to speak again. "I can feel it in the darkness," he whispered, the quietest of his words shattering the stillness, bringing unnatural calm and ease. "I can feel it in the light." His white coat shone in the gloom like a beacon of untouchable hope - close enough to touch, yet so far away at the same time. "It is calling out," Emmaial continued, his wispy tones permeating the unyielding shadows. No living thing dared to move. "Searching," the whisper came sharp as a dagger in the night. Stag's gaze fell on the gathered ponies, judging them as if to see if they are worthy, reaching deep into their souls to see the truth that lay within. The dark ponies trembled before the stag's gaze, for no mortal could safely withstand it without burning up in the infinite fountainheads of light that were his eyes. He marveled at the vulnerable bodies of the cultists, looking upon them as they were to him; nothing more then a passing curiosity. They could be of use, though. He closed his eyes, letting the eerie gloom fill the auditorium once more. It was then, that the darkness become a physical thing; splotched of blackness stirred and swirled, floating carefully back to the halls devoid of light and dark, eager to take their rightful place, yet hesitant to venture too close to the luminous creature. The cultists stirred. They saw the stag smile. Just a slightest movement of his lips, tiny change at the corners of his eyes, but it smote them down with feeling, strong as the greatest of storms. Ethereal, unreal joy filled their hearts, as they looked upon the alien visage with adoration and worship. Their struggle stopped mattering. Their will bent and twisted, as they lost themselves to the eternal calm and embracing light. "You have done well, servants of the Queen," the whisper broke the silence once more, shattering the illusion of peace into a thousand little parts that seemed to sing an eerie song of despair. Although his voice was so quiet, the echo thundered, repeating eagerly each and every word with a thousandfold power. "For this, you shall be rewarded." The stag's antlers ignited in golden light, blinding those who dared in their impudence to look directly upon them. He raised his head high, benevolently allowing the gathered see the magnificent display. With grace and gentleness, the arcane power started flowing down like an eager stream, making it's way down a mountain's slope. Swirling and spiraling, it flew towards the ground, where it coalesced into a tight, luminous sphere. Lines of gold danced and played along it's surface, as the ancient and ageless spell was expertly woven by the white stag. As the light enveloping his antlers died down, he effortlessly summoned a large, crystal bowl and placed it underneath the golden sphere, letting it ring with a somber note as it touched the stone floor. The cultists waited, staring at the magic with hope. A single drop of light fell, staining the glass. Then another, and one more. The drops turned to a stream, and slowly, the floating orb poured down, filling the bowl with liquid gold. Small waves formed on it's surface, as if disturbed by some unknown force. Emmaial laughed, his voice ringing eerily like silver bells. The eager echo answered again. A thought passed him; he could try to stay and hurry things along. No... The summoning spell was already at it's limit. The passageways were still too tight to squeeze more time through. His direct involvement had to be postponed until he was called upon once more. He felt the magic tug at his consciousness; the spell binding him slowly faded. It was trying to pull him back. No matter. He had time. After all, the eternity waited. He let go, allowing himself to fall though the shadows. Hidden amongst the pages Upon the dark throne of Ysmad'ir sits the Shadowking, keeping watch over the everlasting nights. His armies march relentlessly through the primordial-woven gloom, ruthlessly dispatching those who would see fit to disturb the delicate balance of the realm. In the land of the living shades, where sun dares not to venture, Darklings make their home. Twilight scrunched up her nose, reading the passage again. Darklings. There it was. Again and again, she found mentions of this ancient race of shadow dwelling ponies. She looked up from her book and blinked, blinded by the first light of the morning. Sighing, she took a glance at the page - once again she lost the track of time. It's daytime now. Princess will be disappointed. Twilight shivered. She could picture the conversation now; the princess, her princess, would look sternly at the poor unicorn and with that "I am not really mad at you, just concerned for your well-being" gaze, her royal highness would explain to her student how a full night's sleep benefits pony's mental as well as physical health. It was Twilight's own fault, really. Always buried in the books, no time for other ponies. It was true, her princess said so. Twilight closed her book with a sigh; on the cover "Tales and Legends, Volume VII," written in large, golden letters. The purple unicorn slowly stoop up from the cushion she spent the night on and with a yawn took in her surroundings. The lazy, morning sun flickered upon the backs of numerous old tomes populating the Canterlot Library. Little motes of dust danced in shiny orb's rays, disturbed by a slight breeze. Shelf upon shelf of the most ancient tomes in Equestria rested here, in the archive wing of the library. Untold knowledge at her hooves, just waiting to be taken in, absorbed, understood and used. Twilight hummed happily. The princess. Morning lessons. Right. Without much conscious thought, Twilight lifted all the books she went through that night in her magical aura, and sent them off flying to find their proper resting place among other tomes. She absentmindedly extinguished the light spell that aided her throughout the night and trotted off towards her quarters. The research bore fruit. Although she had to access the otherwise forbidden tomes, many of which too old and delicate for handling by the average pony, she had found it. Buried deep within the ancient pages, therein lies a race forgotten by time and history. The references to "Darklings" were too numerous and consistent to be simply a mere coincidence or a well entrenched ponytale. Curiously though, all accounts of encounters with the ponies from the shadow realm were dated up to around a thousand years ago. A few scholars wrote about the mystical realm of Ysmad, yet for some unfathomable reason, they ceased mentioning the Darklings as if they never existed in the first place. All around the time of the great wars that ravaged Equestria a thousand years ago. In her musings about the forgotten race, Twilight reached her room. Slipping inside, she quickly headed for the shower. Steam rose up, filled the bathroom air with moisture and warmth. The purple unicorn stepped under the water and let out a happy sigh. She stood there for a while, motionless, before reaching out with her magic and squirting out some shampoo onto her mane. As bubbles formed and popped, her mind quickly relaxed and started to wander; she began musing about a proud race of brave warriors from the past. She thought about muscular stallions leading armies to victory; the Shadowking, who would sweep her from her hooves as he took her as a spoil of war - a helpless mare amidst the great turmoil. Twilight bit down on her bottom lip as her hooves began tracing lines up her soapy barrel. She let out a soft whine, when she felt one of her teats being softly caressed and took a sharp breath when the rough hoof irritated her sensitive nipple. Flashes of ponies in armor appeared before her eyes; a large, burly stallion cast off his dark steel helmet and pierced her with his gaze. He now had a crown upon his head. She was in a royal bedroom, bound and helpless, tied with velvet rope. Somepony threw her on a bed. It was so soft and warm. The covers had patterns of the stars sewn onto them, dark and imposing. The stallion with the crown was back now - he advanced slowly as she shivered with anticipation. His large frame let him easily mount her. She felt his breath on her neck, his stallionhood was almost... Celestia. Twilight's eyes sprung open as her hoof reached her marehood. Time. Princess Celestia is waiting. Morning lessons. You will be late. As the thoughts raced throught her head, she quickly turned the water cold. What would the princess think if she knew why are you late? The purple unicorn whimpered quietly as she trotted around in circles, ice cold water slowly making the images of sweaty stallions blurry and distant. She bit her lower lip as she simultaneously turned off the shower, dried herself with a swoosh of magic, teleported in front of the bathroom mirror and began to comb her mess of a mane with a brush. She wiped the mirror from condensation and looked her rosy-cheeked reflection right in the eye. "What a tardy unicorn you are." she said pointing an accusing hoof at the pony staring at her out of the mirror. The levitating brush was putting finishing touched to her mane. Twilight hazarded another look at the mare in the mirror. "Not only that, but naughty and perverted too." she stared down her reflection with a stern, scolding glare. Finally, Twilight looked down at her hooves with a somber expression. "Guess it's only a matter of time before it's the moon for me, hah-ha," the purple unicorn sniffed, talking to nopony in particular. "I'm so sorry for being late, princess." said Twilight with a trembling voice as she joined her mentor on the white marble dias overlooking Canterlot. Celestia was casting a solemn look upon the lower city; the purple unicorn stood still for a moment admiring her teacher. No evil was permitted to nest in Equestria under Celestia's watchful and vigilant gaze. The while alicorn looked at Twilight, showing her a glimpse of a playful smile. "You are 10 minutes early, my faithful student." said the alicorn taking a stroll towards the center of the dais, where slightly shaking Twilight was standing. "Is something troubling you, my dear?" Celestia asked, turning her head just enough to catch a glimpse of utter horror this question painted on Twilight's face. "N-no! Of course no! I-I've just didn't sleep well. I-I mean at all. I'm sorry, princess." Twiligt stammered through her explainations. She knew it would be meaningless to hide anything from her princess. Even if it was putting Twilight at a danger of a trip to the moon. Or worse, disappointing Celestia and telling her how much of a naughty pony her student was. The sun goddess had a way of simply... Knowing. Only the strongest of minds would withstand princess' overwhelming gaze. One look from Celestia would compel a greatest liar to break down in tears, tell everything they sought to hide and thank the princess for her benevolence and understanding. Twilight started to hyperventilate. "I-I f-found something interesting in the books! A-and I spend the whole n-night conducting research," the little purple unicorn kept the words flowing despite problems breathing. "A-and I looked in the archives, and I noticed- I've been careful with the b-books, princess! I-I promise! And then I kept reading, and then I-I... and it was sunrise!" said Twilight on a single breath. Her heart rate went up and hooves were shaking a little. The unicorn dared to take a look at her princess. Celestia still wore her playful smile, this time a bit of amusement mixed into her expression. She slowly walked towards her student and put a comforting, white wing over her small frame. This seemed to calm the unicorn down. Twilight for her part managed not to jump when she felt her mentor nearby. Now a little less shaky, she closed her eyes and let out a breath she was holding. She even allowed herself to wear a small, victoryful smile. Twilight's bathroom secrets were safe. "Let us begin our lesson, my faithful student," her princess' voice sounded somewhere in the background. Twilight truly was a master liar. Summons answeredTwilight Sparke gave the spell a critical look. Long, lavender lines of magic traced patterns across her bedroom. Spheres filled with complex runes, various geometric shapes and soft motes of purple light hummed quietly, illuminating her quarters and giving the room an otherworldly ambience. As with any complex magic, preparation was key. A few more hours spent on triple-checking could save a magician's life. Manipulating vast quantities of arcane could very well damage the complex spell and energy without a complex web of directions and directives to guide it's course runs rampant, wreaking havoc in it's wake. The purple unicorn sighted with exhaustion - it took her all week, but the spell was now ready. Occupying the majority of her quarters lay an intricate network of lesser enchantments, runes and arcane circuitry; lavender geometric shapes whirred and buzzed, pulsing with dormant power, just waiting to be released and cast. Examining one particularly slowly rotating purple cube, Twilight gave it a nudge with her magic. It soon joined several others, once in a while two or three cubes synchronizing their rotation, then spinning away in seemingly chaotic manner. She scrunched up her nose in thought. Every last part was working in tandem with others. The now complete spell, sleeping and purring before her, like a great wild arcane beast. Just waiting to be awakened. Summoning spells existed since the dawn of civilizations. When the first great sages discovered the neighboring planes, they quickly came in contact with the denizens of the other worlds. Meeting all manner of different creatures and beasts, history tells us that they came together, united, to write pacts and alliances between one another. Seeing usefulness of each race's innate traits, through magic, they employed one another for mutual benefit. Rituals were devised, the arcane groundwork was put into place to allow for conjuration and planar travel. For generations, great magi summoned powerful and ancient creatures to do their bidding. In harmony, they worked together for the greater good. Then, the great shadow came. It engulfed all, shattered pacts and friendships forged throughout the ages. The dragons returned to their homeland and the luminous folk retreated to their own sunlit pastures, disinterested by the mortal affairs. There were others too, far too numerous to list, and now all but forgotten by Equestria. Nevertheless, they all came together for the last time, and made their stand against the enemy. Amongst the primordial trees, in the ancient woods, steel clashed against steel. Untold numbers of lives were extinguished under the moonlit night. But despite their sacrifices, the shadow could not be defeated. Only cast out. Imprisoned and forgotten, by all but one. Twilight took a deep breath and all tried to compose herself. She closed her eyes and lit her horn, activating the very first enchantment in the luminous contraption dominating her bedroom. Lines traced upon the air, now sparkling with magic, and at the very core, an intricate rune circle, began to shine brightly. The spell hummed as it came to life, purring with the steady flow of magic supplied by the unicorn over the course of it's creation. Sparkling and singing, various enchantments activated and came to life, slowly filling Twilight's quarters with bright light. The summoning spell was an amalgamation of known magics, coupled with a few of good guesses and approximations derived from dusty old tomes. Conjuration magics still existed; dragons seldom answered the calling though, and when they did, the great wyrms demanded outrageous payments of gold and gems. The luminous folk from the sunlit pastures were even more withdrawn from pony affairs, for not one did answer a summon in over four hundred years. Eventually, the pony sages ceased practicing their art, death claiming the last summoners of old. Conjuration was now forgotten. A relic of the past. Twilight kept feeding the spell a steady stream of magic; she hazarded a look at the array of spinning cubes. Now singing in harmony, they were the most crucial and uncertain part of the enchantment. Most of the other components were taken straight from other conjuration magics. This though, a part exclusive for contact with the shadow plane was an untested and highly theoretical piece of work. Twilight spent far too many dreamless nights, drawing diagrams and making calculations, for it to simply fail. The arcane contraption chirped and whizzed, cubes slowly modulating both the colors and sounds they were producing. Suddenly, moved by some unknown force, all the cubes blinked with searing white light and turned in unison. The unicorn allowed herself to smile. It looked like the spell had found something. Somethings was amiss. Celestia stirred from her slumber and slowly craning her majestic neck, gazed upon the full moon. The silver orb dominated the star specked sky. It seemed bigger tonight, too. An image of a crying mare on the moon's bright surface brought pain to the sun regent's heart. As she walked towards the center of her private dais, Celestia could not shake the feeling of impending doom. Standing on the marble structure overlooking her sleeping city, the princess shivered. And then she saw it. Not with her pony eye, but with a sense far more complex and delicate than ones used by mortals. Cracks upon the walls she herself helped to erect a millennium ago. "I strived to be vigilant in my task," she told the cold night's air as the stars winked at her from afar. "The barriers are breached. It is only a matter of time before the gate creaks open. Where I too blind or too proud to notice as the locks weakened over the centuries?" The white alicorn stood still for a couple of moments, then slumped her shoulders and lowered her head. Tears appeared on Celestia's cheeks as she whispered, "I will see you soon, sister." She did not know whether the shiver that came was caused by cold night or fear. Celestia could not sleep under this new, strange, starry sky. Dust and smoke filled her bedroom. Twilight panted heavily as she tried to stand up on shaky legs. The spell worked. There was some more feedback than she anticipated, but she managed to pull through. Sweat covered her body from exhaustion and a bit of moisture made itself known between her haunches. Twilight blushed and cursed herself for having such a sensitive horn. Unfortunately with a spell requiring this much power such... Accidents, were unavoidable. Conflagration of her possessions was the least of Twilight's worries, though. She shook her head and looked around to assess the aftermath of the spell. Slowly, the dust settled and she spied two pony shaped figures trotting cluelessly through the smoke. Two? So the fail-safe worked. Too well it seems. The unicorn lit her horn once again and with no small amount of effort blew all the smoke out of the window. She could now see that her bedroom suffered some fire damage. More importantly, two alien ponies were now staring directly at her. Both looked more or less like the ponies from Equestria. They seemed to be around her age. There were some differences, though. Dark coats on both stallions, curiously shaped ears, pointy and ending with a bit of fluff. Almost predatory. And their eyes. Catlike, golden. Piercing her with their stare. Stallions. And handsome ones at that. Twilight gulped and clamped her tail tighter against her privates. Suddenly, flashes of the Shadowking - a great, burly stallion, not unlike one of her visitors, taking her on a bed of stars, filled Twilight's vision. She desperately needed a distraction. The protocol! Right, all summoning rituals involved a protocol. Twilight offered the two guests an uncomfortable laugh-shiver and picked up the scroll she prepared earlier from the floor. Fortunately, it did not fall prey to the fire. "Ahem", Twilight started, "Thou who hath answered my summons, I welcome thee, to the realm in-between. From the shade, thou hath come, now heed my word and my will be done." She finished reciting the ancient rite, it's solemn tone spoiled a bit by a building pressure inside her. She could swear she heard a drop of moisture from her nethers make a little tap as it fell onto her chamber's floors The two stallions looked at one another with confusion. "What... did she," tried to whisper the smaller one. He was quickly silenced by the larger with a blow to the back of his head. "The call is answered, the darkling hath arrived. Thine will compels me, thine words be law," answered the larger, burly stallion. He had a commanding aura around him, he stood straight looking Twilight right in the eye. There was no hint of fear in his voice or posture. This made Twilight blush even more. "Oh! The summoning rite! Of course, of course! But why? And how? I believe there were barriers placed all around the gloom... Why, it was the first great Darkseer who did most of the legwork, fascinating pony. I believe I've read some of his works regarding..." the smaller darkling started to ramble, largely ignoring the displeased look on his companion's face. Twilight took this change to asses him more thoroughly. His made was pretty unkempt and messy. Midnight blue. His coat was gray, dull and she believed she could spy splotches of what looked like ink in a few places. Curiously, Twilight noted a lack of cutie marks on both darklings. "Ah yes. My name is Shem by the way. My pleasure to meet you!" he blurted out in Twilight's vague direction, then continued trotting around and talking. "This is monumental! First encounter since the Upheaval, I believe! I should write it down. Now why didn't I bring my pen?" "I-I'm Twilight Sparkle," offered the purple unicorn, a little shaken by the darkling's ramblings. She took a better look at Shem's companion; his coat was almost black and had a blue shine to it. His mane, expertly styled was dark blue. Twilight also noticed a silver necklace around his neck. Now he was staring at her again. His eyes. Flashes of kings and soldiers appeared again. Sweaty stallions, velvet ropes. Aching in her nethers. She whimpered softly as her eyes darted around her bedroom. Quick, think of something else! "You may call me Darshe'var Hassam'an Ysmad'iram, mistress," said the larger stallion, now slowly advancing towards panicked Twilight. Shem raised an eyebrow at this introduction and looked at the black darkling with interest. "You have summoned us, Queen herself knows how, but the ancient pacts still hold unbroken. By the laws of our forefathers, how may we be of service?" asked Darshe, now only a few paces between him and the purple unicorn. It was at this point that something broke inside Twilight's brain. Her was face now red with embarrassment and excitement. Two stallions from her dreams were apparently pledging their services to her. She eyed Darshe again and whimpered, feeling how unmistakable mare-juice made it's way down her hindleg. Celestia will have her hide for this. "On the bed," she instructed the black darkling. The princess will send her to the moon. Then again, she was a naughty, naughty unicorn. So it's not like she had any choice, right? "Shem," she said with shivering voice, managing to get the attention of the gray darkling, previously fascinated by the telescope in the back of her bedroom. Twilight motioned for him to come closer. She looked at Darshe. He was now visibly uncomfortable, trying to stand on her wobbling mattress. The purple unicorn licked her lips. She pounced the darkling and using his confusion to her advantage, turned him on his back. Darshe looked her in the eye with a hint of fear and uncertainty. Twilight managed a sultry look and licked his jawline. Then, with a flurry of kisses, she made her way towards his lips. They kissed for what seemed like eternity, both hesitant but aroused by the experience. Seeing no sign of protest in Darshe's eye, she made a small smile and trailed a path of kisses towards the darkling's tummy. Twilight could feel him tensing up to first, but thanks to her ministrations, Darshe quickly relaxed. Giving in to the pleasure, he started panting. It wasn't long before Twilight saw it. Now erect, with a bit of precum already on the top, her dream stallion's member. Twilight gave it a cautious lick. Then another one, gauging the darkling's reaction. He was whimpering softly, looking right at her. She felt a rush of excitement, and without more thought took Darshe's stallionhood in her mouth. Meanwhile, Shem looked at the pair on the bed with a red face. His throbbing stallionhood was making inself known, aching for release. He bit down on his bottom lip, looking around. His gaze continued to wander towards the pair on the bed, though. And then he saw it. Twilight raising her tail, moving it out of the way and granting Shem a look at her now exposed and glistening marehood. His hooves moved on their own, eyes affixed to the place between the mare's legs. He was close now. Could almost touch it. He felt heat radiating off Twilight, and her needing nethers. Shem let out a primal snort, putting both his hooves on the unicorn's back. He moved a bit closer, making his way onto the bed, now his member lining up to Twilight's opening. He heard her let out a cute moan. Shem could wait no longer, there, busy sucking off another colt, was the most beautiful mare he has ever seen. He needed her. He had to have her. And with one strong thrust, he entered her. Twilight yelped as she felt the intruder stretching her insides. She was in heaven. Feeling both members, one ravaging her needing crevice, the other one in her mouth, spasming dangerously close to release. Some part of her mind told her to take things slow, or it would hurt, but she paid it no attention. Shem seemed to be fucking her gently, and just hard enough. Twilight let out a soft cry, muffled by the large stallionhood occupying her mouth. She felt so wonderfully stretched and full. The unicorn started making small circles with her tongue, keeping her eyes on Darshe's face and marveling at his every little reaction to her teasing. She could hear them both panting and moaning in their own rights. Their sweat intermingled with Twilight's own, was now staining her fur. Shem's speed increased and she almost lost it. He seemed to notice and slowed down, not willing to let her come just yet. Twilight sucked hard on Darshe's stalionhood, massaging it with her tongue, determined to taste his seed before her own release. She fondled his balls with her free hoof, raising her rump at the same time to give Shem more leverage. Twilight felt Darshe tense and thrust into her mouth a couple of times. Then, he spasmed and released sticky, salty substance into her muzzle. Twilight thought it tasted disgusting, but she could not bring herself to care. She moaned as she moved her head away, closing her mouth and swallowing some of it. One more spasm of black darkling's member stained her coat with cum. Twilight let out another moan as she used her hooves to smear some of it over her small, supple breasts and underbelly. What a dirty little mare she was now. If the princess would see her like that... Her train of thought was interrupted by Shem. She could hear him grunting on her back as he rode her into oblivion. He was going faster and, his forelegs clamped on her torso and eyes closed. He was getting closer too. Twilight turned her head and licked Shem's cheek. Then, she took a good look at the stallion she had just serviced. Darshe,s sprawled upon her cushions, wore a smug grin of satisfaction upon his face. She didn't like his expression one little bit. Twilight narrowed her brow, looking at him intently. An idea came. Although the purple unicorn felt heaven itself descend upon her, as Shem's ministrations proved to be more than satisfactory to her liking, she felt as if she needed more. After all, both darklings were hers to command. With a grin, she bent down and gave Darshe a deep kiss, letting him taste his own seed. He tried to move her out of his way at first, pushing her away with his hooves, but he struggled againt her weight, combined with Shem's, who was busy mounting her and moaning into her mane. After a few moments, Darshe's defeat became obvious. He started to clean up Twilight's muzzle with his tongue. She felt him explore her mouth, slowly caressing her cheeks from the inside, and touching her tongue with his own. When Twilight felt he did enough, she wrestled his tongue into submission and took his face in both her hooves. She looked him deep in the eye. He was afraid now. Good. Twilight smiled triumphantly and gave his nose a playful lick. Twilight's hooves guided Darshe's face downwards, where he began licking her cum-stained fur. Without much protest this time. Shem meanwhile started kissing his lover's neck, biting her in between the kisses. As he felt Twilight move her rump in tandem with his thrusts, he redoubled his efforts. The purple unicorn, voiced a constant stream of moans and cries, without regard for other occupants of the castle. She was close. Shem tensed up and released his seed right inside her. Twilight enjoyed the sensation - warm liquid filled her up and prompted her to squeak cutely. Shem spasmed again, clutching her in his hooves. She could feel some of the white liquid overflow and stain her sheets. She didn't mind. Shem, now empty and spent, slipped out of her. The gray colt fell on his back, panting. He looked at Twilight with adoration in his eyes. She rewarded him with a cute smile. "Whoa," was all that he managed to say before he slumped down onto the bed. A few minutes later, he was sound asleep, dreaming of the purple mare. As Darshe cleaned up his mistress, his efforts focusing now on the pair of young teats, he felt Twilight's guiding hoof pushing him downwards. She repositioned onto her back, spreading her legs as wide as she could and shoved the black darkling's muzzle right in front of her lower lips. Darshe saw the cum coating his mistress' entrance and hesitated for a moment. He looked up and saw a smile and a pair of expectant eye. He couldn't disappoint. The black darkling hazarded an exploratory lick, tasting another stallion's seed. Twilight let out a soft moan as she felt him massaging her tender flesh with increasingly decisive strokes of his tongue. Twilight lit her horn and with a swoosh of magic, Darshe was now on his back and she, riding his muzzle. "Go on," Twilight said innocently, when he look at her in confusion. She caressed his cheek with her hoof. After a bit of a struggle, she felt the darkling relax. His tongue was now exploring her cum-coated love canal, licking and kissing every inch of her treasure. Moaning and caressing her delicate teats, Twilight began to slowly rock her hips, as she rode Darshe's muzzle. He was now completely hers. With a swish of her tail and a slight motion of her leg, she could have him where she needed him most. It wasn't long before she cried out one last time, a violent release shaking her body. Twilight slid down to Darshe's muzzle and gave him a deep, tongue filled kiss. She could taste herself. After a while, she sensed that they were both exhausted. Twilight stopped the kiss and gave the panting darkling one more sultry look after which, she playfully licked his nose. Slowly, she stood up and made her way toward's Shem's sleeping form. She slumped down next to him, embracing the gray darkling with her hooves. She waited. There it was. Awkwardly at first, Darshe made his way towards the two. She could feel his gaze on her neck. Then, she felt the black darkling lie down next to her and a pair of hooves embracing her barrel. Twilight felt a happy sigh of a spent stallion on her neck. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, exhausted by two creatures Equestria had not seen for a long, long time. The pathwaysTwilight stirred from her slumber and smiled peacefully. The light of the noon sun slowly crept up her muzzle and began chasing her dreams away. Her eyes fluttered open, and the lavender mare hummed happily, feeling her body wake. The covers on her bed were a mess. She lay on her back, entangled in the stained, sticky sheets. Her legs were splayed open, showing her treasure to the world. Two perky teats stood firm, a soft, sensitive nipple crowning each mound. A hint of moisture, glistening in between now cold and tightly closed pair of purple lips told a story about last night's exploits. Every minute detail of her slender figure was on display for everypony to see. Twilight entertained a hazy thought of somepony barging in and seeing her in this lewd position, but she could not bring herself to be embarrassed. Such musings brought only gradual arousal and increased heart rate. As she lay there, the purple mare could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. Her lower lips were now parting slightly and dampening again. Stifling a yawn with her hoof, Twilight giggled. She gave it an exploratory lick and blushed, when the taste of the last night lingered on her tongue. Then, the unicorn stirred, trying to move a tiny bit away from the offending sun, and closed her eyes again. She graced her hoof with one more lick - this time making sure to cover it thoroughly in her saliva. With another blush, she traced it down her cheek and jawline, trying to remember every detail of her encounter with the darklings. Agonizingly slowly, Twilight moved the hoof across her lavender coat. Lazily, she caressed herself, eliciting soft moans and happy hums. Tracing lines on her belly, she finally dared to venture farther into the forbidden realm. Making her way around two mounds, Twilight was almost at her destination. She bit her lower lip, teasing herself with hesitant movement. Then, with a slight tremble and a gasp, she finally touched her love. Twilight hissed sharply. She was sore down there. In no condition to pleasure herself. Such a pity. The lavender mare opened her eyes and slowly sat up on her bed, humming cutely as she stretched her back. Some other time, maybe. She blinked a couple of times, and took an note of the state her bedroom was in. Black soot marked the floor where the intricate patterns of her spell sparkled with power the night before. A couple of pillows were singed; an unlucky table was missing a leg. Her bed was an utter, embarrassing mess - the sheets definitely needed to be changed. Twilight also noted two pony-sized indentations near the place where she fell asleep. She touched one with her hoof, moving the fabric slightly and blushing furiously. Memories of Shem and Darshe assaulted her senses again. As expected, after the spell expired, both her guests were sent back, leaving no trace of the darklings' visit. Except maybe one sweaty unicorn with a dirty coat. Promptly, she hopped off her bed and after one more yawn, Twilight headed for her bathroom. "Good morning, princess!" chirped happily Twilight Sparkle the moment she saw her mentor walk into the dining hall. She smiled at the white alicorn and helped herself to some more hay salad while she waited for her mentor to make her way over. She had quite an appetite this afternoon. Celestia joined her student and began filling her plate with various delicacies arranged around the table. Encased in the alicorn's golden magic, some horseradish in sweet sauce floated over the cutlery and gracefully landed on the sun monarch's plate. She noted her student's expression out of the corner of her eye; Twilight was positively glowing. "It looks like somepony is in a great mood today," Celestia said with a warm smile. Twilight was caught off guard and promptly blushed, finding sudden interest in her hooves. "I've... Had... Some major breakthrough with my research, princess," she answered, not daring to look her mentor directly in the eye. A moment later, a smile crept onto her lips, and the lavender unicorn giggled happily. "But yes, I am in a pretty great mood today. Thank you, princess." This time she looked at the white alicorn, who in turn smiled lovingly at Twilight. "I'm glad," Celestia said, her gaze lingering a moment too long on her student's features. Twilight noticed. As her mentor turned her head away, the purple unicorn caught a glimpsed of the white wing twitching a tiny bit. Something was not right. Although Celestia sough to hide it, Twilight could almost instinctively feel it now. The discomfort, hiding beneath a veneer of her usual self. Did something happen? And were her princess' eyes bloodshot or was it just a stray ray of unflattering light? Twilight's eyes darted all around Celestia's frame, desperate to find more signs of her mentor's ailment. A crooked feather, a rough patch on her coat. Something really was not right. The purple mare opened her mouth to voice a concern about her princess' well-being. "Oh, look at the time, my dear." Celestia said, intercepting Twilight's words and wearing a smile that she thought would be reassuring. "I have some matters that need my personal attention. Unfortunately the delicate clockwork that is Equestria's government does require a bit of oil once in a while to keep the gears moving smoothly." The princess looked intently at Twilight. "Until our next meeting, my faithful student. I am eager to hear about this research that consumes your nights," she said, raising up majestically from her place at the dinner table. Gracing confused Twilight with one more loving smile, she was off. Twilight sat silently astounded, her eyes trailing behind the leaving alicorn. She was terrified now. Something really was wrong with her princess. And she didn't know how to help. In the gloom of Ysmad, the restless darkness stirred. A cloaked figure emerged from the inky mist, splotches of blackness swirling around her hooves only to dissipate into nothingness a moment later. She spied several masked ponies, gathering in the glade, whispering to one another, plotting, under the cover of the everlasting night. In the center of the clearing, lay the Anchor. Sprouting from the very fabric of the plane, dark vines shone in the pale moonlight. Tangled and crooked, they affixed the first link of the Greatchain to Ysmad itself. The enormous iron link groaned, strained with the weight it was carrying. One of the vines snapped, but it was quickly replaced by another, sprouting from the ground and twisting itself around the chain. The gargantuan links crept upwards into the night sky where against the star specked sky stood the captive moon. Bound and tied with iron and ancient magic. The Greatchain affixed the white orb to the soil of Ysmad, leaving it forever haunting it's skies. On the moon's milky surface, an image of a dark mare scowled at those who would dare to look upon her. The Queen gazed upon her subjects from the heavens. The cloaked mare prowled slowly through the shades of undergrowth. She remained hidden from the sight of masked darklings - engaging on her own would be suicidal. She had done more that enough already; the masks of overlapping stripes of silver were a clear mark of the fanatics. Intel on their mobilization would net her a healthy reward - all she had to do was wait, hidden, and report her findings. The spy narrowed her eyes; something was happening now. She saw one of the masked ponies uncork an intricately carved silver bottle, and pour some luminous, golden liquid onto the ground. In a flash of light, runes and lines of magic appeared all around the masked heretics. After one more moment, an array of runes encircled the Anchor, making it groan under the strain. Her heart nearly stopped for a moment, as the cloaked mare stared wide-eyed at the arcane display of magic. Briefly, terror griped her. Had they found a way to destroy the ancient prison? The Anchor stood quiet, though. Golden runes slowly faded. No, of course not. It was simply a bunch of delusional fools chasing an unattainable dream. Whatever they thought they were doing, it failed. Silence. Then, she heard on earsplitting cacophony of iron, grinding against iron. As the very earth shook under her hooves, one of the links cracked. Groaning under an unimaginable strain, it began to slowly open. Not enough to break the Greatchain. No, not yet. The mare stood paralyzed in the shadows. A thought came. She had to let the Shadowking know. The heretics became the biggest threat to the Ysmad since Upheaval itself. And now these lunatics were on the verge of releasing the crazed Queen. She had to deliver the message. The cloaked mare quickly turned, preparing to get away and to run to the city of Ysmad'ir. Instead, she felt pain. She looked down and saw crimson. A long, steel sword was piercing her chest. A silver mask on a pony before her reflected the pale moonlight. And a pair of golden eyes, stared at her with contempt. And then, she felt the darkness embrace her. The Tartarus differs from most other planes in one crucial aspect - travel to and from the wretched lands is possible without aid of any magic. Long ago, before the history was being recorded, when the ancients frolicked and played without worry, the Gates were created. Enormous, imposing structures carved into mountain ranges and hills, forever scarring the planes with their very presence. Along with them, the first age of strife came. Vile cohorts spewed forth from the Gates, wreaking destruction and bringing evil wherever they strode. It was then, that the ancients allied with mortal races and with combined efforts drove the enemy back whence it came. The gates were sealed and barred. Powerful magics were woven to prohibit the history from repeating itself. But then, the shadow came. It fooled all the noble races, corrupted and twisted their loyalties. The enemy let the fools drink it's poisoned words, and when the time came, it led them to the Gates. One by one, the seals were broken and the magics ripped to pieces. When the pathways between the planes opened, the enemy roused it's banners and bid it's armies to march. Smoke and ash filled the skies with dark clouds. Sound of thunder quickly followed the light, illuminating them from within. On the horizon, imposing mountains were spewing forth fire from their bellows. Under her hooves, sulfur stained the black, volcanic rock. Celestia looked at the great summit dominating the mountain range, and took wing. She had not much time. Old alliances needed to be reforged in the dawn of coming war. In the land of flames, beneath roaring stone, therein lay in slumber one of her oldest friends. Twilight's quarters looked pristine once again. It took a bit of work, covert trips to the laundry rooms and brushing up on her mending spells, but the results were satisfactory. It helped in getting the thoughts off her princess, too. Twilight allowed herself to make a smile. Now, next on the agenda: rework the summoning spell and begin charging it once again. Blushing, she berated herself for acting hastily and thoughtlessly the last time. Twilight Sparkle, the first unicorn to make contact with the darklings in over a millennium. A unicorn who then proceeded to fuck the ambassadors of this alien race silly. Her face fell. She suddenly hoped her achievements would be overlooked by historians and forgotten in obscurity. Twilight scrunched up her nose in thought. Even though a whole wing in the Canterlot Library was now most likely out of the question, perhaps she could still get a shelf to her name? "Perhaps in the adult section," offered some part of her brain. Shush. Quiet, you. She sighed. Focus. One step at a time. You have a spell to finish. The purple unicorn sat down at her desk and began making her way through the maze of papers and notes. She tweaked the equations, balanced the rune lattices and redrew arcane shapes and symbols that composed her spell. Her spell. Come to think of it, this was the first time she actually invented a true, unique spell. She re-purposed enchantments, used magic in an innovative way before, but this was different. Something she could truly call her own. Even if it was just a rediscovery, Twilight still let herself giggle in excitement. It looked like she was in for a great night. In the bowels of a black mountain, in a great cavern gleaming with unimaginable treasures lay a scaled, coiled shape. It stirred from it's slumber, sensing an intruder. As the wyrm's eyes opened, a smile slowly graced his lips. "Celestia... How long has it been, my old ally?" the dragon asked with deliberation, his thundering voice reverberating throughout the very mountain. "Too long, my friend," answered the white alicorn, offering a smile in turn. "I am afraid I bring grave news. A plea for your help-" she began, a hint of fear and awe painted on her face. "So, it has returned..." interrupted the wyrm, scowling at the alicorn. "I have warned you, long ago. The path that you yourself had chosen led you here. Recall my advice. Have I not predicted this outcome?" The dragon moved his enormous head to face Celestia. She seemed so tiny and fragile when standing next to the giant. "Your own foolishness and misplaced hope will be the undoing of your little ponies." "I ask only that-" she started, visibly distraught by the wyrm's words. "The dragons are not yours to command. Our mountains are secure. Our gates, locked. Our lairs, hidden. There is no danger to this land. Even in the prime of it's power, the shadow dared not to step into the realm of eternal flame. Too much would we risk, bringing our help this time." The wyrm grew silent. After a moment, he spoke solemnly. "We still mourn those lost during the war. Those who fought back then still live to this day. We remember. Mistakes are to be learnt from, not repeated." "You are spelling doom for my people," Celestia said. The great wyrm had to understand. She waited, judging his expression. In the dragon's eyes, she saw only compassion, though. And fear. She lowered her head in defeat. With a broken voice, she continued. "Starrnar has abandoned the alliance as well. Others are lost or too scattered to bring together again in time." "He suffered a great loss. You must not blame him, the Stagking has bled more than enough for your ponies." "I know. He swore to kill me if he were to ever see me again." A tear appeared on Celestia's cheek. "He loved her too much. When she was taken by the enemy, he had lost all. Now, their hearts full of grief for the fallen, the luminous folk have retreated into their own domain. Not a single one has appeared in Equestria for centuries. The pathways have been severed, the gates locked. They will not come. We are alone." "The Shadowking will stand with you, as the first one did. The youngling on the throne will accept the responsibility that his ponies must bear." "The barriers are still too strong, and my sight can not pierce the gloom just yet. I am unable to contact the darklings. I fear, by the time I open the path to the dark realm, Ysmad might be no more." In the land of Equestria, not far from the village of Ponyville, hidden inside a mountain crevice and forgotten by the ponykind, an enormous gate of corroded, violet metal hugs the great cavern's wall. In soft rays of midday sunlight, penetrating the ceiling's opening, shine intricate reliefs, carved upon the gate's surface. They depict wretched creatures that should have no right to exist; twisted limbs, mismatched bodies, cruel fangs and claws adorn them. Fury boils in their eyes. Motes of dust flicker in the sunlight before settling on the giant steps of smooth stone leading up to the gate. In the land of Equestria, by the village of Ponyville, beneath a mountain, from the other side, something knocked.
The shadow stirs"It awakens. Slumber, interrupted by the currents of fate and time, comes to an end. The gate weakens and soon it will crumble under the shadow's indomitable will." The silence reigned, interrupted only by a soft hum of magic. It was as if the land itself chose not to cause any inconvenience to the speaker - begging him not to stop; to grace every living creature with more of his wisdom. The dark figures stirred, whispering among themselves. They talked and argued, unable to reach a consensus, louder and louder, as if a thunderous storm of discord brewed in their very souls. Unrest grew, panic gripped them. The mass of bodies clashed like great waves fighting for domination in a dark ocean. Their quarrels elicited screams and shouts, the dark cloud of ponies threatening to plunge into violence. Then, as quickly as a falling shadow, they, all of them, stood without voice. The moonlight danced silently upon their masks of overlapping silver stripes. Not even a smallest breath was heard. No words uttered. The cacophony has been replaced with gaping emptiness, as if the very nature of sound was violently ripped away from reality. Silence rang painfully in their ears. The white stag was about to speak again. "I can feel it in the darkness," he whispered, the quietest of his words shattering the stillness, bringing unnatural calm and ease. "I can feel it in the light." His white coat shone in the gloom like a beacon of untouchable hope - close enough to touch, yet so far away at the same time. "It is calling out," Emmaial continued, his wispy tones permeating the unyielding shadows. No living thing dared to move. "Searching," the whisper came sharp as a dagger in the night. Stag's gaze fell on the gathered ponies, judging them as if to see if they are worthy, reaching deep into their souls to see the truth that lay within. The dark ponies trembled before the stag's gaze, for no mortal could safely withstand it without burning up in the infinite fountainheads of light that were his eyes. He marveled at the vulnerable bodies of the cultists, looking upon them as they were to him; nothing more then a passing curiosity. They could be of use, though. He closed his eyes, letting the eerie gloom fill the auditorium once more. It was then, that the darkness become a physical thing; splotched of blackness stirred and swirled, floating carefully back to the halls devoid of light and dark, eager to take their rightful place, yet hesitant to venture too close to the luminous creature. The cultists stirred. They saw the stag smile. Just a slightest movement of his lips, tiny change at the corners of his eyes, but it smote them down with feeling, strong as the greatest of storms. Ethereal, unreal joy filled their hearts, as they looked upon the alien visage with adoration and worship. Their struggle stopped mattering. Their will bent and twisted, as they lost themselves to the eternal calm and embracing light. "You have done well, servants of the Queen," the whisper broke the silence once more, shattering the illusion of peace into a thousand little parts that seemed to sing an eerie song of despair. Although his voice was so quiet, the echo thundered, repeating eagerly each and every word with a thousandfold power. "For this, you shall be rewarded." The stag's antlers ignited in golden light, blinding those who dared in their impudence to look directly upon them. He raised his head high, benevolently allowing the gathered see the magnificent display. With grace and gentleness, the arcane power started flowing down like an eager stream, making it's way down a mountain's slope. Swirling and spiraling, it flew towards the ground, where it coalesced into a tight, luminous sphere. Lines of gold danced and played along it's surface, as the ancient and ageless spell was expertly woven by the white stag. As the light enveloping his antlers died down, he effortlessly summoned a large, crystal bowl and placed it underneath the golden sphere, letting it ring with a somber note as it touched the stone floor. The cultists waited, staring at the magic with hope. A single drop of light fell, staining the glass. Then another, and one more. The drops turned to a stream, and slowly, the floating orb poured down, filling the bowl with liquid gold. Small waves formed on it's surface, as if disturbed by some unknown force. Emmaial laughed, his voice ringing eerily like silver bells. The eager echo answered again. A thought passed him; he could try to stay and hurry things along. No... The summoning spell was already at it's limit. The passageways were still too tight to squeeze more time through. His direct involvement had to be postponed until he was called upon once more. He felt the magic tug at his consciousness; the spell binding him slowly faded. It was trying to pull him back. No matter. He had time. After all, the eternity waited. He let go, allowing himself to fall though the shadows.
Hidden amongst the pages Upon the dark throne of Ysmad'ir sits the Shadowking, keeping watch over the everlasting nights. His armies march relentlessly through the primordial-woven gloom, ruthlessly dispatching those who would see fit to disturb the delicate balance of the realm. In the land of the living shades, where sun dares not to venture, Darklings make their home. Twilight scrunched up her nose, reading the passage again. Darklings. There it was. Again and again, she found mentions of this ancient race of shadow dwelling ponies. She looked up from her book and blinked, blinded by the first light of the morning. Sighing, she took a glance at the page - once again she lost the track of time. It's daytime now. Princess will be disappointed. Twilight shivered. She could picture the conversation now; the princess, her princess, would look sternly at the poor unicorn and with that "I am not really mad at you, just concerned for your well-being" gaze, her royal highness would explain to her student how a full night's sleep benefits pony's mental as well as physical health. It was Twilight's own fault, really. Always buried in the books, no time for other ponies. It was true, her princess said so. Twilight closed her book with a sigh; on the cover "Tales and Legends, Volume VII," written in large, golden letters. The purple unicorn slowly stoop up from the cushion she spent the night on and with a yawn took in her surroundings. The lazy, morning sun flickered upon the backs of numerous old tomes populating the Canterlot Library. Little motes of dust danced in shiny orb's rays, disturbed by a slight breeze. Shelf upon shelf of the most ancient tomes in Equestria rested here, in the archive wing of the library. Untold knowledge at her hooves, just waiting to be taken in, absorbed, understood and used. Twilight hummed happily. The princess. Morning lessons. Right. Without much conscious thought, Twilight lifted all the books she went through that night in her magical aura, and sent them off flying to find their proper resting place among other tomes. She absentmindedly extinguished the light spell that aided her throughout the night and trotted off towards her quarters. The research bore fruit. Although she had to access the otherwise forbidden tomes, many of which too old and delicate for handling by the average pony, she had found it. Buried deep within the ancient pages, therein lies a race forgotten by time and history. The references to "Darklings" were too numerous and consistent to be simply a mere coincidence or a well entrenched ponytale. Curiously though, all accounts of encounters with the ponies from the shadow realm were dated up to around a thousand years ago. A few scholars wrote about the mystical realm of Ysmad, yet for some unfathomable reason, they ceased mentioning the Darklings as if they never existed in the first place. All around the time of the great wars that ravaged Equestria a thousand years ago. In her musings about the forgotten race, Twilight reached her room. Slipping inside, she quickly headed for the shower. Steam rose up, filled the bathroom air with moisture and warmth. The purple unicorn stepped under the water and let out a happy sigh. She stood there for a while, motionless, before reaching out with her magic and squirting out some shampoo onto her mane. As bubbles formed and popped, her mind quickly relaxed and started to wander; she began musing about a proud race of brave warriors from the past. She thought about muscular stallions leading armies to victory; the Shadowking, who would sweep her from her hooves as he took her as a spoil of war - a helpless mare amidst the great turmoil. Twilight bit down on her bottom lip as her hooves began tracing lines up her soapy barrel. She let out a soft whine, when she felt one of her teats being softly caressed and took a sharp breath when the rough hoof irritated her sensitive nipple. Flashes of ponies in armor appeared before her eyes; a large, burly stallion cast off his dark steel helmet and pierced her with his gaze. He now had a crown upon his head. She was in a royal bedroom, bound and helpless, tied with velvet rope. Somepony threw her on a bed. It was so soft and warm. The covers had patterns of the stars sewn onto them, dark and imposing. The stallion with the crown was back now - he advanced slowly as she shivered with anticipation. His large frame let him easily mount her. She felt his breath on her neck, his stallionhood was almost... Celestia. Twilight's eyes sprung open as her hoof reached her marehood. Time. Princess Celestia is waiting. Morning lessons. You will be late. As the thoughts raced throught her head, she quickly turned the water cold. What would the princess think if she knew why are you late? The purple unicorn whimpered quietly as she trotted around in circles, ice cold water slowly making the images of sweaty stallions blurry and distant. She bit her lower lip as she simultaneously turned off the shower, dried herself with a swoosh of magic, teleported in front of the bathroom mirror and began to comb her mess of a mane with a brush. She wiped the mirror from condensation and looked her rosy-cheeked reflection right in the eye. "What a tardy unicorn you are." she said pointing an accusing hoof at the pony staring at her out of the mirror. The levitating brush was putting finishing touched to her mane. Twilight hazarded another look at the mare in the mirror. "Not only that, but naughty and perverted too." she stared down her reflection with a stern, scolding glare. Finally, Twilight looked down at her hooves with a somber expression. "Guess it's only a matter of time before it's the moon for me, hah-ha," the purple unicorn sniffed, talking to nopony in particular. "I'm so sorry for being late, princess." said Twilight with a trembling voice as she joined her mentor on the white marble dias overlooking Canterlot. Celestia was casting a solemn look upon the lower city; the purple unicorn stood still for a moment admiring her teacher. No evil was permitted to nest in Equestria under Celestia's watchful and vigilant gaze. The while alicorn looked at Twilight, showing her a glimpse of a playful smile. "You are 10 minutes early, my faithful student." said the alicorn taking a stroll towards the center of the dais, where slightly shaking Twilight was standing. "Is something troubling you, my dear?" Celestia asked, turning her head just enough to catch a glimpse of utter horror this question painted on Twilight's face. "N-no! Of course no! I-I've just didn't sleep well. I-I mean at all. I'm sorry, princess." Twiligt stammered through her explainations. She knew it would be meaningless to hide anything from her princess. Even if it was putting Twilight at a danger of a trip to the moon. Or worse, disappointing Celestia and telling her how much of a naughty pony her student was. The sun goddess had a way of simply... Knowing. Only the strongest of minds would withstand princess' overwhelming gaze. One look from Celestia would compel a greatest liar to break down in tears, tell everything they sought to hide and thank the princess for her benevolence and understanding. Twilight started to hyperventilate. "I-I f-found something interesting in the books! A-and I spend the whole n-night conducting research," the little purple unicorn kept the words flowing despite problems breathing. "A-and I looked in the archives, and I noticed- I've been careful with the b-books, princess! I-I promise! And then I kept reading, and then I-I... and it was sunrise!" said Twilight on a single breath. Her heart rate went up and hooves were shaking a little. The unicorn dared to take a look at her princess. Celestia still wore her playful smile, this time a bit of amusement mixed into her expression. She slowly walked towards her student and put a comforting, white wing over her small frame. This seemed to calm the unicorn down. Twilight for her part managed not to jump when she felt her mentor nearby. Now a little less shaky, she closed her eyes and let out a breath she was holding. She even allowed herself to wear a small, victoryful smile. Twilight's bathroom secrets were safe. "Let us begin our lesson, my faithful student," her princess' voice sounded somewhere in the background. Twilight truly was a master liar.
Summons answeredTwilight Sparke gave the spell a critical look. Long, lavender lines of magic traced patterns across her bedroom. Spheres filled with complex runes, various geometric shapes and soft motes of purple light hummed quietly, illuminating her quarters and giving the room an otherworldly ambience. As with any complex magic, preparation was key. A few more hours spent on triple-checking could save a magician's life. Manipulating vast quantities of arcane could very well damage the complex spell and energy without a complex web of directions and directives to guide it's course runs rampant, wreaking havoc in it's wake. The purple unicorn sighted with exhaustion - it took her all week, but the spell was now ready. Occupying the majority of her quarters lay an intricate network of lesser enchantments, runes and arcane circuitry; lavender geometric shapes whirred and buzzed, pulsing with dormant power, just waiting to be released and cast. Examining one particularly slowly rotating purple cube, Twilight gave it a nudge with her magic. It soon joined several others, once in a while two or three cubes synchronizing their rotation, then spinning away in seemingly chaotic manner. She scrunched up her nose in thought. Every last part was working in tandem with others. The now complete spell, sleeping and purring before her, like a great wild arcane beast. Just waiting to be awakened. Summoning spells existed since the dawn of civilizations. When the first great sages discovered the neighboring planes, they quickly came in contact with the denizens of the other worlds. Meeting all manner of different creatures and beasts, history tells us that they came together, united, to write pacts and alliances between one another. Seeing usefulness of each race's innate traits, through magic, they employed one another for mutual benefit. Rituals were devised, the arcane groundwork was put into place to allow for conjuration and planar travel. For generations, great magi summoned powerful and ancient creatures to do their bidding. In harmony, they worked together for the greater good. Then, the great shadow came. It engulfed all, shattered pacts and friendships forged throughout the ages. The dragons returned to their homeland and the luminous folk retreated to their own sunlit pastures, disinterested by the mortal affairs. There were others too, far too numerous to list, and now all but forgotten by Equestria. Nevertheless, they all came together for the last time, and made their stand against the enemy. Amongst the primordial trees, in the ancient woods, steel clashed against steel. Untold numbers of lives were extinguished under the moonlit night. But despite their sacrifices, the shadow could not be defeated. Only cast out. Imprisoned and forgotten, by all but one. Twilight took a deep breath and all tried to compose herself. She closed her eyes and lit her horn, activating the very first enchantment in the luminous contraption dominating her bedroom. Lines traced upon the air, now sparkling with magic, and at the very core, an intricate rune circle, began to shine brightly. The spell hummed as it came to life, purring with the steady flow of magic supplied by the unicorn over the course of it's creation. Sparkling and singing, various enchantments activated and came to life, slowly filling Twilight's quarters with bright light. The summoning spell was an amalgamation of known magics, coupled with a few of good guesses and approximations derived from dusty old tomes. Conjuration magics still existed; dragons seldom answered the calling though, and when they did, the great wyrms demanded outrageous payments of gold and gems. The luminous folk from the sunlit pastures were even more withdrawn from pony affairs, for not one did answer a summon in over four hundred years. Eventually, the pony sages ceased practicing their art, death claiming the last summoners of old. Conjuration was now forgotten. A relic of the past. Twilight kept feeding the spell a steady stream of magic; she hazarded a look at the array of spinning cubes. Now singing in harmony, they were the most crucial and uncertain part of the enchantment. Most of the other components were taken straight from other conjuration magics. This though, a part exclusive for contact with the shadow plane was an untested and highly theoretical piece of work. Twilight spent far too many dreamless nights, drawing diagrams and making calculations, for it to simply fail. The arcane contraption chirped and whizzed, cubes slowly modulating both the colors and sounds they were producing. Suddenly, moved by some unknown force, all the cubes blinked with searing white light and turned in unison. The unicorn allowed herself to smile. It looked like the spell had found something. Somethings was amiss. Celestia stirred from her slumber and slowly craning her majestic neck, gazed upon the full moon. The silver orb dominated the star specked sky. It seemed bigger tonight, too. An image of a crying mare on the moon's bright surface brought pain to the sun regent's heart. As she walked towards the center of her private dais, Celestia could not shake the feeling of impending doom. Standing on the marble structure overlooking her sleeping city, the princess shivered. And then she saw it. Not with her pony eye, but with a sense far more complex and delicate than ones used by mortals. Cracks upon the walls she herself helped to erect a millennium ago. "I strived to be vigilant in my task," she told the cold night's air as the stars winked at her from afar. "The barriers are breached. It is only a matter of time before the gate creaks open. Where I too blind or too proud to notice as the locks weakened over the centuries?" The white alicorn stood still for a couple of moments, then slumped her shoulders and lowered her head. Tears appeared on Celestia's cheeks as she whispered, "I will see you soon, sister." She did not know whether the shiver that came was caused by cold night or fear. Celestia could not sleep under this new, strange, starry sky. Dust and smoke filled her bedroom. Twilight panted heavily as she tried to stand up on shaky legs. The spell worked. There was some more feedback than she anticipated, but she managed to pull through. Sweat covered her body from exhaustion and a bit of moisture made itself known between her haunches. Twilight blushed and cursed herself for having such a sensitive horn. Unfortunately with a spell requiring this much power such... Accidents, were unavoidable. Conflagration of her possessions was the least of Twilight's worries, though. She shook her head and looked around to assess the aftermath of the spell. Slowly, the dust settled and she spied two pony shaped figures trotting cluelessly through the smoke. Two? So the fail-safe worked. Too well it seems. The unicorn lit her horn once again and with no small amount of effort blew all the smoke out of the window. She could now see that her bedroom suffered some fire damage. More importantly, two alien ponies were now staring directly at her. Both looked more or less like the ponies from Equestria. They seemed to be around her age. There were some differences, though. Dark coats on both stallions, curiously shaped ears, pointy and ending with a bit of fluff. Almost predatory. And their eyes. Catlike, golden. Piercing her with their stare. Stallions. And handsome ones at that. Twilight gulped and clamped her tail tighter against her privates. Suddenly, flashes of the Shadowking - a great, burly stallion, not unlike one of her visitors, taking her on a bed of stars, filled Twilight's vision. She desperately needed a distraction. The protocol! Right, all summoning rituals involved a protocol. Twilight offered the two guests an uncomfortable laugh-shiver and picked up the scroll she prepared earlier from the floor. Fortunately, it did not fall prey to the fire. "Ahem", Twilight started, "Thou who hath answered my summons, I welcome thee, to the realm in-between. From the shade, thou hath come, now heed my word and my will be done." She finished reciting the ancient rite, it's solemn tone spoiled a bit by a building pressure inside her. She could swear she heard a drop of moisture from her nethers make a little tap as it fell onto her chamber's floors The two stallions looked at one another with confusion. "What... did she," tried to whisper the smaller one. He was quickly silenced by the larger with a blow to the back of his head. "The call is answered, the darkling hath arrived. Thine will compels me, thine words be law," answered the larger, burly stallion. He had a commanding aura around him, he stood straight looking Twilight right in the eye. There was no hint of fear in his voice or posture. This made Twilight blush even more. "Oh! The summoning rite! Of course, of course! But why? And how? I believe there were barriers placed all around the gloom... Why, it was the first great Darkseer who did most of the legwork, fascinating pony. I believe I've read some of his works regarding..." the smaller darkling started to ramble, largely ignoring the displeased look on his companion's face. Twilight took this change to asses him more thoroughly. His made was pretty unkempt and messy. Midnight blue. His coat was gray, dull and she believed she could spy splotches of what looked like ink in a few places. Curiously, Twilight noted a lack of cutie marks on both darklings. "Ah yes. My name is Shem by the way. My pleasure to meet you!" he blurted out in Twilight's vague direction, then continued trotting around and talking. "This is monumental! First encounter since the Upheaval, I believe! I should write it down. Now why didn't I bring my pen?" "I-I'm Twilight Sparkle," offered the purple unicorn, a little shaken by the darkling's ramblings. She took a better look at Shem's companion; his coat was almost black and had a blue shine to it. His mane, expertly styled was dark blue. Twilight also noticed a silver necklace around his neck. Now he was staring at her again. His eyes. Flashes of kings and soldiers appeared again. Sweaty stallions, velvet ropes. Aching in her nethers. She whimpered softly as her eyes darted around her bedroom. Quick, think of something else! "You may call me Darshe'var Hassam'an Ysmad'iram, mistress," said the larger stallion, now slowly advancing towards panicked Twilight. Shem raised an eyebrow at this introduction and looked at the black darkling with interest. "You have summoned us, Queen herself knows how, but the ancient pacts still hold unbroken. By the laws of our forefathers, how may we be of service?" asked Darshe, now only a few paces between him and the purple unicorn. It was at this point that something broke inside Twilight's brain. Her was face now red with embarrassment and excitement. Two stallions from her dreams were apparently pledging their services to her. She eyed Darshe again and whimpered, feeling how unmistakable mare-juice made it's way down her hindleg. Celestia will have her hide for this. "On the bed," she instructed the black darkling. The princess will send her to the moon. Then again, she was a naughty, naughty unicorn. So it's not like she had any choice, right? "Shem," she said with shivering voice, managing to get the attention of the gray darkling, previously fascinated by the telescope in the back of her bedroom. Twilight motioned for him to come closer. She looked at Darshe. He was now visibly uncomfortable, trying to stand on her wobbling mattress. The purple unicorn licked her lips. She pounced the darkling and using his confusion to her advantage, turned him on his back. Darshe looked her in the eye with a hint of fear and uncertainty. Twilight managed a sultry look and licked his jawline. Then, with a flurry of kisses, she made her way towards his lips. They kissed for what seemed like eternity, both hesitant but aroused by the experience. Seeing no sign of protest in Darshe's eye, she made a small smile and trailed a path of kisses towards the darkling's tummy. Twilight could feel him tensing up to first, but thanks to her ministrations, Darshe quickly relaxed. Giving in to the pleasure, he started panting. It wasn't long before Twilight saw it. Now erect, with a bit of precum already on the top, her dream stallion's member. Twilight gave it a cautious lick. Then another one, gauging the darkling's reaction. He was whimpering softly, looking right at her. She felt a rush of excitement, and without more thought took Darshe's stallionhood in her mouth. Meanwhile, Shem looked at the pair on the bed with a red face. His throbbing stallionhood was making inself known, aching for release. He bit down on his bottom lip, looking around. His gaze continued to wander towards the pair on the bed, though. And then he saw it. Twilight raising her tail, moving it out of the way and granting Shem a look at her now exposed and glistening marehood. His hooves moved on their own, eyes affixed to the place between the mare's legs. He was close now. Could almost touch it. He felt heat radiating off Twilight, and her needing nethers. Shem let out a primal snort, putting both his hooves on the unicorn's back. He moved a bit closer, making his way onto the bed, now his member lining up to Twilight's opening. He heard her let out a cute moan. Shem could wait no longer, there, busy sucking off another colt, was the most beautiful mare he has ever seen. He needed her. He had to have her. And with one strong thrust, he entered her. Twilight yelped as she felt the intruder stretching her insides. She was in heaven. Feeling both members, one ravaging her needing crevice, the other one in her mouth, spasming dangerously close to release. Some part of her mind told her to take things slow, or it would hurt, but she paid it no attention. Shem seemed to be fucking her gently, and just hard enough. Twilight let out a soft cry, muffled by the large stallionhood occupying her mouth. She felt so wonderfully stretched and full. The unicorn started making small circles with her tongue, keeping her eyes on Darshe's face and marveling at his every little reaction to her teasing. She could hear them both panting and moaning in their own rights. Their sweat intermingled with Twilight's own, was now staining her fur. Shem's speed increased and she almost lost it. He seemed to notice and slowed down, not willing to let her come just yet. Twilight sucked hard on Darshe's stalionhood, massaging it with her tongue, determined to taste his seed before her own release. She fondled his balls with her free hoof, raising her rump at the same time to give Shem more leverage. Twilight felt Darshe tense and thrust into her mouth a couple of times. Then, he spasmed and released sticky, salty substance into her muzzle. Twilight thought it tasted disgusting, but she could not bring herself to care. She moaned as she moved her head away, closing her mouth and swallowing some of it. One more spasm of black darkling's member stained her coat with cum. Twilight let out another moan as she used her hooves to smear some of it over her small, supple breasts and underbelly. What a dirty little mare she was now. If the princess would see her like that... Her train of thought was interrupted by Shem. She could hear him grunting on her back as he rode her into oblivion. He was going faster and, his forelegs clamped on her torso and eyes closed. He was getting closer too. Twilight turned her head and licked Shem's cheek. Then, she took a good look at the stallion she had just serviced. Darshe,s sprawled upon her cushions, wore a smug grin of satisfaction upon his face. She didn't like his expression one little bit. Twilight narrowed her brow, looking at him intently. An idea came. Although the purple unicorn felt heaven itself descend upon her, as Shem's ministrations proved to be more than satisfactory to her liking, she felt as if she needed more. After all, both darklings were hers to command. With a grin, she bent down and gave Darshe a deep kiss, letting him taste his own seed. He tried to move her out of his way at first, pushing her away with his hooves, but he struggled againt her weight, combined with Shem's, who was busy mounting her and moaning into her mane. After a few moments, Darshe's defeat became obvious. He started to clean up Twilight's muzzle with his tongue. She felt him explore her mouth, slowly caressing her cheeks from the inside, and touching her tongue with his own. When Twilight felt he did enough, she wrestled his tongue into submission and took his face in both her hooves. She looked him deep in the eye. He was afraid now. Good. Twilight smiled triumphantly and gave his nose a playful lick. Twilight's hooves guided Darshe's face downwards, where he began licking her cum-stained fur. Without much protest this time. Shem meanwhile started kissing his lover's neck, biting her in between the kisses. As he felt Twilight move her rump in tandem with his thrusts, he redoubled his efforts. The purple unicorn, voiced a constant stream of moans and cries, without regard for other occupants of the castle. She was close. Shem tensed up and released his seed right inside her. Twilight enjoyed the sensation - warm liquid filled her up and prompted her to squeak cutely. Shem spasmed again, clutching her in his hooves. She could feel some of the white liquid overflow and stain her sheets. She didn't mind. Shem, now empty and spent, slipped out of her. The gray colt fell on his back, panting. He looked at Twilight with adoration in his eyes. She rewarded him with a cute smile. "Whoa," was all that he managed to say before he slumped down onto the bed. A few minutes later, he was sound asleep, dreaming of the purple mare. As Darshe cleaned up his mistress, his efforts focusing now on the pair of young teats, he felt Twilight's guiding hoof pushing him downwards. She repositioned onto her back, spreading her legs as wide as she could and shoved the black darkling's muzzle right in front of her lower lips. Darshe saw the cum coating his mistress' entrance and hesitated for a moment. He looked up and saw a smile and a pair of expectant eye. He couldn't disappoint. The black darkling hazarded an exploratory lick, tasting another stallion's seed. Twilight let out a soft moan as she felt him massaging her tender flesh with increasingly decisive strokes of his tongue. Twilight lit her horn and with a swoosh of magic, Darshe was now on his back and she, riding his muzzle. "Go on," Twilight said innocently, when he look at her in confusion. She caressed his cheek with her hoof. After a bit of a struggle, she felt the darkling relax. His tongue was now exploring her cum-coated love canal, licking and kissing every inch of her treasure. Moaning and caressing her delicate teats, Twilight began to slowly rock her hips, as she rode Darshe's muzzle. He was now completely hers. With a swish of her tail and a slight motion of her leg, she could have him where she needed him most. It wasn't long before she cried out one last time, a violent release shaking her body. Twilight slid down to Darshe's muzzle and gave him a deep, tongue filled kiss. She could taste herself. After a while, she sensed that they were both exhausted. Twilight stopped the kiss and gave the panting darkling one more sultry look after which, she playfully licked his nose. Slowly, she stood up and made her way toward's Shem's sleeping form. She slumped down next to him, embracing the gray darkling with her hooves. She waited. There it was. Awkwardly at first, Darshe made his way towards the two. She could feel his gaze on her neck. Then, she felt the black darkling lie down next to her and a pair of hooves embracing her barrel. Twilight felt a happy sigh of a spent stallion on her neck. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, exhausted by two creatures Equestria had not seen for a long, long time.
The pathwaysTwilight stirred from her slumber and smiled peacefully. The light of the noon sun slowly crept up her muzzle and began chasing her dreams away. Her eyes fluttered open, and the lavender mare hummed happily, feeling her body wake. The covers on her bed were a mess. She lay on her back, entangled in the stained, sticky sheets. Her legs were splayed open, showing her treasure to the world. Two perky teats stood firm, a soft, sensitive nipple crowning each mound. A hint of moisture, glistening in between now cold and tightly closed pair of purple lips told a story about last night's exploits. Every minute detail of her slender figure was on display for everypony to see. Twilight entertained a hazy thought of somepony barging in and seeing her in this lewd position, but she could not bring herself to be embarrassed. Such musings brought only gradual arousal and increased heart rate. As she lay there, the purple mare could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. Her lower lips were now parting slightly and dampening again. Stifling a yawn with her hoof, Twilight giggled. She gave it an exploratory lick and blushed, when the taste of the last night lingered on her tongue. Then, the unicorn stirred, trying to move a tiny bit away from the offending sun, and closed her eyes again. She graced her hoof with one more lick - this time making sure to cover it thoroughly in her saliva. With another blush, she traced it down her cheek and jawline, trying to remember every detail of her encounter with the darklings. Agonizingly slowly, Twilight moved the hoof across her lavender coat. Lazily, she caressed herself, eliciting soft moans and happy hums. Tracing lines on her belly, she finally dared to venture farther into the forbidden realm. Making her way around two mounds, Twilight was almost at her destination. She bit her lower lip, teasing herself with hesitant movement. Then, with a slight tremble and a gasp, she finally touched her love. Twilight hissed sharply. She was sore down there. In no condition to pleasure herself. Such a pity. The lavender mare opened her eyes and slowly sat up on her bed, humming cutely as she stretched her back. Some other time, maybe. She blinked a couple of times, and took an note of the state her bedroom was in. Black soot marked the floor where the intricate patterns of her spell sparkled with power the night before. A couple of pillows were singed; an unlucky table was missing a leg. Her bed was an utter, embarrassing mess - the sheets definitely needed to be changed. Twilight also noted two pony-sized indentations near the place where she fell asleep. She touched one with her hoof, moving the fabric slightly and blushing furiously. Memories of Shem and Darshe assaulted her senses again. As expected, after the spell expired, both her guests were sent back, leaving no trace of the darklings' visit. Except maybe one sweaty unicorn with a dirty coat. Promptly, she hopped off her bed and after one more yawn, Twilight headed for her bathroom. "Good morning, princess!" chirped happily Twilight Sparkle the moment she saw her mentor walk into the dining hall. She smiled at the white alicorn and helped herself to some more hay salad while she waited for her mentor to make her way over. She had quite an appetite this afternoon. Celestia joined her student and began filling her plate with various delicacies arranged around the table. Encased in the alicorn's golden magic, some horseradish in sweet sauce floated over the cutlery and gracefully landed on the sun monarch's plate. She noted her student's expression out of the corner of her eye; Twilight was positively glowing. "It looks like somepony is in a great mood today," Celestia said with a warm smile. Twilight was caught off guard and promptly blushed, finding sudden interest in her hooves. "I've... Had... Some major breakthrough with my research, princess," she answered, not daring to look her mentor directly in the eye. A moment later, a smile crept onto her lips, and the lavender unicorn giggled happily. "But yes, I am in a pretty great mood today. Thank you, princess." This time she looked at the white alicorn, who in turn smiled lovingly at Twilight. "I'm glad," Celestia said, her gaze lingering a moment too long on her student's features. Twilight noticed. As her mentor turned her head away, the purple unicorn caught a glimpsed of the white wing twitching a tiny bit. Something was not right. Although Celestia sough to hide it, Twilight could almost instinctively feel it now. The discomfort, hiding beneath a veneer of her usual self. Did something happen? And were her princess' eyes bloodshot or was it just a stray ray of unflattering light? Twilight's eyes darted all around Celestia's frame, desperate to find more signs of her mentor's ailment. A crooked feather, a rough patch on her coat. Something really was not right. The purple mare opened her mouth to voice a concern about her princess' well-being. "Oh, look at the time, my dear." Celestia said, intercepting Twilight's words and wearing a smile that she thought would be reassuring. "I have some matters that need my personal attention. Unfortunately the delicate clockwork that is Equestria's government does require a bit of oil once in a while to keep the gears moving smoothly." The princess looked intently at Twilight. "Until our next meeting, my faithful student. I am eager to hear about this research that consumes your nights," she said, raising up majestically from her place at the dinner table. Gracing confused Twilight with one more loving smile, she was off. Twilight sat silently astounded, her eyes trailing behind the leaving alicorn. She was terrified now. Something really was wrong with her princess. And she didn't know how to help. In the gloom of Ysmad, the restless darkness stirred. A cloaked figure emerged from the inky mist, splotches of blackness swirling around her hooves only to dissipate into nothingness a moment later. She spied several masked ponies, gathering in the glade, whispering to one another, plotting, under the cover of the everlasting night. In the center of the clearing, lay the Anchor. Sprouting from the very fabric of the plane, dark vines shone in the pale moonlight. Tangled and crooked, they affixed the first link of the Greatchain to Ysmad itself. The enormous iron link groaned, strained with the weight it was carrying. One of the vines snapped, but it was quickly replaced by another, sprouting from the ground and twisting itself around the chain. The gargantuan links crept upwards into the night sky where against the star specked sky stood the captive moon. Bound and tied with iron and ancient magic. The Greatchain affixed the white orb to the soil of Ysmad, leaving it forever haunting it's skies. On the moon's milky surface, an image of a dark mare scowled at those who would dare to look upon her. The Queen gazed upon her subjects from the heavens. The cloaked mare prowled slowly through the shades of undergrowth. She remained hidden from the sight of masked darklings - engaging on her own would be suicidal. She had done more that enough already; the masks of overlapping stripes of silver were a clear mark of the fanatics. Intel on their mobilization would net her a healthy reward - all she had to do was wait, hidden, and report her findings. The spy narrowed her eyes; something was happening now. She saw one of the masked ponies uncork an intricately carved silver bottle, and pour some luminous, golden liquid onto the ground. In a flash of light, runes and lines of magic appeared all around the masked heretics. After one more moment, an array of runes encircled the Anchor, making it groan under the strain. Her heart nearly stopped for a moment, as the cloaked mare stared wide-eyed at the arcane display of magic. Briefly, terror griped her. Had they found a way to destroy the ancient prison? The Anchor stood quiet, though. Golden runes slowly faded. No, of course not. It was simply a bunch of delusional fools chasing an unattainable dream. Whatever they thought they were doing, it failed. Silence. Then, she heard on earsplitting cacophony of iron, grinding against iron. As the very earth shook under her hooves, one of the links cracked. Groaning under an unimaginable strain, it began to slowly open. Not enough to break the Greatchain. No, not yet. The mare stood paralyzed in the shadows. A thought came. She had to let the Shadowking know. The heretics became the biggest threat to the Ysmad since Upheaval itself. And now these lunatics were on the verge of releasing the crazed Queen. She had to deliver the message. The cloaked mare quickly turned, preparing to get away and to run to the city of Ysmad'ir. Instead, she felt pain. She looked down and saw crimson. A long, steel sword was piercing her chest. A silver mask on a pony before her reflected the pale moonlight. And a pair of golden eyes, stared at her with contempt. And then, she felt the darkness embrace her. The Tartarus differs from most other planes in one crucial aspect - travel to and from the wretched lands is possible without aid of any magic. Long ago, before the history was being recorded, when the ancients frolicked and played without worry, the Gates were created. Enormous, imposing structures carved into mountain ranges and hills, forever scarring the planes with their very presence. Along with them, the first age of strife came. Vile cohorts spewed forth from the Gates, wreaking destruction and bringing evil wherever they strode. It was then, that the ancients allied with mortal races and with combined efforts drove the enemy back whence it came. The gates were sealed and barred. Powerful magics were woven to prohibit the history from repeating itself. But then, the shadow came. It fooled all the noble races, corrupted and twisted their loyalties. The enemy let the fools drink it's poisoned words, and when the time came, it led them to the Gates. One by one, the seals were broken and the magics ripped to pieces. When the pathways between the planes opened, the enemy roused it's banners and bid it's armies to march. Smoke and ash filled the skies with dark clouds. Sound of thunder quickly followed the light, illuminating them from within. On the horizon, imposing mountains were spewing forth fire from their bellows. Under her hooves, sulfur stained the black, volcanic rock. Celestia looked at the great summit dominating the mountain range, and took wing. She had not much time. Old alliances needed to be reforged in the dawn of coming war. In the land of flames, beneath roaring stone, therein lay in slumber one of her oldest friends. Twilight's quarters looked pristine once again. It took a bit of work, covert trips to the laundry rooms and brushing up on her mending spells, but the results were satisfactory. It helped in getting the thoughts off her princess, too. Twilight allowed herself to make a smile. Now, next on the agenda: rework the summoning spell and begin charging it once again. Blushing, she berated herself for acting hastily and thoughtlessly the last time. Twilight Sparkle, the first unicorn to make contact with the darklings in over a millennium. A unicorn who then proceeded to fuck the ambassadors of this alien race silly. Her face fell. She suddenly hoped her achievements would be overlooked by historians and forgotten in obscurity. Twilight scrunched up her nose in thought. Even though a whole wing in the Canterlot Library was now most likely out of the question, perhaps she could still get a shelf to her name? "Perhaps in the adult section," offered some part of her brain. Shush. Quiet, you. She sighed. Focus. One step at a time. You have a spell to finish. The purple unicorn sat down at her desk and began making her way through the maze of papers and notes. She tweaked the equations, balanced the rune lattices and redrew arcane shapes and symbols that composed her spell. Her spell. Come to think of it, this was the first time she actually invented a true, unique spell. She re-purposed enchantments, used magic in an innovative way before, but this was different. Something she could truly call her own. Even if it was just a rediscovery, Twilight still let herself giggle in excitement. It looked like she was in for a great night. In the bowels of a black mountain, in a great cavern gleaming with unimaginable treasures lay a scaled, coiled shape. It stirred from it's slumber, sensing an intruder. As the wyrm's eyes opened, a smile slowly graced his lips. "Celestia... How long has it been, my old ally?" the dragon asked with deliberation, his thundering voice reverberating throughout the very mountain. "Too long, my friend," answered the white alicorn, offering a smile in turn. "I am afraid I bring grave news. A plea for your help-" she began, a hint of fear and awe painted on her face. "So, it has returned..." interrupted the wyrm, scowling at the alicorn. "I have warned you, long ago. The path that you yourself had chosen led you here. Recall my advice. Have I not predicted this outcome?" The dragon moved his enormous head to face Celestia. She seemed so tiny and fragile when standing next to the giant. "Your own foolishness and misplaced hope will be the undoing of your little ponies." "I ask only that-" she started, visibly distraught by the wyrm's words. "The dragons are not yours to command. Our mountains are secure. Our gates, locked. Our lairs, hidden. There is no danger to this land. Even in the prime of it's power, the shadow dared not to step into the realm of eternal flame. Too much would we risk, bringing our help this time." The wyrm grew silent. After a moment, he spoke solemnly. "We still mourn those lost during the war. Those who fought back then still live to this day. We remember. Mistakes are to be learnt from, not repeated." "You are spelling doom for my people," Celestia said. The great wyrm had to understand. She waited, judging his expression. In the dragon's eyes, she saw only compassion, though. And fear. She lowered her head in defeat. With a broken voice, she continued. "Starrnar has abandoned the alliance as well. Others are lost or too scattered to bring together again in time." "He suffered a great loss. You must not blame him, the Stagking has bled more than enough for your ponies." "I know. He swore to kill me if he were to ever see me again." A tear appeared on Celestia's cheek. "He loved her too much. When she was taken by the enemy, he had lost all. Now, their hearts full of grief for the fallen, the luminous folk have retreated into their own domain. Not a single one has appeared in Equestria for centuries. The pathways have been severed, the gates locked. They will not come. We are alone." "The Shadowking will stand with you, as the first one did. The youngling on the throne will accept the responsibility that his ponies must bear." "The barriers are still too strong, and my sight can not pierce the gloom just yet. I am unable to contact the darklings. I fear, by the time I open the path to the dark realm, Ysmad might be no more." In the land of Equestria, not far from the village of Ponyville, hidden inside a mountain crevice and forgotten by the ponykind, an enormous gate of corroded, violet metal hugs the great cavern's wall. In soft rays of midday sunlight, penetrating the ceiling's opening, shine intricate reliefs, carved upon the gate's surface. They depict wretched creatures that should have no right to exist; twisted limbs, mismatched bodies, cruel fangs and claws adorn them. Fury boils in their eyes. Motes of dust flicker in the sunlight before settling on the giant steps of smooth stone leading up to the gate. In the land of Equestria, by the village of Ponyville, beneath a mountain, from the other side, something knocked.
