“We’re dead! We! Are! Dead! All dead!" Mica babbled as the imposing figure of the Lurker loomed over the trio of ponies. "We’re all gonna die! Dead ponies are we!”

Captain Copy caught the terrified mare’s tail in his mouth and yanked her away from the creature as the Solar Guard unicorn charged a spell to blast the figure should it try anything. The Lurker remained motionless, observing their movements carefully.

“You didn’t mention it had eyes, captain.” The guard said, keeping his horn pointed at the creatures head.

“It didn’t have any when it was in the tower.” The captain explained. “It was just a bunch of smoke.”

Before the two could speak any further, the Lurker slowly raised an arm into the air. The end of the appendage split into five, blade-like digits, forming a hand with the palm facing the ponies. Then the Lurker spoke. The three fell to the ground, covering their heads as the otherworldly sound assaulted their mortal ears as if compelling them to kneel before the dark monster. The already terrified Mica was pushed into a full-blown panic.

“AIIEE! The Black Tongue of Tartarus!" She screamed hysterically. "It is a demon!”

To Copy, the words, if they could be called that, sounded more like an ancient curse devised by the most black-hearted of villains. The clattering of metal on stone and sound of hooves in a full gallop echoed about the mine. He looked to see Mica racing back the way they came, the lantern and magic box dropped and forgotten. The Lurker noticed the fleeing pony and moved forward only to catch a blast of magic in the eye from the unicorn. The creature snarled alien expletives as it covered its injured eye and stumbled back in pain. The Solar Guard followed up with a rapid-fire burst of spells, each one driving the monster further back into the tunnel as they slammed into its murky body.

“Run, captain!" He shouted. "I’ll hold it off!”

“By yourself?” The crystal stallion asked in disbelief. "It took both the Princess and Prince-Regent just to repel that thing!"

“Don’t worry about me.” The brave unicorn said resolutely. “You have to get back to the Empire and warn the Princesses what's out here. Now go!”

Copy hesitated. He did not want to leave the guard here but it occurred to him that there was not much a pony like him could do to help. Also, if he did not get back to the Empire, they would be unprepared for both the Legions and the Lurker. With his mind made up, the Crystal Captain gave the Solar Guard an appreciative nod and took off after Mica, grabbing the lantern as he went. The unicorn set his face and gave the recoiling Lurker his best 'bring it' glare.

“Alright you overgrown soot ball." He challenged. "Let’s see what you can do.”

He poured more magic into his onslaught against the creature, planning on driving it back for as long as he could. With a low rumble, the Lurker suddenly shifted into its nebulous form and melted into the shadows of the mine. The unicorn fired into the darkness but only managed the blast off a few chunks of rock. The guard rapidly checked the other tunnels and corners for any sign of movement but it seemed the dark being had vanished.

“What's the matter?" The unicorn shouted. "Too much for you?"

Silence was his only response. He backed into a wall and prepared another magical barrage, ready for the black creature to reappear. If he had the presence of mind to look up, he would have seen his adversary semi-fused with the shadows in the ceiling, furiously rubbing its blasted eye. Once it had cleared the stars and spots dancing in its vision, the Lurker glared down at its attacker. Silently, it lowered itself from the ceiling like some abyssal spider until it was within arm’s reach of the unicorn. With no sign of his foe, the lone guard was about to make a break for the exit when he felt something grip his horn. With a painful jerk, the guard was hoisted into the air by the appendage, cutting off his magic and leaving his legs to kick uselessly against thin air.

“Ah! Put me down you freak!” The unicorn tried to use his hooves to pry off the Lurker’s claws but they had his horn in a death grip.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the creature's free claws lengthen and taper into sword length talons. They pulled out of sight just as the pony realized what was about to happen. The Solar Guard heard the whoosh of air and felt a brief moment’s pain as the blades sliced cleanly through his neck. He heard the metallic clank of his golden armored body hit the floor then nothing more.

Without a word, the Lurker freed itself completely from the shadows. It turned the now disembodied head of the unicorn until its face, frozen in shock and fear, looked back at it. Tightening its grip on the horn, the creature reformed it's blades into normal claws and placed them against the disembodied head. It twisted and pulled until it tore out the magical protrusion by the root. The stygian being inspected the late guard’s horn as it tossed the mutilated head away. It was a simple thing, charcoal in color and somewhat blunted at the top, not like the long, goring horns it was used to. Still, even without the unicorn attached to it, the appendage could prove useful to those with the proper know-how and skill to utilize it. It absorbed the horn into its being and drifted through the tunnel leading to the gates of the mine as well as the two remaining mortals.

Copy galloped as fast as his legs could carry him. He ignored the blasts and shouts that echoed from behind him as his mind was focused on getting out of the mine and back to the Crystal Empire, vast legions and dimensional abominations be damned. When the shouts and blasts suddenly stopped, he cautiously checked behind him hoping to see the guard coming to join him, victorious. To his dismay, he saw the baleful light of the stygian shambler's eyes following a fair distance away at a leisurely pace. There was no sign of the unicorn.

“Ah, dammit!” The Captain groaned. "I should have insisted on a fighting retreat."

Copy whirled to face the creature. It would take time to unlock the doors, time he did not have with the tenebrous terror bearing down on him. He had an idea though. He may not be a unicorn he did know a thing or two about crystals. The Crystal Captain waited until the Lurker was under one of the many lanterns hanging on the ceiling and tossed his fully charged lantern at them. The fiend looked up just as glowing gems collided and exploded in an incandescent ball of magical fire, enveloping it completely.

“That should slow you down.” Copy said smugly as he hurried off to the iron doors.

As he approached the exit to the mines, he could make out the figure of Mica desperately trying to unlock the heavy doors. She had made some progress but in her panicked state, she would not be able to get the doors open fast enough.

“I got it, I got it. Stand back Mica.” Copy said as he came up from behind her. "The chain has to go this way..."

The crystal mare stood aside and allowed the stallion to pick up where she left off. After some rather complicated steps, Copy just got the doors unlocked when Mica suddenly screamed again. The Lurker had recovered from its sudden immolation and had caught up to them while they worked on the locks. It stared down at them with narrowed eyes but remained silent.

“Mica, stay behind me.” Copy put himself in front of the mare and stood his ground. “It’ll have to go through me-HEY!”

Whatever Copy had planned to say was lost as Mica, more concerned with self-preservation, shoved him from behind. He stumbled forward into the waiting claws of the dark creature. It grabbed him around his neck and lifted him into the air before slamming him back into the ground, crumpling his armor like foil and cracking more than a few bones.

“Mica…” Copy strained to look behind him, only to find the iron door slam shut and no sign of the crystal mare. “…you double crossing cock bite!”

The Lurker brought forward a free claw and tore off the stallion’s helmet. Copy could only tremble in fear for whatever fate the monster had in store for him as it gripped his now bare head in its claws. What little light there was in the tunnel seemed to flee from them as some ethereal power was exerted. The captain's eyes glossed over as the sensation of what he could only describe as the tendrils of some deep sea abomination slithered into his mind. His vision blacked out entirely and he found himself floating in some infinite limbo. A burst of pain ran through his head and the blackness gave way to a scene from one of his earliest memories.

He was perched on the withers of a large, weathered stallion clad in crystal armor in an immaculate room full of his fellow crystal ponies. He remembered this place. He was just a colt then, but this was his home before the reign Cadenza; even before the tyranny Sombra. The stallion below him was his father, the Captain of the Guard and a trusted confidant of the Crystal King. He had brought him here to the throne room of the Crystal Tower to witness the historical transformation of the Crystal Kingdom into the Empire. The doors to the throne room opened slowly, drawing the attention of all present. A tall, dour stallion wearing ceremonial armor and a long royal red cloak entered the room. Everypony bowed respectfully before their king. Copy watched in youthful awe as the king made his way to the crystal throne and the group of old wise ponies surrounding it. The large stallion knelt before them and lowered his head. The oldest of the group stepped forward and removed the crown from the king’s head. He passed it off to one of the others and turned to another wizen pony holding an ornate box. He opened it, revealing a golden laurel wreath. With delicate care, the old pony placed it over the head of the former king. Once it had done so, the wise folk parted, revealing the ornate crystal throne, and bowed deeply. Without a word, the austere stallion took the throne and settled into it. For the briefest of moments, Copy swore he saw a smile tug at the corner of his lips. The old ponies turned to the crowd. In surprisingly clear and loud voices, they announced the death of the kingdom and the birth of the Empire. Everypony got to their hooves and, as one, shouted to the heavens above ‘Long live the Empire! Long live Emperor…’

Copy could not remember the new emperor’s name. The image suddenly became fuzzy and distorted. The memory faded back into limbo to be replaced with a pair of glowing malevolent green and red eyes. Copy knew of this as well. It was what all crystal ponies saw when they tried to recall anything before their return and subsequent liberation from Sombra; a memory block.

Another spike of pain and his mind fast-forwarded past the block until it stopped at a more recent memory. Copy was now in a cozy room. Candles created dancing shadows on the crystal walls and the intoxicating smell of cider and perfume lingered in the air. He was on a luxurious bed, panting heavily beside a very satisfied looking mare. He draped a listless foreleg around her head and gently stroke her mane, earning a happy hum from his bedmate. Copy recalled the events that had led to this blissful moment. The entire Empire was in celebration. The Crystal Heart had been recovered from the nefarious clutches of Sombra and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, along with then Captain Shining Armor, had taken the Crystal Throne. Time would tell if they were up to the task of ruling the empire but for now, it was time to make merry. After attending a spectacular party that had lasted well into the night, he had worked his charm on some tipsy mare and had taken her to an inn where they performed the lover’s dance, just happy to be free of their prison and their tyrant. He leaned over to kiss the beautiful mare and perhaps go for round two only for the pleasant memory to skip ahead again, much to his displeasure.

When it stopped, he was no longer in bed with a beautiful mare but rather kneeling before a white stallion; Prince-Regent Shining Armor. This was perhaps a few months after he and his wife had assumed the throne. Armor was presenting to him the elegant crystal armor of the Captain of the Crystal Guard. Copy felt a pang of sorrow as the set reminded him of the memory of his late father. He suppressed the thought; now was not the time to be melancholic. He rose and saluted smartly. The Prince-Regent saluted back with an approving smile. The new Captain donned his armor and faced the assembled guards; his new troops. He recited the oath of the guard, to protect and serve the citizens of the Crystal Empire, and was meet with crisp salutes from the guards and rounds of applause from the few civilians. Copy was practically beaming. This was the proudest moment of his life.

Like the last, the memory jumped ahead suddenly and painfully. Copy found himself in a large auditorium alongside most of his guards. Before them was the radiant Princess Cadence and the Element of Magic herself, Twilight Sparkle, before her ascension to Alicornhood. They were teaching them about what they had missed during their thousand-year imprisonment. Today’s subject was on modern language and slang. Copy was bored out of his skull. What was wrong with the way they spoke now? Sure it was antiquated but most ponies understood them. The whole thing felt demeaning to the full-grown stallion. He tuned out what Princess Cadenza was saying and wondered if Twilight was into stallions in uniform. His mind began to wander, fantasizing about what sort of kinky tricks the purple unicorn may have learned from her books. Just as he was picturing Twilight tied to his bedposts, the memory paused and went back to the language lesson. Copy felt the invasive mental tendrils dig into the memory, clarify the stuff he had heard subconsciously like how 'ye' became 'you'. They then forcefully tore the thoughts from his mind like ripping a page from a book. It was excruciating. Copy tasted and smelled the coppery sense of blood as his body and mind were subjected to powers beyond his capacity to withstand or even comprehend.

Everything suddenly snapped back to reality as the Lurker withdrew its claws from the stallion. Copy felt a numbness creep over him as the creature shut it eyes for a moment, processing the captain’s memories. When they opened, the fiend's eyes widened as if it had just experienced some grand revelation.

“Hmm, such a peculiar language.” He said in modern Equine, his now obviously masculine voice unnervingly calm and level with the slightest trace of an unidentifiable accent. “It’s like the bastard child of Low and High Imperial with Vulgar Barbarian as an uncle.”

Copy babbled something unintelligible as the mental vampire held him up to eye level.

“You have my thanks, my little pony.” The tenebrous terror said neutrally. "This knowledge is invaluable."

---

The Lurker pitied the Captain in his clutches. Extracted the necessary memories to communicate with the mortal races had taken a hefty toll of the stallion, as evident by the blood hemorrhaging from his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth and his violent twitching. The creature could tell he did not have long to live.

“I can tell you are suffering, mortal.” He said in a manner that was almost beneficent. “Allow me to end it.”

He raised a claw and placed it between the dying crystal pony’s eyes as they glared at him.

“Oh, don't look at me like that." The stygian stalker said evenly. "Death comes for you all eventually.”

He thrust the single claw forward. The crystal stallion let out a sharp gasp of pain as the bladed digit pieced his skull. His body went limp and the light left his eyes as death claimed him. The Lurker withdrew his claw from the corpse and laid it gently on the ground. He then rose to his full height in a dignified manner and approached the exit. He was about to slip out when it caught the muffled sound of voices from outside. Curious, he peeked out from between the gaps in the doors. Outside, night had fallen and with the moon obscured by the overcast winter weather, the only source of light was from the few torches held by a diverse crowd of mortals. One of them, a minotaur with what looked like a broken pony under his arm, was standing over the mare who had fled. The Lurker focused on what they were saying, putting his newly acquired understanding of their language to use.

“…and you expect me to believe all that?” The burly minotaur asked the pony, his skepticism clear.

“Yes!” The mare shouted desperately. “You’ll see! It’ll tear us apart then eat our souls! Then you’ll believe me!”

“I don’t eat souls." The Lurker thought incredulously. "I don’t even have a mouth right now.”

A malicious chuckle spread throughout the crowd. They clearly did not believe the mare’s story. The minotaur jostled the pony he was holding as if to rouse him.

“That’s quite a story, eh stumpy?” The minotaur jostled the equine beneath his arm.

The pony identified as stumpy slowly lifted its head. The dark one could see that it was a unicorn with its horn broken off. Said horn now hung from the burly bull's belt like a trophy. From its outfit and lack of armor, the caliginous creature could infer that he was not a soldier like the one it had decapitated.

“Lurker…monster…truth…” The de-horned stallion wheezed weakly.

The minotaur raised an eyebrow. He held the wounded stallion out in front of him and looked him in the eye.

“You’re telling me that you and those Golden Boys were hunting some smoke monster until we showed up?” He asked.

“Those ponies must have been sent by those two lovers I popped in on.” The interloper recalled its act of proxy coitus interruptus. “If so, then who do these other mortals belong to?”

The stallion nodded in confirmation. The minotaur dropped him like a sack of potatoes and took a few steps back from the mine entrance.

“I’m telling you, it’s in the mines right now!" The mare insisted. "We got to run!”

“Alright, I want archers all along the rim of the crater!” The minotaur ignored her and ordered his troops. “Longshot, I want you on the incline with your strongest spell ready to go! The rest of you, form up on me!”

“Well, that didn't take much.” The eavesdropper mused as the mortals took up positions. “Monstrous and supernatural incursions must not be uncommon here. Not sure how I feel about that.”

“Wait! You want to fight it?!” The mare cried. "Are you insane?!"

“You said it was persistent.” The brute replied as he fell in formation with his fellows. “This is our best chance to kill it. Otherwise, it’ll pick us off one by one all the way back to camp.”

“B-b-but…” The female tried to argue but the thug had already made up his mind. "We are all going to die..."

The Lurker moved back from the doors and stroked its chin as it tried to think of the best course of action in light of what it had just learned.

“They’re confident that they can defeat me, so they’re either faced things like me before or they believe in the strength of their numbers." He mused. "More likely the latter.”

A physical force of arms posed little threat to him but he was not certain if there were any magical elements among them beyond the one intact unicorn. With his experience with the Crystal Heart and Solarii still fresh in his mind, the Lurker knew it would be better to be cautious. The monster looked back into the deep darkness of the tunnels. A macabre idea came to his mind.

“I need a mob of my own." He decided. "I need some minions.”

The Lurker did not need to know the complete history of the realm to know that atrocities had been committed in the mines. The rusty shackles, mining tools, and skeletons told of many ponies, likely slaves, which had suffered terrible fates in the tunnels under the whips and lashes of their masters. Such cruelty often bred the coldest of hatred and malice in the souls of mortals. Even after the flesh had turned to dust, the shades of these unfortunates would often linger, unable or unwilling to cross the boundaries of life and death into the next world. These echoes of the past could make effective allies, provided one knew how to draw them out of the darkness of their unlife. Fortunately, the Lurker was privy to such necromantic arts. The stygian horror dug a small ditch in the floor with its claws. Once he was satisfied with the pit, it grabbed the cooling corpse of Copy and held him over it by his tail.

“Your mind has already proven useful, mortal.” The figure said aloud. “Now your blood will as well.”

The voidian escapee held up a single claw, formed to razor sharpness, and drew it across the late captain’s neck with the ease of a gentle caress. He then tilted the head back, allowing gravity to drain the dead stallion’s blood into the ditch. Once the hole was filled to capacity, the monster discarded the body of the Crystal Captain and held its arms out in front of it like a priest addressing a congregation.

“Shades of the mortal dead, heed me.” He said softly in his native tongue. “I offer this libation of blood to you. Come forth and slake your thirst.”

The Lurker lowered its arms and waited patiently. A soft chorus of whispers, like the chittering of bats, filled the tunnel as misty shadows crept forth. The wisps drew closer, gaining form and clarity. In time, the ghost of Copy emerged from the shifting blackness and stood before the pool of blood. He looked from the offering to the void escapee then frowned.

“You! You killed me!” The shade accused, his voice unable to get above a harsh whisper.

“Indeed, I did.” The dark creature said evenly. “To spare you from a slow and painful death.”

“A death you caused!” The stallion retorted.

“After you set me on fire.” The Lurker countered. “For that, I should have withheld my mercy, so save your accusations.”

The dead captain scowled but said nothing further. Instead, he lowered his head and lapped up the libation, not knowing or not caring that it was his own blood. Soon he was joined by another specter, that of the unicorn Solar Guard. Upon seeing his killer, the ghost pointed an ethereal hoof at the shadowy creature but before he could say anything, the Lurker cut him off.

“Yes, yes, I know: I killed you.” He said flatly. “Keep in mind, however, that you shot first. I merely retaliated.”

“You…” The guard trailed off as he realized that arguing the semantics of proportional retribution with a dimensional monster would not change the fact that he was dead. “…speak Equine?”

“Thanks to your brother in arms here.” The Lurker indicated Copy with a gesture.

The former captain looked up from his sanguine drink.

“It tore the intel right out of my mind.” He said, tapping on his head for emphasis. “Killed me in the process.”

“Sorry to hear that, Captain.” The guard stood beside Copy and began drinking his share of the offering. “Did Mica manage to escape?”

At the mention of the mare’s name, Copy let out a very feral sounding growl.

“That backstabbing cocktease!” He snarled. “She ran off while this thing was rummaging through my brain!”

“She did not get far.” Their host informed them. “She is outside right now in the company a rather diverse and unsavory group of beings.”

Both shades looked at the creature. It had obviously reminded them of something.

“Was there anypony else with them?” The unicorn asked. “Wearing gold armor, like mine?”

“Is that pronoun appropriate when discussing non-equines? The shadowy figure thought. "The lecturers in the captain’s memory never brought it up but I would think not.”

“There was another unicorn wearing gold armor, but it didn't fit him quite right." He answered neutrally. "There was also one dressed for the weather that had his horn cut off.”

“Our armor is custom fitted for each individual guard.” The Solar Guard mused aloud, disgust evident in his voice. “They must have looted the bodies, the ghouls.”

“Sounds like they got Tomes, too." Copy added bitterly. "Poor nerd.”

“Interesting." The Lurker mused. "It sounds like there’s a war going on between these ponies and those other mortals.”

The ambient whispering suddenly increased in volume as the sound of chains rattling echoed throughout the tunnel. All three ethereal beings looked into creeping darkness to see a large translucent crowd of pitiful, shambling crystal ponies, unicorns, even a few colts and fillies. Some were bound in chains while others lugged heavy looking weights and tools.

“Who are they, miners?” The Solar Guard asked as he backed away from the fearful sight.

“Slaves.” Copy corrected, his rage giving way to sorrow at the sight of the phantoms.

“I thought as much.” The Lurker mentally confirmed.

The mass of ghastly ghosts gathered around the offering, ignoring the two recently deceased and the looming shadow creature.

“Not a talkative bunch, are they?” The unicorn said as one of the shades brushed past him as if he was not even there.

“Unlike you two, I suspect they have been dead for centuries if not longer.” The necromantic summoner said coolly as the host began drinking the libation without ceremony. “All that time lost in the dark has eroded their minds; they are of a more base nature now.”

The two right minded ghosts distanced themselves from the rabble.

“Is there any way to help them?” Copy asked, clearly disturbed by the sight of his fellow crystal ponies in such a state.

“Perhaps.” The Lurker said as the former slaves drained the last of the blood offering. “Though first, they are going to help me.”

The abyssal figure indicated the iron doors with a claw as the two sentient shades gave it a questioning look.

“Thanks to that mare's loose tongue, those outside intend to ambush and destroy me the moment I cross the threshold.” The tenebrous terror turned back to the assembled specters. “This I cannot allow.”

The unicorn crossed his hooves and frowned at the monster. He could tell what it intended.

“So you've summoned us to be your little minions, is that it?” He asked snidely.

“Of course.” The dark figure answered like it was obvious.

The guard looked ready to give the Lurker a piece of his mind when he held up a claw to stop him.

“Naturally, I plan to compensate all of you for your assistance.” It added.

The unicorn dropped his arms and looked at the former Crystal Captain who shrugged.

“How so?” He asked.

“I doubt you would want to spend eternity haunting some old mine.” The creature explained. “I can send you, all of you, on your way into the next life and away from the troubles of this world.”

Copy cast a glance at the horde of slaves behind him who were now staring at the three with hollow eyes. He then looked to the unicorn who was tapping his chin in thought.

“We got nothing to lose.” The late captain told him. “It’s not like we can die again.”

The guard was silent for a moment before he too nodded. An eternity spent haunting an abandoned mine did not appeal to him.

“We’ll do it.” They said in unison.

“Excellent.” The Lurker said as it steepled his long claws.

“It is wise to recognize when you only have one choice." He mentally smiled. "It is not like you can deny the Lord of Shades.”

---

Stone Skin hated waiting. He hated the seemingly endless pause between preparation and the actual battle to come. The minotaur and his remaining vanguards had pursued the fleeing Equestrians to the foreboding Broken Horn mine. Rather than entering the labyrinthine tunnels, they had elected to wait out the equines. Max had reported that there were no other exits so if and when they left the mine, they would be trotting right into a trap. It was well after sundown when one of the ponies came galloping out of the mine, scared out of her wits. She actually looked glad to see the thugs responsible for the deaths of most of her companions. The mare had told them, in her own words of some ‘horrible, soul-sucking abomination from the deepest pits of Tartarus.’ Not wanting a demon of any form hunting them down at night, Stone positioned his vanguards in and around the crater to maximize effective use of his archers, mage, and normal troops. He had expected this crystal mare’s demon to come barreling out of the mine so after but after a few minutes of tense silence, he was beginning to think he had been played as a fool.

“Your demon is a no-show, pony.” Stone growled at the trembling mare.

“It’s probably picking bits of Copy out of its teeth with his bones.” The crystal pony said shakily. "Or marinating his brains in that guard's blood."

“Maybe we should send stubby and the pansy in as bait!” Max shouted from the ranks of the vanguards.

“Yea! Oi like dat plan!” Fleabag agreed. "Dangle some bait fer da beastie!"

The rest of the troops voiced their approval of throwing the captive ponies to the metaphorical wolves. Stone gave the two a wide grin.

“You heard them.” He said as he jabbed at the two with his sword. "In you go."

Mica began backing up, dragging the crippled Tomes with her teeth. She frantically searched the area for any avenue of escape but there was none to be had; she was surrounded. A deep and otherworldly moan suddenly echoed about the excavation, silencing the shouts and jeers from the thugs. They held their weapons at the ready as they searched for the source of the noise. The already chilly night plunged into sub-zero territory as the air became thick with tension.

“Uh, Stone?” Longshot shouted from his position halfway up the incline leading out of the crater. “Why is the door smoking?”

The bull looked to the iron gates to find a thick, tenebrous mist seeping out from between the doors. The burly minotaur felt a chill crawl up his spine.

“We’re all going to die.” Mica whimpered defeated. "Horribly."

A metallic creaking sounded from the doors as they began to buckle outward and the mist began jetting out as if under pressure. With a deafening boom, the entrance to the mine exploded, tearing the massive iron doors off their frames and sending them into the ranks of the vanguards, crushing a few under their immense bulk. The black fog surged forward like an unstoppable wave, extinguishing the torches and enveloping those on the ground in a thick blackness.

“What is this sorcery?” Stone shouted as he swatted ineffectually at the fog.

An ethereal chorus of whispers resonated from all directions, drowning out any answer to his question. From the mire in front of him, several translucent equines stepped forth. They stared at him with empty, unfeeling eyes. The same thing occurred throughout the mist, with the vanguards coming face to face with the spectral horde.

“I got a bad feeling about this…” Longshot said under his breath as half a dozen undead emerged from the fog in front of him.

"And all the living shall fear the dead." A disembodied voice intoned ominously.

At that, the phantom ponies let out a blood-curdling shriek and rushed the vanguards. The archers along the ridge were the first to fall victim to the shades. The ghosts ensnared them by their legs with spectral chains and yanked them down into the crater. Some died on impact while others were left crippled by the fall. On the ground, the phantoms came at the vanguards like a spectral wave, crushing them beneath the weight of their numbers.

“Gah! Get off me you little bastards!” Max squawked as she thrashed against a small herd of ghostly foals piling on top of her.

They slammed their little hooves against her with surprising force as others pulled out feathers of her wings with their teeth, laughing all the way like it was all fun and games to them. The few other vanguards capable of flight suffered similar fates as the shades weighed them down and crippled their wings before finishing them off. The she-griffon felt one of the spectral little ponies wrap the chain used to bind their legs around her neck. Max let out a strangled gasp as the chain tightened, nearly crushing her throat. She fell to the ground, clawing at her neck as the giggling little ghosties choked the life out of her.

Longshot had the advantage of being high enough to escape the tenebrous fog and thus able to see his attackers. He fired spells rapidly, each ghost he managed to hit dissipating with a pained moan. The unicorn dared to think he might survive this scourge of undead when he felt something tap the back of his head. He turned to find the ghastly visage of one of the Solar Guards his group had ambushed earlier.

“You know, assaulting a member of the Equestrian military is a crime.” The spook whispered venomously.

Longshot leaped back and fired a blast at the undead unicorn. It ducked under the spell and tackled him to the ground. The ghost stamped down on his gold armored head, pinning him with his horn aimed away from the phantom.

“Normally, the penalty calls for monetary compensation in addition to a lengthy stay in the dungeons.” The former guard continued as more shades began to surround them. “But in your case, I think death is more appropriate.”

“No! Please!” Longshot pleaded, willing to say anything to escape a grisly death. "You can't! Equestria teaches us love and tolerance, remember?"

“Death has a way of changing your perspective..” The unicorn sneered.

The vanguard could only scream as the shades of slaves laid into him with hooves, pickaxes, and hammers. His looted armor did little to abate the lethal blows.

To his credit, Stone fared well against the horde despite his lack of magical abilities. He had discovered that the attacking phantoms had to render themselves corporeal before striking and thus vulnerable to counters. He pivoted out of the way of a pickaxe aimed at his chest and brought his sword down on the shades’ head. It dissolved with a moan and vanished back into the murky miasma.

“I swear I've killed the same ghost five times.” He groaned.

“Only a fool tries to kill the dead.” The voice that had unleashed the scourge upon them said from behind him.

The minotaur whirled around just in time see part of the mist solidify into a set of long talons and slash at his neck. He raised his sword to parry the attack only for the dark blades to slice cleanly through his weapon, causing it to fall apart in his had. Stone cast aside the useless piece of metal and drew his dagger. As he did so, another set of blades grew out of the fog. The two came at him simultaneously. He dodged one but the other swung up from below and caught him across the chest, rending his armor and leaving a set of nasty gashes running diagonally from his hip to the opposite shoulder. The force of the blow twisted him around and sent him to the ground. He painfully rolled over to see the wicked blades poised to cut him to ribbons. He held his arms out in front of him.

“No more! I yield! I yield!” He screamed in desperation. “Please! Have mercy!”

Everything paused. The talons melted back into the mist as the ghosts halted their assault on the remaining vanguards. The miasma gathered together in one spot, forming a mass of shadows that quickly formed a tall, foreboding figure with baleful white eyes.

“Why should I?” The Lurker asked flatly. “You and your thugs conspired to destroy me.”

“We were tricked!” Max squawked hoarsely, the undead foals having loosed their hold on her neck but only just. “That crystal bitch kept going on and on about how there was some killer hell-beast in the mines. We expected the worse!”

She pointed an accusatory talon at the quivering Mica.

“She’s right, the griffon, I mean!” One of the other survivors said. “If we knew you were open to talks, we wouldn't have attacked you!”

“You mean if you knew what I was capable of, you would not have attacked me.” The caliginous creature stated plainly.

The mortals remained quiet with the shades standing over them as the Lurker mulled over the explanations they had presented. He knew they were just trying to save their own skins. They were also using the mare as a scapegoat by blaming her for slandering him as a killing machine. Still, the Lurker had to admit that if he was informed of some unstoppable juggernaut about to attack, he too would have prepared for a fight, not attempted to open dialogue. All in all, this was a rather huge case of bad first impressions.

“Nonetheless, I find your reasoning logical and I may have gone beyond what would be considered appropriate for a preventative attack." He bowed its head slightly. "For that, I apologize.”

Stone did not know what to say. One minute, the creature was slaughtering them with a scourge of undead. The next, it was talking like a Canterlot noble discussing politics. He briefly wondered if the creature was chaotic in nature; flip-flopping between dark malevolence and light-hearted banter like the trickster spirit in the south. Or perhaps it was so used to ultra-violence that what would scar most for life was just another Tuesday for it. Neither theory sat well with the burly minotaur.

“Well… I…we…accept…your apology.” He stumbled through the words, unsure how exactly to proceed. “Perhaps we can…start over?”

He got to his hooves, clutching his wounds, and raised a trembling hand in the legion salute.

“Greetings…uh…dark one." The bull started awkwardly. "I am Stone Skin, vanguard captain of the Marked Legions.”

The hitherto silent Mica looked up at Stone like he had just declared himself the princess of sugar bowls.

“Are you insane?!” She shrieked. “You’re talking to a demon!”

“Shut yo gob, ya git!” Fleabag raised a club-like fist and brought it down on top of Mica’s head, knocking her out cold.

The last thing anyone wanted was a renewal of hostilities between them and the powerful creature.

“Aw, I wanted to do that.” The specter of Copy whined. "Hit her again for me."

The late captain's opinion of the crystal mare was understandably abysmal, to say the least. As the dog complied with his wish, the Lurker noticed the insignia etched into his shoulder pauldron.

“You mentioned Marked Legions.” He pointed to the eponymous mark. “Is that their emblem?”

“Indeed it is.” The minotaur was glad that the pony's outburst had not ended with him cut in half. “And we wear it proudly.”

“Whom does your legion serve?” The inky being asked.

“We serve under our warlord, Dugore the Marked.” Stone answered promptly. “As far as I know, he hasn't answered to anyone in a long time.”

“Well, dere’s dat spooky boy, Sombra.” One of the other diamond dogs chimed in.

“I think he and Dugore are working together, not for one another.” Max countered.

The Lurker stayed silent as he absorbed this information. Based on what it already knew in addition to what it was learning now, it sounded like these Marked Legions were planning on invading this Crystal Empire, but to what end? The name Sombra was also familiar from Copy's memories but the voidian stalker only knew that the crystal equines feared him.

“I must say, I'm interested in meeting this Dugore and Sombra.” He interrupted the scouts’ argument over who was ordering who in the legions. “Can you take me to them?”

An uncertain silence fell over the group. Stone looked to his survivors for any advice. All shrugged, unsure what to do. The minotaur shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof. They had seemed to have reached a level of civility with the dreadful being but if it could summon undead powerful enough to reduce an entire vanguard to just a handful of legionnaires, he hated to see what it could do to the entirety of the legions. The Lurker picked up on the vanguard’s unease and decided to add some incentive and ease their nerves.

“I'm certain my skills could be of use to your masters, as you have seen.” It gestured to the corpses strewn about the excavation.

Stone Skin eventually nodded. The creature was a wild card. If he did not get it on the side of the Marked Legions, it could just as easily go to the Empire and its Prince and Princess. He doubted they would take a necromantic monster like it but if they could sway the Spirit of Disharmony to their side, anything was possible.

“Very well." He said finally. "We shall take you to them."

“Excellent.” The Lurker waved an arm and the ghosts stood down, releasing the vanguards. “I'll be with you in but a moment, vanguard captain Stone Skin. I have some business to conclude with this host.”

The minotaur nodded and was about to start up the ramp when Max grabbed his attention.

“Uh, Stone, what do we do with these two?” She prodded the unconscious forms of Mica and Tomes.

“We'll bring them along as well.” He decided. “I’m sure Dugore will have questions for them.”

An earth pony got the broken but still living form of Tomes onto his back while Max hog-tied Mica and slung her across her back. As the surviving vanguards and their prisoners made their way up the incline, Stone turned back to the Lurker and its gathered undead minions, curious as to what it was doing. It began speaking to them in a strange and dark language that chilled him to the bone but seemed to please the ghosts. It waved a hand over the shades. The tools, chains, and weights of the slaves and the armor of the former guards fell off, leaving the spirits virtually identical. They seemed to glow with an inner light. The Lurker intoned one last phrase and with a contented sigh, the shades disappeared as Luna’s moon peaked out from behind the cloud cover, bathing the area in its cold glow. However, one ghost remained.

“Copy, is there something else?” The Lurker asked in Equine.

“I have to know.” The crystal stallion said resolutely. “Are you a demon or an alien?”

The creature cocked its head at the question.

“Well, I wasn't born in Tartarus…” He said carefully.

The vague answer satisfied the former captain. He pumped both his hooves in the air in triumph.

“Yes! I knew it!” He cheered as he faded from the world of the living. "Suck it, Mica!"

The Lurker shook his head at the late captain’s celebration. Just as he was about to rejoin his new travel companions, he noticed something sticking out of the snow. Tome's horn lay amongst bits of Stone's broken armor, lost when the being had attacked the bull. While he already had one, the shadowy fiend saw no reason not to have two. He ensnared the horn with a tendril and absorbed it into his being.

“That should have affected your fallen troops as well.” He said. “They will rest easy.”

Stone gave the creature an appreciative nod before moving to the front of the group, ignoring the burning slashes across his broad chest. At least he would not have to worry about his late troops haunting him.

“Alright vanguards, listen up.” He said, going into leader mode. “It’s going to be a bit of a march before we get back to camp. I know we’re all tired and wounded but we can get proper treatment and rest once we rejoin the main legions.”

Stone about faced and began moving.

“Let’s move it out!” He shouted.

Thus, the small group of weak and weary vanguards, bound and broken prisoners and an anticipative dimensional interloper began the long trek back to the legion controlled forest.

Next Chapter: Deal with a Devil Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 3 Minutes