Apple Bloom's eyes snap open. Her mind is completely blank as to what happened, and she recalls nothing of dreams or nightmares. Her head is also throbbing, and she winces, pushes herself up and presses her hand against her skull. It does absolutely nothing.

“About time you're up,” says Scootaloo. She is sitting not too far from Apple Bloom with the other Foalings, who are sitting in a circle. Rarity is not too far from them, and the rest of the Fellowship is sitting in another circle a few feet away being treated by Fluttershy.

“How long was I sleeping?” asks Apple Bloom, her hands now rubbing her eyes. They feel inflated and her rubbing only makes the pain worse, so she stops and keeps to squinting.

“A few hours,” says Pipsqueak. “But you were talking in your sleep the whole time.”

“What did I say?”

“Weird stuff,” says Button Mash.

“Like what?” asks Apple Bloom.

Button Mash shrugs. “I don't know. It sounded like gibberish to me.”

Apple Bloom looks at her hands, relieved to see that the coating has disappeared, returning her to her scratched, mud streaked, orange coat. She is used to seeing her hands battered, but this is different from Green Hill dirt. This dirt is colder. Heavier. She's sure she can feel clumps of foreign blood in them, too.

“When did the black stuff come off my hands?” asks Apple Bloom.

The Foalings look at each other, then they look at Apple Bloom curiously.

“You mean the mud? That's always been there,” says Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom's ears and heart drop. “No, I had this black stuff on my hands. Didn't you see it?”

“Apple Bloom, there wasn't anything on your hands,” says Twist.

“I remember something covering my hands!”

Scootaloo lunges at Apple Bloom and holds her muzzle shut while gripping her shoulder tight, bringing pockets of pain to the Bearer's shoulder. Her ears droop and her wide eyes lock on to Scootaloo's narrowed eyes.

“Keep it down,” says Scootaloo. “Nothing was on your hands. You fell asleep for some reason. Now you're awake and we can hopefully get out of this place sooner rather than later.”

Scootaloo releases Apple Bloom and sits down, staring ahead with her hands balled together in front of her face.

“We just need Pinkie Pie to actually remember where we are,” says Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom looks to where Scootaloo's eyes are focused and sees Pinkie Pie sitting on the edge of an overlook that has an unobstructed view of an empty city below. Her mane is flat, her shoulders are sulked and her weapons lay in a messy pile next to her, and standing next to her is Blueblood.

“I don't want to hear you griping,” says Braeburn, drawing Apple Bloom's eyes to the rest of the Fellowship. “You didn't lift so much a finger to help us.”

“I'm a merchant, not a soldier,” says Davenport. “I don't know how to fight.”

“That's probably why you're the Unjust King's concubine.”

Davenport glares at Braeburn, and Applejack's eyes snap back and forth between the two, and when Davenport leaves fuming she tries to follow him, but Braeburn grips her arm, freezing her in place.

“Sit,” orders Braeburn.

Applejack sits down, but she and the Foalings still watch Davenport claim a new spot at the edge of the circle.

“You don't need to follow him around anymore. As long as I'm here you're free,” says Braeburn. He then holds out a slice of bread to her. “Bread?”

Applejack hesitantly takes the bread and nibbles on it in silence, and as this happens, Fluttershy leaves Shining Armor's side and goes to Spike. He is sitting next to Twilight, using a rag to clean off the blood from his sword. He and Twilight are both covered in scratches and bruises, and their clothing is stained with blood, sweat and grime, and the drake winces when Fluttershy dabs at a scratch on his head with a moist cloth.

“Just give me a potion,” says Spike.

“I have to disinfect it first,” says Fluttershy.

“No you don't.”

“Spike, don't be difficult,” chides Twilight. She takes out her pipe and groans when she sees it is snapped in half. She then looks around and with a quick flash of her horn and hand the pipe is repaired and she quickly stuffs it with tobacco and lights it with a flame spell.

“Are you daft? How can you be smoking at a time like this?” says Rarity.

Twilight puffs out a blob of pale smoke and leans against the wet stone wall. “I need something to calm me down. I did fight a Nightmare, after all, unlike some ponies.”

“That thing was a Nightmare?” says Flash. “Please tell me they don't get bigger than that.”

Twilight shrugs and takes another puff. “I couldn't tell you. There is not much information on the Nightmares, other than they are demons under the command of Sombra and the Condemned.”

“But that Nightmare is dead, right?”

“It better be dead,” says Rainbow Dash sharply with a red stained bandage over her head. “We put enough into it, and Starlight-”

“Twilight,” corrects Flash.

“Twilight blew its brains out, so we're fine.”

After the last word, Blueblood quickly leaves Pinkie Pie's side to get I the center of the group.

“We aren't fine,” says Blueblood angrily. “We're stuck in a tomb with those things running around and no way out. We sat still long enough and need to move. Fluttershy, pack up your gear. Twilight put out your pipe. Everpony, lets get moving.”

Twilight defiantly continues smoking, but Fluttershy finishes putting a bandage on Spike's wound before she packs up. The rest of the Fellowship also gets up, albeit sluggishly, but only Shining Armor confronts Blueblood.

“We're lost in case you didn't realize it,” says Shining Armor when he is next to the Viceroy, “and I really don't want to get anymore lost than we already are, so we need to wait for Pinkie Pie to remember where to go.”

“I know we're lost, but we cannot wait for her. We have to move.”

Shining Armor pinches the bridge between his eyes. “I can't believe I'm defending her.” He huffs and looks at Blueblood impatiently. “Look, Pinkie said she needed a moment to think, so give her a moment. I don't want to get lost any more than we already are.”

“I just spoke with her and she doesn't remember anything about this place. She is completely clueless as to where we are.”

“Oh, great,” groans Scootaloo.

“Give her a break,” says Spike, now next to Shining Armor. “I don't think I would be thinking right if I found my home completely sacked with everypony dead.”

“You don't have a home so why you're making a defense based on something you don't have is beyond me,” says Blueblood.

Spike's eyes bulge and the Fellowship exchange uneasy looks with each other, save for Davenport and Rainbow Dash, both of whom are packing up.

“Blueblood!” snaps Twilight. She marches through the group with her pipe in hand and jabs the Viceroy in the chest, her hands and mane smoking and her eyes pulsing flame. “You do NOT talk to Spike that way!”

Blueblood grabs Twilight's wrist and jerks her hand away from his chest. Shining Armor and Spike both reach for their swords and take a step closer, but nothing more, and Blueblood and Twilight stare into each other's eyes like bloodthirsty predators looking for a reason to strike.

“I will talk to anypony or anything how I wish, Princess,” says Blueblood. He throws her hand away and grips his sword while turning his wrathful gaze on Spike and Shining Armor. “Back off.”

Now Rainbow Dash and Davenport are watching intently, and Apple Bloom and the other Foalings shrink behind Braeburn, Applejack and Fluttershy. Rarity cringes, but remains silent, and Spike and Shining Armor keep their stances ready, but they both become more tense, and the same is for Twilight. Seconds later, Fluttershy walks forward and Twist tries to hold her back, but fails, and the pegasus gets between Blueblood and the other three and holds up a shaky hand.

“Please don't fight,” says Fluttershy. “I'm sure we can find a way out if we work together.”

Blueblood scoffs and starts towards a flight of stairs near Pinkie Pie. “One can only hope. Let's move. We've been idle long enough. Pinkie, pack up and move it.”

Pinkie Pie quietly gets up and gathers her gear while the group files past her. When Apple Bloom is next to her, she puts her hand on her arm and looks into her eyes, but she does not return the gesture. Instead, Pinkie Pie pats Apple Bloom's head and continues on in silence. With Apple Bloom blows slowly through her nose and follows the group with her head down.

The Fellowship's steps bouncing off the walls of the abandoned mine is all the noise that is made, not for the lack of trying on their part, but even the faintest of steps sound like a stomp in the halls. The unicorns have risked illuminating their horns for light, and the group has stayed close together, all ready to use their weapons within a beat.

No one talks.

No one hardly looks at each other.

The eyes of the Fellowship scan the darkness, warily eyeing the silhouettes of bodies and broken buildings.

After some time they find themselves in a wide corridor with rotting wood and bodies pushed to the side. Apple Bloom looks up and swallows, feeling light headed when she thinks she sees feet dangling from the ceiling. The group continues walking, passing homes and shops carved into the stone, all broken, all reeking, all stained in dark red splatters and streaks.

Apple Bloom shudders and slides next to Twilight, gratefully accepting her arm when the unicorn hugs her closer. The group is silent for more minutes of traveling when Pinkie Pie suddenly gasps and runs runs forward.

The group starts after her, not calling after her for fear of their voice waking whatever lurks in the darkness, but they all slide to a stop when Pinkie Pie stops in front of a broken door, panting and shaking her head.

Apple Bloom's eyes travel up the door, which its decorative colors and designs have faded and the wood splintered, and her jaw and ears go slack when she sees a message written crudely above it.

“Maud!” cries Pinkie Pie.

The Fellowship cringes and tries to stop her from running ahead, but she ignores them and throws open the door. Torchlight covers her, and she gasps and covers her mouth, her mane deflating and eyes flooding.

“No,” gasps Pinkie Pie. She runs inside, disappearing from view. “No! Why!?”

The Fellowship rushes after her and the chamber they enter is covered in bodies and broken weapons, and pushed against the walls are heavily damaged cabinets that barely held together. Around the walls, in even intervals are lit torches, and at the far end is a throne at the top of a set of stairs covered by old carpet.

The throne has been gouged of all valuables, leaving a slab of stone with rough pockets and no cushion, and sitting on the throne in a crudely made dress of burlap is a gray mare with a flat, powder purple mane.

Her head is on her lap.

The Fellowship looks around, and Pinkie Pie is on her knees in front of the executed mare, sobbing and gripping the rough dress.

“W-What did she do to deserve this?” says Pinkie Pie. She swallows and gasp for air and rests her head against Maud's head. “I should have been here. I could have stopped this.”

"If you were here when this happened you would have died, too," says Davenport.

“I don't like this. We got to get out of here,” says Rainbow Dash, frowning looks at the torches.

Pinkie Pie swallows again and reaches down on the floor to pick up a small, smooth rock wrapped securely in a threaded necklace. Her thumb brushes off some dust and she chuckles and wipes her eyes and nose.

“This was her favorite rock,” sniffles Pinkie Pie, not noticing the confused looks the Fellowship is giving each other. “She had this rock since before I was born... She always talked to it. She always cleaned it. She was so nice to it.”

Pinkie Pie carefully slides the necklace around her neck, whimpering and trembling. She gasps for air and rakes her fingers though Maud's hair, brushing off dust as tears drip from her cheeks.

“It's okay, Maud, I'll take care of Boulder now,” says Pinkie Pie, her voice cracking and lips trembling.

“This is all very touching, but Rainbow Dash is right. We need to move,” says Blueblood.

“Yes, let's get out of here,” says Davenport.

“There could be a map here, though,” says Twilight. “We can use it to find a way out. Everypony scatter. Find a map!”

“Are you nuts? This place reeks of a trap!” says Rainbow Dash.

The Fellowship ignores her and scatters in the chamber, searching through the bodies and crates, and Blueblood scoffs and throws his hand up and Davenport shakes his head. The only one who has not made a move, besides the two stallions, is Pinkie Pie, and that is because she is sitting on the throne steps rubbing her thumb over Boulder.

Minutes later, Twilight gasps and hops to her feet, her back to the group.

“I found something!” says Twilight.

“Is it a map?” asks Shining Armor.

“No.” Twilight turns around and shows off a thick book with a gash breaking its hardcover. “I found a book!”

The Fellowship groans, but Flash and Sweetie Belle resume searching.

“Twilight, dear, you can read all the books you want when this is over,” says Rarity.

“But this book might help us find a way out, or explain what happened here,” says Twilight defensively.

“We already know what happened,” says Rainbow Dash. “Those things got in. They killed everybody. The end. Now let's go!”

“That just doesn't happen,” says Pinkie Pie grimly, her hand now clutching Boulder tight. “The Kingdoms are all fortress mines. Nopony just comes in and kills everypony without anypony else knowing. Read the book, Twilight. I need to know who did this.”

Twilight nods and opens the book, wincing when much of the pages fall out with a layer of dirt. She then blows off some more dirt and dust and starts reading.

“Head Councilor Gem was a Changeling,” begins Twilight. “Much of the Council was Changeling. Soldiers. Officers. Civilians. So many were Changelings. They let the Condemned in. They sealed the gates. They trapped us. We cannot get out. The ground shakes. We cannot get out. The shadows swallow us. We cannot get out. The Nightmare has come.”

Twilight closes the book and she and the rest of the Fellowship look at Pinkie Pie. Her flat mane covers one of her distant eyes, but what little light there is reflects off of their wet eyes and magnify the rage pulsing within. Seconds of heavy silence pass before Twilight sighs and closes the book.

“This was Malerabus' doing. I know it,” says Twilight.

“Maler-who?” says Spike.

“A Changeling I met in Trixie's prison. He said he would destroy Equestria for what we did to the Changelings.”

“That doesn't include Foalington, does it?” says Apple Bloom. “We had nothing to do with anything!”

“Malerabus is going to die,” says Pinkie Pie. “He is going to die slow. And painful. And when I'm done with him he's going to wish he was in HELL!”

She slams her hammer down on the steps, shattering the step and sending cracks all down the stairs and up the throne. It is as soon as she does this that there is a crash of snapping wood and cascading metal that shakes the floor and echoes in the room and down the hall like a metallic rain storm. The group all turns to the source and see Sweetie Belle standing next to a pile of weapons and splinters that was formerly one of the cabinets, and she smiles meekly and holds up an old piece of parchment.

“I found a map,” says Sweetie Belle.

Flash quickly grabs the map, and after a quick inspection he nods approvingly.

“This looks good. All we have to do is continue down the hall and take a right at the first corridor, which will take us to the Bridge of...” Flash's voice drops and the Fellowship leans in.

“Well?” says Rainbow Dash.

“The Bridge of Long Drop Doom,” says Flash.

Applejack's eye twitches.

“Well, that's not intimidating at all,” says Davenport.

“That Bridge will take us directly outside to the... Steps of Steep Fall. Huh...”

“Welp, time to hustle on out of here,” says Braeburn.

The Fellowship murmurs in agreement and Twilight holds out her hand to Pinkie Pie.

“Come on, Pinkie Pie, let's get out of here,” says Twilight.

Pinkie Pie reluctantly extends her hand, but then stops and her eyes lock on the door when Spike starts sniffing.

“What is it?” asks Twilight, looking between the two.

“Remember that thing that had that big sword and was covered in crystals?” asks Spike.

“Yeah.”

“I smell him.”

Faint war cries bleed into the room and Apple Bloom gasps and pulls out her sword. It is glowing blue, and she gulps and looks at the other Foalings, who are now drawing their weapons, just like the rest of the Fellowship.

Braeburn runs past the group, peeks outside, then his ears perk and he ducks back inside, slams the door shut and turns around with back against it, eyes wide and colors gone.

“Holy Hell! We got a problem!” says Braeburn.

The screaming gets louder, and Twilight and Rarity use their magic to toss Shining Armor and Blueblood spears and axes. They grab the weapons with their magic and rush to Braeburn, and the three hastily jam the handles and door with as much of the weapons as they can.

“It was a trap? Oh my gosh, who could have possibly guessed that? Oh, yeah. ME!” says Rainbow Dash.

“Then why didn't you say anything, Whiner?” says Braeburn.

“What!? Seriously!?”

“Had we followed my idea we could have been dining on salads and deserts! Not awaiting death underground!” says Blueblood as he jams a sword at an angle between the door and floor.

“Cry me a river,” says Shining Armor. He looks over his shoulder at Twilight, the hooligan screaming now right outside the door and fists thumping against the door. “Get back, all of you!”

The three run from the door, and Braeburn takes a spot on the top of the throne stairs with Pinkie Pie, who is now wielding her Cannon.

“Let them come!” snarls Pinkie Pie. “I got a bone to pick with them!”

The door shakes and fractures, and the Fellowship flinches back, all with their weapons drawn and aimed at the door.

“Steady,” says Blueblood.

The door shakes again, this time with pieces falling off, and Shining Armor creates a crystallized shield around his arm that covers much of his body.

“Steady,” says Blueblood.

There is another shake and a large chunk of the door falls off.

“Stead-”

WHOOSH!

A stream of fire and smoke speeds past the Fellowship and pierces the door with ease, belching out fire, broken stone, wood, smoke and body parts inside the chamber. The screams outside disappear in a snap, and dust and loose stone fall from the walls and ceiling from the shaking.

Nothing moves after that. Only pockets of fire dance on the ground, and one by one the Fellowship looks at Pinkie Pie, and she lowers her smoking Cannon, glaring at her masterpiece.

“Heh, not bad for a mud pony,” says Rainbow Dash.

“I'm still not happy,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash shrugs and Pinkie Pie kneels down to put her Cannon away, but she stops suddenly and her ears flick, for there is a heavy thumping of metal on stone. She grabs her hammer and she and the rest of the Fellowship braces themselves yet again when the sound continues.

Dozens of steps march without focus. Metal scrapes and bounces and one by one the Fellowship's eyes widen and each take a step as pale blue eyes glow in the smoke. The stepping comes closer, and the smoke dissipates to reveal the the thin monster with the marked serrated sword. Behind him are more of his kin, all wearing sheets of metal with bones woven to them and armed with barbaric weapons of jagged blades or large hammer.

The group stops and the leader looks at the mutilated bodies, then he looks at the Fellowship, growling with drool dripping from his fangs. Then his crystals glow green and he holds his blade up to his face and grips the handle tight with both hands, now shrouded in a green haze that engulfs his sword.

“Here your bodies shall lie,” says Tally Marks. “Skótosé tous!”

The Condemned roar and charge forward, and Pinkie Pie yells, jumps from the throne stairs and uses Rainbow Dash's shoulder as a vaulting board towards the swarm, pushing the pegasus down. She tackles a few down, quickly gets on her knees and brings her hammer to bear to block a hooked sword. Said Condemned is then stabbed through the back by Spike and the rest of the Fellowship clashes with the horde.

Steel against steel, cries of pain clash with vicious screams and roaring fire. Smoke, blood, sweat, all of it lingers in the dusty chamber.

From the throne, Braeburn shoots bolt after bolt into the horde. Some stagger, some fall, and when a group of Condemned break away to swarm him, he leaps off of the throne, rolls to his feet and manages to ram the butt of his weapon into the face of one before a large cleaver goes against his shoulder. Blood squirts out and Braeburn screams while the Condemned laughs, but its laughter is brought to a swift end when Applejack's ax cuts its head clean off with a geyser of blood.

Braeburn drops to his knees and clutches his wound, watching with amazement as Applejack viciously swings her ax against the swarm. Her vicious cries accompany her uncontrolled swings, and every swipe leaves a stream of red flying through the air and a body to fall with a limb gone, a head loose or a chest cut open. But her rampage comes to an end when a spear is plunged into her back.

Applejack drops to her knees, gasping for air, and Braeburn pales and screams when the Condemned kicks her down. With tears burning his eyes, he picks up the cleaver with his good hand and whacks it into his back. The Condemned howls in pain, whirls around and backhands Braeburn, sending him flying off of his feet and crashing into the floor.

Splitting pain erupts across his shoulder, and he grips his wound tight with his blood hand, breathing heavily and using his feet to push himself back as the Condemned marches towards him, spear in hand. Blood drips from it.

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

The Condemns teeth gleam when its lips part for a smile. Then with a loud war cry Scootaloo slashes the back of his knee. He drops, shrieking in pain and she grabs his head and plunges her sword into its neck. It gurgles a fountain of blood from its lips and falls forward when she yanks it out, and she looks at Braeburn, who is staring at her with wide eyes.

“I feel so awesome, right now,” says Scootaloo.

All Braeburn can really do at that point is nod, and Scootaloo holds out her hand to him.

“Come on,” she says.

Braeburn grabs her hand and her little frame does not offer much, but it is just enough to get him on his feet, and he sees the other Foalings dragging Applejack across the ground.

“Pull! Put your backs into it!” says Pipsqueak.

“She's really heavy!” whines Button Mash.

“Stop complaining!” says Apple Bloom.

It is then that Fluttershy comes into view and gently yet hastily forces the Foalings to move aside.

“Out of the way, please,” says Fluttershy shakily as she digs into her bag. “I'll take care of her, just stay in the back.”

The Foalings step aside and look at the battle in before them, witnessing Pinkie Pie's hammer popping heads and crushing heads, Rainbow Dash and Flash are colorful blurs slicing up the enemy, and Twilight and Spike are fighting back to back, using steel and magic to repel the Condemned. Also, Rarity is treating Braeburn's wound, Davenport has found refuge in the back, and Blueblood and Shining Armor are engaging Tally Marks, but from the looks of it the two unicorns are not having much luck in breaching his defense.

“Do you think we should help them?” asks Pipsqueak.

“I think they got it under control,” says Twist.

“Eeyup,” says Apple Bloom.

It is as soon as Apple Bloom says this that a particularly large Condemned with bulging muscles, thick plates of steel and a balled mace with spikes protruding from it turn to them.

The three's eyes widen.

“Oh no,” says Twist.

The Large Condemned growls and runs towards them, and the three backpedal, holding out their swords, hearts racing and bodies shaking.

“No. No no no no no no!” says Apple Bloom.

The Large Condemned roars and brings his mace down on Apple Bloom, and she shrieks and dives between its legs, narrowly avoiding the spikes. Shards of stone scatter and the beast whirls around and takes another swing, but it was not towards Apple Bloom and she hears Twist's scream cut short.

“Twist!” cries Apple Bloom. She scrambles to her feet and turns as the Large Condemned turns, gasping when she sees a thick coating of blood on its spikes. Not too far from him, lying in a mangled, bloody heap with her eyes wide open is Twist.

Apple Bloom's eyes widen and her lungs become heavy. Her hands tremble and her eyes burn with tears, unable to speak, unable to move, despite the Large Condemned marching towards her.

“Let me out,” says the Shadow Foaling.

Apple Bloom screams and rushes the Large Condemned, vision red and heart lusting for blood, but before she can take a swing at him, he whacked her with his mace. Everything spins into a blur and when she lands there is a crunch and a flash of darkness.

When she comes to, her whole body is throbbing, her heart is heavy, her head is swimming, and hot liquid soaks her face and the back of her head. Her vision is tugged in and out from clarity to haze and all the noise seems distant. She wheezes and looks ahead to see her friends swarming the Large Condemned, each slashing and stabbing at him and scurrying out of the way when he tries hitting them.

She blinks slowly and puts her focus on her glowing sword, and standing above it, beckoning her, is the Shadow Foaling.

“Crawl, Apple Bloom. Crawl,” urges the Shadow Foaling.

Apple Bloom grits her teeth and digs her bloody fingers into the floor and pulls herself forward, crying as the strain threatens to rip her muscles. And over and over again she does this. Every pull a fresh pain, and every cheer and clap from the Shadow Foaling vile.

“You're doing it. You're doing it. Good job, Apple Bloom,” says the Shadow Foaling.

When Apple Bloom finally reaches her sword blood trails her burning, broken body and she can barely see anything from the blood and tears clouding her vision. She grabs her sword and uses it to help her stand, and as this happens Button Mash tries to scurry away, but the Large Condemned knocks him down. Then proceeds to stomp on his head.

Pipsqueak's cries are faint against Apple Bloom's heavy heart and jagged breaths, and her eyes feel like stone as she drags her sword across the ground. Each step is wobbly and follows the Shadow Foaling, who is walking backwards and waving her forward, grinning all the way.

“Come, Apple Bloom. Come,” says the Shadow Foaling.

Apple Bloom is now behind the Large Condemned, and it takes another swing at the remaining Foalings, stepping past Button Mash's flat head. It misses them, but Sweetie Belle trips when she dodges him, and right as he is about to bring his mace down on her Apple Bloom drives her sword right his back. He yells in agony, and Apple Bloom yanks her sword out and stabs it into him again. And again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Even when he falls she continues stabbing him, screaming and crying with tears and blood falling on him. She falls to her knees on top of him and continues stabbing, now using both of her hands and her mane becoming a mess as his blood stains her legs and splashes up her face, chest and hands, and when she stabs him one last time she leans against her sword, weeping and trembling.

As she weeps, the last of the Condemned joins the carpet of dead by Rainbow Dash's swords and Tally Marks deflects Shining Armor's swing and elbows Blueblood in the gut. He staggers back and Tally Marks backs away with his sword out and looks at the Fellowship, eyes darting to each of their battered faces.

Tally Marks growls and holds up his hand. “May the shadows swallow you.”

And then there is a flash of blinding green light and he disappears from view, leaving only Apple Bloom's weeping to be heard in the tomb.