Silver and Thunder didn't have time to do much of anything in terms popping flares. The drone of the engines only woke them when it was right over them. The sun had passed behind the storm clouds that had formed to the west. She and Thunder were immediately put at spear point. A dark red unicorn with a bright yellow mane came up to them as his troops separated. The unicorn introduced himself as Commander Firebrand.

Ephialtes and Hestaria were on his gigantic warship. Silver was glad to see them. It was nice to see somepony that she knew. She was getting tired of Thunder Clap awkwardly hitting on her. As Firebrand organized the dead, the thunder storm at the peak was getting stronger.

Hestaria shuttered slightly. "Now I know what you're talking about Ephi. That just doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, that storm is just…ominous." Thunder replied.

"Where's Nexus?" Hestaria asked.

"Closer than you think." a familiar voice said from behind.

Nexus came sauntering up to them with fifteen wounded soldiers behind him. He instantly has every spear pointed at him as the bodies are being loaded up into the Andromeda.

"Commander Nexus, under the order of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest." Firebrand says walking up to Nexus.

"Of course I am. I unconditionally surrender Brandy." Nexus says in a slightly condescending tone.

This wasn't Nexus. Silver could tell that off the bat. Not only wasn't this the Commander that they had spent that last four months sailing with. He even looked different. His coat was darker, that might have been the lighting, but his cobalt fur was now near navy blue and his eyes were around the same. His iris' were somewhat elongated vertically like Hestaria's.

"What about Sombra?" Ephilates asked.

"He's dead. I slit his throat and threw him into a pit of lava." Nexus replied.

"My soldiers need medical attention. Now if you could put those things down and allow them to give what they need on whatever ship has your medics on it."

"Fine. Get on the Andromeda here and take your top four there with you." Firebrand looked back then did a double take before his eyes fell on the white pegasus known as White Knight. "Sergeant Knight!"

"Sir?" he replied.

"Why were you with Nexus?"

"I asked him to come. He's worked for me the whole time he's been with you." Nexus replied.

Firebrand turned his attention back to Nexus and got up in his face. "You had him spy on me?"

"Had to keep some things from you Brandy." Nexus said with a smug grin.

"You won't be grinning long you little… you little…"

"Say it."

"Fer!"

"That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Get on that ship before I run you through myself."

"Sure thing." Nexus said spreading his wings. "Knight, help Hestaria get the others on the ship."

"I give the orders around here now Nexus!" Firebrand's eyes shifted right to left before giving an order. "Uh… What he said."

Nexus chuckled and launched himself up to the Andromeda. Hestaria helped Silver up and Knight helped Thunder. Ephialtes was on the ground when they got to the deck while Nexus walked his way to the captain's quarters.

"What happened?" Hestaria asked helping Ephilates up.

"I just tried to see if he was okay. Then he kicked me over and told me to stay out of his way." He stood up and looked Hestaria in the eyes. "You still think the feeling's mutual?"

"Something's wrong with him Ephilates. Whatever it is you need to do the exact opposite of what he says." Silver interjected.

"Why the opposite?" Thunder asked.

"And how do you know that he's not himself?" Ephialtes asked.

"When I first met Nexus, he was kinder, more considerate. This isn't him at all. I could accept that he was on duty when I started this. But this isn't an on duty attitude, this is something else."

"Keep an eye on him then?" Hestaria asked.

"Exactly."

"This makes me think though, what about Sombra? If he's not himself, can we believe that he's telling the truth?" Knight asked.

"We'll find out. But when we find out, we're going to need him to fix this. Are we all in agreement then?" All five of them nodded. "Good. Stay close to Nexus. If you can' be in the same room, be near it. Let's just hope that Nexus is just having a period."

Firebrand was half pleased to get Nexus. The other half was due to him not getting Sombra. Despite Nexus being classified as an enemy, he was still a friend. He was slated to be hung, again. He'd have to do what he could to keep him from getting killed. It didn't matter to him if he'd done this without consent of either of the Princess', he was acting in the best interest of Equestria. But it would be hard to talk Celestia out of killing him due to the civilian killed and the other in danger.

There was a box full of articles from the civilian reporter that died in the crash and five stone balls. He personally locked them up in the hold as Firebrand commanded the ships turn around and start back to Equestria. He had every reason to not believe Nexus when he said Sombra was dead. But Nexus had never lied before. And seeing as he'd come back with fifteen out of the supposed twenty-five troops he'd gone into the mountains with, it seemed like there was a massive battle. But that was fifteen out of fifty that went with him. By the count, fifteen mares and twenty stallions had given their lives for this.

Brand was going to hate that stack of paperwork. They'd left eight hours ago and he was still sorting out what to do about the official report. This might not have been a war, but this 'victory' was going to erase the Evening Guard from the records forever. If not, war was going to follow. A few soldiers asked some basic questions that got quick answers. He hated being in charge of this many ponies. It was like when he was back in Ponyville as a musician. Everypony that didn't know what to do when to him when their trombone was out of tune or their pipe organ needed some maintenance. It was annoying.

He walked up to the door to the captain's quarters and was about to go in when another question stopped him short.

"Captain, engine two is losing a little power. What do-" The private started.

"Just let the senior engineers do what they can. Don't worry about it right now. Now I have some paperwork to do so leave me alone."

Firebrand opened the door and quickly shut it behind him to avoid another question. He let out a breath but quickly pulled it back in at what was in the room with him. A black unicorn in silver armor armor was standing next to Nexus. Or was it somepony else? The pony next to him was a navy blue unicorn with mechanical legs and wings. The pony's blood red serpent eyes looked into him like he was looking for his weakness.

Near the back corner, the four ponies from Nexus' guard and White Knight were tied up and gagged.

"Nice office Brandy." Nexus said to Firebrand.

Firebrand's horn lit up quickly but he was thrown against the wall by the black unicorn's magic. Nexus teleported across the room and put his metal foreleg into Firebrand's throat.

"Y-You traitor!" Firebrand choked.

"Not traitor, liberator. Equestria has taken too much from me, now it's time to bring the Equestrian Government to its knees."

"We're on a ship loaded up with hundreds of soldiers, what makes you think-"

"Look again." the black unicorn said opening the door.

Outside, Firebrand was fully terrified by what he was seeing. His entire crew was being subdued by changelings. Since they were at the front of the three ship formation, Nopony would be able to see the creatures taking control of the ship.

"Nexus!"

"He's not Nexus anymore." Sombra said. "He is Lunarus Umbra."

"Lolk." Umbra called.

From the door, a dark red changeling with five scorpion tails sauntered in a grinned at Firebrand. The changeling looked slightly feminine, so it'll be considered a she until further notice. She looked Firebrand over and smiled.

"Well, well, well; what a nice fresh cut of meat." She said in a very seductive tone. "Please tell me I'm escorting him to the brig."

Firebrand chuckled nervously. "Please tell me she isn't."

"Fortunately for you no." Umbra said. "Take the others down bellow. And restrain the Commander here before you go."

"Gladly."

"Oh Faust."

Umbra backed up and Lolk pulled his forelegs behind his back. "Don't take this the wrong way sweetie. It's nothing personal." She said putting on the magically locked hoofcuffs. "When this is all over, I'll be sure to give you a little example of why Chrysie came to me for a fun time." she said before nibbling lightly on his left ear with a growl.

Firebrand squirmed away and was about to turn her to ash before Umbra's horn glowed black and the fire on his horn faded. He'd put a magic seal on him, his magic was useless now.

"You traitor! I'll kill you myself!" Firebrand shouted.

"We'll see." Umbra said as Lolk ran her hoofs down Firebrand's stomach and down to his nether regions. "Lolk, stop playing with your boy toy."

"I'm no pony's toy!"

"Not for long you won't be." she said in his ear still not taking her hoof away from his nethers. It was starting to get uncomfortably warm down there.

"Lolk." Sombra commanded.

"Fine. Wait up for me big boy." She said grabbing Ephialtes and Thunder Clap as two more changelings walked in and grabbed the rest.

Firebrand wasn't comfortable with what that changeling was implying. Umbra threw Firebrand over into the same corner that Nexus' golden troops were just in.

"I'll go facilitate our prisoners that aren't needed on deck Lord Sombra." Umbra said.

"Vary well General." Sombra nodded.

Umbra walked out into the night as Sombra made his way over to him. "Hello, I've heard so much about you from Umbra."

"Whatever you're planning it won't work. The other ships will turn you to ashes before we even get to port."

"No. It won't." Sombra's curved horn glowed black and so did Firebrand. Sombra's body flashed momentarily before it looked as though Firebrand was looking into a mirror. "So long as you tell them that Sombra is dead, then all that's left to do is kill Celestia." He said in a perfect replication of his voice.

"Just Celestia?"

"You don't expect me to give you my entire plan do you?"

"It was more like a thinly veiled hope."

"Too bad. Let's just say that Celestia is the leader in Equestria. Killing Luna or even Princess Twilight will have zero political repercussions."

"So you want to kill Celestia and take her place? What kind of political plan is that? Politics don't work that way."

"They do when the one you're killing control's everything."

Author's Notes:

Nexus: Wait a second... I'm evil now.
Me: For now, yes. Embrace it. But do it else where, i just got my house back in order from the last time you went off.
Nexus: But it was fun bunting your possessions over the fence neighbors fence.
Me: No! *Slap with rolled up newspaper*
Nexus: You still read those? Aren't you 18?
Me: I'm also a swordsman. You wanna comment on that Ezio?
Nexus: ....
Me: I thought not. Forewarning. ALOT of the upcoming chapters are going to be in dream sequence from Nexus point of view. If those are your least favorite parts, i suggest you wait a while. This is going to be a long one. Sing it with me!
Both: Exposition, exposition, get it out AS-AP!