Chapter Thirty Seven: Violence Begetting Violence

~BlackRoseRaven

The Gala ended in the early hours of the morning, with the few nobles and politicians who had remained awake retiring to their room or outside to drive into Ponyville, where a surprising amount had reserved lodgings... although likely mostly so they could appear as if they were still on the side of New Equestria, and had only accepted Luna's invitations out of politeness or tradition. Servants began to clean up immediately, but Luna had declared most of it could be left until later, and most of those present seemed to welcome this thought.

Fluttershy and Nirvana had left early, with the more-fragile condition of the Pegasus, and Pinkie Pie was falling asleep on her hooves, intermittently energized and bouncy, then suddenly unable to keep her eyes open as she staggered mindlessly in whatever direction she had last been heading until she became bouncy again. Twilight Shadow awkwardly left to help her off to bed, while Celestia was already calmly patrolling the castle halls with the Moon Blessed and the Greater Nightmares, ensuring that the guests who were staying over at Enstasis were able to find their rooms... and weren't attempting to take advantage of Luna's hospitality by exploring.

Sleipnir left with Apple Bloom not long after with a tired-but-smiling Cheerilee, smiling and embracing Luna and Scrivener as the filly shared a nuzzle with Scarlet Sage. Then the enormous stallion had tossed Apple Bloom once more on his back and headed off into the night, humming cheerfully despite the fact clouds and moon were half-concealed behind thick strips of cloud in the sky. But they were safe: Luna already had patrols of Phooka, Nightmare, and other creatures silently moving along the road, ensuring that Kvasir wouldn't be able to act out any nasty little schemes to claim Luna was luring in and killing nobles.

Scrivener Blooms and Luna headed up to their quarters... and Scrivener was admittedly pleased when the Baroness Autumn Shine waiting for them. She looked a little less certain of herself at the sight of Luna, as Scrivener calmly went over to check on his pseudodragon, smiling and gazing lovingly over his sleeping pet as the Pegasus sat up on the bed and said apprehensively: "The... others, they've agreed to announce their intentions at the next meeting. It's in three days' time... and you remember your end of our little bargain, right?"

"Of course." Scrivener smiled over his shoulder at her as Luna grinned slightly and slipped onto the bed as Autumn shifted uncomfortably, glancing nervously over her shoulder as Luna reached up and grasped her shoulders... at first lightly, and then her grip grew tighter as Scrivener said softly: "Let me give you a taste of what you'll be receiving."

Autumn winced as she looked towards him, her eyes meeting his before Scrivener's glowed sharply, and she gasped, trying to resist... but what meant to be a scream came out only as a whimper that died down into a weak hiss, her struggles becoming shivers as Luna went from holding her in place to gently supporting her.

Her thoughts, her mind, was delicious to him: she thought she was superior, she was arrogant, and her pride tasted silky and smooth, like the whipped cream of the spirit. And she made for good practice, too, as he concentrated not just on feeding, but on warping her thoughts, distorting her mind, bending her to his will.

When the link broke and he drew back, Autumn simply sat limply for a few moments, breathing slowly... and then her eyes flickered weakly before she looked up and smiled stupidly over at him, whispering: "That... that felt so good... I was scared at first but now I realize it felt good..."

Scrivener smiled almost kindly, his eyes dark as he said softly: "Then just wait until you become Moon Blessed, Autumn Shine. Nothing but pleasure, no more worries or fears..." He shrugged off his jacket, then reached up and removed his collar as Autumn gazed at him, and he paused before saying gently: "Your mind will start to return to normal... well, it's new normal... in a little bit. Until then, just lay down like a good girl, okay?"

Autumn smiled over at him dazedly, nodding slowly before Luna slipped away from the bed to watch with marked entertainment as the Pegasus keeled slowly backwards and flopped onto her side. She laid quietly, drooling a little onto the blanket, and Scrivener rolled his eyes before he glanced towards Luna, asking mildly: "Are you sure you want to make her into a Moon Blessed like she asked for? I'll understand if you say no."

"Nay, husband, let us give this silly creature what she wants." Luna leaned forwards, inspecting Autumn thoughtfully as Scrivener removed the last of his garments before the winged unicorn smiled slightly at him, saying softly: "I am a generous ruler after all, aren't I? And I am beginning to understand why demons enjoy giving ponies exactly what they ask for... this poor, pretty creature here does not know how fortunate she is."

Scrivener nodded after a moment, replying quietly: "But let's just make sure she doesn't have plans to try anything silly. She was smart enough to know about Sammy, after all."

Luna nodded and gazed over at him affectionately before they both turned their eyes back towards Autumn Shine as she stirred, then looked up and smiled a little at the sight of the winged unicorn and the poet, murmuring: "I must have dozed off..."

"It's alright, it's been a long day for you, hasn't it?" Scrivener said gently, and Autumn nodded after moment, even though she still seemed a little confused before the male prompted: "You were telling us about your plans for dealing with the Council of the Sun."

"Oh, oh, was I? My apologies, my lord..." Autumn smiled as she sat up slightly, saying quietly: "I have convinced Crystal Champagne, Saltwater Shores and Mellow Meadows to join your cause. Champagne was unhappy with the arrangement but it just required a little blackmail: she was already smuggling goods to you beneath the table from Manehattan for profit. I told her I'd show the council proof of her profiteering if she didn't cooperate. Salty and Mellow didn't take much convincing, especially not Salty... he likes the idea of the upcoming war."

"Good. For once, it will be good to have a warmonger on our side." Luna said mildly, and then she smiled and asked in an almost-kind voice: "How did thou know to earn our favor with the pseudodragon?"

"Oh, easy. I retracted the infamous route the Starlit Knights followed. Many of the texts mentioned you and Scrivener had a familiar, an undead pseudodragon." Autumn Shine looked pleased with herself as she nodded once. "I hoped you'd like it. I was right, right?"

Scrivener nodded with a slight smile, and then he and Luna traded looks before Scrivy grinned slightly and reached a claw out, gently guiding Autumn to look into his eyes as his own gave a faint pulse. "Now, Autumn... before we go further into business, I'm going to ask you to do some things for pleasure... to test your loyalty..."

Autumn only smiled at him... and more than an hour later, half-dragged herself out, bruised and with a few distinct claw-marks over her form, but looking enraptured all the same as a faint blue mist swirled up from her jaws. Scrivener, meanwhile, was sitting calmly up in bed with Luna pressed against his chest, smiling lovingly as the male said softly: "Business and pleasure. She'll obey anything we say and I didn't even have to break her will. She's so arrogant all I had to do was make it seem like it was her plan all along... she'll be a fun little toy."

Luna nodded against him, shivering a little... but not in fear, or disgust, but instead delight. She buried her head against his chest, her mane twisting backwards as she whispered: "I love it when thou speaks so, oh mighty King, my handsome monster Scrivener Blooms..."

Scrivy grinned slightly at this, licking his lips slowly, primal urges still rolling through his body and mixing with the endless hunger of the Tyrant Wyrm as he murmured: "Then I'll try and let myself be free more often, Luna... how about we celebrate our freedom? Our plans?"

He smiled slightly, then glanced to the side as his horn gave a faint pulse: a moment later, a Greater Nightmare appeared before Scrivener held up a hoof, and Luna gazed up at him adoringly as he said calmly: "We're celebrating the success of the Gala. Send us the Moon Blessed, a bottle of red wine, and a bottle of whiskey from the northern stocks. My wife is right: it's time for us to stop being afraid of what we're capable of."

The Greater Nightmare bowed to them with a smile before vanishing as it went off on its task... and in the morning, Scrivener Blooms emerged from the master bedroom with a yawn in his cloak, feeling refreshed as he grinned widely and his eyes glowed with pride and power. Luna, meanwhile, was curled up with the Moon Blessed around her, resting comfortably in bed for now as she allowed Scrivener to go about the task of ensuring Autumn was still under their influence while she simply took the day to relax.

Autumn clearly was, but all the same Scrivener fed off her again in the privacy of her room, strengthening the mind control further and leaving her in a prone, drooling and giggling heap on the floor after giving her a few extra gentle instructions, curious if she would carry them out or if the damage to her mind would fade enough before the next council meeting she would either forget or resist the orders.

As he left, he came across Celestia, who looked at him with slight disapproval and concern through her mask... but they had fallen into step together, he had explained his and Luna's reasoning, as he'd talked, felt whatever had risen up in him last night settling enough that he even felt guilty over breaking his years and years of sobriety last night. As he'd become moody and quieter, Celestia had comforted him, encouraged him, and Scrivener had finally felt himself evening out, ready to face the day.

They held an impromptu brunch in one of the large, usually-unused dining halls: Nibelung and pony servants passed out food and beverages, which seemed to settle the dignitaries that had stayed at Enstasis overnight. Celestia had suggested they use mortal servants specifically for the morning meal and Scrivener was somehow unsurprised to see her proven right again, even if he was amazed how such a small thing as not being served by demons seemed to have such an enormous impact on the officials and nobles. But, as Celestia pointed out later, many of them wanted some degree of normalcy, something they could relate to, and they were eagerly clinging to anything that let them say: 'hey, I do this too: therefore, they must be more like me than I thought.'

The nobles – including a manic, happy Autumn Shine – all left before evening, as Twilight Shadow moodily walked the halls: she was proud of them, and even glad that many of the nobles had treated her with respect once they'd gotten past her stitches and the fact she could pull her body parts off at will if she so pleased, but what had her upset was the fact that Scrivener Blooms and Luna had seen Discombobulation last night... but she hadn't. The Draconequus had apparently carefully avoided her, and it had hurt her strangely deeply, leaving her brooding and quiet. Eventually, Scrivener and Luna found her in one of the upper galleries of the Castle, and they had simply sat on either side of her, letting Twilight silently drop her head against the male's shoulder without the need for words, without any need to speak.

The next few days were spent cleaning up after the party, resuming business as usual, and receiving pledges of support from the nobles who had attended the Gala. Celestia had said it was very important not to pressure them into making a decision there and then, knowing the temperament of the Equestrian politicians... and she had again been proven right as most of them sent letters, small signs of loyalty and tribute, and even private messengers with their promises of aid. Distinct borders formed as territories sided with Luna or with New Equestria, and skirmishes became more common as families migrated back and forth, some terrified of what Luna was doing and heading for the 'safety' of New Equestrian territory, others hurrying towards the comfort of the night... and some simply trying to escape to either neutral ground or even out into the wild unknown beyond Equestria's borders.

Twilight's depression disappeared as she worked hard to keep up with the changes beside Celestia, who shared tips and advice on how to keep up with the constant flux of war. The two were dedicated to their work, and more than that, dedicated to Luna and Scrivener and their cause, despite Celestia's misgivings. She voiced these openly now and then when she had the chance, but Luna or Scrivy always soothed her... and more and more, she pondered on her vision of the red bird in the monster's nest, safe and secure, beginning to wonder if that was truly her... or if maybe it was supposed to represent something larger. What if she was one of the monsters hidden in the darkness as well: what if that red bird was something both more magnificent and more fragile than she could ever be...

The first true day Equestria recognized it was at war with itself came during the next meeting of the Royal Council: Autumn Shine had stood up, smiling, and calmly announced her intentions to leave New Equestria, bringing her entire barony with her, and join 'the true King and Queen of our nation.' She had then invited others to join her... and as expected, Saltwater, Meadows, and anxiety-riddled Champagne had all stood up: as less expected, a perhaps-acting-out-of-panic Caitiff Caprice had hopped to her hooves, probably to try and babble some fearful denial... and she had ended up lumped in with the others, forced to leave as they had marched out, realizing too late she had just accidentally joined the side of the two beings who terrified the former Mayor of North Neigh most in all the universe.

They had been attacked outside the assembly by demons and a few Nibelung, horrifying them and the crowd of ponies gathered outside the Temple of the Sun... but within moments, Greater Nightmares and other servants of Luna's night kingdom had appeared and driven back the collared-and-shackled lower tier demons and the Nibelung rogues. Eagerly, Autumn Shine had taken the chance to shout denouncements, picking up one of the iron, rune-covered collars, blaming the failed assassination on New Equestria as she pointed out the control devices, and the other Barons and Baronesses had added their own voices to the din shortly after, even scared and squeaky Caprice.

Kvasir had been horrified when the news had reached him, and when Sleipnir had stormed into his office and picked the unicorn up to pin him against the wall, he had squealed and then yelled desperately: "It wasn't me! It w-wasn't me, I swear!"

"I know it wasn't, idiot! 'Tis not why I am angry, great and miserable child-god!" Sleipnir shouted furiously back, shaking the unicorn violently, and Kvasir flailed weakly before the titanic stallion gritted his teeth. "Thou went and kicked the hydra, thou bragged about thy dishonorable tactics and moving in shadow, and now look at the evils thou hast wrought upon thine own head! Idiot, I told thee to present thyself honorably to my little sister or she would fight thy fire with worse flames of her own!"

"W-Wait, she... those... she copied the control collars and..." Kvasir paled, shaking his head wildly before he winced and landed on his haunches when Sleipnir finally stepped back from pinning him against the wall, the god breathing hard as he stared stupidly up at the stallion. "Then... oh no, I... I have to adjust my plans, expedite my designs..."

"Idiot." Sleipnir said disgustedly, and then he turned and left, snorting in contempt for the god and feeling pain and disappointment twist through his heart that Luna had used such trickery and treachery... and yet at the same time, he was ironically impressed. It also went to show just how serious Luna was... and the thought of trying to deal with a Valkyrie fighting without concern for morals or the laws of honor truly terrified him even before taking into account that it was his little sister... and that Luna was among the fiercest, strongest warriors he had ever met.

Celestia also had trouble approving of the tactics Luna had used... but at the same time, she had been grudgingly impressed herself. The idea that New Equestria might be enslaving and using demons as well had struck a serious blow to the morale and trust of their supports, and it had led to several neutral parties deciding to throw their lot in with Luna's Kingdom of the Night. It had also made Autumn Shine and the others who had left New Equestria seem more sympathetic: it allowed them to say that they had left the Royal Council out of concern for their own well-being for not being as engaged with the war effort as some of the others, and made New Equestria seem more vicious, and Autumn had seized on this opportunity... just as Scrivener Blooms had ordered her to.

The Barons returned to their territory, sending official messages of their alliance with and support of Luna, including Caprice – which made Luna and Scrivener laugh, and even Twilight give a nasty little smile – with the exception of Autumn Shine, who showed up at Enstasis less than a day after the meeting at the Royal Council. She was eager for her reward... a reward which Scrivener and Luna were glad to give her, leading her down into the darkness beneath Enstasis with the Moon Blessed, Twilight Shadow, and silent Celestia.

Autumn's cries of pain during the transformation echoed through the labyrinth of tunnels and up through the bottom floors of Enstasis for days as Scrivener, Luna and Twilight worked through the rituals with the aid of Greater Nightmares, the other Moon Blessed, and even Celestia... the last offering her aid on the account that they also permitted her to numb Autumn's pain, saying quietly: "She earned her punishment. She foolishly traded everything for power, without thinking of the consequences. But there is no need to add insult to injury with this torment."

And after three days, Autumn finally emerged from the catacombs pure ivory, her emblem gone, her mane almost glowing as it swirled backwards, orange and red and glorious. Now-sapphire eyes gleamed, and she had already taken on several golden adornments, decorating her body almost greedily and her broken mind filled only with oaths of loyalty to serve the needs and desires of her masters. A message was sent out to the eastern barony that Autumn had ruled saying that a temporary leader would be appointed, as Autumn had accepted a new position at Enstasis itself after proving her loyalty.

New Equestria obviously saw this change of leadership in the eastern barony as a vulnerability, as they desperately instigated what would the first important battle: an attack on a trade route near the border. Celestia had calmly noted that this major route was the fastest way between the far reaches of their territory and the rest of Luna's dark kingdom: the positioning of their territory was unfortunately awkward, meaning they had several key points that they would need to defend while they figured out what points of New Equestria to strike in retaliation.

The Kingdom of the Night, as it was called, was in a crescent that went from the far west, curled slightly downwards into Central Equestria – but not near enough the Temple of the Sun to make the seat of power of New Equestria an easy target – and then covered almost the entire eastern section of the nation, with a few smatterings here and there of factions dedicated to New Equestria. It looked almost like a black, deformed crescent moon on the map, which made Luna grin ironically when she had first seen it as Celestia quietly explained what locations they had to maintain, and why... as well as why they simply could not attack Ponyville with the hopes of crushing the spirit of New Equestria.

Not only were Celestia and Twilight hesitant to attack and raze the village because of whatever bonds they still had to it, the walls were high, there was an immense, salted trench around the outer edges of the plains, and the plains themselves were filled with encampments of soldiers, zebra, and even a few dragons. Not to mention the magic ward they had detected that would prevent Luna and Scrivener themselves from attacking, and likely Celestia and Twilight because of their own affiliations: it was ancient, powerful magic, likely done by Kvasir or whatever allies he had in Asgard.

Time passed: the defense of the trade route was successful, but Luna was forced to position both demons and more soldiers than she liked along the road to ensure it was maintained and their link with Autumn and Saltwater's baronies weren't broken. New Equestria withdrew its troops from the area, but immediately pushed forwards at the southern front: Celestia, however, declared it was an obvious ruse. There was little of value down there, and they could afford to give up some of their territory while they fortified defenses a little further up the line, letting the New Equestrian soldiers viciously push forwards, exhaust themselves, and then run into a literal wall. A Pegasus unit supported by a dragon attempted to get over this... and in the stormy skies, has been attacked by terrible, icy things. The Pegasi had been destroyed while the dragon had broken through, pushing pridefully onwards even as its wings had started to freeze over... and it had realized too late that the defensive wall was only the first of several, and behind it, was a field layered with stakes and spears before one of its wings shattered and it received a first-hand experience with the simple but effective defenses.

Luna was eager to take the field, but Celestia calmly told her that they could not leave Enstasis undefended, and in these first months of war, it was better that they allowed New Equestria to fight as hard as the nation liked. The Royal Council was not familiar with the ways of war, and although Kvasir held some strange sway with them, they had begun ignoring his messages in favor of their own tactics: to them, after all, he was no god, only Verdant Vintage, a high-ranking chancellor and cunning strategist... but not their superior, not the equal of the seven members of the Royal Council, nor was he trained in the art of war like their Generals.

Generals who all the same knew military theory and doctrine, but had only experienced true war in the months before Ragnarok... generals who were realizing all too late they had relied far too heavily on the fact that Celestia herself was the master strategist. Something that gave Luna the advantage for several reasons... especially when they tried to stage another attack using an old strategy of the former Queen's, and Celestia had detected it immediately, smiling and saying softly when a Nightmare informed her of the details of the incoming attack on their borders: "They didn't even change the troop count... it's the stampede diversion. Send out a small contingent of demons to pretend to engage them, then have them withdraw the moment they're pincered. They'll push aggressively forwards... let them. We'll lead them into Pandora's Canyon."

It went exactly as Celestia planned; the false engagement led to soldiers in hiding hurrying out and Pegasi rushing down from the skies on either flank, and the demons had quickly retreated into the nearby box canyon. The soldiers had pursued, intent to wipe out the enemy forces... only for grinning demons to vanish the moment they were cornered and a hail of rocks, bolts, and magic to fall from above. Only the Pegasi escaped... and only so a Nightmare could track one of the slower, wounded soldiers back to their encampment. When night fell, Phooka entered the campsite, hypnotizing the remaining soldiers... and when reinforcements showed up the next morning, mind-controlled soldiers of New Equestria rioted as they saw not fellow troops, but instead hideous monsters they savagely attacked as the herd of Phooka calmly rested in the shade of the nearby forest, waiting for the slaughter to end so they could clean up the scraps.

A few weeks after the Gala on the day of Scarlet Sage's birthday, Luna ordered all her soldiers – even those aggressively pressing back on important fronts – to return to defensive stances. Confused New Equestrian troops had hurried to regain lost ground, fortify their defenses, and send out supplies as Celestia had sighed... and yet the demonstration had touched her all the same, even if her logical mind knew it could be a costly maneuver. A day of neutrality, if not peace, was called for so that Luna could properly celebrate her daughter's birthday without worrying for the details of the war, making Scarlet blush deeply.

The filly got to spend the day in peace with her adoring parents and the other ponies who cherished her in Pinkie's dome, from Fluttershy to Celestia... to even Sleipnir, as he barged rudely in, delighting those present; even Pinkamena, despite the way she muttered and sulkily turned away from him. Sleipnir had kissed her cheek as he'd passed, however, and she had blushed and reached up to touch this, looking awkwardly after him as he'd walked up to Scarlet Sage, winked, then bucked the large present box off his back and handed it to her, saying kindly: "Open it now, otherwise it may expire. And that would be bad."

Scarlet Sage had done so, pulling the lid off... and Apple Bloom had leapt up out of the box with a grin, making the Pegasus filly yell in excitement and joy as she'd hugged her fiercely back. The others had only stared with amazement, then looked at Sleipnir as he shrugged and said easily: "The most difficult part was finding the box. After that, 'twas merely a matter of carrying it out and not telling anypony what was inside. I am sure I shall be roundly beaten by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and perhaps even Big Mac later, but I did tell them I was going to take the child out later. I simply never said to where."

Scrivener laughed... and on his shoulder, a tiny, black-scaled dragon chirped like a bird, lizard-like except for its leathery wings and small horns, small dark eyes flicking as it kneaded its claws lightly against the male's shoulder. Sleipnir's eyes drew to this, and he grinned brightly after a moment, saying eagerly: "Do we all get presents and pets, sister? Oh, I have always wanted a kitten!"

"Remember when we actually let you have a pet, Sleipnir?" Celestia asked mildly, her golden adornments glinting over her body, and Sleipnir looked at her awkwardly as Luna looked up with a wide grin. "I believe it was a dog. You swore you were going to take care of it, that it would make an excellent hunting and tracking partner. And two days later we had to give it away because it was attacking you every time someone said your name."

"It was a training error!" Sleipnir complained, and then he huffed and looked grouchily at Scrivener Blooms as the male grinned, shaking his head as the pseudodragon chirped cheerfully. "Oh shut up, Tyrant Wyrm. Take that midget version of thyself and-"

"Shush now, Sleipnir, do not ruin the mood." Luna winked over at the titanic stallion, who grumbled but then nodded after a moment before the winged unicorn's eyes returned to her daughter, saying quietly: "This is a special day. This is the day my beautiful daughter takes a great step towards becoming a mare."

There was no talk of the war, no talk of the battles or gossip about what was going on in Equestria during the party: Sleipnir was warm and happy to spend the time with his family, wending his way through the crowd and eventually ending up in a quiet spot with Pinkamena. They talked, studied each other, and Sleipnir became a little bashful as the demon ripped up fake grass and tossed it moodily around them every now and then in a nervous gesture.

Scarlet Sage's focus for the day was on Apple Bloom: the cake was wonderful, the time with her parents welcome, the presents she thanked each and every pony for... but her real gift for this was to be able to spend her birthday with the fellow filly she adored. And Luna smiled a bit, expression softening: that wasn't entirely right anymore, after all. They were growing up, larger than fillies, not quite mares, and it was so... strange to keep realizing again and again.

Sleipnir and Apple Bloom left before sunset, but not before Scarlet Sage promised to return the favor somehow, someway. It was touching because it was no empty promise: the determination in Scarlet's eyes, the trusting way Apple Bloom smiled... they honestly believed one another, even as they had to part. And watching them part hurt Luna and Scrivener both, and Sleipnir seemed reluctant to leave despite knowing he had to... before, surprisingly, Pinkamena had said awkwardly: "Hey, Scarlet, since I didn't get you a present, uh... how about I take you for a walk? Halfway to Ponyville's safe enough, especially with me by your side."

All eyes had stared at the demon... and then Pinkamena glared around at them all before wincing when Pinkie Pie hugged her tightly around the neck, trilling cheerfully: "I knew you had a heart!"

"Only when I want a snack." Pinkamena muttered, shoving her off and fighting back the obvious blush threatening her dull-gray features, and then she grunted at Scarlet Sage. The Pegasus looked quickly towards Luna and Scrivener, but they had smiled and nodded... and she had laughed and brightened.

When Scarlet Sage and Pinkamena returned that night, the growing girl was tired and the demon was moodier than usual. They both wanted to spend time with Luna, Scrivener, Twilight and Celestia, just talking, looking through the gifts Scarlet Sage had received, playing with Scrivener's pet pseudodragon, which he had named Mephistopheles and was proving to be just as intelligent and adept as Sammy had once been, bringing back fond memories of his old, lost friend.

Eventually, Scarlet Sage had been taken up to bed, and Twilight and Celestia had headed off to check on the status of the military and the fronts... but the two had been surprised to find Pinkamena silently waiting for them. She had followed them moodily around, mumbling every now and then but refusing to talk about what was on her mind. Instead, she just said she wanted to spend time with them... and since it seemed to help her, they were more than glad to do so.

Things went back to the new normal the next day: the war continued, and another major battle started to the north of Enstasis as an enormous dragon aerie was discovered in the mountains by scouts, guarded by Pegasi. It was a long battle: the sharp, mountainous terrain was too difficult for any infantry to navigate and they were easily picked off by Pegasi with crossbows or enormous dragons: even the black drakes that skittered over the most gnarled of mountains like it was flat ground were located and killed long before they could reach even the enormous, open circle of flat terrain around the set of mountains where the dragons had built their roost and were guarding a brood of young.

But strangely, it excited Celestia, of all people: she saw it as a challenge, her mind taking into account the extensive advantages that New Equestria had, knowing they couldn't withdraw too many soldiers from other locations – and that for the most part, it would be pointless to, with the impassable terrain – and that New Equestria had an entire garrison of Pegasus who had built a cloud barracks above a roost that had at least five adult dragons, three juveniles, and who knew how many young.

New Equestria was moving more soldiers and supplies by aerial chariot into the region. If their numbers continued to swell, they would eventually have a blanketing aerial attack force that could threaten Enstasis. Musing on this, Celestia finally sent in the North Wind to blockade the area... the cold, cruel spirits that were the bane of Pegasi, freezing over all the but the hardiest before they could reach them. New Equestria responded by dispatching their dragons, but the North Winds simply fled high into the sky where the dragons couldn't fly, then returned to set up the blockade again once the beasts were gone. The presence of the reptiles allowed New Equestria to safely and hurriedly ship supplies through with minimal interference, however, neutralizing the threat of the blockade.

The supply schedule to the aerie was fairly regular: a mistake, in Celestia's opinion, and one she exploited by readying their own squadron of Pegasi, supplemented by Greater Nightmares and the drakes that could rush over the terrain. She also hesitantly sent in Twilight Shadow, who had been hesitant at first... but when Scrivener and Luna had encouraged her, had become eager, wanting to prove she could make a difference in the war... and ready to do so by any means. The tactics Celestia explained were calm, cold, and cruel, the ivory equine almost uncomfortable explaining them... but Twilight had only smiled and said quietly: "It has to be done. This way, the fewest amount of ponies get hurt, right?"

As expected, most of the adult dragons left the aerie to guard the supply caravan, not knowing that Celestia's forces had been organized to the south and were watching silently. Twilight kept strictly to the schedule Celestia had given her, waiting patiently on a mountainside with her wings extended through the cloak she was wearing, breathing hard before she finally whispered: "Go."

The Pegasi shot forwards first: three formations of five, nothing compared to the platoons of New Equestrian Pegasi, but they were surprised all the same by the sudden attack... and even more surprised as the Pegasi pushed directly towards the aerie. Enemy soldiers flooded out of the sky barracks above, and Greater Nightmares silently, invisibly circling watched as the garrisons emptied, soldiers pouring out of the cloud structures cursing as drakes began to rush in from their flank. There were only six of them, but they moved fast, twenty foot reptiles armored in black scales like wood, with poisonous fangs and rending claws.

As expected, most of the soldiers broke off to stave off the drakes: the rest attacked the Pegasi as the adult dragon and the juveniles emerged, making quick work of their group. Pegasus corpses hit the ground, including a few New Equestrian slain by their own war machine dragons... and Twilight Shadow licked her lips slowly before she leapt out of hiding, propelling herself forwards as magic spilled through her body and her horn began to glow with dark light.

She flicked it firmly upwards as startled Pegasi turned towards her, and black bolts of lightning ripped through the air, striking and killing several Pegasi here and there, making one of the dragons screech as it pounded against its shoulder and the area struck instantly began to putrefy, and arcing bolts of dark current smashed into the corpses on the ground, shooting back and forth between them as they twitched. Then a volley of bolts slammed into Twilight's side, and she let herself drop limply with a grin even as her eyes glowed, confident the plan would be a success as she looked up and saw past the distracted Pegasi to where the Nightmares were standing on the clouds above.

She struck the ground hard, bouncing once, knocked senseless despite the lack of pain... and screaming brought her back to reality. Screaming, a strangely-sweet sound to her ears now, as she sat slowly up and absently pulled several bolts out of her body, looking up and watching as the adult dragon foamed at the jaws, rolling down the mountain as gray and black veins spread through its scales. Its voice was becoming unnatural, guttural, as Pegasi panicked and shot at grinning, dull-colored zombies spreading up from the aerie... and even if had only been a few minutes, she knew by now the entire aerie would be infected. The younger dragons couldn't breathe fire, they could only claw and bite... and contact with these creatures would pass on their short, unnatural life. The wings of the Pegasi had already rotted away, and their bodies were steaming, putrefying rapidly, shedding flesh as the same corrupting magic that gave them life quickly burned them away...

Some of the Pegasi had tried to regroup at the clouds... but it seared their hooves and bodies like acid to touch, and a dark rain had begun to drip from some parts of the structure, black poison burning its way into the bodies it struck, driving Pegasi into madness and sending them fleeing in fear. The chaos was almost total, and the Nightmares had already done their duty and left as Twilight Shadow bowed her head respectfully towards the aerie, saying gently: "Your sacrifice won't be forgotten, friends. Celestia was right as always..."

She paused, glancing towards the drakes: most lay dead, but two had actually made it into the aerie. They would likely be infected as well, but with their larger bodies and hardier constitutions, there was a good chance that they would last long enough for the adult dragons to return before they deteriorated completely. And the last adult dragon was gurgling on the rocky wastes nearby, Twilight studying this curiously as it rasped hard, trying to fight the infection going through it before its maddened eyes turned to Twilight, and she only smiled calmly, saying quietly: "Don't be scared. It'll only hurt for a second."

The dragon whimpered weakly, and then Twilight Shadow turned and calmly strode away: when the dragons returned with the supply caravan not long after, the four adults went into a frenzy at the sight of their aerie devastated and the reek of death. One made the mistake of dropping down by the shivering, rotting body of the other dragon, leaning down with a snarl of fury to rebuke it and then and finish the job for its failure... and then the rotting, long-dead dragon's jaws lashed up and snapped into the other dragon's throat, and it shrieked before one of the adult dragons exploring the aerie howled in shock as a drake that was half-skeleton tackled one of its legs and bit savagely through its scales...

Kvasir was horrified by the loss of the dragon aerie: worse yet, when the dragons came looking for answers, New Equestria was very quick to make the unicorn a scapegoat. And while it had been his idea, he felt that it wasn't his fault... their defenses had been declared infallible. It was not an answer that pleased the dragons, who made it clear they wanted revenge, or they would abandon New Equestria... but not after ensuring they took proper payment from the country and particularly 'rude little grass-stain unicorn.'

Kvasir, desperate for a chance to strike back, looked for the first opportunity to do so... and when he heard that Twilight Shadow was returning from a diplomatic mission and acting as one of the guards of a supply caravan, he saw his chance. He dragged Sleipnir out of his foal-watching duties, and sent him with an elite team of Nibelung and pony Knights, the god snarling: "Just kill her! Kill her before the dragons kill me!"

Sleipnir hadn't bothered to point out with disgust that it was highly-unlikely he could actually kill her... and instead, he'd ended up crouched in the bushes, a pressure trap hidden in the road ahead with a Nibelung on either side of him. His eyes were closed as he listened intently to the earth, which told him that there was a minimal guard of only two Greater Nightmares as well as the Lich herself, as well as a single pony who was pulling the cart.

"Well, we were going the same way. Besides, these materials are important for me..." Twilight's voice said gently, and Sleipnir's eyes opened as the cart began to slowly roll past their hiding place, looking through the bushes to see the Lich smiling, her hood thrown back and one of the Greater Nightmares walking calmly along beside her, heedless of the afternoon sun. "I mean, if-"

There was a twang, and Twilight's eyes widened before the cart behind her rocked violently as the front wheels were destroyed by a set of narrow metal spikes that tore out of the earth, the Lich snarling as the Greater Nightmares both leapt forwards. "Raiders!"

"For New Equestria!" shouted one of the knights, the earth pony ripping from behind cover, armor glinting over his body and a buckler attached to one leg. He charged straight for Twilight, but a Greater Nightmare easily intercepted him and knocked him flying with a snarl and a slam of its head.

"Run, Lady Twilight!" the other Greater Nightmare shouted, its eyes glowing as it stepped forwards and flicked its head to the side, a blast of black flame ripping along the side of the road as the Nibelung tried to leap out: one of the dwarves was unfortunate enough to land directly in the fire, and he screamed as the flames rapidly began to consume him, ignoring armor and cloth and searing only flesh as he staggered forwards and then collapsed to the road. "We'll hold them off!"

"No, go and inform Luna!" Twilight ordered, then she snarled as a bolt slammed into her shoulder, looking up sharply to see a Pegasus above her head before she flicked her horn as it reloaded hurriedly and took aim at her again, and the bolt glowed violently before shooting backwards into its exposed throat, the eyes of the shocked knight bulging before it plummeted out of the air.

One of the Greater Nightmares vanished as the other circled towards the back of the wagon, and Twilight began to run to the side of the road before her eyes widened as Sleipnir charged out of the forest. She snarled, her horn glowing, but the earth pony was too fast, leaping forwards and slamming a hoof into her to send her crashing backwards as the pony that had been pulling the wagon yelled in terror and dropped to the side, covering his face.

Twilight began to look up, and Sleipnir leapt forwards, his hooves smashing back and forth across her features, knocking her senseless and sending up splinters of wood as the wagon behind her cracked from the force of being pummeled against it, and then the earth pony roared as he swung a hoof out in wide hook, smashing her across the muzzle and snapping her neck loudly her head twisted almost completely around. The Greater Nightmare stared in horror at this, then screamed when an earth pony slammed a spiked, silver-lined boot into its body before it vanished from sight, invisible but leaving droplets of black blood behind as it fled into the woods.

Twilight twitched on the ground, then snarled in disgust before Sleipnir grimaced as a Nibelung approached. Without asking or hesitation, the earth pony reached over and yanked the axe out of the dwarf's grip before he spun and slammed it down, decapitating Twilight in a single blow just above the collar. There was a single burst of black blood and dark mane as the collar fell loose to the ground and the Lich's head rolled down the road, her eyes closed and expression pained... and then, slowly, her violet irises opened as her horn sparked weakly, saying in a disgusted, rasping voice: "Luna's really going to kick your flank now."

The remaining Nibelung and earth pony knight both stared in horror, but Sleipnir only grinned ruefully before he looked over his shoulder and shouted: "Search the wagon, quickly! Free the knave, and then we must hurriedly burn this creature!"

"Great work, really." Twilight grinned sourly from the ground, and Sleipnir frowned as he looked towards her, but the winged unicorn only snorted in disgust before her eyes flicked towards her body, wincing as it began to steam violently as her stitches loudly snapped over it. "Oh wonderful. Now all that's left is my head."

"Well, thou still has a pretty mouth." Sleipnir intoned ironically, and Twilight looked at him darkly before the Knight shouted in a weak voice behind him, and the titanic stallion sighed before saying wryly: "Hold thy tongue a moment."

Twilight glared at him angrily, and Sleipnir winked before he turned and headed to the side of the wagon, which was being held open by the battered-looking pony who had been pulling it as he whispered: "P-Please, they just... I had nothing to do with this, okay?"

Sleipnir frowned, returning his eyes into the wagon, seeing covered objects, boxes, and smelling a hideous smell... before his eyes slowly widened as he realized what they were. Coffins, and burlap sacks stained with graveyard dirt and... "Corpses. We... we have been sent to raid a supply wagon and 'tis full of corpses!"

"And only a few in there are fresh... other... other bandits who thought we were pulling something... important." Twilight rasped, and she winced as she managed to roll her head to the side slightly, Sleipnir looking at her with incredulity and horror. "I have to repair myself somehow, you know... but this war is making a lot of dead bodies on both sides. Oh, believe me, it bothered me a lot at first, too... but after a while..."

"Monster!" Sleipnir gritted his teeth, then he glanced at the earth pony, who winced a bit before hurrying to the side of the road where their supplies for preparing the traps were kept. He came back after a moment with a box of matches, and Sleipnir took these, glaring down at Twilight as he approached before spitting the box out as the Lich grinned up at him darkly. "I do not approve of this. Tell my sisters I do not approve of this. This... thou art stealing not just from the dead, but the dead themselves!"

"Organ donors." Twilight replied ironically, and Sleipnir shuddered a bit before grabbing the head and tossing it towards her already-rotted body, sending up a puff of dust from a cloak that was now covering nothing but rotten ashes and bones as the Nibelung staggered hurriedly backwards from the corpse, tucking something behind his back.

Twilight glared up at him, watching the stallion approach, watching as he lit a match and then tossed it forwards with a cold look down at the female, and she winced as it landed in her mane, which quickly caught aflame... before her violet eyes locked on Sleipnir's, their gazes locking before she said softly, as the fire spread slowly along her face like red and yellow trails of tears: "My collar. It's special. So's my heart."

"Oh, fine." Sleipnir sighed and rolled his eyes, reaching down and snatching up the collar as the flames began to burn down along the cloak, embers bursting up around the now-burning skull of the Lich, and he thought he saw a smile for a moment on the face of the creature before the flames consumed her decapitated head and rotten body completely.

He held this up moodily, studying it calmly, and then he shook his head before tucking it beneath his armor and grimacing a little at the feel of it: warm, almost-alive, strangely-vibrant. His siblings kept odd company indeed... and yet all the same he was almost envious at the bond between them, as he looked moodily back towards the flames. But in only minutes, as the carriage burned, he could see that nothing was left of the Lich but dust and a few charred bones, the stallion frowning as he shoved a hoof into the ashes and stirred easily with only the faintest wince of discomfort before muttering: "Perhaps 'twas just a metaphor."

He glanced up... and thought he caught a flicker of some shape in the smoke before he shook his head, saying quietly: "Throw our lost comrades in the fire, and say a prayer for them, then we shall hurry away. For we have not slain this creature... merely aggravated it. And she is dearly important to Luna and Scrivener Blooms... we had best not tarry and provoke their anger further."

The Nibelung and the Knight nodded, and Sleipnir looked uneasily up again... unable to see Twilight Shadow's spirit perched on top of the burning carriage, snarling furiously down at the dwarf as he slipped the silver sphere of her cherished heart into the small pack on his back. Her eyes were glowing with rage, her form sparking before she leapt backwards as her wings spread, twisting quickly around and shooting towards Enstasis at supernatural speeds.

When Sleipnir returned to Ponyville, he headed first to Kvasir and held up the collar, who cackled gleefully and reached for it... then frowned when Sleipnir yanked it away before he said moodily: "Nay, thou hast already done enough to aggravate the hornet's nest further. For one, the wagon was filled with corpses... corpses, likely to be used to repair the Lich's body and for other foul necromancy. For another, Twilight Shadow is no more or less dead now than before. Her spirit will flee, recuperate, and reconstitute her body from dead matter. From hoof to horn, she will rebuild herself. I will be sending this collar by messenger to Luna to avoid angering them any further than they already are."

"Oh, it doesn't matter, the Lich will take time to rebuild itself, and longer still to regenerate its former power." Kvasir said irritably, although he looked unsure of himself now, as if he hadn't taken everything into consideration before he shook his head hurriedly and added moodily: "Besides, this was charade was held solely for the dragon's benefit. Now they can feel they have had a bit of payback."

"Oh, yes, it's for the benefit of the angered dragons. Not at all because thou fears those angry dragons wish to eat thee and thou desires to placate them in as quick and simple a manner as possible." Sleipnir said distastefully, and Kvasir glared at him before the stallion snorted in disgust. "Mark my words. This shall end badly."

Kvasir had only shaken his head slowly, and Sleipnir had left to send the collar to Enstasis. He passed by Applejack, but as they usually did these days, they only ignored each other: the mare didn't like him, and Sleipnir was beginning to dislike her as well. Thankfully, he had lodgings at Cheerilee's... that was when he actually had the time to sleep between running errands for Kvasir and New Equestria, of course.

That night, Sleipnir was patrolling one of the high bulwarks of Ponyville, feeling miserable about the fact that there was now a forty foot stone wall surrounding what was once so pretty a village... and then he heard the scream. He leapt fearlessly down from the wall to crash to the field far below, easily catching himself before running to the source of the sound, but arrived at the tent it had come from too late.

Nibelung and zebra were already gathered around... and Sleipnir grimaced in disgust as he entered and found it painted with the occupant's blood. The dwarf's heart had been cut out, and his hands cut off... a punishment for a thief. It was clear enough what had happened, as Sleipnir recognized the Nibelung from the attack party, and he shuddered a little as he glanced up and murmured: "Little sister... is this truly the way you wish to rule in darkness..."

Luna, however, was smiling contritely to herself: she was dressed in the same leather outfit she had worn to the Gala. She liked the way Scrivener looked at her when she wore it, and thus had decided to try it out for the next few days as a more-permanent outfit... "Besides, every Queen should have a good outfit. Not to mention the... heart of her loyal subjects..."

She grinned to herself as she looked over her shoulder at the black satchel hanging on her side, Twilight Shadow's heart thrumming softly in it as she murmured: "Only a toy, perhaps, but... it is important to her. It has meaning to us... that makes it important enough to kill for. Important enough for me to attend to the business of reclaiming it myself, even..."

"Truly?" asked another voice softly, and Luna glanced to the side with a smile as she saw a dark shape twist sinuously through the trees before striding calmly through a patch of moonlight... and although the ivory beams shone through the transparent shape, it was clearly that of Nightmare Moon's, reflecting her in dark coat, in starry mane and tail, in elegant shape... but her collar was still different, as were her reptilian eyes. Eyes that almost seemed concerned... "Sister, we didn't even give him time to grovel... oh, yes, I would have likely killed him anyway for daring to steal from our precious Twilight, but all the same... we must at least pretend to be civilized, mustn't we?"

"An interesting thought, Nightmare Moon, but I do not think it is entirely true." Luna replied dismissively, shaking her head briefly as she glanced up through the thin canopy of dead branches overhead: fall had settled, but few ponies had noticed. After all... there was death everywhere these days. "Besides, we set out tonight with a single goal in mind: punish the thief, get our beloved Twilight's heart back. She longs to feel it in her chest again, after all... we must comfort her as she undergoes the ritual and pains of making a new body hers."

Nightmare Moon nodded slowly after a moment, looking oddly apprehensive all the same before she said softly: "I do understand. But Luna, you risked much in doing this yourself... why not send another assassin? Why seek such a thrill? And why..."

"Because I promised Twilight, and I was offended by it, that is why and that is enough of a reason!" Luna retorted, looking a little irritated now. "Do not treat me like a child, Nightmare Moon... I am more than powerful enough to take care of myself. And 'twas a fun way to spend a night that would otherwise have been yet another long set of hours spent in Enstasis, not permitted to take the field, instead waiting and watching my soldiers enjoy all the glory and the fight."

Nightmare Moon shook her head slowly at this, passing silently through a tree before she returned her eyes to Luna and asked: "But did you have to pass every detail to our husband?"

"Of course. He wanted to see. Did thou not feel him urging us on? Drinking in the pain of the dwarf until he screamed and we had to finish our work quickly?" Luna replied with something like surprise, and then she winced as she almost ran into a tree herself before quickly leaping around it... but when she turned her eyes back towards Nightmare Moon, the dark shadow of herself was gone.

Luna scowled a little, then she spat to the side and shook her head slowly, murmuring quietly: "I thought thou would understand better, sister. Celestia understands more and more each day... Twilight Shadow understands well. And Scrivener Blooms understands best of all..." Luna closed her eyes, shivering a little in delight before she whispered: "And one day, others too, shall understand who we are, and our aims. After we rule Equestria. After we show them the beauty and the strength of our glorious night. Gifts to the loyal... suffering for those who would stand against us."

Luna smiled coldly to herself, nodding firmly once before she continued easily on her way, reveling in her dark thoughts in the living forest beneath the pale moon's glow.