“She's not real,” Starstep whispered to himself his hooves curling up against his body and eyes squeezing shut as his body shivered.

“She's not real. She's not real.”

“Oh, but I am.” An icy voice breathed directly into his ear causing the colt to huddle in on himself more.

Starstep whimpered, “Wake up, Star, it's just a dream.”

“Oh no, little foal, the nightmares have yet to begin.” The cold voice promised as the pegasus felt a chilling caress against his cheek, brushing down his jaw, causing his limbs to jerk involuntarily.

“Luna, please help me,” The frightened pony prayed ever so softly as he and Lighthoof, cowered in the presence of Nightmare Moon. They were utterly alone, lost deep in the forgotten ruins of her crypt.

“Now why would she bother helping you?” the voice whispered, like the sound of a blade pulled from the scabbard. Star whimpered, hearing the click of hooves circle him, still trembling from the last touch.

“You are nothing to her. A subject--a tool to be used.”

“N-not t-true.” He heard the hooves stop near his head and he heard her inhale near his neck, the warmth from his body being pulled away.

"Mmmm." There was a pause as she savored the fragrance of the living. Star wondered what she would do next when he felt the prickling sensation of sharp teeth rubbing against his ear. He whimpered and flinched, pulling his sensitive flesh from her mouth. Nightmare laughed sadistically. “Do tell.”

“S-She l-loves me.”

The Nightmare threw back her head, her laughter like a cracking whip. “Love? We must not be talking about the same alicorn, little foal. The one who desired ALL to know of her pain and sadness-- Of her jealousy and hate.” She hissed the last word.

“Still...” the darkness mused as the hooves began to trot around Star in a slow circle. “She saved you and the other foal once from my nightmares. Perhaps you are a very useful tool.”

“I-I'm not..a-a-a tool.” Star resisted the urge to wet himself as he felt the ghostly chill of a hoof stroke along his flank.

“No? Then tell me little foal. What are you to her?” Her hoof jabbed sharply into his cutie-mark, causing him to cry out.

Once he regained enough of his senses to speak, he answered through chattering teeth. “I-I-I'm her hus-husband.”

“Her husband? HAHAHAH! Oh, little foal, you are the most useful tool of all.” The dark mare stepped away from him and approached the other cowering pegasus. “And this one? Why is he resisting me as well? Are you two part of her herd?”

Star heard Lighthoof cry out and struggled to look, but his eyelids refused to open. “Leave him alone!” he choked out, tears seeping out and down his cheeks.

“Oh, why ever would I do that? You are nothing to me. It is SO much more fun to watch your kind suffer,” she hissed. From the darkness, Lighthoof cried out again, sobbing uncontrollably.

Star could hear her inhale. “Mmm...oh, my. This one has such deliciously dark dreams. Perhaps you would like to hear about the nightmares of his foal-hood?” When Star didn't answer she continued. “In his dream, this wretched pony misbehaved and his step-father locks him under the floorboards of his mother's bedroom. And then he was forced to listen in that dark little hole as she serviced pony, after pony, after pony. But oh, that's not even the best part!” She laughed delightfully and Light gave a sobbing whimper. “He wanted touch himself and after a while he wished that he could join in. So very twisted."

“You lie!” Star couldn't force his eyes open, but he managed to will his right fore-hoof to stretch out and with tremendous effort, pull his shivering body towards his crying friend.

A cold hoof planted itself on his forehead and the dark mare gave a light chuckle. “Oh, eager to see your own dark little dreams, are we? I wonder… what things lurk in the mind of Luna's little tool?”

The blackness behind Star’s eyelids flashed suddenly to a vivid image of the mining caverns under Ponyville. He saw Applebloom, her legs bound to the floor with heavy chains, bridled with a bit, blindfolded with a strip of cloth, and her tail pulled up and tied over her back. He remembered finding her like this on his first trip to the slave mines. But something was off… He wasn’t exactly experiencing a memory. The colt found his body walking of its own accord towards the bound and struggling mare around to her rear half where her privates were on full display. He screamed against the confines of his own mind to turn away, to help her even, but instead his body lifted up and he felt his barrel slide against her tail-base. He could feel their coats rubbing as he slid up to mount the young mare as she cried from under the blindfold, and pleaded for him to stop from around the bit jammed in her muzzle.

“No, no, no! STOP!” he screamed at himself as his body shifted to align with the sobbing filly.

He awoke, retching onto the dusty stone floor, gasping for breath after his belly was empty. All the while, the Dark Mare laughed over him. His mind latched onto pieces of the dream, replaying the event over and over, tormenting him.

The Nightmare leaned down, her head next to his, chilling air from her nostrils frosted the end of his muzzle. “Oh, you are a wretched colt. Did you enjoy that? How about another?”

Star was on a rocky outcropping overlooking a river of molten lava, red light illuminating the cavern and casting sharp shadows on the ponies around him. Before him on the edge, Copper stood, legs bound together so he wobbled uncertainly. Bound next to him was another figure, and another—a long line of shadowy forms, all teetering at the brink.

His body marched forward and he faintly knew that a crowd had gathered behind him to watch. His subjects, his dream told him. He could also sense her majesty, the Queen of Equestria watching from her throne, a smile on her lips as her Champion preformed his duty.

“For crimes against Queen Luna and her subjects, I judge you all guilty, and hereby sentence you to death by my hoof. May the Goddess have mercy on your treacherous souls.”

He took the last step forward and smiled at Copper's, reveling in the fear that played out on the shadowed face of the slaver and rapist. “I only wish I could give you a slower death, but then, you're lucky I don't play favorites." Star laughed as he flicked the unicorn on the horn, watching the disgusting pony's expression change from pleading to panic to terror as he tipped to the point of no return and fell screaming to his fiery death. Star grinned as he stepped to the next.

It was the griffon from the ambassador's party who had called Luna some rather nasty names. His beak was stuffed with a rag soaked with his own tears. He mumbled through the cloth to Star in some sort of desperate plea to save himself. Star turned his head, his ear leaning close. “I'm sorry, was there something you wanted to say?” The Griffon mumbled again and Star nodded. “Oh, I see. That changes everything.” He turned his head back and looked the griffon right in the eyes, smiling wickedly. “Long live the Queen.” He kicked the griffon between the hind-legs, toppling the groaning creature to his death as well.

The next in line was a trembling orange pegasus. Star knew what was coming before the dream even relieve the next in line for executions. He willed himself not to look, to stop the madness, but he seemed to have no control in this dream, he was just along for the ride.

Scootaloo looked at him fearfully, her wings strapped to her body as she wobbled about with her four-legs bound like the others. Tears streaked down her orange cheeks. “Why, Star?” She choked out.

“Because you took advantage of Luna's kindness. She gave you every chance to come clean and work it out between us and instead you spat in her outstretched hoof and tore out my heart. I wish you had trusted me enough to tell me at the start, but I wish more that you had listened to Luna. She trusted you and you betrayed her.”

“NO” Star heard himself scream. “NO, DON'T DO IT! IT'S NOT HER FAULT!”

“I'm so sorry, Star... I still love you,” Scootaloo pleaded, lowering her head, ears flattening as tears dripped from her muzzle.

“I wish I could say the same.” Star reached out a hoof and tilted the filly over the edge, watching her fall with as a sense of satisfaction rushed through his body.

“NOooooo!” Star screamed into the darkness of the crypt, staring up at the laughing face of a black alicorn. When his brain realized he was back in reality, he buried his head under his fore-hooves and rocked back and forth, trying to shake away the look of betrayal on Scootaloo's face. “Scoots, oh, forgive me, my Scoots.”

Nightmare grinned at his pain. “Oh, this is so much fun. I wonder what other little bits of darkness are hiding in your head?” A black ghostly hoof to tugged Star’s chin from under his fore-hooves, forcing him to look at her serpentine eyes. “Oh, poor little pony,” she mocked. “It's just a dream, it doesn't mean anything.” She sneered, her fangs showing even in her shadowy body. “I show you only your own desires, from the deepest, darkest depths of your heart, my dear Starstep,”” She leaned down to stare into his eyes, nose to nose.

“Sister?” the meek voice of the white glowing alicorn spoke up from where she hid behind her macabre doll.

Nightmare Moon turned her head and smiled at the other spirit. “Yes, my dear?”

She looked down at her doll, stroking its fabric mane. “Can you stop scaring them for a little bit?” She flicked her eyes upwards for a moment. “I thought they might like to play with me.”

The black alicorn let go of Starstep, letting him sob quietly as he curled into a ball, repeatedly whispering his apologies to the Scootaloo and Applebloom. She stepped over to her smaller sister and draped a black, shadowy wing around her. “Are you sure? They did scare you after all.”

“I know.” She peeked bashfully over the skull-head of the doll. “I'm sorry sister. They said they were Royal Guards.” She hugged her doll to her chest. “So I sort of panicked.”

“I see.” The dark, shadowy figure hugged her sister to her chest and stroked a black hoof down her white cheek. “Don't worry, little one, they'll never hurt you ever again… never ever.” She paused. “What changed your mind, little sister?”

The white pony hugged her and glanced over her shoulder at the crying colts. “I saw into his eyes. He really does love Luna even though she's like us. He dies calling out her name.”

“Then he is a greater foal than I thought.” The Nightmare turned her head and sneered at the weeping ponies before looking down at her sister, teal eyes full of concern. “Are you certain you don't want me to continue? Just think—you'd soon have parts for a new dolly!”

The filly shook her head. “No. I’d rather have somepony to play with. It's so lonely down here, and you don't like playing dolls anymore.”

The larger spirit cocked her head for a moment in thought. “Very well little sister. Just for you.”

“Yay!” the smaller exclaimed, leaning up to rub noses with the other. “So... no more spooky scary for them? They're not very fun curled up like that.”

The Nightmare chuckled sadistically, smiling at her little sister. “I find them quite entertaining, but I suppose sisters should share their toys.” She ran a black hoof down the smaller alicorn's white mane. “Very well—enjoy our guests. I still have other intruders to deal with.” She glanced back at the two trembling pegasi. “If these two wretches give you any trouble, call for me, and I will finish this.”

The white alicorn nodded cutely. “I will, sister.” She giggled when the black alicorn kissed her on the nose and then the big sister vanished in a swirl of smoke and shadow. “Have fun with the griffons!” She called out to the empty air.

Star didn't know how long he and Lighthoof laid there amidst the bones and dust, sobbing quietly in their own mental prisons of despair, their minds unable to put away the terrible dreams that the Nightmare had shown them.

Though, after a while, Star's tears stopped flowing and he simply rocked back and forth on the dusty, ancient floor, his mind stuck in a loop of thoughts, whispering apologies and wondering if he truly was a terrible pony.

A chilling presence alerted him to the little white filly sitting at his side. He tried to ignore her as she began to stroke his frazzled mane, buried in his own self-loathing.

“I don't think you're a bad pony, Sir Starstep.”

Star cringed as the image of Scootaloo being tipped off the ledge by his hoof flickered in the back of his mind. He gave a little whimper.

“Sister's dreams are just dreams. You just have to let go and accept that you could have done some of those things.” She whispered, ghostly hoof petting him as she would a dog.

“N-no... I-I would never...”

She giggled. “Well of course not. That's what makes it so scary—but you could have, right?”

"N-no..."

She smiled patiently. "I asked if you could have, not if you would have. There is a difference."

A fragment of his thoughts asked the very same thing. Could he ever hurt Scoots like that? With Copper and that griffon, there was no question that he wanted to hurt them, though he'd already done that to one of them… but Scootaloo? And what about raping Applebloom? How could he even consider it? It was so foul and dark that he fought back a bout of dry-heaves, his belly long since emptied.

Yet... some primal, angry part of him flickered into his thoughts, normally buried under his kind nature and morals. For the briefest of moments he realized that he wanted Scootaloo to hurt like he had when she walked away. And Applebloom? Yeah, that ancestor of a pony in him saw her as a rutt-able mare, bound up for breeding.

The thoughts rubbed sharply against everything that made Star the pony he was, but then he slowly began to relize that was the point. A chill washed through him as he came to terms with what the little filly was explaining to him. He knew he did his best to be a good pony, to follow his moral compass. But if that guide was gone, what would stop him from becoming the beast in those dreams? What voices of reason would be left in his head to stop him from taking advantage of Applebloom or causing Scootaloo to suffer for the pain she caused to Luna and himself?

Starstep shivered, finally coming to terms with a terrible reality; There was a thin line that separated him from the monsters.

In time his mind was able to focus again. But he couldn't shake the feeling of anger and self-hate. The actions of his dream-self still lingered in the back of his mind.

The filly stepped away as he gritted his teeth and rose up on shaky legs like a newborn foal. With staggering steps, he bridged the gap between himself and Lighthoof, flopping down on his belly next to his crying friend. With a heavy hoof, he rested it on his brother, leaning near his ear and whispering the secret to ending the torment. Over and over he told him to accept it, to understand the dark place in all ponies that it came from.

Perhaps an hour had passed with Star doing what he could to calm Lighthoof. He wasn't sure of the time down here in the darkness, but his friend did stop crying, and the shivering ceased. Eventually the tan pegasus turned to blink up at Star and the brothers shared a hug. He looked over Light's shoulder at the ghost filly.

“Thank you,” Star whispered to her, afraid of attracting her terrible sister again, but offering a faint smile.

She nodded, returning the smile, her doll tucked in one fore-hoof. “I'm very sorry for all of this. Sister doesn't like other ponies very much and Royal Guards scare me a lot.”

He put two and two together as Lighthoof struggled to his hooves. “Did the guards back in your day do bad things to you?”

She looked down at her doll, hiding her muzzle behind it as she gave a little nod.

Star glanced around to the still-armored pony corpses then back to her. A part of him began to wonder if these ponies deserved what they got. Shaking off the dark thought, he turned his attention back to the little alicorn.

“What do I call you?”

She shrugged. “I don't have a name anymore, neither does sister. We don't remember it.” She wouldn't meet his gaze.

“But I thought your sister was named Nightmare Moon?”

The little alicorn shook her head. “No. Nightmare is just a name some of these bad ponies gave her. She doesn't remember her real name either.”

The blue-grey pegasus gave her a hesitant smile. "Would you like me to give you one?”

The filly's eyes widened and she looked up at him, ears perked to attention. “I would, very much.”

His smile warmed a little towards her, trying his best to ignore the thought of her twisted sister returning at any moment. “Well, you helped us out of a really dark place, so... how about Dawn?”

“It's pretty, I like it.”

Hoping he'd gotten on the spirit's good side he gestured with his head towards the exit. “So um, Dawn, could you show us how to get home? No offense, but I really don't want to be here when your sister gets back.”

Her ears drooped and the smile vanished. “Y-you don't want to stay and play with me?”

Lighthoof gave a cough, clearing his throat before he answered. “It's not that (cough) we don’t want to play, but a lot of ponies need us up above.” He gave a weak smirk. “That, and your sister scares the piss out of me.”

Star elbowed his friend but kept his eyes on the filly. “Dawn, you're a very nice filly, but Light's right. We were on our way to help our Princesses. You know, Luna? Some really bad griffons are trying to hurt her and the other ponies up above.”

She looked down, sitting back on her haunches with her doll clutched tight to her chest. “No pony wants to play. They only want to say mean things or do bad things to me.” She sniffed.

The blue-grey pegasus held up a hoof. “Now, wait a sec. It's not that we don't want to play, it's just that we have a job to do. A lot of ponies need our help.”

The filly squeezed her doll so tight that the little skull popped off and clattered to Light's hooves. He lept back a few steps, cringing. With a cry of frustration, Dawn tossed the rest of the doll away and turned her back on the two colts. “I asked for help too.” She sniffed and rubbed her foreleg across her eyes. “Fine… leave like everypony else!” She jerked a hoof towards the door. "Follow him, he'll guide you home."

Star and Light followed her gesture, noticing a large glowing green moth, flapping about in the hallway outside the door.

Light raised an eyebrow. "Huh, a Luna Moth. I haven't seen those since I was a foal." He blinked and stretched his neck out. "Eeeexcept I can see through that one." He looked at filly. "A ghost moth, seriously?"

Dawn hunched her shoulders and ignored him.

Lighthoof shrugged before he spun and started for the door, "Welp, it's been fun. Buh-bye now." He slowed when he noticed the other colt hadn't moved. “We got a guide, dude,” he hissed quietly. “Let's get the buck outta here before you-know-who shows up again.”

“Hold on, Light. I did say I would help her.”

The tan-pegasus bound back to Star, his eyes flicking to the shadows. “What are you doing? I don't know if I can handle her being in my head again. We. Need. To. Go!” His ears flattened as he trotted lightly in place.

Star poked him in the chest. “And I need to do what I said I was going to. Or at least try.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Look, Light, if you wanna go, go. I'm scared outta my bucking head too, but I'd hate myself if I didn't at least try to keep my word.”

“I-but...You-” Lighthoof stumbled over his words, then lowered his head, “I'm not leaving without you, dude, but I still think this is the worst idea you've ever bucking had. If her sister catches us again...” He looked around at the piles of bones. “Well... I think we get to be part of the decorations down here.”

Star started towards the filly, her back still to them. “Then help me, and we'll get outta here.” He didn't bother to mention that he suspected there would be no way to outrun the Nightmare if she really wanted to catch them. This was her home after all, and she was a spirit. He didn't think things like walls could stop her. As far as he could tell, she was made of shadows and hate. With that in mind, he'd already resigned himself to his fate. He only hoped some good would come of all this.

“Dawn?” He said to the alicorn as he stooped at her side. “I want to try and help you. What can I do?”

She looked up at him, eyes wide and slightly gaping muzzle. No tears though, he wondered if ghosts could truly weep. “Do you mean it?”

He nodded, smiling softly to her. “I don't know if your sister will ever let us go, but I did say I'd try to help you, and I keep my word.”

She lept to her hooves and hugged him with a cry of joy. “Oh, thank you Sir Starstep. You truly are a good pony.”

“Sir?” Lighthoof questioned, an eyebrow raised.

“Are you not knights? I thought you were Royal Guards?” She cocked her head.

Light smirked. “I don't think there's been knights in... wow... long time. You can just use our names, no formalities.”

“Very well.” She turned her head to look at the glowing stone and the two alicorns skeletons chained to it. “If you really want to help, break the pillar or stop its magic.” She released the pegasus from her ghostly fore-legs and stepped off to the side.

Cautiously, Lighthoof circled the artifact, careful not to disturb the pair of ancient corpses. “What is it?”

Dawn answered. “The griffons made it a long time ago, before my sister and I were born. They used to chain unicorns to it. It stops those bound to it from using magic.”

Lighthoof jumped when he accidentally kicked a stray leg-bone from a random corpse. His ears flattened and his eyes darted to the shadowy corners of the room, frozen in mid-stride until he was confident the Nightmare wasn't going to leap out at him. He gave Star a lop-sided embarrassed grin.

“Heh, uh, sorry.” He cleared his throat. “So, it's an early magic dampener.”

Star walked right up to it and placed his hoof against the surface of the runes. A icy chill ran down his fore-leg and he jerked back. “More powerful than those little rings we use now.” He pondered, looking over the obviously griffon style runes. “If this was made by griffons, were they the ones that held you captive, Dawn?”

She shook her head, eyes straying to a nearby unicorn corpse. “No, the unicorn tribe did. They... they were very bad ponies to us.”

Light slipped up beside his brother and whispered, “Let's leave out the history lesson, dude. I don't want to upset her and give her sister an excuse to come back.”

“Yeah, you're probably right.” A shiver ran down his spine. “I uh...I think she's watching us again.”

The other pegasi's eyes widened and he pressed up against Star's side. “Oh, buck us.”

“Just, just chill, Light.” He sighed. “Let's deal with one problem at a time.” He took a deep breath and punched the pillar with a fore-hoof.

Nothing happened, but another chill ran down his limb. He turned and gave it a double-buck, yet the same result. Not even a scratch from his horseshoes. He studied the runes again, noting that they didn't actually seem like they were carved into the rock. Curious, he unfolded a wing and swept a coating of dust from the surface.

Surprisingly, the runes his black feathers touched, dimmed then vanished in a sparkle of blue-white particles. He blinked at the result, looking at his outstretched wing in confusion. “How?”

The little filly gasped behind him. “You can actually do it!” She clapped her fore-hooves together excitedly.

“Hold on, Star, we don't even know what happens if we do this.” Light hissed into his ear, nervous eyes glancing about.

“I- huh. Good point.” He looked to Dawn, who was watching with hopeful eyes. “Say, Dawn. I'm assuming these two bodies are you and your sister?” She nodded. “So uh... I noticed that both of them are the same size, but you're a filly now. Why is that?”

She blinked at him in confusion. “I don't understand.”

“Er... Nevermind, it's not important.” He glanced at the pair of alicorns, impaled on each others horn and shivered before returning his attention to the filly. “Alright, I need to know something though. What happens if we turn off this pillar?”

“We become free.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“What does that mean—do you move on to the afterlife?”

She shrugged. “I don't know. Sister and I have immortal spirits, like Luna and her sister, and the Red-Griffon, and the Queen of Dragons and-”

He held up a hoof. “Ok, ok. So what does happen when you're free?”

“We're not bound to those bodies anymore.”

Star cocked his head, “But, didn't your sister possess Princess Luna?”

“Not exactly. Luna tried to help, but she couldn't. So she offered to let us join her in her body so we wouldn't be stuck in this dusty, dark hole.” She frowned. “But that ended badly.”

“I'll say.” Light quipped.

Starstep gave his brother a warning glare before returning his attention to the filly. “So, when Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, did you go too?”

She shook her head. “I was with Celestia then. But... the pretty rocks she had didn't like me. I was sent back here.” She picked up a pebble and fidgeted with it between her fore-hooves. “It was a long wait for sister to come home.”

Pity welled in Star's chest. This little alicorn was stuck here without her sister for a thousand years, just like Celestia. At least Celestia had her subjects to keep her company; this pony had nothing but dust, bones and ghosts. He was surprised she wasn't more mentally unstable after so long. But then, he knew almost nothing about ghosts or spirits. Still, a question nagged him repeatedly.

“If we break this,” he paused, unsure how to word it gently, “does your sister get to run loose in the world?”

She shrugged. “I don't know.”

Light nudged the other colt in the shoulder. “This is a bad idea, dude—really bad. It's one thing if this little filly gets loose, but her sister?” He hissed, glancing at the shadowy corners. “We got enough problems in the world without risking her running rampant.”

Star's heart felt heavy. He pitied this spirit and really wanted to help her, but even the remote possibility of Nightmare returning to the world seemed a big risk.

He hung his head and sighed. “I'm sorry, Dawn. We can't do it.” He raised his eyes to find her biting her bottom lip, ears wilting. “I can't let your sister run loose.” He began slowly walking towards the exit, Lighthoof joining at his side. “I'll ask Luna if there's anything else we can do for you, but... not like this. I really am sorry.”

“Good call, Star.” Light whispered. “Now, let's get the buck-ERK” He froze in this track, causing Star to glance at his panic stricken face then towards the exit.

The Nightmare reclined at the doorway, her smoky black body shifting in non-existent breezes as her cold teal eyes bore into his. “Leaving so soon?”

Star felt his chest tighten and his limbs begin to tremble. “W-We just want to go home. Please, let us go. Luna needs me.”

“Now, why would she need a spineless worm like you when you cannot even keep a promise to a little filly?” She snarled, wicked white teeth showing from the shadowy black muzzle. “You're just like all the rest.” The alicorn rose to her full height, towering over the shorter colts. “Worthless ponies who bring nothing but misery and lies to others.”

Star forced himself to look the Mistress of the Dark in the eyes. “N-no. I-I can't let YOU bring mis-misery to others!”

“Is that so?” She smiled slyly before her body turned to smoke and swirled through the air to reform at his side, her black ethereal tail tracing down his spine. Lighthoof sprung away and cowered. “So, are you saying you'll die down here just to keep my sister and I locked away?” Her muzzle ran along his cheek, causing the pegasus to give an involuntary whimper. “While... noble, perhaps you are not seeing the big picture?”

She spread a wing, flexing it back and forward, sending a gust of dust and bones to clatter to the doorway, climbing the frame and creating a void where there was once an exit. She nudge the trembling pegasus forward towards the black nothingness where not even the light from the pillar seemed to penetrate. “Look and see what goes on around us.” She hissed in his ear.

The portal of black softened to show images of the streets overrun with griffon patrols, herding citizens out of their homes and down the roads. There were quick images of the captured stepping over the dead ponies, unlucky enough to be hit too hard with a club, or pegasi netted at too high an altitude. The storm still raged, soaking the fearful citizens.

“Oh, but there's more,” she hissed gleefully.

The image shimmered, showing guards surrounding the fortress locked in battle with savage griffon warriors. Occasional bursts of magic between unicorns and druids in a duel cast the combatants in stark contrasts. Here, there were no punches pulled, and the griffons attacked the guards with blade, claw and beak. A hole blasted open in the fortress wall and invaders poured in.

Star felt his anger rise. “What about Luna? And her sister?”

“There are wards; I cannot see them.”

“And the three ponies we were with here in the ruins?”

“Oh, them.” She smirked. “Let us go, and you'll know everything.”

“Not a chance.”

Nightmare smirked. “Fine, then here you shall remain, my sister and I taking turns playing with you until you perish. You shall be forgotten in these ruins, left to the same fate as us.” She gestured with a hoof towards the bones and hundreds of ghost ponies cried out for release, moaning in their eternal torment. "When you have died, your bones shall become new dolls for her to play with, and your ghosts shall forever be my playthings. Everypony wins. Hahahaha.”

“I-if you think you can scare me into letting you go, you're insane.”

She shrugged, “Perhaps. However, one other thing you should see.” Her wing gestured towards the black portal.

A group of twelve red-robed figures stood around a stone box, chanting with their sickly green magic flowing through runes on the floor. They appeared to be somewhere in the ruins—the old carved floor had the same color and markings. The box was a jigsaw of interlocking pieces, and their magic slowly shifted the pieces about, one by one.

“What are they doing?”

Nightmare grinned. “Bringing back something far older than I,” she whispered into his flattened ear. “The Red-Empress.” The portal closed and the bones along the frame of the doorway clattered to the floor. She slammed her hoof into Star, sending him toppling back over Lighthoof. “Those little rats with wings have been sneaking into the depths for months now. No matter how many I turn into mindless, gibbering wrecks, they return. All for this,” she snarled. “You have your questions answered, now release us, or you shall never see the light of day again! And all your precious ponies, including your Princesses, shall be crushed under her rule because you couldn't warn them of what is to come.”

“Nuh-uh.” Star shook his head, trying to untangle from Lighthoof as they both scooted away from the angry Dark Mare. “One bucked up creature trying to hurt the Princesses is enough. I'm not about to make things worse.”

“ARRG!” She pointed a hoof at him and images of him beating Scootaloo with his hooves snapped into his mind.

“B-buck you.” He choked at the Nightmare, trying to force the disturbing day-dream from his head.

“I shall turn you both into weeping husks!” she threatened, looming over the pair.

“Sister! Stop!” Dawn called out. She trotted over to her big sister and looked up at her. “Please stop.”

“No—they deserve this. They ALL do!”

Dawn put a hoof against her sister's leg and smiled up at her. “They're not bad ponies. Please I beg you.” Her gentle pleas caught Nightmare's attention.

The black alicorn looked down at her little sister then back to the pair of trembling colts. “He can let us go. We can be free. I will MAKE him free us.”

“No.” Dawn nuzzled her sister. “Not like this. Do this one nice thing for Luna and I. You cared about her once, didn't you? Let her colts go.”

Nightmare opened her mouth to argue but simply snarled in rage, holding fast as her little sister reached up to hug her tight.

There was a long silence as Nightmare simply glared at the two pegasi while they regained their wits. Her little sister hugging her close seemed to temper her rage. Though she seethed, and jerked towards the colts occasionally, Dawn's grasp held her fast and reduced the terror she radiated.

At last, Star found the courage to speak. “C-Can I ask you something, Nightmare?”

Her eyes narrowed but she said nothing. “You really hate us ponies.” He glanced around at the dead. “That much is pretty obvious. But did you really care about Luna?”

The black alicorn hissed at him, a brief flicker of a nightmare skirting the edges of his thoughts. He ignored it and took a deep breath. “Do you care if this Red-Empress hurts Luna?” He noticed Light return to his hooves and slid up to stand side-by-side with his friend, taking comfort in not being alone against such a terrible being.

There was no answer so he continued. “Is she going to do this.” He gestured with a hoof to the pillar and the chained alicorns. “To Luna and Celestia?”

A long pause, then she narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes.”

Lighthoof spoke up, his voice nervous. “Uh, so... if this Red-Empress is that bad, what could Star and I even do to stop it? You know, assuming you let us go.”

“Release us or don't. I do not have the patience to answer your petty questions.”

“Sister, please.” Dawn pleaded.

The Nightmare sneered. “That feather-brained creature is delusional. She believes she can unite the entire world and balance it.” She gave a evil chuckle. “Even if that balancing means culling populations and some freedoms that you ponies love too much.”

“Seems like you'd get along, since you both want to rule and bring darkness to us.” Star commented.

“Hah. Foal, I seek vengeance and retribution! We are nothing alike,” she snapped.

Light raised a hoof. “That still doesn't answer how Star and I could even do anything.” He trembled as Nightmare's gaze shifted to him.

“Stop some of the griffon leaders from joining her—it will slow her conquest. However, she will come for you eventually. The old white one is the key. If he dies, none of them will stand against her.” She curled up a lip. “Now, release us or leave before I change my mind and drive you back into despair.”

Stray dark thoughts of violence and sex flickered through Star and Light's head, causing the pair to shiver.

Light took a tentative step towards the exit, noticing the black alicorn watching him, but she made no move to stop him. He carefully walked to the doorway, looking back to find Star studying the pair of alicorns.

Star gave a sad shake of his head. “I wonder what pony-kind did to you to make you so angry, Nightmare. For what it's worth, I'm sorry.”

“I don't need your pity,” she snarled.

He turned to glance between the pillar and the two sisters. “Another question.” He resisted shrinking from her cold gaze. “If you did get released, what would you do?”

There was a strange expression on her face, something close to a mixture of shock and confusion before she resumed her angry stare. “Not that it is any of your business, little foal, but I don't know what would happen. We could move on to the next life, we could wander about as spirits in the world. For all I know, we could be reborn in new bodies.”

“So... there's a chance you wouldn't continue hurting other ponies?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “My patience grows thin and my sister's grip upon me grows weaker.” The smaller filly looked over her shoulder at him as she hugged her sister, seemingly concerned.

“Star, what the buck are you doing, let's get the bucking tartarus out of here! Stop yapping with the living Nightmare!” Light called frenetic from the doorway, one hoof outside the room.

Star took a deep breath. “Would you swear not to ever hurt another pony again?”

“HAHAHA, not on your miserable life.” Nightmare cackled.

“Would you swear not to hurt Luna or do anything to make her unhappy?”

That caused the alicorn to pause. “You're serious? You are seriously contemplating letting us go free?” She seemed to want to say something else but held back. “Fine, if this is the game we must play, then yes. I swear I will not touch a hair on Luna's mane. She is safe from my vengeance.”

“I agree too.” Dawn said, smiling at the pegasus. “I like her—she really did try to help us.”

Light's eyes widened, “No, dude, what are you doing? You can't even possibly be thinking of letting her go.”

“Light, Dawn doesn't deserve this. Tartarus, no pony deserves to be stuck down here for all eternity. It's wrong… really wrong. You know bucking well that if I just walk away now that it'll haunt me forever.”

“It's bucking Nightmare Moon, what are you thinking? How could you even risk letting her run about?” Light paced back in forth in front of the doorway. “They bucking killed each other for crying out loud!”

The black alicorn shot a glare his way, shutting his ranting with a flash of dark dreams. “Be silent—that is between my sister and I.”

Star wanted to force the answer out of her, but he suspected it was not a button to be messing with right now. Time was ticking and he had to make a decision. “If I let you go, and you stayed in our world, would you promise to help us deal with this Red-Empress?”

“Hah, why would I promise that?”

“To keep Luna safe.”

There was a long pause. She looked down into her little sister's eyes, then over to the skeletons of their former bodies, chained and impaled upon each-others horns. She gritted her teeth and flared her black nostrils before turning her angry gaze to the nervous pegasus. “If we agree, that must be it. No more promises, no more questions. You must let us go or not even my sister will hold me back. I've only given you a taste of the nightmares you can experience—do not test me, foal.”

“I agree. Do you swear?” He asked, fighting the shaking in his legs as he ignored Lighthoof waving at him from the door, shouting at him not to go through with it.

“I swear, little foal.” Nightmare grinned triumphantly.

Dawn smiled at Star. “I swear.”

The pegasus took a deep breath and exhaled to steady his nerves before he turned to sweep his wing down the runes on the pillar. 'What the hell am I doing?' He wondered to himself. He wouldn’t have ever considered risking this before, but if the stories were right, having Nightmare as an ally against the Red-Empress might be worth it. And even if they instead moved on to the other side after so long in torment, wouldn't that be mercy? He wondered if Luna would agree with his decision.

His feathers brushed the glowing marks, dimming before popping out of existence with a shower of blue-white sparks. Down each side he ran his wing, Lighthoof shouting at him to stop, and Nightmare Moon grinning in triumph as her little sister nuzzled at her neck.

As he swept the final runes away, the room went pitch black and a cold wind swept through, chilling the pair of pegasi. He could hear the bones rattling and being swept about as the tempest increased. Magical lightning flashed along the ceiling, illuminating the exit and a panicked Lighthoof. Star used the bursts of light to dash towards the exit, trying to ignore the cackling laughter that echoed through the room. Oddly, he heard Dawn's cheerful laugh as well.

The pegasi galloped out of the room as the magic build-up burst, sending a wave of blue-white magic out the door-way, bowling the colts over until they slammed painfully into the first few stairs. The ground trembled and the sound or rocks falling caused the colts to cover their heads with their hooves. Eventually the shaking stopped and then nothing.

Darkness and silence.

“Dude, you are an idiot,” Light gasped from nearby.

Star chuckled painfully. “Maybe.”

He could hear the other pegasus shifting on the stairs, groaning.“Oh, Celestia, my everything hurts.” Light grunted, followed by the click of his hooves hitting the stone.

Star flipped himself over, gritting his teeth from the aches in his muscles. The pain felt as though it went right down to his very bones. He regained his footing on unsteady legs and exhaled heavily. “Could be worse. We could still be trapped in those nightmares.” He shivered and thought he heard his friend give a shudder and ruffle his wings.

A little green light bobbed in their direction from the top of the stairs, catching their attention. As it fluttered closer, Star smiled at the semi-transparent Luna Moth. It bobbed before them, offering just enough glow that the two colts could see each other and a few feet of the floor around them.

Light smirked. “You know, I really hate ghosts, but I think I like this little guy.”

“Here, here,” Star agreed before giving a nod to the glowing insect. “I dunno if you understand us, but we're ready to leave now.”

The moth dipped momentarily in the air as it banked and began a slow, bobbing flight back up the staircase. Not wanting to be left in the dark, the pair followed close behind.

Their guide led them up though a broken bronze door and into the main passage, before turning left. Star glanced back into the black, expecting the chill up his spine that he'd grown accustomed to. But none came. No sense of being watched or pursued. Certainly, there was the ever-present feeling of foreboding and despair, but that seemed to radiate from the ruins themselves, soaked for thousands of years in pain and torment.

“You know,” Light began softly, ears laid back as his eyes scanned the darkness. “I don't think Princess Luna is going to like that you made a deal with Nightmare Moon.”

Star gave a shrug, gritting his teeth immediately as pain lanced through his shoulders. He waited the ache to burn away before answering. “What's done is done, Light.” He gave his friend a look in the soft-glow of the moth. “I couldn't leave that filly trapped like that.”

“But to risk her crazy bucking sister running around again? I mean, come on!”

“I think she's gone.” He gave another look over his shoulder. “I don't feel her watching us anymore; I guess their spirits finally moved on.”

“Yeah, and you should count your lucky stars, dude. I swear to Celestia, I have never been so terrified in my life. I'm not gonna be able to sleep for weeks.” He closed his eyes and shivered. “The things she put in my head...” his voice trailed off.

The big moth swooped down a right-hoof tunnel, slowly enough that the tired pegasi had no difficulty keeping pace.

“I was scared too. If Dawn hadn't helped us, we'd still be sobbing our eyes out, just waiting to die like all the other ponies did. I owed her that much.” He unfurled one of his nearly grown black wings, the oily sheen reflecting the green glow from the moth. “I'm shocked these things did the trick. It makes me wonder why Luna didn't—or couldn't—do it.” He refolded his wing.

“Well, at least they're good for something. Not like they stop you from falling down pits.” Lighthoof smirked and gave his friend a very gentle nudge.

“Yeah, yeah.” Star returned the gesture with a slight smile. He cocked his head as he noticed the faint notes of a melody, ears swiveling. “You hear that?”

Light's ears perked up a little. “Hear... ah, that music again.”

The faint tunes of an organ and harpsichord echoed down the dark corridor, though this time it did not seem to fade in and out like a memory, coming more consistent and clearer than before. As they continued onwards, it grew louder, but not in an expected manner; there was an otherworldly resonance to the music, as though Star listened through a little water in his ears.

The Moth-Guide dipped around a left-hoof corner and towards a pair of rotting double-doors that were flanked by blue, ghostly orbs of light that bobbed and flickered like fire. Star and Light shared a cautious look as they approached, tensing their weary muscles and lowering their heads.

At the door, the moth fluttered in figure eights, its light overwhelmed by the pair of orbs to the sides. The music emanated from the other side—this close they could pick up on the string instruments atop the heavier organ and harpsichord. Lighthoof leaned in close to peek through the crack, before suddenly pulling back with a gasp.

“Whole room full of ghost ponies.”

Star raised an eyebrow before placing his cheek to the crack to look in. Just as Light had said, the room on the other side was filled with bluish ghost unicorns. Some were dancing, some were chatting in groups, the rest stood around and simply watched. The whole room was lit by the same little foxfire lights floating near the ceiling.

He pulled back and tilted his head at Light. “I dunno, just looks like a ballroom.”

“We're not really going in there, are we?” Light pleaded.

“They're not screaming in horror like all the others. Hey, maybe freeing the alicorns helped these guys out too,” he sighed. “Besides, our guide says this is the way.” He gestured with his head towards the ever-flapping Luna Moth.

Light took a deep breath and exhaled. “Alright. Fine. Let's do this.” He reached out with a hoof, wrapping it around one of the brass handles, and yanked. The rod ripped out of the wood and slipped from his grasp, sailing back into the darkness and clattering loudly as it skidded to a stop. Light just blinked in surprise before smiling sheepishly at his friend. “Dude, I don't know my own strength sometimes.”

Star rolled his eyes, reaching out with his own hoof to gently pull on the remaining handle. Ever so slowly, his side of the doors creaked open, protesting the movement on the ancient hinges until at last his own handle pulled loose; thankfully, a gap just wide enough for them had been made. Star set the handle down and poked his head in.

None of the ghosts seemed to have given any notice to them. The green-moth fluttered through the crack above his head and bobbed about towards the opposite side of the room without them.

“Crap, let's go Light, our little buddy is leaving us behind.” He slipped in with Lighthoof hesitantly following.

The pair stood side-by-side, surveying the crowd of ghosts. All appeared to be in ancient dresses and suits, except the musicians on stage who were in costumes that seemed to poorly mimic griffons. Star stepped forward timidly, his ears laying back as his eyes flicked from side to side.

To their right, a pair of young unicorn mares in flowing ancient gowns giggled behind their fans, their eyes straying to the pair of colts. “Oh my, can you believe they let those abominations in here?” one said.

“I know, I feel dirty from just being in the same room as them.”

“Perhaps they should be locked away from the rest of us; I feel ill from just looking at them.” The mares shot the colts a venomous glare before giggling to one another.

Star and Light shared a puzzled look, but continued into the crowded section of the ballroom, avoiding the mingling guests as well as their dragging hooves would allow.

A unicorn stallion bumped into Lighthoof, though he passed through him instead of physically touching him. The result was the same, though, as the pegasus panicked and lept away, stumbling to the floor.

“Oh pardon...” the unicorn began before his eyes looked down. “Perhaps little abominations like you should watch where you're going. You should be thankful the king even allowed you to attend. You should be kissing our hooves in gratitude.”

“I'm sorry, dude,” Light began.

“Enough, I do not wish to hear your whimpering. I'll not sully my ears with your words any longer.” With that, the unicorn turned, his tail whipping through Star's muzzle before disappearing into the crowd.

Star helped his friend to his hooves, the pair of them blinking in confusion before resuming their wandering across the floor. Snippets of conversation reached their ears as they felt the half-looks and sneers from the guests they passed.

“Oh, look, it's the two little whorses. I hear tell the King felt sorry for them and allowed them up to feel like real ponies for a day.”

“I bet the guards rut them every night.”

“Who would want to stick anything in those?”

“Disgusting creatures, excuse me, sirs, I feel my dinner rebelling.”

“Can you imagine? Some of the council even talked of giving them citizenship.”

“What? Scandalous! I'll not have some chaos-spawned fillies near my foals!”

“Did you hear? The king is making a special guard just to keep those two under lock and key.

“Who in their right minds would want to be near them day and night?”

“I hope they burn those dresses after they've stained them.”

“Maybe they should just burn them while still on the fillies. Kill two birds with one stone.”

“Oh-ho, somepony already tried. Fireball, right to the flank.”

“What happened to the righteous unicorn?”

“They locked him up for ten years, can you believe it?”

“I always said our council was unjust! I mean, look, they've nary a scratch on them!”

On and on, the little comments assaulted the colts until they reached the other side, their guide fluttering in a figure eight in front of the new double doors.

An armored unicorn colt stationed at the side glanced down at them. “You two can't leave without an escort. King's orders, and I'm not leaving my post to baby-sit you freaks.” He spat on the floor at Star's hooves.

“Listen here you jack-ass,” Light puffed himself up and came face to face with the spirit. “I've had enough of these little comments, and spitting at my friend was the last straw.”

The armored ghost ignored him, shifting his weight to one fore-hoof which rested on the hilt of his ghostly sword.

“Guardpony Douglas, there's no reason to be so rude to our guests.” A firm mare's voice called out from nearby. The pegasi turned to find a tall ghostly unicorn approaching from the crowd; her dress was an outfit of silks and lace, she had a courtship ring on her horn, and her mane was done up in a bun. “I will escort them to the little-fillies room.”

The guard rolled his eyes. “Fine, Madam Silver. The little freaks are your problem then.” He stepped aside to allow the ghost mare to hold the door open for the colts. She gestured with a hoof.

“Well, ladies? Come along.”

Star gave the faintest of shrugs to Lighthoof and the pair slipped out of the ballroom as the mare followed.

When the door shut tight behind them, the mare trotted on down the dark hallway, the little green moth following in her wake. The colts broke into a gentle trot to catch up, the music receding behind them.

“I am truly sorry about their dreadful behavior. They should know better than to gossip in such a way.” She smiled over her shoulder at them and something about the shape of her eyes and large hooves caught Star's attention, but he wasn't quite sure why. “Come along—if we don't hurry, the King will notice you missing.” Her smile faltered slightly, a bit of sadness creeping into her eyes. “I think the time has come for you two to leave this place. You do not want to be here for the King's... surprise.” She shook her head. “I cannot say more than this is not a birthday celebration that you wish to partake in.”

Lighthoof raised an eyebrow. “Who's birthday.”

Madam Silver gave a heavy sigh. “I tried to reason with the King. I truly did. He has threatened to cast me out with the Windigos if I argued the matter further.” She looked over her shoulder at Star. “I had hoped the party celebrating your coming into mare-hood would have been a time of joy,not the beastly thing that he has planned.”

She halted in front of an iron-bound door and looked up and down the hallway as the colts joined her. The Luna Moth fluttered in front of the door next to her.

Madam Silver leaned down to give a ghostly kiss on the cheek to both ponies. “I am so sorry I could not do more for you. I only hope my daughters grow up to be half as brave as you two have been.” She wiped the side of her cheek. “If you come across the other half of the unicorn tribe, please ask them for help. I fear our King is going mad and seeks to take his frustrations out on you two.”

She leaned down towards the door, her magic sparking and a ghostly lock clattered to the floor, merging with the real one long since coated with dust. She reached out and swung the heavy door aside, revealing a spiral stone stairway. “It is a long climb to the surface and the Windigos still roam, but take heart, you have each other.” Her ears swiveled. “Oh no, they're sounding the trumpets, you must take flight! Go, my dears!”

Lighthoof tilted his head at Star and gave a slight bow, grimacing at the ache. “After you, birthday mare.”

Star smirked and rolled his eyes, trotting through the door and up the first few steps as the Luna Moth bobbed over his head and lit the way. Lighthoof followed close behind as the door slammed shut behind them.

“The buck was that all about?” Light asked as they trudged up stair after stair, his limbs burning in protest.

“Well, Luna did say Ghosts were like photographs. I guess that was just a memory of what happened down here.” Star kept his eyes on the stairs, taking cautious steps with his weary legs.

“At least that Madam Silver seemed ok. The rest were jerks. If those were the ponies that locked up those two alicorns, then I can say they probably got what was coming to them.”

The colts continued upwards, losing count of the ridiculous number of stairs, but as they climbed, the sense of despair and foreboding lessened its weight on their shoulders. Eventually the stairs ended at a shallow landing, and a stone wall blocked their way, but the Luna Moth fluttered over to a square stone that jutted out of the wall, landing on its surface and gently flapping its glowing wings.

“Welp, top floor; Windigos, Griffons and lingerie,” Lighthoof quipped.

Star gave a soft chuckle. “I wonder what griffon lingerie looks like.”

“Bet that Sasha chick would show you s-” He stopped, holding up a hoof as his ears tilted back. “Somepony is coming.” He turned his head to look downwards at the darkness below. Ever so faintly they could hear metal on stone. Then that gentle noise quickly grew into a racket. They both recognized the sound of a group of armored ponies. “Yup, ghosts or not, time to go.” He urgently gestured a hoof at the square brick.

The blue-grey pegasus shooed the moth off the stone and smashed it with a hoof. The grinding sound of ancient gears echoed from inside the walls asthe stone wall slid into the floor at a slow, methodical speed. As the first gaps appeared at the top, they heard the roar of combat and clashes of steel, then heard the pouring rain and rumble of thunder. Eventually, it lowered enough to greet them with a view of the pitched battle before them.

The passage had opened up in the garden of the fortress where packs griffons and guards were fighting violently in the rain. Bolts of magic soared back and forth between a few unicorns and a handful of druids, illuminating the rose bushes and hedges more than the scattered torch-lamps. Pegasi darted through the black sky, dueling with the heavier, slower griffons, using their agility to land blows with their curved blades.

Lighthoof shook his head with a sigh. “What's the saying? Out of the frying pan?”

“And into the deep fryer?” Star suggested.

“Ghosts or Griffons, take your pick,” Light shouted over a boom of thunder, glancing back at the dark staircase.

Star stepped from the passage and into the cold rain with Light at his side—the droplets felt nice on Star's face after what seemed like forever in the frigid crypt below. He glanced to his right, noticing a jutting square of stone that seemed out of place and kicked it back in with a back-hoof. The gears groaned as they struggled to raise the door. As it did, a swarm of ghostly guards charged out into the downpour and faded away. Eventually, the wall locked into place, leaving a smooth surface where there once was a passage into the darkness below.

Lighthoof's eyes darted around to where the ghosts had vanished. “Huh. Where'd they go?”

“Best guess, they caught the alicorns and took them back into the depths.” Star gave a soft shake of his head, rain dripping from his ragged mane. “Remind me to ask Luna what happened down there.”

Light gave a shiver. “You can ask, but count me out. Nuh-uh. I'm so done with ghost ruins and spooky dead alicorns. If you thought I was drunk yesterday, wait till you see me tonight.”

Star briefly wondered if Dawn and her sister were still down there, or if they had finally been freed from their own nightmare. Either way, he hoped he'd never return to the ruins below and all the despair and fear that saturated its walls.

“Well, dude… I don't think either of us are in any shape to be fighting.” He lifted a foreleg, his hoof trembling in the dim light. “So, my suggestion: find the Princesses and warn them about the Empress.” He jumped to the side as a griffon plummeted between them and smashed into the garden wall. “You know, assuming I don't get hit with random griffons.”

“Where do you think we should start?” Star asked as his friend began a hurried trot towards the main fortress, the pair of them doing their best to go unnoticed by avoiding the attackers, by ducking behind hedges and sticking to the shadowed areas of the garden as they worked their way towards the main fortress.

“Council room, they're probably with the Clan-heads.” He darted through a smoking hole in a hedge as a short-cut, Star right on his tail. “If not, guards up there will know.”

Entry into the fortress wasn't difficult, the guards giving them passage once they knew who Star was. The fighting inside was relatively light—only a handful of the invaders had infiltrated the inner walls and were in combat with the defending ponies. Star and Light made their way up the passages to the floor the council room was on, skidding to a halt when they turned the corner and found themselves on the business end of multiple crossbows and spears. An armored group of fifty ponies and ten griffons eyed them warily.

Star and Light held their ground nervously until the mass of defenders split to allow a large grey pony with a dark brown mane and black armor to step forward. He looked the two over, eyebrow raised and his lips down-turned, then gave a firm nod. “Prince Starstep, Lighthoof. Glad you made it back in one piece." His voice rumbled deeply as he spoke. "The Princesses have been worried about you two.”

“Thanks, Thundermane,” Light began. “Are they in the council room? We really need to get through.”

“They are, I'll take you to them,” The big Shadow-Guard replied, side-stepping to gesture through the opening. The colts nodded their thanks and trotted past him, not noticing the big pony scrunching his nose and giving a little snort. The rest of the guards eyed the pair warily; a couple seemed to pale at the sight of them.

Thundermane gave a brief command to the guards, then caught up to the two pegasi as their hooves thumped on the rug lining the corridor. “With all due respect, gentlecolts, you two look and smell like death. And not the battle kind.”

Light shook his head. “You have no idea.”

Star spoke up as they rounded the last corner. “Did Dazzle, Sandy and another stallion make it back?”

Thundermane seemed uncomfortable as his ears lowered slightly, and he gave a quick glance about. “They did, however, the mares were... out of sorts. Skittish and rambling about things in the dark. The medics had to sedate them. I've never seen lieutenant Dazzle in such a state. The stallion, well... he appeared unaffected, but we didn’t know who he was, so we put him with the rest of the civilians in the fortress. They're being guarded, so don't worry about his safety.”

Star and Light shared a knowing smile, wordlessly agreeing that if anypony needed protecting, it wasn't Steelhoof. The three halted in front of the big double doors to the council chambers, and the grizzled earth-pony stepped forward to salute the pair of Sun-Guard unicorn mares. “Prince Starstep and Consort Lighthoof request entrance.”

They nodded without another word, yanking the handles open with their magic. Thundermane whispered in the colt's ears, “Be careful, fellas. It's a powder-keg in there.” He gave them a nod before returning down the hall towards his post.

Lighthoof sighed, “Story of our life.”

The pegasi shared a look then stepped into the den of trouble.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks to: Idylia for working with me to proof-read/edit this chapter. It is taking a little longer from finish to publish, but I think you readers will appreciate the stronger work.

One important note I'm making about this chapter before you ponies ask: There is a sentence that suggests an ending to the story but I advise you not to take it for the gospel truth until you learn more about Dawn's special powers. Seriously, don't be jumping the gun here.

Anyhoof, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please comment! I read every one.