The throne room was full of guards, yet as silent as death when Derrick arrived on Raven's back, his arm firmly curled around her neck to support his balance so he does not fall on either Crow or Midnight Estelle, though it were it not necessary since the Empress had her wings flourishing and keeping him still as she made her way to the throne. Once the guards who were standing in her way stepped out of her path and bowed to her, the latter of Derrick's fear towards the mare he has yet to meet took a moment to acclimate to the fact of having a place in this castle and some protection of his own. Said protecting being his resistance to magic.

"The Night Mother," one of the guards whispered in awe as he looked up to her. Obviously he was a new recruit, and that was alright to the alicorn. His commanding officer, however, did not take lightly to him breaking his bow as she passed them.

"Put your head back down right now," he whispered in a sharp tone, punching the new recruit on the back of his head. "Do you want to have the Empress rip your heart out on the first day because you can't show her respect?"

Derrick felt a little worried for everyone after hearing that. He looked around and saw what he believed to be a fraction of the castle staff bowing to Raven while sharing some whispers about her and him. Most of which were focused on him being the son of their creator, and that he was riding her back. No one had ever thought the Night Mother to be so kind as to carry her foal when he should walk or limp next to her. This was very unsettling to man, and he continued to listen to their whispers.

He leaned to his right and focused on their voices. Most of them were stallions.

"Is that supposed to be our lord?"

"He's not even a Nightmare Pony. . ."

"What monster stomped all over him, he's got bandages and casts all over his body."

"I heard he's Nightmare Moon's mate. . ."

The whispers went on and on, and Derrick chose to continue listening to them as Raven stopped in the middle of the crowd to allow a single guard to announce the return of the Dark Sun Queen and her king. He ignored those who tried to talk to him, mainly Nightmare Moon, who was starting to get worried since she could hear what her subjects were saying. Some were good, but the bad outnumbered the comments by a long shot. She wondered if this would be a problem in his development as a Royal.

"He doesn't appear to be dangerous. . ."

"There's something odd about that thing on her back. I can feel it."

"He's kind of cute for a weird creature."

"Queen Nightmare Moon has feelings for that thing?"

Derrick watched as Nightmare Moon turned sharp on that last comment to the stallion who was foolish enough to say it. She leaned over the pony as he resumed bowing and scowled with the deepest hatred. She was ready to rip this jealous foal to pieces and feed them to her pet.

"Silence~" he heard her hiss before Raven made movement towards the returning king and queen, breaking his attention from the furious alicorn to meet with the supposed opposite of Celestia.

"Welcome home, my child." Derrick heard the Empress say with joy as she nuzzles the mare in front of her. Suddenly he finds himself exposed when Raven's wings curl around the alicorn that had not seen him yet. "Was your trip to Scalar a fruitful one?"

"More than fruitful!" The alicorn in front of her exclaimed as she fluttered her wing, accidentally dropping a sealed scroll that bear a royal insignia. One that Derrick had never seen before. "The dragons have agreed to our demands and will make haste to supply Nebula with a few dragons that will help us conduct research on their anatomy. Not only that, we now have a trade route with them. They will provide us with a monthly allowance of their finest jewels so long as we give free passage into our forest for their hunting." She flipped open the satchel around her barrel and removed what was inside for all to see. It was nothing to awe over, just a black egg with red bolts circling the shell as an illusion of it cracking. "They even gave us this egg as a testament of our alliance and agreement."

Raven nodded and then nuzzled the proud mare affectionately. "You've done very well, my child. Another kingdom in our grasp."

"And all we had to do was slaughter a couple dozen dragons and switch the Elder's head with his backside." The Dark Sun Queen leaned into her husband and hugged him tightly. She giggled like a filly as the Draconequus in her wing basked in her admiration. "All thanks to my Dissy."

Celestia said Dissy whenever—Derrick's thought is interrupted when he looks around Raven and sees that 'Dissy' was who he thought about that just now. His eyes widened dramatically, the air in his lungs expanding with his gasp as he watched the so-called 'King' act his chaotic self.

"Do not praise me for the job," Discord ordered in a playful tone, his eagle talon dragging under his wife's chin so he could tickle her. "I just did not like hearing that arrogant prick say such crude things about my Black Hole Sun."

Derrick turned his gaze to the mare beside Discord and felt all of his courage sink beneath when the mare's right eye drifted over to him and expanded sharply. She turned her gaze towards the intimidated human, and they looked into eachother's eyes. The intensity this alicorn was radiating almost suffocated Derrick as she eyed him with much curiosity and suspicion, her stare altering from his broken form to him riding the Empress as though it were nothing. Her husband should have been aware of it as well, but he was too busy using a guard's helmet as a bowl for the wine he materialized with a snap of his bear claw.

Black Hole Sun. The mare that is supposed to be Celestia's opposite. In Derrick's mind that meant she was bringer of destruction and mayhem, a true demon of the darkest form, and that only made it harder for him to sit up and match her gaze with a hollow glare. It was his only trump card, and it was definitely failing him. After all, Celestia was a princess of love and tolerance, and if this alicorn is her opposite, that could only spell trouble for him. He swallowed the massive lump in his throat and mentally prayed to god for help while the Dark Sun Queen approached silently, never taking her eyes off of him. Not even when her husband plucked a strand of her mane and used it to floss his teeth.

As Derrick turned away from the alicorn, his arm firmly locked around Raven's neck, Black Hole Sun lifted her right hoof to his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. Derrick did not know that he was fine, but nobody told him that the alicorn was doing what everyone knew to be her 'Soul Glare'. For those who experienced that intense stare, it was like having your mind pulled and tugged on by the queen for a true understanding of someone's inner pony—or in this case their inner person.

Black Hole Sun stared into his eyes for what seemed to be an eternity before she nodded her head and turned to her smiling Empress.

"This is the creature you spoke of?" She asked in a cold tone. "I find it strange that he shows promising power without some sign of physical attribute. Such darkness cannot be contained—" She looked back to the nervous human. "Unless he is restraining it, but I find that impossible."

Derrick sank back behind Raven, trying not to appear squeamish in front of the crowd. He had no idea how Black Hole Sun thought of him, and there was no hint of her taking a liking to him. He sat on Raven's back as if a statue, his eyes locked on the Dark Sun Queen and staring, yet they were lifeless.

Black Hole Sun's gaze altered as she stared at Derrick's lifeless face and then down at his body. "You've been through something painful," she announced, as if it were news. She realized the scent of her sister oozing off this man. Of course she knew Nightmare Moon would claim him. She had been waiting for a long time. She looked at each bandage carefully, feeling disappointed and a little angry. "This is what must happen for somepony to escape those horses."

"Actually, this is all my fault," Derrick said nervously, shocking the alicorn. "I think they intended to petrify or kill me." He took the largest bandage on his arm and rolled it up slightly for her to say the cut. "Your sister tried to be the voice of reason, somewhat. But I took her as the same monster Luna told me she was and ran blindly into the old castle." He looked down to the Mare in The Moon and smiled. Although it was weak, it was still a warm smile. "If your sister had saved my ass from whatever that was in the castle, my life would have been over."

Nightmare Moon choked a few time, clearing her throat repeatedly, determined not to boast or cram her heroism in everyone's faces. She wanted Derrick to believe there was a vast difference between her and Luna. She did not believe that Derrick could come to a conclusion from a simple deed, but judging by his maturity, she knew that with a little time and patience he would turn from those Equestria to Nebula and Celestia would be without her toy. The thought tickled her. Still, she could never cause as much damage to her opposite, not even a torturous, methodical, manipulative Luna, but she couldn't leave her feelings unscathed.

"Is this true?" Black Hole Sun asks her little sister.

Nightmare Moon nodded slowly. "Every word he spoke is the truth. It was not Derrick's that he was afraid of me. Those horses twisted his mind to have him perceive me as a monster." She leaned over and nuzzled his leg. "But he has learned his lesson the hard way and apologized for it."

"Very good." Black Hole Sun said, before reaching out to the man.

Derrick's body jerked so unexpectedly both Raven and Nightmare Moon nearly jumped on the defensive. Black Hole Sun caught the man with her wings. They were warm—warm enough to make him melt as she held him close. Whatever the Dark Sun Queen was doing, she did not show any sign or intention to put him in the ground.

"I'm sorry for what they did to you."

Black Hole Sun's whisper in his ear make him jump nearly out of her hug. She sounded guilty and sad as if everything his exes and former friends was all her doing and costing him dearly.

Derrick was flabbergasted by her, and he finally had enough of the confusion.

"What are you apologizing for?" Derrick demanded, though with a kind voice. Still, it worried everyone around him. "Seriously, this is not what I expect you to act like."

Black Hole Sun's breath caught in her lungs. She was under the perspective with his mind as twisted as her sister expressed. She could not mistake the man's mind for what it was. Corrupted. Fear burned through his body. She saw that he was weakened and on edge, the chances of him turning to Nebula were better. She just had to push him over that edge to see the Equestrians for what they truly were.

"You mustn't mistaken me for the mare that made you believe you were loved, believing that she had feelings for you and cared," Black Hole Sun warned. She took a deep breath, infuriated, but willing to tell the truth so that he would open his eyes to the real monster. "Do you really think that Celestia is the kind and gentle monarch everypony sees her as?"

The thought of which totally stumbled the man and creeped him out. She had a point there.

"Some of our ponies are born as corrupted monsters," she held him a little tighter, forcing his gaze to remain completely focused on her. "But most of us are dark creations that are born with a kind heart and a gentle soul. I am an excellent example of such a pony, while Celestia plays the opposite."

Derrick raised a brow at the mare. "Really, because I seem to recall her giving me a job and a place to stay when I fell through the sky and landed in a lake."

Black Hole Sun leaned into his ear and giggled. "You are ignorant and blind by the kindness and care she has now. But know the mare for what she is—" She leaned in a little further to make sure he heard her clearly. "Celestia was no saint when she was young. The Celestia you thought to be your lover was born after Starswirl used the Elements of Harmony to purify her."

Black Hole Sun jerked the man again when he tried to pry from her. Her eyes went wide, as blue as concentrated fire, but swirling with other colors beneath the blue—a beautiful mix Derrick did not recognize. He did not know it, but her eyes, when she was completely calm and relaxed often went that amazing shade. When she was happy, her startling blue shone through and pierced. Now, There seemed to be a strange mixture and for the first time, Derrick felt welcome that she was being different from what he perceived.

"Let us take a walk. You and I." She whispered then acted as his leverage. "I don't have anything to do and you are in desperate need of the truth. Plus I wish to speak with you about Nightmare Moon."

"I'm not going to die, am I?" Derricks asked before looking back to Raven. This time his voice was edged with fear. No answer came from the alicorn, and he assumed the worst. "Seriously, I'm coming back in one piece, right? I kind of like being alive."

Black Hole Sun guided him to the corridors and shook her head in disappointment. "If I wanted to kill you I would have done it when you used the showers in Canterlot."

Derrick's head burned now. Turned red and rushed the blood. Everyone could see the embarrassment beneath his hair as if it were as clear as the night, yet only the gulp she heard indicated how nervous he was. He was now looking back to Nightmare Moon for help, his skin tone nearly pale when she smiled nervously and worded to him, 'good luck'.

Finally the doors closed behind them and Derrick felt a flash of blinding pain. His legs convulsed before buckling on him. Luckily the alicorn was kind enough to keep him steady as they made their way towards wherever she had in mind.

"We'll have to work on your physique after you heal." She told him.

"Alright, we can talk alone in here." she closed the doors to Nightmare Moon's bedroom with a flick of magic before setting Derrick on the couch. Once he was comfortable she took her place next to him, with wing around his back. "Now then, let us get down to business." She coughed to clear her throat, and then gave him a more serious look. Nothing threatening, but it was enough to make him think twice about talking back at her.

"To clear up the confusion you have about me," she began in a calm tone. "I am the darker half of Celestia, but I am not evil. What you see is merely a manifestation of the darkness that she was before Starswirl used the Elements of Harmony for the first time to purify her. I was born when she was purified, but I am not the evil mare you presume."

Derrick tilted his head. "Well if you're some evil goddess, then what exactly are you?"

She scooted closer to Derrick, until he was practically resting on her side. She started with a magical imagery of her and Celestia being two completely different being. Both in personality and power.

"See those two images of her and I?" she asked, waiting for him to nod in response. "Our purpose is the same, we bring light and warmth to the world while Luna and Nightmare Moon bring the night. But we share different personalities and ideals for our kingdoms."

She expanded the image of Celestia and brought forth her sitting on the throne. "She believes that peace and harmony are the two key factors to a prosperous kingdom. Also, justice must be dealt in a swift motion that is merciful." Next she brought forth her own image and throne. "I, on the other hoof, do not side with that. I believe that a prosperous kingdom will happen if my fellow monarchs and I fight to preserve our own peace and harmony. As for justice, it is given in equality of the crime. There is not mercy shown to those who are guilty."

Derrick wanted to ask her what that meant, knowing the worst has yet to come. He did not want to leave any gap between him and the alicorn, even if it is the smallest of detail, because even for his current situation, he needed friends more than even. No matter how weird and bizzare.

"So say if a pony was a thief?" He stopped right there, watching her expression turn brighter

"I'm not sure if you wanted to know both sides of thievery, so I'll tell you anyway." She said in a lighter mood, almost bubbly. "We compensate the victims and offer work to the thieves that are stealing to survive. To provide for themselves or others because they have no work." Suddenly, her expression darkened. "But if they stealing for no good reason, we sentence them to the dungeon for however long and brand them with the word 'thief' so everypony knows their crime."

That was a little unsettling for Derrick, but he had to admit to himself that it was an affect way to let others know who lives in their neighborhood.

"And if a pony is raped?" He cringed on that one.

"Mare or stallion, should they rape an adult then they face branding of the word 'rape' and a certain number of years in the dungeon." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "But if is a colt or filly that is raped, then the penalty is death by the same torture."

"Same torture?" He questioned.

"Yes, but that has not happened in over two hundred years." The Dark Sun Queen added with a little nostalgia. Now she was going back to that day with ease. She almost smiled when hearing the criminal begging for mercy. "I cannot tell you the name of the criminal because I forgot. But rape was eliminated when your mother used her dark power to create an exact copy of the criminal and give it an erection that was too large for any pony to handle."

Derrick held onto his stomach as it gurgled, trying to push up the contents of his last meal. Now he was as pale as a ghost. "I think I get the idea of what happened to that guy."

Black Hole Sun laughed while patting him on the back. "Don't tell me you can't stomach a little torture to those who commit such heinous crimes."

"I think I'm to throw up." Derrick's chest convulsed once before he could get himself back in control. Black Hole Sun still found it hilarious though, especially when he gurgled and burped. This one is definitely a keeper, she'd thought to herself.

Seeing as how Derrick was not as threatening as she thought him to be, the Flare Queen shed her mask and relaxed with the sickened human as he wiped his mouth of the bile that did escape with a nearby folded towel. He had unknowingly given Black Hole Sun the right perspective of him, rather than concentrate on what he might become in the future. She had never known her Empress having a child so weak. As much as she wanted to toughen him up, she feared Derrick could not recover while in his current state of health and Nightmare Moon would be pushed over the edge into madness should something happen to him.

"You are not fanatic of such things, are you?" She asked cutely.

"No. Not at all." He wheezed.

She was very pleased that Derrick was honest with her and drawing closer than expected, and she felt it necessary to send up a prayer that his father—the source of all this mayhem—would watch over him and see with time and patience that his son would grow to be a dark lord if he learned to overcome his flaws.

Derrick was well of his setbacks. He feared those very same things. He was weak, and right now, his only focus could be on recovering. Once he had regained his composure, he was certain a spark of amusement, very faint, but there nonetheless, had grown in that warm smile Black Hole Sun held in that moment of silence.

He felt her wing pull him close, their space closed off and locked out now. In that strange moment one could walk in the room and mistaken her hug as the start of an affair. During the awkwardness of this mare holding onto him, Derrick almost wanted to be lost. He felt that her warmth was almost the same as Nightmare Moon's. He feared Nightmare Moon might find them like this and pull away before he could tell her how he feels. He did his best to tell the elder sister, but she was not listening. Instead, she was talking.

"Feel the difference in our touch. Feel me holding you close to me. This will be a warmth unlike any you can imagine when you let my sister have you. The light of my opposite will soon cease to hold you, and the darkness will burn through your body. When it does, when you welcome darkness, it will cleanse you, prepare you for the conversion. You will then be ready to take your rightful place in this dark world of ours."

Derrick felt the riddle become the smallest of answers. Warmth in his body and mind. His heart jerked in his chest. Stuttered with excitement as the door opened. He looked up. They were there, watching him cling to the alicorn, relying on her, trusting her with everything he was holding back.

"Those ponies put you through the very fires of betrayal, but I am thankful for it." Black Hole Sun told him, which was a surprise. It didn't matter for long though. Not when she was understanding him better than his exes.

She nuzzled the top of his head as her sister approached. "I am sorry for what my opposite did to you. I'm sorry for everything she, her sister, and her subordinates put you through, but at the same time I am glad that the pain they put you through has brought you here. We can guide you now. You felt the knife of their corruption twist through your body when they struck you with the power that is meant to protect their kingdom. Now we can help you walk the right path.

He had no idea just how right the alicorn actually was, but even with her truth, he was still without absolute certainty that could face the facts, take the brunt of it and remain honorable—for himself.

"Stay true for her, Derrick. I can see you are weary and in pain, but I'm asking you for my sister to stay true. Do not see her the same way you see them." He had never heard such a request in all of his life. This had come to be the hardest thing for him to feel, an impossible acceptance and he had to do it.

Again there was that small spread of warmth, but it was not from Black Hole Sun. It was stronger. This time he was certain of that gentle power in the midst of the warmth. This was what it meant to be cared for. Maybe loved. He looked up and found the gentle Empress holding him while Black Hole Sun surrendered to her the spot she took next to him.

Derrick was not sure if this was real, but something told him that Raven would not desert him. He had taken in the fact of her suffering long enough. She had dealt with enough pain, dared to live patience for a chance to see him again. It was odd, but the feeling was there. That she would not leave him. He had to somehow believe that—with time.

He heard the Night Mother humming, and looked to Nightmare Moon for answers.

She smiled. "Start with giving her a chance."

Pain welled up, a wave sharp and terrible, burning through his eyes, building and exploding at the breaking point. He looked up to Raven just in time as her tongue glistened his head, tears of his own emptied and lapped down his skin over and over, a wretched ache he couldn't stop. Something more powerful than his anger had consumed him. Lick after lick from the mighty goddess crashed through him, lasting long seconds that tore away the wall around his heart.

Abruptly, the pain increased, and he found himself panting, desperate to draw air into his lungs. He lifted his good hand to his eyes. He felt hurt in a different way and terrible. He couldn't believe the tears he pulled off his cheeks onto the tips of his fingers. He thought he could never this way for anyone; especially an alicorn that claimed to be his mother. Regaining the strength to calm himself took a tremendous amount of energy. Energy that he did not possess. He was still crying from the Night Mother sobbing and licking him so lovingly, yet he didn't understand reason to this new feeling. Already another wave of pain rose in his eyes, bursting and gushing out of him.

The strength and intensity of his pain scared the group. Their eyes locked on him in worry and shock. He had been an angry child suffering endless torment when he found out those he loved turned on him without hesitation, but this pain was different, a longing for what has been taken from him, building so it was impossible for Nightmare Moon, Crow and Midnight Estelle to not comfort him.

"I feel so alone," he pressed his face into Raven's fur, relying on her for support. There was no blocking the emotional pain, no way to stop the tears, or the way he broke down, went rigid, and shattered. As the pain subsided, he held onto Raven for the first time and muffled his crying, a horrible retching sound to the alicorn that seemed to give life to her slumbering hatred to those sun lovers.

Raven became aware of two things. Derrick's spirit, rather than strong and unbreakable, seemed to have a weak spot to loneliness and betrayal. She could accept that. After all, time would heal his wounds and he would grow to be as stronger as her if not stronger. This gave her hope that she might teach her son and actually pull him out of the pain he endures.

"Let it out," she whispered. "Let it all out."

Surprisingly he did. He cried without restraint. Without care of who was seeing him that way. The only thing mattered to Derrick was getting the pain out of his system, so he held onto Raven and said what she did not expect to hear.

"I'll try," that shocked her just as much as Nightmare Moon. "I'll try. . ."

Raven just smiled at him, and then at Black Hole Sun, wording 'thank you' to her.

"My work here is done." Black Hole Sun bowed to the grateful alicorn, turned, and walked away, leaving a mother and son to begin the growth of their stolen relationship.

"Not this time, Celestia." She muttered under her breath then left the room, but not quiet enough for her sister to not notice.

"Sister," Nightmare Moon called to the elder alicorn after breaking from the group. She did not hear a respond from her sibling and hastened her approach. She could not let this kind deed of hers to slip by without questioning.

"Black Hole Sun," the Mare in The Moon said a little louder as they walked around the corner. She placed her hoof on the Dark Sun Queen's chest to stop her. She took it as a yes when her sister did not stop her.

"Yes, my dear sister. Do you need something?" she responded.

Nightmare Moon frowned at her. "Why did you do that to Derrick?" She asked in a stern tone. "Why did you act so kind and understanding to him when your intentions are not of that."

Surprisingly, the alicorn flinched before laughing, respecting her little sister's sharp intuition.

Abruptly she pecked Nightmare Moon on the cheek and walked away, leaving her in confusion.

"Because he is Raven's foal and your happiness." She answered whilst looking back to her stunned sister who was holding a hoof to the kiss. She gave her a deadly serious look. "And I will not let Celestia corrupt him so much that it keeps you and him apart, and Raven without her only son."

Nightmare Moon blinked in surprise. Never did she expect her sister to be so nice to someone let alone a total stranger.

"By the way, Dissy and I were going to make love when we got back. So you owe me a solid for all of that." Black Hole Sun yelled around the next corner. "I want grilled bat and a big Everfree Salad with Manticore Blood Dressing on the side. Be sure to have it ready tonight."

Nightmare Moon gave her a bemused look. "Now that's the big sister I know."

Author's Notes:

Closest thing I could find to Black Hole Sun, but there will be an original version made sooner than later by Miss Sheepy of Ask Mare Sombra.