Clad in resplendent gold and burnished armor shaped to resemble solar flames, Princess Celestia stood alone atop a bluff overlooking the Crystal Empire. Arranged in the fields below her were the combined forces of her Luminous Solarii, Luna’s Umbral Thestrals, and the chosen elite of Twilight’s own palace guard. The youngest Princess had insisted in joining their expedition the moment she had heard that her brother and sister-in-law were in mortal danger. While Celestia was glad to have her along, she made sure that Twilight had brought some troops of her own. They were going against an army of murders and pillagers; a totally different beast than the ones the Element of Magic had faced before.

“It’s times like these I wish we didn’t have to feed the Elements of Harmony to a tree.” The Solar Alicorn thought as she scanned the occupied metropolis. “We may feel their lack.”

The city itself had been fortified with legion engineering while the fire and smoke of slave driven industry rose into the dreary sky. It seemed Sombra had wasted no time in rebuilding the empire according to his design. She could only imagine the horrors that lay in wait beyond the looming crystal walls. The sound of flapping wings broke Celestia out of her ruminations. She looked up to see both Princesses Luna and Sparkle land on the overlook to join her. She nodded to them both in greeting.

“Luna, Twilight.” She said in turn. “Have you learned anything from our prisoners?”

“Not much beyond what we already knew.” The nocturnal Alicorn reported as she adjusted one piece of her cobalt armor that eerily resembled the Usurper's chosen outfit. “But there was one detail worth mentioning. Twilight, if you would be so kind…”

“According to the minotaur, Sombra has brainwashed the entirety of the legions with Cadence's aid.” The winter clothed scholarly Princess explained. “They follow his instructions to the letter and therefore can’t use their natural instincts or training.”

“So he has sacrificed their skills in exchange for obedience.” Celestia concluded. “Well done you two.”

Twilight beamed at the praise while Luna looked out over the city. Her brow furrowed in concern as she caught sight of the defenses along the wall. She could make out the shapes of anti-siege weapons and armored figures moving between murder holes. This was not going to be easy.

“Nevertheless, Sombra’s wickedness is only match by his cunning.” She said seriously. “I suspect he is well aware of the weaknesses of his slaves and has taken steps to address them. We must be cautious.”

“As we always are.” The Solar Alicorn agreed as her gaze moved up the central tower to her greatest concern. “Fortunately, it appears that Prince-Regent Armor has already taken care of the biggest obstacle.”

The alabaster Princess pointed to the top of the tower. The donjon had been blasted to ruins and the once mighty storm of evil power had been reduced to a dull halo of grey clouds. Twilight smiled proudly.

“I knew Shiny wouldn’t let us down.” The younger sister of the regent said.

“Indeed...” Luna concurred hesitantly. "He would not."

After some internal deliberation, the Lunar Alicorn had elected to keep Lurker-Grey’s involvement completely to herself. They had at the very least formed a trusting relationship and she did not want to jeopardize that by revealing him to her counter parts while he was still in an unrefined, not to mention disembodied, state. Celestia would have balked at his dark and pragmatic ways and his possession of Armor would have instantly earned the enmity Twilight. Such offenses often lead to petrification or banishment for the offender. Still, Luna was confident in her ability to teach the lessons of harmony to the seasoned stallion. There was no need to get the junior and senior Alicorns involved just yet.

“I know he can be a boon to us.” She thought of secret pet project. “Maybe if I can get Armor to vouch for him-”

“Are you alright, Luna?” Celestia asked. “You seem distracted.”

“Oh, I was…thinking about our plan of attack.” Luna answered a little too quickly. “We should finalize it before proceeding.”

“I agree with Princess Luna.” Twilight concurred. “Only a foal charges in without a plan.”

“Very well then.” Celestia agreed as she etched a rough map of the city and surrounding area into the snow.

Equestria’s strategy to liberate the Empire was a continuation of what Luna and Armor (plus their silent partner) had planned last night. With the Crystal Heart out of commission, the Princesses and their forces were free to advance without fear of being stopped at the first hurdle. The Solarii were to be the spearhead to pierce the legions defenses and drive toward the center of the city while the Thestrals gained control of the air and spread fear and confusion amongst the enemy ranks. Twilight’s comparatively mundane Tyrian Guards were to come in behind the main force and escort the crystal ponies to safety in addition to providing support wherever needed.

“The safety of the crystal ponies must come first.” Celestia said in closing. “This is a mission of liberation, not vengeance.”

She gave a knowing look to the two younger Princesses. Twilight may normally be level headed but she was still very protective of her friends and family. With Armor being nearly killed and Cadence brainwashed, the young Alicorn’s former mentor could sense the lingering desire for revenge in her. She had seen it in the past and currently in Luna. The Crystal Empire held many dark and painful memories for the midnight mare and with the source of them within reach, Celestia feared she would do something drastic.

“Understood, Princess Celestia.” Twilight said with a habitual bow. “You can count on us.”

Luna silently nodded in agreement. True, she wanted to flay Sombra alive but he could wait until after they accomplished their mission. That was if there was anything left after Armor and Grey were done with him.

“Good.” The alabaster Alicorn said as she took to the air. “Then let this bold undertaking commence!”

The navy and lavender Princesses joined her in the air and signaled their elite warriors to move out. The white-gold Solarii moved forward in unison like a well-oiled machine while the blue-black Thestrals scrambled into the air like a swarm of vampiric locusts. The small company of Tyrian Guards made up of all three types of equines brought up the rear. Each Alicorn linked up with their respective army and together they marched toward the awaiting Crystal Empire.

---

Emperor Sombra sat ill at ease in his newly refurbished throne room, surrounded by Blackguards, servants, and the start of his new harem. His crimson horn was aglow with dark magic as he concentrated on the web of control he had weaved over his city. The invisible strings connecting him to his slaves and minions were strong but he was looking for something specific. Cadenza was supposed to be kneeling before him, presenting the severed head of the pretender Shining Armor. So where was she? Then he found it, a hole in his web where the Crystal Princess and Crystal Heart were supposed to be. There was only one explanation. Somehow, inexplicably, Armor had bested his wife and broken the slaver’s hold on her. It was not a huge leap to assume that they subsequently removed the artifact from the shrine.

“It appears sending Cadenza was a mistake.” Sombra growled as he came out of his trance. “But how did Armor break my spell? He would have had to destroy the crown but the only other one who know about that besides myself is…oh, fuck me.”

A deathly chill crept up the stallion’s spine as the evidence fell into place. His previous suspicions were all but confirmed. The Lurker had indeed escaped and had gotten to Armor. That meant that there were now two beings powerful enough to subdue an Alicorn and tear the Crystal Heart from his clutches loose in the tower. Both of them were coming for him and he doubted they would ask him to surrender first. The tyrant felt a twinge of fear for his wellbeing. It was something he had not felt since his internment in Tartarus.

“Are feeling well, sire?” A servant asked innocently. “You look awfully pale.”

“I-It’s nothing.” Sombra waved her off briskly. “I just need to think. Slave! Get me something to drink! Wine!”

There was no way somepony like Armor would willingly ally with the shadow demon. Equestria would not condone such an action no matter the circumstances. That could only mean the Lurker was controlling the pretender, either directly through possession or some other means. As to what the stygian fiend’s ultimate goal was, the tyrannical Emperor could only guess. Perhaps it meant to infiltrate the Equestrian hierarchy like it had done to the Crystal Empire but that was only speculation on the slaver’s part. Truth be told, the Lurker was still every bit an enigma to him as the night they first met.

“Why couldn’t it have been one of those fire and brimstone type hellions?” Sombra complained aloud as he took the glass of what he hoped was wine from the slave. “They’re so much simpler and easier to deal with.”

The sorcerer sighed and focused as he nursed his beverage. While he hoped his minions would be able to handle them, he knew that would be naïve on his part. Armor was probably tearing through them like wet paper alongside the shadow fiend at that very moment. No, he would have to deal with them himself. The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed to the ashen Emperor. After all, he was one of the most powerful unicorns in the world and he still had a trick or two at his disposal.

“I know I can out-magic the puppet prince.” Sombra assured himself. “And the Lurker is a sneak, not a warrior. I’ve defeated them both before, I can do it again.”

A rapid series of knocks on the double doors interrupted his self-aggrandizement. The tyrant frowned and signaled on of his guards to open the door. A legion unicorn galloped in and knelt before his liege.

“This had better be good!” The sorcerer snorted irritably. “I was having a moment!”

“Begging your pardon, majesty, but an army of Equestrians have been spotted approaching from the south!” The minion reported quickly. “The Princesses are leading them!”

The wine glass shattered in Sombra’s magical grip. That was not at all what he wanted to hear.

“No, no, no! Not now!” He murmured, witch-fire eyes darting to and fro nervously. “It’s too soon! I’m not ready!! I’m not…wait!“

The Emperor paused as the gears in his twisted mind began turning. Perhaps it was not too early to implement his plan. As powerful as the Alicorn’s were, they all had one easily exploitable weakness and thanks to Cadenza and the Crystal Heart, he already had what he needed to capitalize on it. The only issue now was the city was still recovering from the destructive Dugore’s invasion. The potential collateral damage could result in him ruling an empire of ashes if he was not careful. Sombra decided he would have to make do with what he had. It was not like walls were going to be much a hurdle to the Equestrian’s anyway and the slaves had proven adept at reconstruction.

“Mmm, yes.” Sombra’s face split in a toothy grin as his mind finished churning out his fiendish plan. “Alert the legions. Tell them to take up anti-siege positions and stall if not repulse the invaders. Also, tell the Blackguards that I’ll bestow a thousand gold bits to whomever brings me Armor’s head.”

“Sir!” The unicorn saluted as he rushed to do his master’s bidding.

Once the lackey was gone, Sombra slid out of his throne and trotted toward a window. He leaned against the sill and looked out at his industrious empire and the slaves that made it possible. If he knew the Princesses as well as he thought he did, they would attempt to ‘liberate’ them before even considering going after him.

“Hehehahaha! And that will prove their undoing.” The tyrant laughed to himself. “Just as planned.”

---

“You would think they would give up by now.” Shining Armor said aloud as he kicked the legs out from under a legion pony and sent him rolling down the stairs.

“The only explanation I can think of is that they fear what Sombra might do to them more than what you will do to them.” Grey surmised casually. “That or the Emperor put a hefty sum of gold on your head.”

“Then they will be disappointed.” The regent grunted as he bisected a foolhardy griffon. "Shit, these brutes bleed a lot."

The possessed Prince-Regent had made fair progress down the dark tower toward the throne room. That was not to say that the descent had been easy. Scores of former legion thugs and traitor guard had accosted the unicorn the whole way down. Their corpses now lay behind him, leaving a grotesque trail of death and destruction that would have unnerved even the most hardened of Dugore’s former troops. Yet, they persisted in standing between Armor and his hated enemy. He was quick to show them the error of their ways.

“You’re enjoying this!” A Crystal Blackguard accused as Armor pinned him to a wall. “You sick fuck!”

Armor ignored him and effortlessly drew a black blade across his foe’s throat. Until a few days ago, the very thought of bloodshed would have given him pause like any other respectable Equestrian but now was different. He would not go so far as to say he was 'enjoying' removing evil from the world one mook at a time but he did not feel disgusted. The one death he would savor whole heartily would be Sombra’s and rightly so. As for the minions he was cutting through, he just felt neutral. The Prince did not know whether to attribute that to the emotional roller coaster he had been on, the ancient animus within him, or his military training that prepared him for such situations.

“All of the above.” Grey attempted to console him. “I wouldn’t dwell on it. I don’t see many tears being shed for pillagers and turncoats.”

“I’m just ready for this to be over.” Armor admitted. “I just want to go back to the way things were.”

“You and I both know that is impossible.” The stygian stalker said sympathetically. “Between the invasion and what happened with Cadenza, you-“

“Grey, please, I’d rather not talk about it with you.” The jilted Prince said in a dangerous whisper. “That is between me and her. We will deal with it later.”

“Apologies.” Grey relented as he withdrew from the issue and his host’s forethought.

Leaving Armor to one stallion rampage, the Lurker decided to turn to other matters. His host had the skill, power, and drive to destroy Sombra’s physical body but there was still the risk of his ghost escaping into the wastes as it had done before. To preventing that end, the Lord of Shades had concocted a ploy of his own. While the unicorn and Alicorn were attempting to destroy the Crystal Heart, he took a page out of Nightmare Moon’s book and altered the spell Armor was channeling. He was using his power after all. The end result was not the destruction of the relic but rather the reformation of it into something the necromantic creature could use.

“And no pony is the wiser.” The shadow fiend thought as he made sure the Obsidian Shard was still with him. “Now it’s only just a matter of getting to Sombra.”

He glanced back out Armor’s eyes just in time to see his host hurl a hapless legion earth pony out a window. Possibly out of morbid curiosity, he watched the poor equine twist and flail in the open air until meeting his abrupt end on the unforgiving ground below. Looking around the red splat, Armor noticed numerous legion, guards, and slaves moving with purpose toward the walls. Judging by their rough attempts at moving in formation, the veteran assumed that they were preparing for an attack. A quick check upward at the pseudo-twilight sky and the sun and moon hanging above the city confirmed his theory.

“Looks like the cavalry’s here.” Grey said gladly. “Right on schedule.”

“Would they ever let us down?” A relieved Armor said with a light chuckle. “Heh…Don’t answer that.”

Grey respectfully kept his silence. He had every confidence that the Princesses would do exactly as Luna promised and perhaps a bit more. The abyssal horror did note that Armor was at the very least aware that his superiors were not flawless; that he was not completely blinded by their dogma or his service to them. Nothing was set in stone, but the Lord of Shades foresaw a prestigious future for the Prince-Regent.

“We’re not out this yet.” The pale horse reminded his host. “Sombra’s liable to do everything in his power to stop us now.”

“Like a cornered rat.” Armor said resolutely. “And, by the Stars, he’ll die like one!”

The white unicorn trotted away from the window and broke into a gallop down the hall. The immediate threats had been dealt with and, as a result, he enjoyed a brief reprise as he traveled down empty halls. The veteran was about to chalk it up to the tyrant redeploying his troops to meet the encroaching Equestrians until he burst through a set of doors into a foyer. Standing in formation in front of him were heavily armed and armored legionnaire veterans; the same ones that Dugore had led to crush the imperial defenders during the climax of the siege. All of them aimed their weapons at him in unison, vengeance for their fallen warlord bleeding through their mind control.

“Alright then.” Armor said with a shrug as he adopted a combat stance before getting stuck in again. “Who’s first?”

---

“Higher and left!” A legion spotter attempted to zero in a trebuchet team from atop the walls.

A fair distance away but gaining ground quickly was a golden army, as bright and radiant as the dawn. They marched in formation and should have been fodder for the legion siege weapons and other projectiles yet none of them had fallen. Any missiles that came even remotely close were spotted by supernaturally precise solar blasts, leaving only harmless ash to fall upon the Solarii’s immaculate armor. The defenders hoped that by upping the ante from carved boulders to explosive crystals, they might just might kill a few of the gilded ground sloggers.

“Fire!” The spotted shouted.

Rather than the ‘swoosh’ of a war machine delivering its payload, he was greeted with silence. He turned to berate the crew only to catch the briefest glimpse of something disappearing over the ledge. There was no sign of his crew. What was more, the lines had been cut on the trebuchet, rendering it effectively useless. The spotter drew his sword searched the shadows. He knew he was not as alone as he appeared.

“Where did you-Mmph!” The legionary was cut short by a cloven hoof clasping over his mouth.

“Hello there.” A black armored Umbral Thestral hissed in his ear as she pulled his head back and sank her carnivorous fangs in his neck.

The thug struggled in vain against the bat-pony as she sucked his very lifeblood out of his neck. Once she had her fill, all that remained of the legionnaire was a lifeless emaciated husk. The elite Night Guard wiped her blood-soaked muzzle on his uniform and tossed him into the ruined machine like a piece of trash. She rejoined her stealthy squad in the air where their flight leader gave her a questioning look.

“I thought we agreed to feast after the battle.” The senior thestral said coldly.

“It was just a tie over.” The bat-mare said defensively. “Besides, we got the job done. Those golden glory hogs can advance without soiling themselves now.”

“That they can.” A wing mate concurred. “But they may need our assistance yet. Behold!”

He pointed to the legion skirmishers taking up positions in the city, intending to flank and ambush their luminous allies. His fellow Night Guards only gave fanged smiles. It had been nearly a thousand years since they had tasted the thrill of battle or the blood of a worthy foe. Now was the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time.

“Our enemies are many but our equals are none!” The head thestral said, intending to inspire his already bloodthirsty flight. “Take them and quickly!”

Like the shadow of death, they fell upon the unsuspecting imperial legionaries. Their screams of fear and pain echoed throughout the occupied city. It did not take long for imperial fliers to scramble in an effort to relive their compatriots but they had to find the stealthy fiends first. Down on the ground out in the snowy fields, one of the Luminous Solarii watched disdainfully as his ‘allies’ dispatched the imperial heavy weapons. He was glad for removal of the bothersome missiles but surely they could have done it without using the nocturnal hunters. A squadron of pegasi could have done just as well if not better. The shining sentinel decided to voice his opinions to the brothers-and-sisters-in-arms that formed his cohort.

“I wish we did not have to ally with such tainted and vile creatures.” He sneered. “Bloodsucking parasites.”

“Agreed.” A mare responded. “They are abominations; the last vestiges of a heretical usurper. They should have been banished along with her.”

“Like it or not, at least they are willing to fight under our united banner.” A more reasonable Solarii added. “It is not their fault they were on the wrong side of history.”

Unable to argue that point, the other two luminous beings fell silent and continued their march. As they came close enough to the mighty crystal walls to see the scars of the Marked Legion’s invasion, Princess Celestia’s voice echoed in their ears. Each Solarii was imbued with a small but nevertheless potent portion of the Solar Alicorn’s power which, in addition to enhancing their abilities, allowed their matron to communicate with them telepathically.

“Breach the walls and drive out the interlopers.” The Sun Child commanded.

The Solarii halted just before the walls. All of them began to glow like a miniature sun as they channeled their blessed power. With practiced precision and unison, they unleashed their attack in the form of a blinding lance of light. It streaked across the gap between them and the wall, turning snow into superheated steam. The walls and those that still remained on them were reduced to molten crystal and cinders in a flash. As per their orders, the gold clad soldiers of the sun advanced through the molten breach and into the city. Above them, the vampiric bat-ponies of the night guard clashed with the battle hardened air force of the legion. The battle for the fate of the Crystal Empire had begun.

Far above the brewing battle, Princess Twilight Sparkle flew in a waiting pattern alongside a pair of pegasi bodyguards. While she was more than capable of defending herself, her mentor had insisted on her having some form of guardian protection. One stray shot would be all it took, to quote the alabaster Alicorn. So with that in mind, the young Element Bearer was relegated to waiting until the Equestrian army opened the way for her own troops to liberate the captive crystal ponies.

“Princess! A signal from the central tower!” One of her custodians called out.

She looked over to see a small flare of azure magic linger in the air just above the main tower. Within the ruins of the donjon, she could just make out a familiar pink equine, waving to get their attention.

“That’s got to be Cadence!” Twilight said hurriedly. “Follow me!”

She folded her wings and dived toward the blasted tower, her protectors close behind. Alighting on the cracked floor, she was about to greet her old foalsitter when she caught sight of the state she was in. Cadenza was battered and bloodied with a bleeding nose and a broken wing crudely held to her side in a sling made of her shredded dress. Still, she managed a weak smile.

“Hello, Twily.” She said, exhaustion in her voice. “I'm surprised to see you here.”

“Cadence.” Twilight flinched at the sight of her old friend. “What happened?”

A look of great pain and guilt crossed the Alicorn of Love’s features. She looked away, unable to look her husband’s sister in the eye. How could she tell her after everything she had done? A gentle hoof on her shoulder returned her to reality. Twilight gave her an understanding look.

“Princess Luna told us what Sombra made you do to the crystal ponies.” She said gently. “It’s not your fault.”

The pink Alicorn fought back the tears threatening to shed. Every word was like a knife in her heart; a reminder of what she was guilty of. Seeing her friend in distress, Twilight embraced her, minding the broken wing.

“We’ll fix this.” She said softly. “We've come back from worse.”

Cadenza returned the gesture and swallowed the lump in her throat. Wallowing in self-pity wouldn’t solve anything. The empire would need her at the top of her game once all this was over.

“Thank you, Twily.” She said gratefully. "I've done some truly terrible things, some by Sombra's suggestion but others..."

“Don't think like that. You’ll be fine.” Twilight reassured her with a kind smile. “Where’s Shiny? And the Crystal Heart?”

“We had to destroy the Crystal Heart.” The Crystal Princess answered as her ears folded against her head. "Shining is going after Sombra."

“By himself?!” Sparkle's jaw fell open.

“No, there is a knight with him." Cadenza shook her head. "He actually helped Shiny break Sombra's control over me."

"A knight?" The scholarly Princess cocked her head to the side curiously.

“Begging your pardons, your highnesses.” One of the pegasi Tyrian Guards interrupted. “But we really shouldn’t linger here this deep in enemy territory.”

“He’s right.” Cadenza agreed. “We need to go.”

“But,oh, alright.” Sparkle had more questions but they could wait. “Obviously, you can’t fly with that wing so these two will have to carry you.”

The two bodyguard trotted forward and supported the wounded Princess between them. With some coordination, they became airborne and evacuated the first of the imperial citizens from the warzone. Princess Sparkle lingered a bit in the ruined shrine. She could not shake the creeping feeling of dread, as if something terrible was about to happen.

“Stay safe, B.B.B.F.F.” She whispered. “I’ll come back for you, I promise.”

With that, she took to the air and joined her bodyguards and their charge. Together, they flew to a designated safe zone for liberated slaves and refugees. It was empty now but more were sure to follow by the day’s end.

---

“Fuck! You! Ass! Hole!” Armor shouted as he punctuated each word with a blow from a sword into the face of a legion minotaur.

With one last furious stab, he buried the blade into his foe’s ruining face and snapped off the sword at the hilt. He tossed the now useless piece of metal away and spat contemptuously on the corpse. The triumphant regent stood up, surrounded by the bodies of legion shock troops. He could not help but smirk in satisfaction.

“Feeling better?” Grey asked with an air of approval.

“A little.” Armor admitted between pants. “I needed a bit of catharsis.”

“Well, any more of that type would have killed you.” The tenebrous stalker noticed the state of his host. “Some of that blood is yours.”

The Prince-Regent looked down at his body. The late Diamond Cutter’s armor was bent and pierced in several places, rendering it little more than dead weight. He cut the remaining straps holding it on and let the crystal plates fall to the floor. Beneath he could see fresh cuts and puncture wounds against his white fur. There was even a dagger lodged between his ribs a hairsbreadth from hitting something important.

“When did that get there?” Armor asked as he gingerly pulled the offending weapon from his body.

“After you tore that griffon’s wings off but before the minotaur turned you into a rag doll.” Grey stated clinically. “Now hold still and let me mend this.”

The Canterlot unicorn stood stock still as his flesh healed itself before his eyes. Cuts stitched themselves together and bruises faded away. After a few moments, the shadow fiend had completed his task and Armor flexed his limbs to check his passenger's work.

“Good as new.” He decided with a nod. “You ever consider becoming a physician, Grey?”

“No.” The Lord of Shades said bluntly before focusing his host. “If I’m not mistaken, the throne room is right down there.”

The Prince-Regent looked down the long hall leading to the throne room. There was nothing standing between him and the massive double doors. Face set in a mix of determination and malice, Armor galloped down the hall to put an end to Sombra’s tyranny once and for all. When he reached about halfway toward his goal, a voice echoed about the corridor. Unlike the choir of ethereal whispers that had tormented the stallion for days, this one was clear and all too easy to identify.

“I’ve been expecting you, Prince-Regent Shining Armor of Equestria.” Sombra’s oily voice filled his ears. “I hope my Blackguards gave you a warm welcome.”

Armor came to a dead stop in the middle of the passageway. He crouched in a combat stance with horn aglow, ready to fight.

“Where are you?” He demanded, eyes darting to every shadow. “Show yourself!”

“He’s using telepathy.” Grey deduced. “Don’t waste the effort.”

“I must admit, I expected Cadenza to be the one to finally end your worthless life!” The voice of the tyrant taunted. “But it will give me great pleasure to kill you myself. Come, face your doom, pretender!”

The doors at the far end of the hall slowly swung open as if inviting him inside. The stallion steeled himself rushed inside fully expecting a trap. Instead, he was greeted with a token force of Blackguards and enslaved ponies. On the throne before him, Emperor Sombra himself reclined lazily, surrounded by a bevy of sultry and giggling mares. The ashen horse regarded his Equestrian rival with a wide, toothy smile.

“It’s been too long, Armor.” He greeted with false hospitality. “We last met out in the ice fields, did we not?”

The white unicorn remained silent, ignoring the twinge of pain that formed in his horn at the memory of what the stallion before him had done when they last crossed paths. That seemed liked ages ago.

“You’ve come a long way since then.” Sombra continued casually. “It’s not often a lowborn warrior becomes a king.”

“Prince.” Armor corrected curtly. “The Crystal Empire has had enough kings.”

“Ha. That, we can agree on.” The Emperor said with a short laugh. “It’s a shame the Princesses had you by the balls. You could have brought the empire to a new age of supremacy. Instead, you let them make you a puppet.”

The Solar Guard veteran gritted his teeth in anger. He did not know if it was intentional or not but Sombra was dancing on a recently sore spot.

“I do intend to kill you, Shining Armor.” Sombra continued. “But I pity you enough to give you a choice: Bow to me and I will make your passage into the next life a quick one. Defy me, and the Silent King will have to glue you back together in Hell!”

“Third option.” Grey added. “Kill this fool.”

“I will never bow to the likes of you!” Armor exclaimed defiantly as he trotted closer to the throne he had sworn to defend.

Infuriatingly, Sombra ignored him for a few moments as looked over his rival. His witch-fire eyes met with Armor's and both the Prince-Regent and Grey felt him pry into the white stallion's mind. The Lurker quickly shut the vile influence out but he knew it was impossible for the tyrant to not have detected his presence. The Emperor laughed a grating, mocking chuckle that made Armor’s blood boil. He propped his head up against a hoof and gestured toward the fuming horse.

"Haha. Yet you commune with demons." He said with a mirthless chuckle. "Enjoying your new host, Lurker?"

"Demon? What's he talking about?" Armor mentally asked. "And he knew you were in Mica?"

“I may be fiendish, I'll admit, but a demon I am not.” The void escapee quickly defended himself to his host. "And I might have revealed myself in anger after he crystallized Mica."

“You have proven quite resourceful and a great asset to those who control you.” Sombra addressed the hidden animus slyly. “Return to me, cast off this Equestrian fool, and I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

“Quit stalling, you bastard!” An increasingly confused and impatient Armor shouted as he stamped a hoof on the floor, cracking the dark crystal. “Stand up and fight!”

“Oh, there’s no need, ‘captain’.” The sorcerer said, mocking the Prince-Regent’s former title. “One of my top agents already had a knife to your throat, in a sense.”

“Ignore him!” Grey attempted to interject as the situation got away from him far too quickly than he was comfortable with. "A serpent's tongue is nearly as deadly as its fangs. Just cut off the head!"

“It has already accomplished so much: Infiltrating the empire, cursing your troops, and delivering the Crystal Heart to me.” Sombra continued insistently. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

Armor faltered, unsure who to believe. He knew it would be foolish to trust Sombra but Lurker-Grey's reactions told volumes to the validity of the slaver's claims. His cackling rival decided to drive the point home.

“Yes, now you see.” The wicked stallion grinned. “You will be nothing more than a puppet, merrily dancing to whoever pulls your strings be they Alicorn or hellspawn.”

Something inside Armor snapped. A flood of icy fury saturated his being and brought his senses into razor sharp focus. After everything that had happened to him from the betrayals and deceptions of those he trusted to the death and ruin brought to his city, he was not going to take it anymore. The possessed unicorn transfixed the slaver with a withering glare that conveyed his intent better than an entire thesaurus could: one way or another, Sombra's life would end at his hooves. For but a brief moment, a look of fear came across the witch-king's face. Memories of an enraged Luna came unabated into his mind. He shook them off. For all his rancor, Armor was still just a unicorn. It was time to put his plan into action.

“Hmph. As you wish.” The tyrant said while standing and shooing away his harem. “One last thing before I end your miserable life: Do you really think you can ‘save’ this empire?”

“I wouldn’t have come all this way if I didn’t.” Armor growled, eyes burning with fury.

“Ha! Hahaha! Arrogant fool.” Sombra laughed spitefully as his curved horn glowed with malevolent power. “This empire and everyone in it are MINE! MIND,BODY, AND SOUL!”

His horn unleashed a dark wave of magic the washed over all in the throne room and blew out the windows. The pulse expanded beyond the tower and enveloped the entirety of the city, dissipating only once it reached the outskirts. Armor watched cautiously as every guard and slave clutched their heads in their hooves and doubled over in pain as a terrible magic seized their minds. Then, all at once, they fell silent. Slowly they turned to face the lone unicorn with witch-fire burning in their eyes.

“Only now at the end do you see the truth, pretender.” They all spoke in unison. “This is the way of the future, our only hope for order and peace in this world. No more individual thought just one single, guiding intelligence."

"Mine!" The tyrannical Emperor proclaimed.

Prince-Regent Shining Armor adopted a combat stance and ignited his horn with negative light. The Lurker devoted all his attention to Armor’s vitals and combat enhancements. No word needed to be exchanged between the two. Their objective was crystal clear.

“Your death will be a slow one, Sombra!” They decreed with one voice as the charged the twisted tyrant and his now mindless slaves.

---

Princess Celestia flew just above the city skyline. Her Solarii had managed to push deep into the fortified city and had arrived at the first of many slave pits. While her troops dealt with the Blackguards, she targeted the watchtowers and other overwatch infrastructure. The slave drivers, to their credit, tried to stop her with desperate bolts of magic and arrows but it was for naught. The Solar Alicorn strafed the towers with focused beams of solar fire, cutting out the support legs and sending them tumbling to the ground. She landed like a bolt from the heavens amiss the few remaining guards. Most had to good sense to flee save one really brave or really stupid brute.

“Why do they always fight back?” Celestia sighed as she side stepped the clumsy charge and batted him across the back with a wing, singing him rolling head over tail into a stack of mined crystals. “It never ends well.”

She turned to the cowering slaves and sparked her horn. The chains binding them together snapped and fell to the ground, freeing them. Still, they huddled together in fear. An Alicorn in full battle armor was a fearsome sight and the last one to visit the Crystal Empire did not bring good news.

“You’re free now.” The alabaster Alicorn assured them. “Soldiers in tyrian armor will be here soon to escort you out of the city. You can trust them.”

Just when they were about to work up the nerve to leave their pit, a wave of dark magic washed over them. Celestia staggered from the sudden force but remained upright. The slaves, however, fell to the ground clutching their heads and shrieking in pain. The eldest Princess quickly galloped to their sides to aid them.

“Stay calm! I can-ah!” She was cut off by a crystal pony sucker punching her across the muzzle.

The Alicorn stumbled back, holding a hoof to her nose. It was not bleeding but it still stung. The slave that had struck her along with his fellows all snarled at her, their eyes burning with witch-fire. Celestia balked at the uncanny resemblance to Sombra.

“Death to Equestria!” They shouted at once as they rushed the shocked Princess.

Celestia tried to escape the oncoming mob by flying but they were too fast. They snared her legs with the very chains she broke to free them and held her down like anchors. As they reeled her in, some of the more agile ponies grabbed hold of her wings and grounded her entirely.

“Sombra rules here!” The horde declared as they pinned her. “You are not welcome!”

Screaming like possessed animals, they fell upon the Solar Alicorn with hooves, pickaxes, and hammers. Celestia’s brazen armor and Alicorn physiology protected her from their blows but only just. The slaves switched tactics and began tearing at her armor to get to the supple flesh beneath.

“You called him a tyrant while you rule over your ponies like a goddess!” The slaves screamed in unison. “Once we’re rid of you and your deluded followers, we’ll enlighten all of your poor little ponies!”

Something very powerful and very angry stirred deep within Celestia. No one threatened her subjects or her realm. Not jealous Alicorns, insane spirits, or horny bugs, and certainty not some worthless, sycophantic slaves.

“Get off me!” She growled dangerously as her mane and tail began to smolder along with her horn. “GET! OFF!”

The Princess of the Sun ignited in a flash of blinding light. The entire slave pit was flooded with the incandescent power of the sun itself, turning the very air into plasma as the immortal mare went supernova. The walls of the pit melted into glass as they directed most of the blast skyward, creating a column of white fire that pierced the very heavens and blinding those unfortunate enough to have been looking in its direction. In time, the spectacular pillar of power faded, leaving Princess Celestia hovering just above the floor, her eyes burning with power and her mane and tail were a roaring inferno. There was no trace of the guards or slaves save for shadows burned into the crystal walls.

"Pathetic creatures." The Diurnal Diarch spat in contempt as he flew out of the burning hole.

Topside, a group of Twilight’s guards led by the Princess herself arrived at the crater originally to escort slaves but now to check on the alabaster Alicorn. Celestia rose out of the crater looking every bit a goddess of fire and wrath, causing the youngest Alicorn and her Tyrian Guard to freeze in shock. Blackguards and legionaries on either side of the slave pit opened fire on the blazing Princess, earning little more than her attention.

"YOU DARE ATTACK ME?!" Celestia boomed indignantly as sunlight collected in her horn.

Duel flares of solar fire emanated from the Alicorn and washed over the streets. The brave but foolish Blackguards and their allies were immolated as the beams wiped the thoroughfares clean like one does a dusty window. The wrathful Alicorn touched down on the ground, her gold and bronze shod hooves cracking the pavement and vaporizing the snow. Twilight trotted forward, unable to look directly at the radiant Solar Princess. She got as close as she could before the heat became too much and knelt.

“Princess Celestia.” She said as humbly and plaintively as possible. “Please calm down. It’s just us.”

The Alicorn’s fiery gaze fell on her former pupil. Beads of sweat formed on the lavender pony’s brow as she though the enraged Princess was about to incinerate her. Fortunately, the rational part of Celestia recognized her favored student and she regained her senses. The mare’s features relaxed and the fires were quelled until she was back to her normal graceful self. She sighed like a steam engine and regarded Twilight and her troops with a calm nod.

“Thank you, Twilight. I'm alright now.” She said assuredly. “My sincerest apologies to you all.”

Twilight and her guards let out a collective sigh of relief. Celestia looked behind her at the glassed pit and streets. If she had done that at the surface while only her sun was out, the entire city and a good portion of the Frozen North would have been vaporized. Still, she should not have needed to do that in the first place. The only other time she had lost control like that was during her and Luna’s crusade against Discord. Not even during Nightmare Moon’s coup had she used such destructive power. Yet she had been forced to against nothing more than brainwashed ponies.

“Damn you Sombra.” The alabaster Alicorn thought as she and Twilight took to the skies. “What have you done?”

---

“What madness has claimed you?!” Princess Luna demanded of a crystal pony. “Answer me!”

The nocturnal Alicorn had just finished leading a group of slaves to a squad of Sparkle’s Tyrian Guards when the wave of foul magic hit. They had then turned on their rescuers, tearing them apart with such savagery unheard of in normal ponies. A massive explosion and subsequent pillar of light on the opposite side of the city told her Celestia had also encountered this high treason. Luna had isolated one of the turncoats as they attempted to maim her and flew her into the air for interrogation. It was only then that she noticed the equine’s crimson and emerald eyes; Sombra’s eyes.

“Emperor Sombra has purged our minds of your filthy lies, fiend!” The slave snarled zealously. “The empire is back with its rightful lord and you will not- Ahhhhhh!”

The starry mare dropped the raving slave like a sack of spoiled potatoes. From her elevated position, she could see what happened to the Tyrian Guards being repeated throughout the city. Solarii and Umbral alike were caught off guard by the sudden betrayal and caught between the slaves and the imperial legions, the tide of the battle suddenly and brutally turning against them. Explosions leveled entire buildings as golden sentinels were overwhelmed and the armor that contained their unstable essence compromised. Every Umbral that was slain rang like a death knell in the midnight Alicorn’s mind.

“It was a trap. Sombra planned for this.” Luna realized far too late. “Cadenza merely enthralled the Marked Legions. The slaves were always his. How could we have been such fools?”

“Oh, don’t act surprised.” A sinister whisper chided her. “The empire was already rotten to the core. That rot has just now reached the surface for all to see.”

The Lunar Alicorn looked out over the war-ravaged city. The screams of imperial and Equestrian filled the smoke choked air. Whatever remained of the once pristine city was lost to the ravages of no less than two wars. A single horrible truth about the Crystal Empire dawned on Princess Luna. After all she and her sister had done for the empire, it had still fallen to tyranny. Despite the best efforts of the royal couple, fear and madness reigned. Even with the combined effort of Prince-Regent Armor and Grey, darkness had claimed the very hearts and minds of the crystal ponies. It pained her to admit it, but Grey’s dire prediction had come to pass.

“Still think this wretched city can be saved?” The voice sneered imperiously. “Even now, can Equestria’s precious harmony, love, and tolerance purify this land?”

“No.” Luna decided as she shot higher into the faux-twilight sky. “This land has become a festering wound. All that We can do now is cauterize it.”

“As we should have done a millennium ago.” The malevolent voice concurred.

Once the nocturnal Alicorn reached the apex of her flight, she sent a single telepathic command to her remaining thestrals.

“Retreat.” Her regretful voice echoed throughout their minds.

---

Shining Armor lunged at a still smiling Sombra, intending to break his face along with the rest of him. With a spark of magic, the Emperor opened a portal behind him and backed in, leaving the charging stallion to crash headlong into the crystal throne. Sombra reappeared in the middle of the room along with his enthralled servants, laughing manically.

“Haha! Are you sure you’re ready for this battle?” He taunted a recovering Armor. “Of course you are not, and never will be. I’m beyond you.”

The Emperor ignited his horn and fired a bolt of screaming black magic at the Prince-Regent. Armor narrowly dodged the bolt as it obliterated the throne in a blast of loathsome magic. The blue-maned unicorn retaliated with a blast of stygian power of his own. Sombra did not even flinch when a member of his harem jumped in front of the death ball and was reduced to a fine red mist.

“How many lives have you taken in your quest to end me?” The tyrant said mockingly. “Who’s the real monster here?”

In response, Armor launched a barrage of black bolts at the villain. Sombra merely ported away again but left his Blackguards to deal with the frustrated stallion. Attacking all at once before their target could counter, the former legionaries buried Armor under the bulk of their armored bodies with a griffon managing to get his talons near his neck. The unicorn struggled against the lethal claws as the lion-eagle’s master continued to berate him through his minions.

“Best for you to die now and leave the future of the empire to the rightful heir of Morose.” His oily voice dripped like poison in the regent’s ear.

“Oh, he would disown a bastard like you!” Armor shot back.

Thinking quickly, he bit down on the griffon’s arm, forcing him to yank back in pain. Now with a bit more breathing room, the possessed stallion channeled his borrowed power into an attack that would hopefully get the mob off him. Tenebrous coils of shadows enveloped him like a shroud then burst forth like the spines of some demonic hedgehog. The spikes impaled every guard on top of Armor and left them hanging off them like a morbid Hearth’s Warming decoration. The shadow pikes dissipated and the corpses fell to the ground. Armor did not have time to savor his victory, however, as Sombra was still out there.

“Your slaves and minions have failed you, coward!” He shouted, knowing Sombra could hear him. “You ready to face me like a real stallion?”

The challenged hung in the air, waiting for the Emperor’s answer. It came in to form of multiple portals tearing open in the throne room. Armor was surrounded by dozens of gateways allowing Sombra to attack him from any direction. He switched his focus from portal to portal, not wanting to be caught off guard. It was all for naught as he heard the sound of charging hooves directly behind him. The tyrant blindsided the Solar Guard veteran and tackled him to the ground. The two stallions rolled across the floor with Sombra coming on top. He drove his head forward, intending to stab Armor through the eye with his crimson horn. The white unicorn got his fore hooves against the ashen unicorn’s chest to stop him just as he tip of his horn scraped against his eyelashes. They became locked in this position, neither one willing to relent.

“You can’t win here! I’ve already conquered this city, your pathetic little army…” Sombra growled through clenched teeth. “…and that whore you call a wife!”

“That reminds me.” Armor said with an snort of anger.

He pulled back his hind hooves and drove both of them into Sombra’s groin with a sickening thud. The force of the buck pitched the now shrieking sorcerer off the Prince-Regent and into an obsidian column. Armor got to all fours while Sombra lay curled into a ball nursing his bruised fruits.

“You kicked me in the dick!” The tyrant screamed in a piercing falsetto. “Why did you kick me in the dick?! You don’t do that!”

“True.” Armor grunted. “But I can make an exception for you.”

“Oh! Fuck off!” The squeaky voice slaver blasted Armor with a unfocused spell.

The stallion slid across the floor as the dark magic sizzled against his flesh. He could smell his fur burning off and the skin beneath begin to blister. He groaned and allowed his silent partner to mend his wounds once he came to a stop. During this, Sombra hobbled into a portal likely to recuperate. The Lurker took the time during this brief respite to strategize with his host.

“Good show so far, Armor.” He congratulated. “But don’t get complacent. The longer we spend fighting him, the more time he has to think of a way to kill you. We need to finish this quickly.”

“I’m trying.” Armor gasped. “He’s surprisingly strong for somepony who’s spent his entire life living like a king.”

“Surviving a thousand years in Tartarus will do that to anyone.” The Lurker thought to himself.

Their talk was interrupted by another portal manifesting. Armor took a deep breath and prepared for whatever trick Sombra had next. Unlike the last ones, this portal was large and unstable as if Sombra was having trouble keeping it open. Suddenly, another portal cracked open behind him and the tyrant came charging out of it. The Solar Guard veteran whirled around and managed to fire off a black bolt. The shot bit deep into Sombra's shoulder but the madstallion ignored it and rammed into Armor, his wicked horn goring the white unicorn just below his ribs and sending torturous magic throughout his frame and mind. The ashen unicorn carried them both through the portal. As the world swirled around them in the madness of the portal, Armor kicked out with his hind legs and managed to catch Sombra's knees with a hard crunch.

"Gah! Fuck!" The Emperor exclaimed as his legs buckled and the two were sent sprawling.

The Prince-Regent freed himself of the slaver's horn as he and his foe tumbled out of the collapsing portal and into the ruined donjon atop the Crystal Tower. Armor came to a hard stop against the parapet, fresh blood oozing from where Sombra had nearly pierced his heart.

"Ugh. Might want to get that, Grey." He said groggily but received no answer. "Grey? You there?"

"Yes, I'm here." The Lurker sounded almost as bad as his host. "That magic nearly forced me out of you. I will need a moment."

"Damn you, Armor." Sombra growled from the base of the empty shrine.

The ashen unicorn shakily got to his hooves, one of his forelegs clearly broken while blood from the wound her received from Armor ran down the other. He slowly limped over to his recovering foe, his horn ablaze with vile magic. The white stallion sloppily dodged out of the way as Sombra fire off a bolt aimed at his skull. Another one bit into the floor inches from the Prince-Regent's hooves. The tyrant's aim was fouled by his unsteady gait even as he drew closer to his still wobbly foe. After another near miss, the Emperor ceased his assault and decided to end the stubborn unicorn in a much closer manner.

"You would believe how much it pains me to see my empire in this state." Sombra's voice was rough with ill-contained rage as he gestured to the embattled city. "Allow me to share it with you!"

Armor tried to conjure something to ward off the tyrant but the Lurker was still absent. The slaver slammed his good hoof into the Prince-Regent's would and forced him into a kneeling position. He then pinned him against the parapet by his neck and locked their horns together. His crimson appendage burned with corrupted magic as he forced it into Armor. The Solar Guard veteran screamed as Sombra tried to burn him from the inside out.

“Die. Die!” The Emperor roared like a feral beast. "DIE!!"

Even as dark magic tore through his body, Armor fought back. Using every ounce of his remaining strength, he pushed back against the ashen stallion. Vile magic crackled around the two as they battled for who lived and who died.

"I've fed enough into you to burn out an Alicorn!" The tyrant said in disbelief. "What type of stallion are you?!"

"The Prince of Justice!" The defiant unicorn shouted with all the righteous conviction of a protector of Equestria.

Sombra recoiled slightly as if fully expecting the unicorn to suddenly sprout wings right then and there. That was his undoing. For all his dark arts and unholy strength, that moment of distraction caused the Emperor to falter. With a defiant shout, Armor struck the tyrant's shoulder wound and broke their grapple. As the ashen horse staggered, the Prince grabbed his foe and reversed their positions by slamming him into the low wall.

"I owe you this!" Armor shouted as he gripped Sombra's curved horn in both hooves and pulled.

The slaver screamed in blinding agony as the source of his power was torn out of his skull by the root. Armor flipped the gristly appendage around and drove the sharp end right into his enemy’s witch-fire left eye and gave it a twist for good measure until it burst in a sanguine splash. Near mad with vengeful rage, the white unicorn yanked the horn free of Sombra's now blind eye and repaid his earlier goring by stabbing the tyrant once, twice, thrice in the abdomen. Sombra slumped against the parapet, blood pouring out of his fresh wounds. Armor looked at the horn then to his bleeding foe. He tossed the appendage behind him and began beating the tyrant with his bare hooves.

"You enslaved my ponies! Ruined my city!" The white unicorn ranted furiously. "Forced my wife to betray me!"

Unbeknownst to the enraged Prince-Regent, his foe's remaining eye dulled as his foul power went elsewhere. Behind them, the blood soaked horn sparked and crackled as the wraith of Sombra emerged from his anchor to the living world. The specter silently reached down and picked up his horn, his eyes burning with hatred for his rival. The now soulless vessel of the slaver gave Armor a broken grin as his wraith came up from behind them.

"And I did not stop there!" The ghost snarled savagely as he stabbed the Prince-Regent between the ribs. "That Amore slut now carries my heir. Even if this damn city is razed to the ground, my legacy will last forever!"

Wraith-Sombra pulled Armor off a chuckling vessel-Sombra and threw him to the ground. The shade stood over the profusely bleeding white unicorn and raise his horn high for the killing blow. The Prince-Regent glared coldly at the tyrant, his eyes dull and unreflective.

"But your story ends here, Shining Armor." Both Sombras said with an air of finality. "Die knowing that you have failed!"

"You first!" The Lurker's voice passed Armor's lips as his normally fatal wounds quickly mended.

Just as the wraith brought his crimson horn down on the veteran's heart, a stygian claw emerged from Armor’s body of its own volition and impaled the spectral slaver on its bladed talons. Another limb emerged from the Prince-Regent along with a head and torso. Armor let out a shuddering gasp as the fearsome form of the Lurker left his body and loomed over the mortal rivals with Sombra’s soul writhing on the ends of his claws. The ethereal horror gazed upon the undead sorcerer with utter contempt in his baleful eyes.

"Lurker! Please!" The wraith's pleas fell on uncaring ears. "We can still work this out! There is so much more I can give you! I have caches of ancient knowledge scattered across the Frozen North! They're yours!"

The tenebrous terror remained silent as he raised his free claw and produced the Obsidian Shard. The multitude of souls within hissed and snarled in the presence of the mastermind of their genocide. The specter's face fell as he realized the caliginous creature's intentions.

"No!" Genuine terror gripped the loathsome unicorn as the Lurker drew him closer to the glowing shard. "No! Please!"

“Your Hell awaits.” The Lord of Shades passed sentence on Sombra with the authority only he was privileged to.

With one last futile plea for mercy, the wraith was fed into the Obsidian Shard. The wraith of Sombra flailed wildly as the talons withdrew from his spectral body and he fell thought an escherian world of black crystals flecked with crimson fissures. He landed roughly in a depression surrounded by towering crystalline cliffs. The Emperor scrambled to his ghostly hooves looked around in a panic. He was not alone. On every ledge, cliff and outcrop were thousands of crystal unicorns all staring at him with absolute abhorrence. One of them trotted forward from the group on the same level as the former Crystal King.

"Hello, your majesty." The crystal stallion spoke for his fellows in a malicious tone. "We have been waiting for you."

"N-now let me explain!" Sombra stammered as he backed away from the advancing unicorns. "I-I did what was necessary to free us from Tartarus! W-would you have let us waste away for-"

"You cannot talk your way out of this." The stallion shot down his argument as they forced the slaver against a wall. "Allow us to welcome you home, Sombra."

The shade of the Tyrant in the North's screams were drowned out by the banshee-like shriek of the crystal unicorns. They fell upon him en masse, releasing over a thousand years of rage and malice upon the damned stallion. The Obsidian Shard glowed brightly in the Lurker's claws as its power increased. He took it back into his tenebrous body and turned to the prone Armor.

"Well fought, Prince Armor." Grey said genuinely as he offered a non-bladed hand. "I apologize for the delay."

"I'm just glad you healed me before you impaled that freak." The unicorn smiled as he took the shadow fiend's hand and let him help him back to his hooves. "What did you do to the ghost? Eat it?"

"I imprisoned it." The Lurker answered simply. "The wraith will haunt the Frozen North no longer."

A pained groan caught their attention. The broken, soulless vessel of Sombra was trying to crawl away but its strength had failed it. The shadowy creature reached down and picked up the curved horn. He inspected it for a moment before he passed it to Armor.

"Would you like to do the honors?" He asked while nodding toward the pitiful stallion.

"With pleasure." The Prince-Regent said as he took the accursed horn and approached Sombra.

The slaver looked up at his enemy as he stood over him. With a sad shake of his head, Armor yanked the tyrant up by his cape and pressed him against the bloodstained parapet. Sombra sneered at the Prince-Regent as he leaned precariously over the edge over open air.

“How does your vengeance taste, puppet?” He gasped out weakly around mouthfuls of blood. “Is not the darkness sweet?”

"I am inclined to agree." Armor stated simply as he upended the crimson horn and drove it through the tyrant's plated chest and into his wicked heart.

As Sombra let out a blood chocked gasp of pain, the white unicorn held him by the severed horn and royal cape and tossed the slaver over the edge. The Lurker joined the victorious Prince-Regent as they watched the deposed Emperor twist and tumble through the open air. There was a tense silence broken by the wet smack of Sombra meeting and cracking the unforgiving obsidian floor of the plaza far below. A crimson pool spread out from the ashen unicorn as his one good eye stared blankly up at the Equestrian Captain and Voidian exile, his bones pulverized and organs pulped.

Sombra, Slaver-King of the Frozen North and Emperor of the Crystal Empire, was no more.

"Do us a favor and stay dead this time." Armor said with a derisive snort.

The high of combat slowly left his exhausted body. With a heavy sigh, he learned against the parapet and slid to the floor with every bone in his body aching. The long suffering Prince-Regent glanced up at his shadowy ally as he joined him on the floor with a weary grunt. Both of them knew there was no point in ignoring what their late foe had said. A lot of secrets had been revealed in their fight that had to be addressed. Armor inhaled and held it for a four count before exhaling.

“So…you worked with Sombra?” He asked wearily. “And please give me a straight answer.”

“I guess he’s earned some manner of the truth.” The Lurker mentally decided. “Best chose my words carefully thought.”

“I did, to my shame.” Grey said as he hung his head.

Armor sighed and rubbed his face with a hoof. He was quiet for a moment before he regarded the looming fiend again.

“Just go ahead and explain yourself.” He requested. "I'm too tired to play twenty questions."

“Very well. After my encounter with the Solar Guards in the mines, I was found by the Marked Legions.” The abyssal apparition said. “At the time, I assumed they were a just a rival faction bidding for control of the empire.”

"Given your first impression of us, I can see how you came to that conclusion." The Prince-Regent said dryly.

"In exchange for infiltrating the Crystal City and nullifying the Heart, Sombra promised me a wealth of knowledge the likes of which was unlikely to exist elsewhere in the world." The Lurker continued. "As my own goals involve learning more of this world, I accepted."

"All this for some damn books." The unicorn frowned. "I can't imagine what Twilight would have to say about that."

"During my stay here, I learned much about the history of the empire and Equestria." Grey ignored Armor's running commentary. "I realized that I had made a grievous error in judgement once the depths of the slaver's evil was revealed to me. Your subjects paid the price for my mistake and for that, I offer my sincerest apologies."

The Lurker placed a hand over where his heart would have been and inclined his head toward Armor in a sincere, if seated, bow. The white unicorn said nothing as he got up from the floor and began pacing as his mulled over what he had been told. If what Lurker-Grey, liar, murderer and fiend that he was, was telling him was true, he had acted against the empire more out of ignorance than malice. What was more, he had gone out of his way to aid him in his hour of greatest need. Without his help, Armor could very well be just a head on a pike overlooking an enslaved empire. Plus, Luna trusted the caliginous cleric and he was, if his dream self was any indication, at some point an earth pony.

“I’ve seen my fair share of monsters.” Armor said finally. “While you are certainly not the least of them, you are far from the worst.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” The Lurker mused.

“Then we can put this mess behind us?” He asked aloud.

“It’ll be difficult to explain all this to Princess Celestia.” Armor said as he rubbed the back of his head. “But if she starts talking about stoning or banishment…I’ll vouch for you.”

"Well, that went better than I thought it would." The Lurker thought.

“You have my gratitude, Prince Armor.” Grey said as he stood up to his full height.

“Haha. Hey, what are friends for?” The unicorn said with a laugh. “Now, about that brewery I owe you.”

"We will discuss that later." The stygian being said seriously. "We may have cut the head off the viper but the body is still thrashing."

He pointed over the edge to the city below. Armor peeked over to see the battle between the Blackguards, imperial legion, turncoat slaves and the elites of Equestria was still going strong. The Prince-Regent shook his head in confusion.

"I don't get it." He said as he tried to make sense of it it. "We killed Sombra and broke Cadenza free! Shouldn't they be surrendering?"

"Remember the mental blocks placed in the crystal ponies?" Lurker-Grey reminded him. "The tyrant's wicked magic will remain in his slaves even after his defeat. This mop up will be long and difficult."

"Marvelous." Armor sighed deeply. "Well, it looks like we still have a job to do. You want to go about in the open now or do you want to ride shotgun?"

"Your magic is still out so I suppose I will have to 'ride shotgun', if I've interpreted that phrase correctly." The tenebrous creature answered as he shifted into his nebulous form. "I don't have to tell you this will feel weird."

Armor nodded in understanding and braced himself. The shadow fiend surged forward and reentered his host. The white stallion shuddered as he felt the otherworldly presence settled within him once more. At the very least, he did not lose consciousness this time.

"Not that I don't appreciate what you can do but I will never get used to that." The unicorn said as he sparked his horn a few times to see that he could use it again. "So where should we start?"

"We must have cleared most of the tower." His passenger mused. "Perhaps it would be best to...wait, do you hear that?"

Armor perked up his ears to hear the sound of flapping wings. He looked out over the city and saw a lavender shape fly up the Crystal Tower toward him. The Prince-Regent smiled broadly.

"Hey! Twilight!" The elder brother of the Princess of Magic called out. "Up here!"

"Ah, so this is the famous Twilight Sparkle." The Lurker said in a manner that suggested he was studying her.

"Don't even think about it!" The white unicorn warned in case his friend was thinking of anything untoward his sister.

"Shining!" The Alicorn shouted as she alighted atop the ruined donjon before her sibling. "I am so glad to see- oh my!"

She pointed to his disheveled and blood-covered state. Armor looked himself over and held up his hooves placatingly.

"Most of this isn't mine." He explained. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"I won't ask what you have been through." Sparkle sighed in relief as she embraced him. "I felt portal magic manifest up here and came as quickly as I could. Did you...take care of Sombra?"

"The tyrant has fallen." Armor announced with a hint of pride. "He will trouble us no more."

"Let us hope this defeat sticks." The Princess said firmly. "Oh, we found Cadence up here earlier and got her to safety. She was in rough shape."

"I know." The Prince-Regent's expression soured. "It took some doing to break the slaver's hold over her."

"Princess Luna told us some of the things Sombra forced her to do." Sparkle said sadly. "It's tearing her up inside."

"I doubt she knows even half of what Cadenza has done." The Lurker said neutrally.

"She and I have a lot to talk about." Armor nickered irritably. "But that can wait. We still have a city to liberate."

"Shiny, wait." The Alicorn put herself between her ever dutiful brother and the stairs leading down into the tower. "You have done more than enough. Let Princess Celestia and Luna take it from here. You deserve a rest; you look like you haven't slept in days."

"I could go either way." Grey said in a manner that suggested he was shrugging. "Its up to you."

"Its that bad, huh?" The unicorn gave his sister a lopsided smile. "I can tell you're not going to let me go back down there."

"Not if I can help it." Sparkle returned the grin as she pushed him back slightly. "We set up a safe zone just past the outskirts of the city. I'll take you there."

The Alicorn of Magic ignited her horn and enveloped Armor in a raspberry pink aura that lifted him off the floor. The unicorn focused on his sister and not the ground far below them as they left the donjon.

"Why not teleport?" He asked over the wind whipping by them.

"Last time I tried that in the tower, it just put me back to where I was!" Sparkle answered. "Also, I think there are a bunch of unicorns casting an interdiction spell over the city!"

"I doubt either of those are still in effect." The Lurker said candidly.

"I think both of those have been disabled by this point!" Armor shouted. "But I guess its too late now!"

"I'd rather not risk dropping you to find out!" The lavender Princess replied as she recalled something. "By the way, Cadence told me you had a knight helping you. Where is he?"

"He..." The host of Lurker-Grey was about to answer when his guest interrupted.

"No, Prince Armor." He said seriously. "Not yet, not now."

"...is still in the tower fighting Blackguards last I saw." Armor finished. "He said he would hold them off while I confronted Sombra."

"So who was he?" Sparkle pressed for more information on this mysterious ally of her brother.

"A friend." The Prince-Regent said simply.

"You're making me blush in here." Grey said lightly.

The two Equestrians and their hidden passenger flew relatively low over the burning city. Stretching out below them were scattered skirmishes between imperials and the elite of the Solar Guard. The Umbral Thestrals, however, were noticeably absent. They were known for their stealth but the equines and animus expected to see some sign of them.

"Did Princess Luna recall her forces?" Armor asked as the military part of his mind began warning him of impending danger.

"They might have sustained too many cas-AH!" Sparkle was cut off by an overcharged crystal exploding in front of her, showering her and her brother in super-heated crystals.

The Alicorn's spell failed as the two of them fell to the ground. Unlike Sombra's deathly plummet, Sparkle had been flying low enough for them to roll as they landed and come away with just a few rough bumps and bruises. The Princess shook the stars dancing in her vision and saw a group of Blackguards leave the trebuchet they had used to shoot her down and rush her.

"Got her!" One of them shouted. "Not shit-stomp the little bitch! Vengeance for the Emperor!"

"Shining!" Sparkle called out. "Are you okay? We got company!"

Armor looked up to see the villains charging his injured sibling. He gritted his teeth in rage as his horn glowed with negative light.

"Armor!" Grey's warning fell on the deaf ears of a protective brother. "Not in front of her!"

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!!" The unicorn roared as he unleashed a screaming bolt of abyssal power.

The first few imperials were turned to a fine red mist as the beam tore through them. The rest had the presence of mind to dive out of the way. Sparkle stared at her brother as he charged up his horn again and drove the villains back with a flurry of black bolts.

"Shiny?" She asked as she recoiled in fright. "What happened to you?"

The fear in her voice brought the Prince-Regent back to his senses. He glanced up at his horn, to the smoldering Blackguards' remains and then to his unnerved sister. The unicorn cut the power in his horn and faced her.

"I can explain." He held out a hoof to her only for the lavender mare to step back from him. "Twily..."

A bright flash cut him off before he could being to explain. The siblings looked just in time to see the remaining Blackguards evaporate in a burst of purifying sunlight. A pair of Solarii emerged from a side street with visors aglow with freshly spent magic. The gilded equines checked for any remaining villains before they approached the pair.

"Princess Sparkle. We saw these traitors foul your flight." One of them said urgently. "Our matron has ordered a withdraw. Allow us to escort you and Prince-Regent..."

The Solar Guard elite trailed off as he looked at the white unicorn. His stance slowly shifted into a combat pose as the light from his helm intensified again. Armor took a few steps back with a hoof raised in placation.

"Nine Hells!" The Lurker recalled his encounter with the darkness-detecting Solarii in the sunken temple. "Armor! Flee!"

"Sparkle! Get away from that fiend!" The other elite shouted as he rushed to the lavender Princess's side and tried to pull her away. "That is not the captain!"

"What?" The Alicorn pulled away from him. "No! I know my brother and-"

"Vile demon!" The first guard was a hairsbreadth away from blasting the possessed pony before him. "You will not deceive us!"

"Stand down, soldier!" Armor ordered. "I'm not a demon! I'm just-"

"Stop it!" Sparkle put herself between the two. "If we are withdrawing, there is no time for this!"

"Sparkle! Away from there!" The second guard grabbed the Princess and pulled her away as the first flashed Armor with an unfocused but still potent blast of sunlight.

The Prince-Regent shielded his eyes as the blast went through him and slammed into his passenger. With a horrid otherworldly screech of a soul being torn from its vessel, the Lurker was nearly exorcised from Armor. He only managed to hang on by his claws and return to his host once the blast ended but the damage had been done. Princess Sparkle gasped into her hoof as the nature of what she thought was her brother was revealed.

"Shining..." She whispered in absolute despair. "No..."

"Your highness, you need to go!" The second Solarii urged. "Let us purge this filth!"

"Twily!" Armor gasped out, shaken by the forceful near removal of the current source of his magic. "It's not what you think! He's-Argh!"

A bolt of raw magic slammed into the Prince-Regent's chest and knocked him back. The two Solarii advanced on the downed unicorn as the Alicorn slowly shook her head, her horn aglow from a freshly discharged spell. With one last sorrowful look at Shining Armor, she ignited her horn again and vanished in a spark of magic.

"Twilight..." The white unicorn felt the icy dagger of betrayal stab into his heart. "Why?"

"Your blasphemous existence ends here, demon!" The Solarii declared as they prepared to vaporize the possessed Prince-Regent.

Armor slowly got to his hooves, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. He glared at the two equines he once looked up to as exemplars of Equestria. The pain and sorrow he felt had transformed into an ugly black rage. He said nothing as he rolled out of the way of the lethal blast and fell upon the Solarii. They did not expect the unicorn to be in any condition to fight after being blasted twice. Their misjudgment was punished by spears of nether magic piercing their helms and claws rending their golden armor. As the two destabilized, the long suffering stallion grabbed them both in conjured hands and tossed them through a wall and into a building. He turned his back to it and trotted away, unflinching as the structure detonated behind him.

"Armor." Lurker-Grey ventured carefully even as his animus stung from being forced into pure light.

"Not! A! Word!" The veteran growled in still boiling anger. "I don't completely blame you for that but once we get to Equestria, I expect you to confess everything."

The shadow fiend let his host fume in peace. With it apparent that they would now be trotting to Equestria, he withdrew from the forefront of Armor's mind and began to muse on his next course of action once they were in the southern Heartlands. He did not get far when he noticed a change in the lighting. The pseudo-twilight that had lasted all throughout the siege had darkened to an ominous ruddy color.

"What the Hell?" The Prince-Regent asked aloud as he looked up at the darkened sky.

Like the colossal fiery eye of an angry god, a benighted circle surrounded by a blazing corona glaring back at them from the heavens. The moon had eclipsed the sun, plunging the city into darkness. Against the black canvas of a sky, the unicorn and animus could make out a single point of light rushing away from a intensifying blue glow.

"Is that Luna?" Armor wondered as the point of light seemed to reach a peak.

“Oh no.” The Lurker realized just what was about to happen. “This is going to hurt.”

---

Princess Luna concentrated as she moved her celestial body into position. She would need the power of the night to do what she intended and if that meant eclipsing her sister’s sun, then so be it. The navy Alicorn felt her power increase a hundred fold as the burning orb was reduced to a mere fiery halo around her beloved moon. The brightest of the stars winked into existence as the night sky enveloped the world like a shroud.

“Yes! We can feel it!” The dark voice seemed almost ecstatic. “This is a power to be feared!”

The midnight Alicorn ignored the voice. There was nothing glorious about this. If there was any other way, she would not even be there right now. But she knew the depths to which the empire had sunk. Even if Sombra was eliminated, his influence would live on in the crystal ponies. Unless they quarantined the entire Frozen North and purged his will from each and every pony, a process that could very well take decades if there even was one that worked, they ran the risk of him manifesting in another body and starting the vicious cycle all over again.

“This cannot…This WILL not stand!” Luna declared in her royal voice.

“LUNA!” Another Canterlot voice called out from below. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Celestia flew up to her sister like a golden comet. It was pretty difficult for her to miss the sun going out and it had not taken long for her to identify the source of the blackout. The amount of power radiating off of her younger sister gave her cause for concern.

“You know as well as I that the empire is lost.” Luna answered grimly. “I saw you go supernova. They almost slew you.”

“Sombra is to blame for this!” Celestia argued. “You would condemn an entire city to stop one mad stallion?”

“Hypocrite!” The malevolent voice hissed.

The Lunar Alicorn narrowed her eyes as her solar counterpart. She was inclined to agree.

“We have already done so once over a thousand years ago.” She said with a critical frown. “Or did you place the blame for that on me as well?”

“I did not mean it like that.” Celestia said defensively. "Locking away the whole empire was not out intention. The crystal ponies deserved a chance to bring themselves out of Sombra's darkness."

“Celly, you’ve seen the corruption in their eyes. I know you have.” Luna insisted. “There is nothing good left in the empire now. If we don’t stop it here, we risk it spreading to our little ponies in Equestria. If you have a better solution, please tell me now.”

The Solar Alicorn looked from her sister to the city below. From here, all she could see was death and destruction; hundreds of her best sacrificing their lives for a fallen nation. She knew the empire had a sickness in its heart but she had hoped to cure it with the same medicine that had saved Equestria countless times over. But this was not her beloved Equestria. This was a land that had known nothing but violence and bloodshed since its inception. Morose has attempted to fix this and he failed. Sombra had once tired only to be consumed by the darkness he hoped to burn away. Now Cadenza and Armor had been tried by it and found wanting. It was a very bitter pill to swallow but Luna was right. Celestia slowly bowed her head to her waiting sister.

“Let me get Twilight and my Solarii out of the city.” She said quietly. “Then…do what you must.”

The alabaster Princess shot back down to earth like a falling star. Luna watched her go before returning her attention to her moon. She began to focus her power, creating a point of lunar energy in the center of the silhouetted mass. It grew bigger and brighter as the Alicorn fed more of her power into it. As it neared climax, Luna began to speak.

“As a Princess of Equestria, We hereby condemn the Crystal Empire to annihilation and in doing so cosign millions of souls to oblivion." She intoned with all the weight and authority of the Mistress of the Night. "May the innocent find peace and the guilty find justice in the next life.”

She looked down at the condemned empire to see the last of Twilight’s guard and the Solarii leave the city and head for the distant safe zone. There was no going back after this. She silently hoped something would stop her.

“Do it!” The voice encouraged her. “Destroy it!”

Princess Luna closer her eyes and brought the heavens down upon the empire.

Concentrated moonlight fell to the planet from the moon in the form of a solid beam of energy. It split the heavens in a cacophonous crack of thunder as it shot through the atmosphere. Citizens in countries as far as Knossos saw the shaft of light illuminate the northern horizon. As the blast neared the empire, it muddled the laws of physics. Legionaries and Blackguards were lifted off the ground along with bits of rubble and small buildings. A whistling sound filled the air, growing louder and higher in pitch as the light approached like the crescendo to the big finish. The pillar of moonlight hit dead center. It annihilated the palace in an instant, the impact triggering localized earthquakes. Those closest to the center were vaporized before they could even begin to feel pain. The rest were subjected to a torturous end as raw power caused the flesh to fall off their bones like boiled meat. Massive fissures miles deep opened up in the streets, swallowing whole blocks into the depths. The tectonic activity forced the bedrock and permafrost layer to the surface as skyscraper sized tors. Chucks of earth the size of stadiums rose into the air as wild magic ran amok through where the empire once stood. The aftershocks of the blast reverberated throughout the Frozen North. New mountains rose out of the ground, forests were flattened, Broken Horn collapsed completely. Avalanches sealed up entire passages and opened new ones just as swiftly.

After an eternity of a scarce few minutes, Luna ended the assault. The moonlight ceased and her moon sank beneath the horizon, restoring the proper time of day. The echo of the fate of the empire reverberated across the mountains, coming back to her several times like the ghostly moans of all the lives she just ended. Far below her, where a once proud and mighty crystalline city stood, was only nothing.

The Crystal Empire was no more.

Next Chapter: Last Rites Estimated time remaining: 36 Minutes