A pair of cold eyes stared down from atop the stony spire of the Talonreach City Hall. Beneath those eyes, a city of griffons bustled about in the way that only griffon cities did. Flocks of them wafted to and fro upon the sharp and swift winds that roared through the peaks and hills of the ‘city’ in the mountains. Like all griffon cities, this one had been built not upon the needs of commerce or culture, but on the needs of defense.

To a conventional army, Talonreach would look impenetrable thanks to there being only two gates on the ground to enter the city proper, and each gate itself guarded by countless towers bearing siege engines and sniping points where heavy crossbows no doubt waited to be fired upon the foolish invaders.

Even an enemy with the power of flight would have found it difficult to break through the defenses of the city. Those entrances in the sky were easily closed, barricaded, and sealed away with all variety of metal doors and shutters, which was to say nothing of the massive trebuchets set to launch explosives high into the air to blast flying formations out of the sky.

For Twilight Shadow, it was a sobering reminder of her limitations… at least, the limitations she faced for the moment. They were limitations that would not bother her for very much longer, however. Talonreach was considered a major defensive fortress for the kingdom of Skyclaw, one of the larger of the Griffon Kingdoms, and as such it was possessed of a sizable garrison force. A calculating and devilish smile crossed her face as she contemplated that garrison guzzling down the… improved Sweet Apple Acres cider that was now being freely distributed throughout the city. They all thought it was a gesture intending to renew trade agreements with Equestria. In a remarkably amusing sense, they weren’t that wrong.

A soft and warm nuzzle pressed against her cheek and she leaned into the physical contact with all the languid appreciation of a kitten. “Mmm… Good evening, Mother.” Twilight purred deep in her throat - a sound she now found immensely appealing to vocalize around her. Deep in Twilight’s logical mind, she still was never quite sure how to address the creature that had so changed her life. Still, she appeared to enjoy being called Mother, or simply Umbra when they were alone.

Undoubtedly, Umbra harbored a deep and abiding affection for Twilight. The signs were so obvious to her that they warmed her heart deeply - for she was always kind and gentle with her advice. Always working to ensure that Twilight did not over stress herself, or become overwrought with emotions as she had so often before she had met her. It was true, some of Umbra’s methods were… less than savory, but in the defense of Equestria and everypony she loved, some things had to be done.

Umbra’s lips touched hers and a familiar electric shock of pleasure sent a shivery feeling down Twilight’s spine. She had never had a lover so incredible as Umbra, and nary a night passed that did not end with the pair entwined in one anothers hooves… and occasionally joined by another, who Twilight would draw power and blood from and convert into the ways of the Shadow. “Good evening to you, my daughter.” Umbra purred at her, the dark and infinite azure eyes gleaming in the dim light of the evening. “All is proceeding according to plan. When the sun falls fully below the horizon, we shall take this city and all of its inhabitants.” Umbra’s voice rang with conviction and pride, and not for the first time Twilight felt a surge of happiness in Umbra’s vivacity. She was never so alive as when she was contemplating finally bringing an end to the madness of war and conflict in the world.

Twilight beamed at her, her tail flicking fetchingly. “Indeed. By the dawn, our banners will adorn the walls and the good work will begin.” She turned and trotted slowly over to the table they’d set up with the map of the various Griffon Kingdoms. “Talonreach, Wingshield, Tiberius, Aquilinus, and finally… Roam.” The last word rolled off of Twilight’s tongue with a certain amount of relish as she contemplated the massive dot on the map.

Roam. The Eternal City. The oldest and largest single settlement of creatures in the entire world and once upon a time, the heart of the Eternal Empire and later, The Griffon Empire. No army had ever breached its walls, and no army had ever marched into the city as anything but the victors. It had been economics and corruption which had ultimately brought down the Second Griffon Empire. It had been betrayal and civil war which had brought down the First. And no historian remembered what had ultimately toppled the Eternal Empire. But even now, Roam was a city of splendor unmatched.

It was also the lynchpin for every single piece of commerce to the west of Equestria, and countless trading vessels traveled up the Rubicon River and down into the great Western Seas to parts of the world far beyond her knowledge. Its population of both civilians and soldiers was so massive that corrupting the city would provide Twilight an army capable of breaking the vice grip that penned up the Shadow in the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. More - it would ensure that she could leave the problems in Equestria to the command of Captain Winterlight while she dealt with far more pressing issues.

Firm hooves took hold of Twilight’s shoulders and forced her to sit on the floor, eliciting a startled sound from her before those hooves began to massage her shoulders thoroughly. “You were doing it again, daughter,” Umbra said with a certain amount of stern reproval. “You must relax. Things are going exceptionally well, and there is little more you can do to improve them. Your diligence is part of your incredible charm, daughter of my heart, but you need to learn when to let events play out on their own.” Umbra’s voice was commanding, but not demanding. It sounded almost exactly like Celestia had when Twilight had so often let her emotions and thoughts get the better of her.

The thought of her dearest teacher did not do wonders for her mood, however. Celestia was not in Equestria - they had discovered through back-channels that she had left to some faraway land for some vital mission. Twilight had dearly hoped she could speak to Celestia before her teacher began to do rash things of her own accord, as she was not ready to face Cadence and Shiny after the debacle in Twilight Town. A debacle for which Captain Winterlight was going to be paying the price for a very long time.

That the sun and moon were rising and setting as they ought to did nothing for her worries about Celestia. What dire emergency had called her away, now of all times? Twilight feared she already knew - that one of Equestria’s enemies was on the move, and Celestia had moved to put a stop to it before it could get out of hoof. It was but one more reason to love her teacher so dearly - that they both were prepared to sacrifice anything… including themselves… if it meant protecting the ponies they loved.

But Mother was right, and things were proceeding at a swift enough pace. She had to relax a little and enjoy the moment. After six centuries of uneasy peace, she would at long last neuter the threat of the griffons once and for all. They would join the Harmony of Equestria, and put their considerable military talents to use in protecting the ponies and lands they had long coveted. Twilight wished that Dash or Fluttershy could have accompanied her here, but this was going to be no place for them. They were better where they were, ensuring that her city and her ponies remained safe and continued to spread the Shadow.

So she sighed and leaned into the massaging hooves of Umbra, a faint smile crossing her face. “Very well, Mother. I’ll relax as best as I can,” she murmured, stretching out a little and sighing in contentment. The world was settling into its rightful place, and that was enough to dispel at least some of her worries. There would be time to deal with the rest of them soon enough.

As day slipped into night and the parties that had begun in the afternoon turned into much more raucous celebrations, Twilight prepared herself for what lay ahead of her. The beautiful and flowing violet dress slipped over her head with the whisper of lace and silk against her coat. It clung tightly to her body all the way down to the flared out skirt that flowed saucily over her hips. It was a lovely little piece that Rarity had made for her just before she’d left on her trip - and it felt wonderful just to wear it. The sleek cloth against her body gave her a little chill of pleasure - a reminder of what else Rarity had given her before she’d left.

Twilight had never been one for makeup or frou-frouing herself up before everything had happened, but Umbra had been quite logical when she’d explained why it was a good idea. Appearances could be powerful things - first impressions even more so. So she dabbed and daubed, flicked and trimmed just as Umbra had shown her how. A touch of powder, a pinch of blush, just a dab of lipstick. She brushed back her mane and gave it a little bit of a styling - all sleek and sexy and brushed out so that it fell across her face in a fetching way.

Thus prettied up, she slipped into the black heel-shoes and trotted out of the tower room, carefully locking the door behind her with a burst of power before proceeding slowly down the steps. With each step, she took in a deep breath and exhaled it - focusing herself for the task ahead. Mother is always with me. Her power is always with me. I am the Shadow Queen, and I am not here to harm anypony… No. Harming creatures was the last thing she wished to do.

It was not the fault of the many here that their leaders were contemplating war. It was not the fault of the children or the elderly that those they had chosen to lead them were intending to lead them astray. Those who were responsible would be dealt with in due time, but today was about bringing the truth of the new world to the good folks. The sounds of raucous laughter and happiness permeated up the staircase, and Twilight had to smile. Pinkie Pie was once again doing what she did best - making everypony, no matter how different, find a reason to smile and laugh with one another.

That was the world she wanted to create. No more conflicts, or wars, or senseless violence. The dark creatures and evil forces that sought nothing but pain and chaos would be brought to their knees. The world would be united under a single banner - all races, working together in Harmony. Oh certainly, there would be conflicts and arguments and problems. Twilight was not so foolish as to believe she could build a complete utopia, but such things would be minor and strictly local and eventually worked out with the aid of all the other creatures around them.

She was fighting for everypony now. But that meant that those in charge - those who saw the world as nothing more than some big game with living creatures as the pieces… well, they had to be dealt with - permanently if necessary - and Twilight had no doubt it would be necessary. So her steps took her slowly down into the mountain, her mane subtly transforming as she embraced the Shadow within her. It went from a solid thing to something more… liquid. Dripping into the ground around her and pooling out in a blot of shadow before vanishing to reappear upon her head. Her eyes darkened and she felt the warmth and calm power in her soul.

Talonreach’s time had come.

The door that led into the main hall gently swung open before her, pushed by only the merest touch of shadow. She strode beyond the door into the torchlit stone hallways - mostly empty save for a few couples skittering or swooping down the halls to more private accommodations.Twilight’s stride picked up a little, moving faster now through the lit halls with a jaunty spring in her step. Taking Ponyville for her own had hurt, in a way. The ponies there she knew were already good folks and needed no encouragement to be so… but even good ponies could make mistakes, and some mistakes could be fatal at this point in time.

But here, she had no such compunction. The griffon folk were not bad on the whole, but they did sorely need a lesson in Harmony. Another door swung open at her approach - an effect Twilight had to admit, in some of her more gushing moments, was probably the coolest of all the powers she’d attained. Doors opening for her as though enchanted to do so in her very presence. It was nothing more than a different application of normal unicorn telekenisis of course but… Oh, who was she kidding? It was still so cool!

Coolness aside, she had work to do. Her hoofsteps took her out onto one of the many sky bridges that connected the towering spires of the city. It was not a special bridge and held no special historical significance. Like so many others of its kind, it was large enough for two ponies to comfortably stride down side by side - the railing-walls just low enough to see over for a pony or to lean upon for a griffon. Torches were lit at regular intervals, illuminating the path to ensure the nervous didn’t accidentally pitch over one of the sides. It was perfect.

Twilight took in a deep breath again as she strode to the center of the bridge, and her horn lit with an opaque violet magic as she let it out - a burst of wind and cold mist vanquishing the offending flames of the torches in one blow. Darkness and shadow descended upon her in an instant, broken up only by the dull glow of her eyes. Even here in the whipping cold winds of the mountains, she felt nothing but warmth from within and without - she was as one with the shadows themselves. Yes… That’s it my daughter. We are one and the same now… Goodness, but I am so very proud of you. Umbra’s warm and approving voice filled her world like a clarion call, and a surge of happiness bubbled up inside her.

Twilight truly could not wait to introduce Umbra to Celestia. She had no doubt in her mind that they would get along wonderfully - they were both so very wise and knowledgeable, both as ancient as the world itself. Most importantly, they both cared so very deeply about the well being of the creatures around them. Umbra alone had already begun to change the world in an important and vital way. And together? Celestia and Umbra, working hoof and hoof? There would be no evil foe that could stop them.

So Twilight inhaled the shadows deeply into her lungs - filling herself with the power for a few pleasurable moments before letting it out in a slow breath. A wave of dark shadows cascaded from around her and surged over the edge of the bridge and down its causeways. As the power began to touch the mountainside, it surged up it towards the other bridges and doorways above her. As it dripped down from the bridge, it vanquished the other torches that impeded its progress and surged inwards. Twilight’s magic was soon the only glow of light in her little corner of the world, pulsing over and over again as her power surged outwards to bring new believers into the fold.

Locked windows and doors were no bar to her shadows - they surged through the cracks and the crevices and into the private rooms of the griffon people. The shadows surged down hallways, snuffing the light as they went before boiling into the halls and rooms where parties were still raucously underway - rooms where soon enough, the party would turn to decidedly different kinds of celebration than merely booze and bad jokes.

As for Twilight? It was… the most unusual and most wonderful sensation she’d ever experienced. She wondered if this was how Umbra felt when she spread the essence of herself throughout so many beings. This feeling of being part of some greater thing than her normal mortal body. It was as though she literally was the shadow as it undulated and flowed through the mountains around her. She could feel every shift and swirl of her shadow body as she wriggled under doorways and through the cracks in windows. It was almost a sexual pleasure as each griffon, pony, or other creature was found and engulfed in her power - their minds and bodies flooded with the touch of the Shadow and turned.

Over and over again, Twilight’s power surged and grew - and in the background, the gentle pressure and presence of Umbra watched with a proud and loving smile…

Pinkie Pie liked parties.

That was like, a universal axiom or something. Pinkie was pretty sure that if there were other universes with other Pinkie Pies that they would like parties too. It would take a pretty screwed up universe for there to be a Pinkie Pie who didn’t like to party. Probably would go by her weirdo full name or something. Whatever. This Pinkie Pie loved parties more than anything else in the entire world - except for maaaaaybe a certain special somepony, but that was another thought for another day.

Today, she was especially happy as she’d gotten to kick off almost two dozen parties all in one day! Sure she’d had to move around between them a lot, but that was still more fun than she’d had many a day before. Sadly, neither Dashie nor Ribbon was here to party with her. They’d had to stay at home and do some kind of important mission for TwiTwi. Pinkie wasn’t terribly happy about that bit, but she knew that sometimes hard work had to come before partying, no matter how awesome partying was.

Thoughts of hard work inevitably turned to the one subject Pinkie didn’t like to talk much about these days. About Sugarcube Corner and the Cakes… and what had happened to poor Carrot. Even now, as alcohol and food and sweet things passed around her, as dancing and music proclaimed a rollocking good time, Pinkie felt some of the laughter run out of her. She scootched back to the wall - hiding herself behind a cabinet from which plates were being flung and shattered against the walls to cries of joy.

She closed her eyes and took a moment, like Applejack had taught her to do, to mourn. Pinkie would never have thought Applejack would have known how to do something like this, but apparently she had needed to do this herself when she was a little filly. A fact for which, in some small way, Pinkie was thankful. She did not cry like she had in the beginning - but she did shed a few glittering tears, wrapping her hooves tightly around her chest and squeezing in a hug for the pony that was now gone from this world. Gone to the great big party in the sky, where one day Pinkie hoped she’d be able to say she was sorry.

Ponies did strange things when they were afraid, Applejack had told her. Sometimes, they did things that didn’t make much sense to you since you weren’t afraid in the same way they were. Mr. Cake must’ve been awfully scared even though Pinkie Pie couldn’t understand why he’d been scared. Maybe she should’ve been more gentle, or maybe she should’ve just let him go until he hadn’t been scared anymore. Whatever she should have done, she hadn’t - she’d gotten so caught up in her enthusiasm that she hadn’t bothered to listen to him or pay attention to what he’d been saying and doing.

It was a mistake Pinkie would have to live with now, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from living - that was the other thing Applejack had been very insistent upon. That the only thing a pony could do in something like this was try to live every day not just for yourself, but for the pony who died. To never forget them - and to try and live up to the things they’d admired and loved about you. So Pinkie opened her eyes and brushed away the tears. Mr. Cake had never liked seeing her cry in her lesser moments. She snatched a drink - a glass of the famous Apple Family Cider he’d so loved - and drank it down deeply. She would carry his memory with her forever, and one day, she would make things up to Mrs. Cake. She didn’t quite know how yet - but she would. That was a Pinkie Promise, and she never broke a Pinkie Promise.

Tonight though, she had other duties - duties which were swiftly coming to a head as she felt the deep pulsating power of Twilight somewhere inside of her core where her silly cat jokes lived. It pulled at her, tugging at the deep and unfettered sexuality that had become her very being. Pinkie would forever be thankful to Twilight for finally unleashing her from the concerns of societal mores and concerns - no more did she need to worry that other ponies might call her bad names for enjoying sex so very much. Now she could indulge in every kink and every fetish she’d ever dreamed about, and what was more, she was encouraged to do so. She could hear a few terrified screams starting and then silencing as the Shadow overtook them, and felt an odd smile cross her face.

It was understandable that so many found the Shadow scary, because all ponies and creatures found things that were new and different to be scary at first. Not everypony was as excited by the prospect of the salty-cream cupcake as Pinkie was the first time they saw one, after all. But inevitably, they all came around to understand the same thing Pinkie Pie did… that the Shadow could free them of their fear and doubt, and finally they could really get down and party.

She felt the wave of Shadow coming closer and closer to her, and strolled through the unwitting party goers with a tilt and a twist of her hips, her eyes fixing on a cute young griffon colt - probably not nearly old enough for this party under normal circumstances. He’d snuck in to enjoy the booze and the ‘adult’ fun he’d presumed that he could find at a party like this. She swayed up to him, pouring on the sleek sexuality to the point that his eyes had gone wide just by the way she was walking. Her tail flicked teasingly at him, and her hoof came up to trail down his cheek as the deep shadow power began to seep into the room. She leaned up and smiled, speaking in a husky whisper as the shadows began to lash out, pinning down the other guests - binding them and forcing the shadow power into their bodies. The young griffon stared at her for a moment in horror, as the words dripped from her lips. “Come on big boy… let’s party.”

Author's Notes:

As a side note - Yes, I'm fully aware that Twilight's internal logic is a bit... skewed. That is intentional.

Also - For now, Im shooting for an update schedule of every other day. However, if I get on a good writing roll like I have been recently.... well, we'll see.