Kingdom of Shadows

Twilight 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.