Princess Luna reclined alongside Grey against a gnarled willow tree atop a knoll of colorless grass. Stretched out before them was a bleak landscape of jagged outcrops and pale asphodel meadows. A large river of murky water cut through the landscape beneath a black, sunless sky. As dark and depressing as this new place was, the Alicorn of the Night had to admit that it possessed a sense of peace and serenity and was a welcome change compared to the fire and brimstone of Tartarus that the pair of immortals had seen just a few moments ago in Mica’s lost memories. The robed stallion cleared his throat, bringing the Princess out of her observations.

“I'm sure my constant inquisitions have grown tiresome, Luna.” Grey said apologetically. “So I’ll try to keep this next batch brief.”

Luna nodded as Grey formulated how to best ask his new questions. She had a few of her own but deigned to let her host go first.

“Judging by the facts that Princess Cadenza and Prince-Regent Armor now rule the Crystal Empire and that Equestria isn't under the hoof of a big red centaur...” He began. “...Is it safe for me to assume that the consequences of Sombra’s egress have been remedied?”

“With a vengeance.” Luna replied with dramatic flourish of her hoof. “Cerberus was returned to its post, Sombra was soundly defeated, and Tirek was banished back to Tartarus.”

“Most excellent.” Grey clapped his hooves together in approval but hesitated as he realized that Luna had left out one important detail. “What of the Brass Gates?”

The Alicorn’s ear drooped slightly.

“I’m afraid they are beyond repair.” She said regretfully. “Even if we could physically rebuild them, the wards and runes that went into their construction predate every form of magic we know. Their designs and intricacies have long since been lost to us.”

“I see.” Grey said neutrally.

An uneasy silence fell between the two. Luna did not want to admit it but even if she and her fellow Princesses knew of the magic necessary to restore the Brass Gates, she doubted they could even get close to the site. According to Twilight’s account of taking the three-headed dog back to its post, the deeper she went into the labyrinthine caverns of Equestrian’s underground, the weaker she became. The then unicorn had described it as not just a magical drain but a physical one as well. Apparently, after just a few minutes underground, her magic had weakened enough for Cerberus to break free of her telekinetic hold and scamper off back to Tartarus on its own accord, likely its training and conditioning reminding it that is had a task to do. By the time the purple pony had returned to the surface, she had claimed that it felt like she had done the Running of the Leaves over nine thousand times uphill with weights attached to her legs. Her strength had returned after a few minutes on the surface but just a few moments in the largely unknown underground were enough to reduce the normally proficient unicorn into an exhausted wreck. With that in mind, Luna did not think she nor her sister had the reserves to rebuild the gates. To say nothing of whatever fiends or creatures may live in the dark recesses of Equestria.

“Seeing as demons are not running amok on the surface, I assume something has been done.” Grey said, breaking the silence and bringing the Alicorn out of her thoughts.

“Oh, of course.” Luna nodded. “Wards have been placed over the known entrances to Tartarus and our guards have been trained to keep an eye out for demonic activity. We may not be able to prevent them from escaping but we will at least know about it if they try.”

“Hmm...” Grey made a noncommittal noise as he pushed himself off the tree with his staff.

Luna studied the pale horse as he moved out into the tranquil asphodel meadows, clearly absorbed in his thoughts. His stony expression was still in place but she could have sworn she saw what looked like concern and relief cross his features. Was he worried about Equestria and its citizens or about something else? It would be touching if he did have some compassion for her nation but even if he did not, it at least proved he was not an emotionless hunk of rock.

“Ah, but a well carved and strong hunk he is, wouldn't you agree?” A sly and sultry version of her own voice cooed in her mind.

Luna had to admit that despite his color palate, or lack thereof, the robed stallion did possess a sort of seasoned handsomeness. Granted, this was probably just an idealized version she was seeing. It was his dream after all. Still, if he was not such a statue, he could probably court a fair number of mares or stallions depending on his preference.

“Admit it; you want him to be as straight as the rod up his perfect ass.” The voice jabbed playfully.

Luna blushed when she caught herself staring at Grey’s backside. Such behavior was not normally becoming of a Princess despite what the notoriously teasing Celestia seemed to think. Courtship among royalty was a long and delicate process that required her and her partner to develop a connection over time. At least, that was how it used to be.

“Bah! You know good and well that now whenever Celestia feels the need she just grabs the closest guard.” The voice scoffed. "You have tall, dark and handsome here all to yourself. Plus when was the last time you courted a stallion older than you?"

The navy Alicorn shook her head. This was getting ridiculous. She was currently an astral projection in the dream of a disembodied stallion inhabiting the body of a dead mare. Even if she did want to know him more intimately, there was not much they could do in the Dream World and she had high enough standards for herself not to jump him within hours of their first meeting. Her reasoning seemed to silence the incessant voice. With an annoyed huff, she got to her hooves and trotted down to where Grey had stopped by the riverbank. He was stroking his beard in thought before he stopped suddenly and regarded her.

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to leave you behind.” He said. “I just had to process some things.”

“I understand.” Luna said placidly. “I myself am given to introspection and we've learned so much in such a short amount of time.”

“No one knows you better than yourself.” Grey said simply.

“Agreed.” The two shared a smile before Luna composed herself. "If you don't mind, I have some questions of my own."

"Proceed." The pale horse affirmed.

"I am loathed to speak of that dreadful place but you seemed to know a lot about Tartarus." The navy Alicorn said with a shiver. "I assume it existed in your time as well?"

"It did and it served a similar purpose as a giant burning garbage bin." Grey nodded. "The key difference is that we, my family and I, usually made sure the condemned were dead before we pitched them in."

"Isn't that redundant?" Luna arched an eyebrow. "If the offender is deceased, why go through the trouble of 'pitching them in' as you said?"

"Let me clarify. The body of the monster was destroyed while its spirit was locked away." The ancient animus explained. "Ghosts, phantoms and other spectral aberrations were a phenomenon as well and doing this ensured that monsters could not trouble our realms physically or spiritually."

Luna was about to condemn this practice as unnecessarily cruel but caught herself. From the little windows into the past that Grey had shown her, the monsters and villains of his time were leagues above what Equestria faced in the present. Such drastic measures may have been necessary after all but she decided to at least point out the change in standards.

"Your justice was absolute." The Princess of the Night said solemnly. "But I must inform you that such actions would be considered extreme nowadays."

"I suspected as much." The pale horse nodded in understanding. "Fear not. I am not going to raze the Crystal Empire just because somepony insulted me."

"They have Us for that." A dark voice whispered from the back of Luna's mind which she promptly ignored.

"Hmhm. I am sure they will be thankful for that." She giggled slightly into her hoof. "One last thing before I take my leave."

"Only one?" Grey arched an eyebrow coyly.

"For the time being." The nocturnal Princess said pointedly. "It concerns you. You have returned from exile to a world that might as well be alien to you. Most equines would fall to despair or go mad yet you seem to carry on as if your banishment 'twas not but an inconvenience."

"To be fair, I am still adjusting to this brave new world of yours, Princess." The pale horse admitted. "But even before my return, I've long had my mind set on a goal; something to keep me focused no matter what world or age found myself in."

"And what goal would that be?" Luna asked.

"Home." Grey swept a hoof across the monochrome landscape before them. "I was told that I was doomed to rule this place; fated to sit upon the throne and assume the mantle of Lord. I did not believe it at the time, I had eyes on other holdings, but I was well suited to the task and over time I grew accustomed to it."

"You seek your old place in the world, as you have said before." Luna said sympathetically. "But the challenge facing you now if the mystery if it even still exists."

"Correct." The caliginous cleric said neutrally. "Hence my pursuit of knowledge which has taken me to a city made out of crystals, the Realm of Dreams and the company of a most lovely mare."

Luna hid her reddening face behind her starry mane. As much as she wanted to spend more time with him if only to fish for more compliments, she did not want to overstay her welcome. She still had her dream patrol to carry out but there was one more suspicion she wanted to be confirmed or denied.

"Verily, thou doth possess a silver tongue..." The Alicorn peeked out from behind her mane with an inquisitive look. "...Lurker."

A flash of surprise crossed Grey's features but he said nothing. The perceptive Princess gave him a knowing smile. Based on what he had been willing to divulge, it was not too difficult to put two and two together.

"You return from exile to the Crystal Tower, get expelled by the Crystal Heart, find Mica and return to the city more cautious." Luna explained her thought process. "Although, it makes me wonder what happened to her Solar Guard escorts."

The pale horse seemed impressed and slightly amused by her deduction. In response, he conjured another memory showing a gilded unicorn blasting away at him. The Alicorn of the Night grimaced slightly once the revealed Lurker got above the unfortunate stallion and reached down with claws extended. The image vanished as the guard was lifted into the air by his horn.

"It was in self-defense." Grey stated plaintively. "The guards attacked me while Mica fled into the wastes."

"An unfortunate but understandable turn of events." The Lunar Princess thought.

"And Tomes?" Luna asked.

"I do not know what became of him." The Lurker shook his head. "I assume it met the same fate as his partner barring an animus assuming his identity."

"A fair assumption." The navy Alicorn nodded before giving her host a serious look. "We do not fault you for your actions. You have made it clear that your morals and principles do not align with that of Equestria's but only out of ignorance rather than malice. We were in a similar position not too long ago."

"You are most gracious, Princess." Grey said with what could have been a relieved sigh.

"However, We should not have to tell you that modern equines frown on killing except in the most extreme of circumstances such as war." Luna added pointedly. "We hope you understand."

"Transparently." The pale horse said neutrally.

The Princess of the Night softened her expression and smiled. It pleased her that this stranger out of time was willing to listen to reason. Her experience with other ancient beings tended to not go so smoothly.

"Looking at you, Discord." A bitter voice in her head snorted. "We should have dropped his statue into the sea."

“I must say this was a most illuminating experience, Lurker-Grey.” The navy Princess said formally. “As much as I would like to spend more time with you, I have duties to attend to.”

“Then I shall not keep your further.” The pale stallion said, adopting a formal tone of his own. “I do, however, ask one thing of you.”

“And what’s that?” The Alicorn perked up her ears.

Grey placed a hoof on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. Luna felt the fur on the back of her neck stand on end as she looked back into his hollow, unreflective eyes.

“I would prefer it if your sister remained unaware of my presence.” He said evenly. “I don’t know her; I don’t trust her.”

Luna frowned. Grey was asking a lot of her. Ever since she had been freed from the control of Nightmare Moon, she and Celestia had shared everything with each other in an effort to reforge the bond shared between sisters. Well, she did mostly. Celestia had neglected to share a few things with her like the new manner of speech of the ponies and the holiday of Nightmare Night and her plans to make Twilight a Princess. The more she thought about it, Luna realized her sister had also declined to have her attend the wedding of Cadenza and Armor. She had completely missed the invasion of the changelings because of that.

“Why would she trust a traitor?” A sinister voice whispered from the darker parts of her mind.

“Perhaps I worded that wrong.” Grey said as Luna’s expression shifted from inquisitive to indignant fury. “I would be remiss if I drove a wedge between you and Princess Celestia.”

The incensed Alicorn’s expression returned to its neutral setting as the pale earth pony reformatted his request.

“You can tell her of me, if you like, but could you leave out the part about me being the Lurker possessing a dead mare?" The robed royal clarified. "I don’t see that sitting well with the Solar Alicorn.”

“She would be appalled.” Luna confirmed. “Fret not. We will keep it between ourselves until you are ready to trot into the light, so to speak.”

“You have my thanks.” Grey said with a ghost of a smile on his thin lips.

With that, the dream strider ignited her horn and focused. A crack of power echoed across the fields as a portal leading back to the dreamscape manifested with a flash of light a short distance away. The Princess felt something cold grip one of her forehooves and looked to find Grey holding it. The ashen pony bent over and kissed it just above the fetlock. As formal as the gesture was, it did not stop Luna from blushing again.

“Until we meet again, my dear Luna.” He said as he clasped his other hoof over hers and shook it gently.

“Kiss him, you fool!” The needy voice begged. "Stick your tongue down his throat!"

“I look forward to it.” She replied, ignoring the inadvertent double entente.

After one more respectful bow to each other, Luna faced the glowing portal and trotted back to the Dream World. Grey silently watched her leave, a ghost of a smile on his thin lips.

“He’s got eyes on you!” The sultry voice practically screamed. “Give him something!”

The Alicorn stopped halfway to the portal. She turned her head back to see Grey wave politely at her. With a mischievous smile, she resumed her trot with a bit more sway in her hips and a teasing swish in her starry tail. Celestia was not the only Princess that knew how to tease hapless stallions. The pale earth pony’s eyes followed her svelte movements, watching as her tail came so tantalizingly close to revealing her salacious and ample assets.

“Oh my.” Grey said smoothly.

Luna stifled a giggle as she stepped through the portal and back into the realm of dreams. Was it indecent? Perhaps, but it was no more an observant guard would have seen at Canterlot. At least she did not fully expose herself and ‘wink’ at him like Celestia most likely would have. She could swear that ever since Cadenza married Armor, the reputation of the biggest tease in the capital city went to the alabaster Alicorn.

“Why would they praise the Moon when they have the Sun?” The caustic and critical voice returned to belittle the nocturnal princess as she drifted once again through the dreamscape.

“Because, bitch, the Moon isn't all jiggling fat!” A bitter and jealous side rebutted.

“Hey, there isn’t anything wrong with a bit a jiggle!” An insecure whimper interjected.

“Grey seemed to like it.” Sultry commented. “I bet watching our moons alone got him at full mast!”

“QUIET!” Luna shouted as she banged a hoof against her head a couple of times. “OR I’LL DROWN YOU ALL IN WINE!”

The crowd obeyed, save for one.

“Drinking won’t help. It’ll just kill the part of you that cares.” A motherly and temperate voice scolded.

Luna groaned. Normally, the voices did not start debating with each other until she had spent a few hours in the Realm of Dreams. Either she was with Grey longer than she thought or her astral projection had been weakened somehow.

“I’ll have to finish this patrol early.” Luna decided. “I’ll try to assist Armor if he’s gone back to sleep and maybe a few others but no more than that.”

Regardless of what the voices in her head told her, she still had a duty to her citizens and there was much to do for the rest of the night. She could fantasize about what the ashen pony was packing beneath his robes later. As the moon mare drifted through the void of dreams, a dark and malevolent presence watched her go.

“Muh huh huh huh. Poor deluded foal.” It chuckled regally.

---

The doorway continued to glow for a few moments before it too disappeared, leaving the Lurker alone. The pale horse focused and willed his host back into consciousness. It was time to wake up and get to work. Before he did, he made sure that the sequence of the night Princess teasing remained preserved in his memory.

“Good to see that the old silver tongue still works.” The abyssal shambler thought coyly as his dream collapsed and he reentered the waking world. "She is good company thought."

Mica’s eyes snapped open. She sat up in her bed and looked around her room. It was empty and quite with the only light coming from Luna’s moon hanging in the sky outside her window. If she had to guess, it was the dead of night when the rest of the world was asleep. It was the optimal time to find the Crystal Heart but first she had some thinking to do.

“Sombra is obsessed with this place.” The intelligence controlling her mused. “Obsessed with ruling it; controlling it and its populace.”

But a will to rule did not make him a good king. Clearly, the empire chaffed under his rule and it genuinely seemed better off without him. It certainly explained why the wraith always became enraged whenever anyone brought it up. He had literally gone through Hell to rule this place only to have it slip from his hooves. Seeing two Equestrian’s on the throne and being demonized, not completely unjustifiably, by history likely only made it worse for him. Still, he was not wholly to blame for the city ending up in Tartarus and his actions did correct the most grievous wrong of condemning living souls to the prison of the wicked dead. While there was no denying the damning nature of the action itself, the king’s genocide of the crystal unicorns could be rationalized: he had little choice in the matter and his goal, as Luna said, was noble. Although, the only thing that set him apart from the legions of others that wanted to escape Hell was the fact he wanted to take his arguably innocent city with him. All in all, desperation was the driving force behind his genocidal decision, not malice. Still, that genocide cost the city its innocence and left a stain that, while forgotten thanks to the memory block, the Lurker doubted could ever be remedied.

“I do question the wisdom of bargaining with the centaur though.” The otherworldly creature thought as his host climbed out of bed. “No good could have possibly come of that, even if he was at the end of his rope.”

At the thought of Tirek and what he had done, Mica’s expression darkened. The destruction of the Brass Gates was inexcusable. They were there for a reason. Now the only thing standing between Equestria and a demonic horde was an unreliable guard dog and whatever number of his servants that had survived the Downfall. The centaur may have done the deed but it was most defiantly Sombra’s idea. His end goal may have been the extrication of the empire but he seemed completely oblivious or, more likely, completely unconcerned with the consequences of compromising the power of Tartarus.

“Hubristic mortals.” The Lurker thought bitterly as he stuffed a pillow under the blankets to give the illusion the bed was occupied. “After all these years, they’re still a thorn in my side.”

Mica quietly peeked her head out from behind the privacy curtain. She expected to see the ever present guard snoozing on a bench but he was absent. The possessed pony ventured out of her room wondering where her guardian had disappeared to when she heard snoring from a neighboring room. Gently pushing the curtain aside enough to see into the room, she saw Nurse Scope sleeping with a very big smile on her face atop the guard. From their disheveled state and the drying fluids staining their nethers, it did not take long for the Lurker to deduce what they had been up to.

"Good for them." He thought as he returned their privacy. "Their libido is my benefit.

As the hollow mare crept past the sleeping lovers and into the eerily quiet hospital ward, her inner thoughts turned toward more practical goals. The guilt or innocence of the Crystal Empire and its former ruler ultimately did not matter at the present. The Lurker's primary concern was still information. He had learned that the Black Library did exist, that at least one of his old friends was active recently, and a bit more about the enigmatic Silent King. Learning the history of the mortal world was a nice bonus and he would be lying if he said he did not enjoy his time spent with the lovely Luna.

“Having a friend within the Equestrian hierarchy will have benefits.” The astral exile thought as he guided his host out of the ward and into the darkened corridors of the crystal palace. “If the Black Library does not pan out, I may need to pay Canterlot a visit.”

With all this in mind, the Lurker reevaluated his deal with Sombra. Everyone in on it benefited: Sombra got his empire, Dugore got to loot an obviously rich city and he got a trove of knowledge. However, if what he did to Tirek was any indication, the tyrant would turn on them once he had control of the empire and their usefulness came to an end. He already seemed to be up to something with his thrall and the Marked Legions. It was not a matter of if Sombra would betray them, but when. The Lurker reached a conclusion.

“As much as I now loath Sombra, my word is my bond.” The stygian stalker thought. “I will honor our deal and he may sit on his throne of deceit and rule this damned empire but once our deal is complete, his reign will be brief.”

His path now clear, the Lurker stealthily guided his host to the central lobby of the palace. She stuck her head around a corner just in time to see a pair unicorn Solar Guards trot out of sight, horns aglow to illuminate their patrol. After waiting to make sure they did not double back, Mica snuck out into the room and its many branching hallways. There were three possible locations for the Crystal Heart. During public events, it was displayed on a small pedestal below the archways of the palace. Conversely, during a time of crisis, it was placed in the same shrine Sombra used to conduct his ritual in order to maximize its range and effectiveness. When neither was occurring, it was kept in the middle of the central tower in a custom designed vault behind barred and guarded doors that, supposedly, could stop anything short of an Alicorn from getting in.

“Let’s put that to the test.” The void exile thought as he made way to the vault in question.

After a few minutes of navigating the corridors and hiding from patrols, Mica peeked around another corner to find an ornate and fortified set of doors flanked by two burly crystal ponies with halberds in full kit. One of them seemed on the verge of dozing off against his polearm while his partner regaled him with a tale of his nighttime conquests.

“So this mare’s face game was a bust but her ass game was just on the verge of a perfect ten if she just…” The more alert one explained animatedly.

“Arse.” The sleepy Crystal Guards interrupted.

“What?” His playcolt cohort cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Ass is a derogatory term for a donkey." The grammar enforcer droned. "Arse is the rude word for a posterior.”

“Arse - ass, what does it matter?” His friend snorted irritably.

“It matters a lot.” The stickler insisted. “We must preserve the purity of our beautiful language lest we descend into barbarism.”

“There’s nothing ‘pure’ about our language!” He storyteller said incredulously. “It’s a hodgepodge of about every language in the world! Plus, it bloody mutates every millennia or so!”

“I can tell you went to Princess Sparkle’s lecture.” The stickler said snidely.

“And I can tell you went to Princess Cadenza’s.” The storyteller shot back.

“At least you two paid attention to the lesson instead of ogling the teacher like Copy.” The Lurker mused as the two guards locked stares. “That does give me an idea though.”

“Help! Help!” She screamed aloud from out of sight. “One of the Solar Guards is attacking Nurse Scope!”

"What?!" The sleepy guard immediately perked up. "Damn golden boys! Come on!"

"That did not sound grammatically correct." His partner needled as the two galloped down the hall.

Mica pressed herself against the wall in the shadows as the pair shot past her on their way to aid the kindly nurse. She waited until their hoof steps faded into silence before she emerged from her hiding place.

"I am sorry to do that to you two lovers but I have a mission to fulfill." The Lurker thought as he approached the now unguarded vault.

The hollow pony stood before the formidable doors. Their ornate decoration belied some incredibly powerful magical wards and seals. It would take something more refined than brute force to get past them unlike the iron gates at Broken Horn.

“How would one normally open this?” The interloper wondered as his host ran a hoof along the golden finish.

He found his answer. In the center was a small key hole. From what he knew of magical locks, he guessed that only a select few could open the vault with specially designed keys or their own horns, if they possessed one. It would stand to reason that only the highest ranking members of the empire would possess clearance to such an important room. The Captain of the Guard or the royal couple would be the obvious choice but with Carbon Copy dead that just left Armor and Cadenza.

“Last time I intruded upon them at night, it didn't go so well.” The Lurker winced as he recalled his first painful minutes back in reality. “Plan B then.”

The malignant mare rummaged through her saddle bags for the modified iron ring. She fished out the anti-magical device and whispered some ancient words of power in her controller’s native Khthonic. Rather than glowing like normal magical devices, the ring dimmed along with the surround air. Satisfied, the crystal pony inserted the loop into the key hole like a coin. After a few moments, there was a discharge of energy followed by a small trail of smoke leaking out of the keyhole. The once gleaming set of doors dulled until it was as gloomy as the rest of the corridor.

“Open sesame.” The ancient horror thought as Mica pushed against the doors.

They held for but a moment then opened with a metallic groan. As they gave way, the ring fell out of the seam between them and rolled inside. It came to a rest at the base of the pedestal the Crystal Heart floated over. It glowed softly as if it had been roused from its sleep and filled the room with a warm light. When it did not immediately blast Mica apart, she sighed in relief.

“So far, so good.” Her controller thought.

The mare double-checked the halls for any signs of the guards but found none. She could only hope that by the time they returned it would be too late to interfere with her plans. She turned to the still glowing heart and approaching it. As she did, she retrieved the iron ring and pulled out the Solar Guard horn. There was no change from the artifact.

“Alright, let’s see what I can do.” The Lurker mentally mused.

The Lurker reviewed everything he had learned about the Crystal Heart and its functions from his research. It was an artifact of great power, obviously, that ran off the joy and love of the populous and produced a nigh impregnable shield should they be threatened. It could be reconfigured to draw power from some other sources but that was beyond the Lord of Shades expertise. He could, however, render it inert for a time. He recalled that should the crystal ponies become afraid, the heart fails.

“I thought it was a design flaw or one of Sombra's contingency plans.” The stygian shambler thought. “Now I wonder if it’s some vestige of the crystal unicorns trying to get back at the nation that cosigned them to destruction.”

Regardless of the source of the flaw, the Lurker was going to exploit it. Since physically altering the heart would be unwise, he settled for the next best thing. He took the severed horn and began etching a pair of glyphs onto the pedestal the heart floated over. He carved a circle transected by an arrow and another circle with a devil-esque tail at the top.

“The Daemons of Fear and Dread.” The shadow fiend mused as he inspected his work. “I couldn't have asked for better grand nephews.”

As a finishing touch, he etched the same symbol his dream form had for a cutie mark. Once he had finished, all three runes disappeared from sight hidden from all perceptions.

“Done.” The Lurker concluded as he put away the horn. “Whoever uses the heart next is in for a nasty surprise.”

His task complete, the dark entity exited the vault and closed the doors behind him. The glorious golden shine returned as the anti-magical effect wore off and the locks clicked back into place. From outside, it was if nothing had happened with the exception of the absent guards whom would return eventually. Mica then began the long trek to the pinnacle of the palace. It took a lot of guard evading and stair climbing but the hollow mare eventually came out atop the tallest tower of the palace in the twilight hours of the night. She was greeted with the familiar sight of the shrine Sombra had used to conduct his ritual of egress. While there was no trace of the evil that had occurred, the site still held a sinister air about it. The twinge of pain that formed across her body did not help.

“Evil stains this place.” The being controlling her thought. “Nightmare Luna may have been on to something about this city being corrupt. That may warrant further investigation later.”

She unpacked the crimson banner Dugore had given her and moved to the ledge overlooking the city. She unpacked part of it and laid it on the edge before taking the unicorn guard's horn and driving it through the fabric and crystal beneath, pinning it in place. With a gentle nudge, she pushed the rest of the banner over the edge where it unfurled like a long, red scarf.

“Like a ribbon for a present.” The Lurker thought. “I have done my part. The rest is up to Dugore and his legions.”

The possessed mare gave one last look over the city as the first rays of Celestia’s sun peaked over the horizon and bathed the city in their warm glow. The pony disappeared back inside to return to her bed before she was missed as the blood red banner flapped in the early morning breeze like an ill omen.

---

Beyond the temperate climes of the city, in the ice and snow of the Frozen North, small elements of the Marked Legion’s vanguards surrounded the city. Under their war master’s orders, they guarded the disassembled siege engines that had been covered with concealing tarps and kept an eye out for the signal to invade while the bulk of the legion had the pleasure of raiding the rest of the wasteland for resources. This, of course, did not sit well with Fleabag who voiced his frustrations to Stone Skin as the latter warmed himself by a flickering campfire.

“All dis standin’ round guardin' stuff is naff!” He complained as he kicked the tarp covered pieces of a trebuchet with his good paw. “We shud be on da front lines, crump’in Golden Boyz!”

“Think of it this way.” Stone Skin said as his pulled his insulating cloak closer around himself. “When the siege begins, we’ll get first pickings of the loot.”

This calmed the greedy hound somewhat but he was still pacing restlessly. It had been too long since he had been on a good raid and even longer since he had even seen precious gems. That night in the valley with his old pack mate seemed like ages ago.

“Ruff, if it evah begins!” He growled.

Stone rolled his eyes at the impatient dog. He hated waiting as well but the glittering and expensive prizes waiting for them within the city would make it all worth it. He craned his neck up to look at Max as the griffoness lay prone on a raised ridge with a telescope in claw. It was her turn to keep an eye on the city and he did not mind the view from below. While he preferred the iron build of a minotauress, he knew a strong, athletic body when he saw one and Max was a sterling example.

“Anything going on, Max?” He called before she could notice him staring at her figure.

“Not since the last time you asked me.” She replied, not taking her eagle eyes off the distant crystal city.

Stone grunted and tossed a few more twigs into the fire. Dugore did not want any of them to make large fires for fear of alerting the city. That was all well and good but it meant that they were freezing their tails off in the cold of night. Thankfully, the brightening sky meant that morning was on its way and with it, some slightly warmer weather.

“Hey, guys?” Max asked from above, shifting her posture so that she was facing them.

“Yeah?” Stone called up, hopeful that she had finally seen the signal.

“Off topic, but has either of you noticed some of the guys acting…strange?” She asked apprehensively.

“We’re a band of cutthroats and thieves.” Stone said nonchalantly as he went back to messing with the fire. “There’s bound to be a few oddballs.”

“Not that, I mean…” Max paused as she tried to think of the correct phrasing. “…different.”

Stone looked at Fleabag who, after thinking about it, nodded.

“Yea, sum o’ da boyz been actin weird.” He said. “Not like demselves.”

“Now that I think of it, I have noticed something up with some of the ponies and griffons.” Stone added. “Hell, even a few minotaurs.”

“Ya don’t think Ol’ Spookums jinxed ‘em, do ya?” The hound dog asked conspiratorially.

“You mean Sombra or that Shadow Demon?” Max asked.

“Uhhh…either one.” Fleabag clarified with a shrug

“I vote for Sombra.” Stone said as he traced a finger over the stiches running across his broad chest. “If that fiend did do something to us, I think we would have been first to notice.”

"He might have." The griffoness said as she splayed a wing to show a spattering of black feathers mixed with her normal brown. "The feathers those little ghost brats tore out grew back black. I have some corvus relatives but none of them are that close to me."

"These scars do burn occasionally." Stone reconsidered as one of them flared up. "By my horns, if it had cut any deeper..."

“Maybe those rippling pectorals protected you.” Max said coyly.

“Max, if I didn't know better, I’d say you were hitting on me.” Stone looked back up to her, surprised.

“Hehehe. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She cooed mockingly as she struck a surprisingly sensuous pose with her head propped on a claw with the other tracing along her hips. "I've seen you staring at my ass. It is pretty great."

Fleabag stifled a laugh in his paw. Stone felt the blood rush below his belt as he drew his cloak closer around him to hind a rather conspicuous bulge in his pants. Max cackled at his reaction and fell back into her usual attitude.

“Alright, shows over big bull, back to work.” She said as she turned back toward the city. "Ziz help you if you let that fire go out."

Stone coughed awkwardly as Fleabag scratched himself absently behind his ears. Maybe it was their shared near death experience but he felt closer to his fellow vanguards. The dog was surprisingly friendly in his simple minded way and the griffoness was attractive for a non-minotaur.

“If Sombra is up to something, do you think the boss knows about it?” The minotaur refocused on the original subject.

“I'd bet my ears 'e does.” The diamond dog said simply. “Da Big Boss got sum real brutal cunnin’.”

“I hope so.” Max chimed back in. “I’d rather work for him than that freak, Sombra.”

“Same.” Stone agreed.

The trio fell into silence as the first rays of morning illuminated the icy land. Stone was about to pull out some rations to cook over the fire when Max let out an excited call.

“Guys! Get up here! I see it!” She chirped.

The minotaur and diamond dog scrambled up the snowy ridge to their companion and laid low. Max passed the telescope to Stone.

“Central tower, left side.” She said as she pointed out the exact spot.

Stone peeked through the lenses to the tower in question. Sure enough, waving in the early morning breeze was the long red banner. The Crystal Heart had been taken care of and they could invade at any time. The burly brute smiled.

“Max, fly off and find the rest of the legions.” He said as he passed the scope to Fleabag. “Tell them the good news.”

“Sure thing.” She saluted smartly.

The griffon flapped her powerful wings and took to the air. Stone watched her go before returning his attention to the distant city. There was still the matter of summoning the legions and assembling the siege equipment but at least they were finally making progress.

“Gor! I can taste dem gems now!” Fleabag drooled as his tail wagged excitedly.

“All in good time, Fleabag.” Stone said assuredly. “We have to get inside the city first.”

“Oh, hahaha!” The dog cackled eagerly. “I know wut dat means. Time tah get the lobbahs and smashahs ready!”

“Of course!” Stone replied brightly. “Then the real fun can begin.”

The two thugs slid down the ridge to the sheltered equipment. Stone removed the tarp as Fleabag fished out the carefully written instructions on how to assemble the complicated machine of war. The author had the courtesy to use pictures and easy words so that the less intelligent of the Marked Legions could follow them. In dawn's early light, the same took place all around the city as vanguard lookouts spotted the Lurker's signal.

Next Chapter: Live in Fear Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 3 Minutes