It did not take long for the survivors of Stallbluf to reach their destinations, they had been matching without rest from their sacked city all the way to the mountain ranges surrounding Canterlot, and had just reached the treacherous cliffs and gorges, where even the bravest of climbers fear to tread, and it was at this point that the life of a certain "Sour Dough" would become rather important. Miss Dough had lived in Stallbluf all her life, from filly to mare, and she had been a very popular baker (as one can assume) amongst her fellow villagers since her mark appeared. Now, her once bright fur was stained darker by countless tears, the first from having to watch her bakery burn, then from the deaths of her friends, but the most devastating blow came in the form of her family's fate. They marched for hours on end, the massive warriors watching their every move, waiting for an excuse, and none too soon, they got one. For you see, Sour's husband Risen, whispered "now" to Sour. Suddenly, and without any warning, Risen bolted from the line, carrying their month old foal Cookie upon his back. Now, Sour had always been tentative, and reluctant when dealing with sudden actions, even Risen's proposal to her shocked, and even terrified her to the extent that she declined in sheer panic, before accepting shortly after calming herself! Now, her tentative nature unfortunately kicked in, and she was frozen where she stood. Needless to say, the guards were all too eager to kill something, and darted after the fleeing father. Sour watched as her husband and only child were chased into the forested undergrowth lining their road by ravenous barbarians, she prayed to Celestia that they would find some asylum in the woods, she even began to convince herself that the pursuers had given up, that help had arrived, that the nightmare would all end, that she could return to a liberated and pure Stallbluf, rebuild her bakery, raise her foal...
And then she heard the snap.
Followed by the screams.
Followed by the evil laughter of their captors.
Then the wails of their infant.
And finally the sounds of skulls being crushed underfoot.
Then there was silence.
Until Sour wept.

She ran into the brush, screaming fruitlessly for her husband and child, and finding only pain. For another guard had caught her by her mane, and yanked her back in line. She screamed until the guard grew tired of her noise, and silenced her with a swift hit to the head. When she awoke, they were in a series of mountains, traveling along a thin road carved into the terrain,she also noticed that the party of 19 ponies had been reduced to a meager twelve, seven more dead, including...
Then the memories returned, and she again began to wail, receiving a scolding, and another blow from the marine that carried her, looking upon her assailant only caused her to scream even more. The pitch black armor with its golden trims and cruel looking horns took the mare by surprise, evermore did the red eyes which seemed to bore into her very being the longer she stared. But what really frightened her, were the heads decorating his (she assumed it was male) armor, because she recognized them all.

"Who... who are you?" Sour asked in a mixture of disgust and awe. "It wants to know of us brothers," the being said to his fellow companions, who continued their paranoid observations of the prisoners. "I shall tell you whelp. We come from beyond the very stars, from a place which would shatter your pathetic little psyche at the slightest glance, we traveled hereby the will of of our Gods, who on this day deem your insignificant xeno lives as forfeit." Sour had no time to respond, as a marine cried out "there it is!" from the back of the column, and upon looking forward, Sour's heart shrank, and her stomach turned.

The entrance to the fabled cave was now utterly unrecognizable from its former state of simply being a gated doorway, and now took on the likeness of a complete fortress. There were massive black walls, still being constructed by hordes of warp-spawned serfs, and some pony slaves, as well as great bronze gates, sealing off the area from the rest of creation. Within these walls were countless horrors in the eyes of Sour and her fellow prisoners, she saw guardsmen being tortured and killed in horrible ways, she even saw a horde of laborers devouring a corpse just to the column's right. And then there were the heads, countless heads and skulks of ponies, be they civilian, military, colt, mare, or foal. Even some decaying torsos were still attached, and hung from great iron wheels along the path.

"You fear death here little ones?" A guard at the rear asked the column, receiving few responses, all of which were affirmative. "Do not despair quite yet, for we have plans for you..." And with that the guards screamed for the cultists. Some of the laborers darted over immediately, some wielding crude swords, but all wearing black robes covered in strange symbols.
"T-this way," one said in a terrified tone, which quickly disappeared once the marines left their presence "to the cathedral".

Sour and the others marched down an agonizingly long tunnel, passing many odd sights along the way. The strangest of them all being what looked like a gigantic robot chained to the floor and walls of the cave, screaming about death and writhing against it's bonds. The troop soon entered a large stone building, beautiful and terrible in design, covered in designs and statues terrifying to the equines now trekking within its doors. At the center of this vile place lay what appeared to be a great pool, filled with what could only be assumed was blood, the very air around it seemed to hum with unsettling energy, Sour related it to a time when a unicorn friend levitated her at a local party, but behind this particular feeling was only a sense of madness, and despair, unnerving to all the other prisoners.

Due to the overall lack of light, Sour and her prisoners only remembered their captors when they heard a low hum coming from them, turning to see them in a ring around the pool, arms outstretched and voices screaming praise to the "Dark Ones" Sour immediately pictured Discord or Nightmare Moon, but knew immediately that darker powers were at work here, ones that would shrivel the schemes of both evils to nothing. Around this time, the cultists ceased their chanting, and the surface of the pool began to bubble and churn. At this point, the leader of these cultist stepped forward, directed the ponies to the pool, and uttered two words, "enter now".

The ponies, bless their stupid courage, tried to run for their very lives, they reached the doors of the dark cathedral, only to be caught by sword wielding cultists, and swiftly cut down. All but Sour Dough, she had been much too shocked and fearful to take such drastic action, and stayed frozen in place while her fellows were slaughtered, and now, she was approached by the cultist leader.

"Very impressive" he hissed, "it would seem Lord Vilek is indeed wise in his judgement, you will serve perfectly" he now planted his hands on her head, and began to guide her toward the pool. "BUT WHY?!" Sour screamed, "why do you want me?! What is it about me that you freaks like so much?!" She shrieked in sadness and confusion, only for the heretic's snake-like voice to worm it's way into her ears, while his hands guided her evermore toward the pool's edge. "Because you are a traitor my dear, a lowly deserter, a coward. You turned your back on your friends, and as I understand it, your own family! Oh you are just perfect for us." It then dawned on Sour, she had been a coward, she had stayed behind when those around her died, she had let her family die, had not even the slightest urge to die with them, to die with her lived ones, she wanted only to save herself, she betrayed the trust of all her friends and family in their times of greatest need. She betrayed them. She was a traitor.

"B-but why all this?" Sour asked with tears flowing at her depressing revelation, "why do you need me?!?!" She screamed in fear, sadness, and anger. "For the dark Gods" the heretic answered simply, before pushing the broken mare into the pool, she never did surface, she didn't want to. "A pure soul to you my Gods!" The heretic screamed to the ceiling, as his brothers began their chanting anew. "made foul, and treasonous by your servant's machinations. Take her, and in return, return to us those who lie in this dark pool!" And with that final note, the pool stopped all motion, and the surface was stagnant again. And then, from it's very depths, movement stirred the surface, movement and bubbles showing the heretics the fruits of their labor, for surface was shattered by the sudden presence from beneath of two arms.
One adorned with the robes of a sorcerer, and the other with the robes if the Ommisiah.

Author's Note

Hello, back with a bloody long chapter for those watching. Remember to rate if you haven't, give me some feedback or suggestions, (I read a d appreciate every bit), and even favorite if your into that sort of thing. So I'll add more as soon as possible, but goodbye for tonight!