“The Silent King is not so silent.” Twilight Sparkle thought as she stood before the sovereign Lord of the Sunless Lands. “Then again, that might just be an honorific title.”

The sound of metal plates clanking and shuffling caught her attention. Stealing a quick glance behind her, the Alicorn found that their knightly escorts had arrayed themselves behind the Equestrians and stood at rigid attention. Between them and the stoic giganties along the perimeter of the room and at the Dark Lord’s side, the equines were sorely outnumbered.

“Not to mention the legions of monsters, knights and Celestia knows what else roaming the palace and surrounding area.” The lavender Princess thought. “Diplomacy is the safest course of action for now. Plus, if this ends amicably, I could learn so much about the ancient past!”

“Come now, no need to be shy.” The King’s even yet authoritative voice cut through her thoughts like a knife. “Approach my throne so that we may speak like civilized creatures.”

The Alicorn of Magic unconsciously took a breath and trotted forward, taking comfort in the fact that her friends were with her. The alert praetorians watched her every move as she came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. As the lavender Princess looked back up at the Overlord of the Underworld, she noticed something she had not paid much attention to before.

“He doesn’t have a horn or wings.” The mare who had spent most of her life under the rule of Alicorns realized. “So that wasn’t some artistic license with the mural at the gates; the ruler of the dead is just an earth pony albeit a very big one. Then again, this might be one of those ‘a form you are comfortable with’ scenarios and his true self has a crown of horns with wings of hellfire!”

“It is impolite to stare.” The pale horse said neutrally.

“Wait... I’ve been told that before.” The pieces fell into place in the Princess’s mind. “In the same tone…”

“Grey?” The lavender Alicorn asked. “Is that you?”

“One of the newest of my many names.” The once disembodied animus answered with an affirmative nod. “It is more appropriate now given my complexion but I had to choose between that and Silent King, I prefer the regal title.”

“How ‘bout back-stabbing snake?” Applejack interjected angrily. “You lied to us!”

“Applejack, careful.” The more tactful Princess watched the King for a sign of impending wrath but he seems as nonplussed as ever. “You’re right but provoking the stallion who gets final say on the fate of your soul is beyond stupid.”

“Lied? My dear Ms. Applejack, I have only lied about being a Merchant Prince to Ms. Rarity and Princess Sparkle.” The Theoi said with a factual air. “For what it is worth, I do apologize for the deception but it was necessary considering what I am. It was not even my idea to begin with.”

“So that was him at the Gala.” Sparkle mused to herself. “I’ll give him credit; he has enough tact to not flaunt his status which is more than I can say for some.”

“No need to apologize to me, darling.” Rarity said as she played with a curl of her mane in a flirty manner. “If anything, humbling yourself by adopting the lesser title of prince is quite…becoming.”

“Oh for the love of- put your tail down, Rarity!” Dash admonished the pearl unicorn. “I can’t believe you’re trying to woo the guy who played you for a sap to get in with the rest of us.”

“Well, he said he was sorry.” Pinkie chimed in. “That puts us on back on even ground at least.”

“The hay it does!” Applejack fumed. “If he had just lied to avoid getting tar n’ feathered, maybe, but he’s been hustling around with that show off, Trixie! Who knows what sort of trouble they’ve gotten into?”

“Didn’t she just pay double for your entire cider stock?” Fluttershy pointed out quietly. “I don’t see any sort of trouble with that.”

“That has nothing to do with this!” The incensed apple farmer retorted a bit more harshly than she intended. “I mean… sorry, Shy, but one good deed doesn’t make up for ah bushel of bad ones.”

“It is a step in the right direction.” The fashionista insisted only for the prismatic pegasus to jab her in the side.

“What did I just say?” Dash said past gritted teeth. “Don’t take his side!”

“We are off to a good start.” Sparkle rolled her eyes as her not always harmonious friends bickered. “And we haven’t even asked about the dragon yet.”

“BE STILL!” Princess Luna suddenly shouted in the window-rattling Royal Canterlot voice. “Laborer, weather mare, rein in your outrage. Seamstress, control your libido. None of this will avail us down here.”

“I would not say that.” The King said plainly. “But the Lunar Princess has a point; you did not brave the perils of Erebos just to quarrel amongst yourselves.”

Fluttershy unconsciously traced a hoof along the bruise on her throat. Her arguing friends noticed this and looked away ashamedly. Both royals were right; in-fighting solved nothing.

“In fact, you all have journeyed quite far to reach my deathly domain.” The Khthonic Theoi said as if an idea had come to mind. “You must be famished. Allow me to provide refreshments.”

“After all that and he’s still playing the gracious host?” The lavender Alicorn thought. “At least he’s patient but I doubt I want to see what happens if he reaches his limit.”

The Necroarch did not wait for the Equestrians to answer as he made a simple gesture with a hoof. The floor trembled beneath the equines as a long table with accompanying stone chairs rose out of the ground. The deep shadows of the throne room washed over the table, leaving silver covered dishes and cups for drinks. The equines looked unsurely at the prepared meal before Pinkie eagerly took a seat and tasted the beverage.

“Pinkie!” Applejack shouted aghast. “That could be poison!”

“Mmm! Nope!” The pink pony announced with a satisfied smile. “It’s your cider, AJ.”

“I did not know what each of your preferred drinks were.” The pallid stallion explained as a dutiful servant brought him his own glass of the coveted cider. “So I went with something I know you all enjoy.”

“You got that right!” Dash said as she zipped into a seat and immediately downed the sought after drink, her distrust of their host momentarily forgotten. “Ahh, that’s the good stuff.”

With neither mare keeling over from poisoned cider, the remaining Equestrians took their seats. Sparkle was about to sit in the one opposite the Silent King’s throne when Luna cut her off with a disapproving frown. Confused but unwilling to argue over seating arrangements the younger Alicorn backed off and found a chair beside Rarity. The friends removed the covers to reveal their meals were dishes of pale asphodels, except Luna’s who had moonflowers, and sweet smelling ambrosia.

“This isn't all that bad.” Sparkle thought as she munched on a pale petal. “Then again, he probably has a kitchen staff made up of the best chefs in history.”

“So, Heroines of Equestria, what brings you to my dark world?” The King asked coolly as he watched his guests dine over the rim of his drink. “You mentioned Trixie Lulamoon during your…disagreement.”

At the mention of the magician, Applejack attempted to renew her accusations but was foiled by the food in her mouth. Sparkle took the opportunity to speak before her well-meaning but stubborn friend could finish chewing.

“She has stolen several powerful artifacts and relics from Princess Luna’s gallery.” The scholarly mare said in a tone she hoped did not sound accusatory. “Her trail has led right to your doorstep.”

“And don’t try to pretend you don’t know her.” Dash added less tactfully. “We know that you and Trixie have been working together for months now.”

“Maybe more than working…” Pinkie teased with a wink aimed at the stone-faced stallion.

“Pinkie, are you trying to make him smite you?” The wary Princess gave her pink friend a sideways look that she did not seem to notice.

“Is that relevant, baker?” Luna seemed to share her fellow Alicorn’s concern.

“I see you have spoken with the proprietors of that tavern in Hollow Shades.” The Dark Lord said in his thus far unwavering neutral tone. “Yes, Lulamoon and I have been working together in a mutually beneficial partnership.”

“Ha, you make it sound like a business transaction.” Sparkle said with a short laugh before something dreadful occurred to her. “Wait, she didn’t sell her soul to you, did she?”

“I receive all souls eventually so attempting to sell one to me is redundant.” The Theoi answered, causing an uncomfortable shiver to run through the mortals. “In exchange for not leaving her to wander the world as a vagabond, she has provided her services to me and my realm.”

“Only thing she’s good at is putting on overblow magic shows and inflating her own ego.” Dash said suspiciously. “Unless you had her strip dance for these kick-ass knights of yours, I don’t see how she could help you.”

“Maybe she got some super-sneaky thief training down here!” Pinkie speculated aloud. “Ooh! Even better, she learned some dark magic that even you haven’t heard of, Twilight!”

“If she has, I have no doubt she would rub my nose in it.” The Princess of Magic thought as inklings of jealously passed through her mind only to be quickly quelled by her own sense of pride. “Don’t think like that. If Grey has baited Trixie with the lure of forbidden power, it is my duty to pull her out.”

“Why not ask her yourself?” The stygian sovereign asked rhetorically as he stamped his staff down on the cold stone twice.

The twin reports echoed eerily through the throne room and beyond. In the tense silence that followed, the air gained a charge as unseen magic flowed where there once was only void. A tiny pinprick of baleful light manifested between the table and the throne, shimmering and wavering with ill-contained power. With a thunderous boom that made the guests jump in their seats, the light exploded into a writhing miasma of shadows intermixed with arcane glyphs and bolts of eldritch lightning; a dark version of the former showmare’s smoke bomb and confetti entrance. The tenebrous smoke cleared to reveal the magician herself, clothed in a macabre version of her characteristic hat and cape; both were now a deep navy with strange gold symbols that appeared to be made from a dragon’s hide. This was reinforced by the fact that Trixie has used bits of bone to reinforce her new outfit including coiling a length of spinal column around her hat to help it keep shape.

“You summoned the Great of Powerful Trixie?” The azure unicorn asked with a respectful bow to her king.

“We have guests, Archmage.” The Silent King said with a nod toward the Equestrians. “They have been looking for you.”

“Archmage?” Sparkle thought as their target turned to face them, revealing her glowing crimson eyes. “Oh no.”

“Oh, it’s them.” Lulamoon narrowed her eyes in absolute contempt for the ponies before her.

“Trixie…” Sparkle said with a solemn shake of her head. “What have you done?”

“Dove head first into the dark side, that’s what she’s done!” Applejack said with a derisive snort. “No good witch!”

“Keep up that attitude and Trixie will hog tie you with your entrails, work horse.” Lulamoon said icily before she turned her wicked glare toward her not quite former rival. “To answer your question, ‘princess’, Trixie has found her true calling in service to a god; same as you.”

“That is not…” The youngest Alicorn trailed off as she thought about how she had earned her cutie mark and all that happened afterward.

“Granted, Trixie did not nearly destroy Canterlot by rapidly maturing a dragon but she did slay one, as you can see.” The azure unicorn continued with a showy swish of her new ensemble.

“Oh…my.” Fluttershy paled in horror.

“I’m really glad Spike it not here.” Sparkle thought.

“So you turned your back on Equestria just for some new duds?” Dash asked with a condescending frown. “That’s low.”

“No. Low was when the Old and Inferior Trixie, after having been humiliated yet again by you naysayers, was robbed of what little possessions she had and taken captive to be some bandit’s meal ticket.” Lulamoon spat back with an angry flash in her eyes. “But now the New and Improved Trixie has status, power that does not come from some silly amulet and a home with actual foundations. So did Trixie turn her back on Equestria? Yes and she only regrets not doing it sooner.”

“As an aside, I merely offered the position.” The Silent King added neutrally. “Her opinion on Equestria is entirely hers.”

“I think he’s telling the truth this time.” Sparkle thought with a sigh of resignation. “Unless by some miracle I figure out how to make amends, Trixie is lost to us.”

“So is that why you robbed us?” Rarity asked incredulously. “To get revenge on us for abandoning you?”

“Bah! You think too small, seamstress.” Lulamoon said dismissively. “While the thought of depriving you of all that you love is appealing, the Sublime and Content Trixie is satisfied with outlasting you and living a life of luxury.”

“If not for revenge, then what?” Applejack returned to the pearl unicorn’s original question. “Money? More power? Some sick thrill?”

“Is it stealing if you are returning things to their rightful owners?” The Archmage asked. “In a way, Luna stole those relics first.”

“Looting a vanquished foe is hardly the same.” Said Alicorn deadpanned.

“Semantics.” The azure unicorn shrugged. “The point is some of your vanquished foes wanted their stuff back.”

“That’s it?” Dash said skeptically. “You went to Canterlot just to pick up a few things for some dead dudes?”

“Well, there was one in particular.” Lulamoon quickly checked with the King and continued when he nodded. “The Hand of Death wanted his sword back; the Kingslayer or Black Blade, if you will.”

“The Hand of…” Sparkle paused as it occurred to her just what this daemon was. “You mean the Grim Reaper?”

“You will find that many of us down here go by many names.” The Necroarch said plainly. “But yes, my loyal servant was deprived of his weapon of choice and Archmage Lulamoon recovered it in Canterlot.”

“Wow, you beat Death itself, Princess.” Dash regarded Luna with a smirk. “Badass.”

“I thought Death used a scythe.” Fluttershy said with a frightful shiver. “That’s how he is described in old storybooks.”

“Scythe for the common rabble, sword for royalty or those that Fate deems important like heroes.” The Khthonic Archmage explained candidly. “Guess who you get to see later?”

“I get it now!” Pinkie said excitedly as the yellow pegasus shrunk in her seat. “You steal back Grim’s sword plus a few other goodies then you release the dragon to cover your tracks!”

“Not exactly.” The Theoi said coolly, causing the pink party pony to deflate somewhat at having been shot down again. “The dragon laying waste to Canterlot was not part of the plan.”

“So you did release Suneater!” Dash pointed an accusatory hoof at the stygian stallion. “You evil mother-“

“Dash, wait.” Sparkle slapped her friend’s hoof down before she looked back at the Theoi. “What do you mean ‘not part of the plan’?”

“While Lulamoon retrieved the relics, I was to free the Black Dragon you call Suneater from his prison.” The King explained calmly. “The three of us were to leave Canterlot and return here with none the wiser. Unfortunately, there were... complications.”

The Dread Lord glanced downward at his Archmage who looked away sheepishly as she trotted away from the table and stood beside one of the praetorians. Sparkle did not notice this as her mind went into overdrive. The break in and robbery of Luna’s gallery and the release of the infamous dragon prince were indeed related but the motivation behind the later eluded her. If not for a distraction, then for what purpose?

“This ‘complication’ of yours killed thousands!” Applejack said angrily.

“Three thousand one hundred seven, to be exact.” The Lord of Shades said flatly. “All of them made it down here and I must admit I am impressed that for all the politicking and backstabbing that is characteristic of the denizens of Canterlot, only two hundred three were condemned to Tartarus.”

“That is still pretty high.” Sparkle thought. “I didn’t think Canterlot was that bad but then again, I haven’t lived there in years.”

“Don’t use your fancy numbers to muddle the issue!” The apple farmer huffed as the statistics went in one ear and out the other. “Bad apples or not, they’re dead ‘cuz of you!”

“Yeah! For all we know, you were planning on using Suneater to attack Equestria later!” Dash concurred. “He just jumped the gun and started early!”

“Girls, please!” Sparke silenced her accusatory friends with a quick shout and a hard look. “I’m not disagreeing with you but at least give him the chance to explain.”

“You can’t believe a word that goes past that silver tongue of his.” Applejack grumbled but sat back in her seat nonetheless.

“The dragon whom you call Suneater and I are old friends.” The Khthonic Theoi answered the unspoken question. “I know him as the Lord of Darkness.”

“Lord of-!” The weather mare’s pupils shrank as she realized just what she had charged that faithful night. “Whoa.”

“Indeed.” The caliginous cleric continued coolly. “He was in need and what type of friend would I be if I just left him down there under that mountain?”

“I know what he’s doing.” Sparkle thought as the Dread Lord look directly at her as he asked the rhetorical question. “He’s trying to throw a friendship lesson back at me.”

“Friends don’t let friends burn down half the world.” The lavender Alicorn said critically, recalling what she had read of the Black Dragon’s exploits.

“How very right you are.” The King nodded in agreement. “That is why I kept them in check until my untimely absence.”

“Huh?” Sparkle cocked her head to the side.

“Along with keeping the dead, my Lord also has the unenviable task of imposing order on the Khthonic Pantheon.” An Undying knight explained with an air of reverence. “They are primordial beings who long imposing their dark will on the world of the living. While they may have been at the very least content in the Sunless Lands, when the opportunity came to claim the surface, they took it.”

“You were not present to hear this but Celestia and I learned he was reduced to an animus and exiled long ago.” The Lunar Princess whispered. “He has only regained physical form recently.”

The Alicorn of Magic absorbed this new information and mulled it over. If what she was being told was true, the Silent King was the only thing keeping the ambitions of these dark gods in check. In emancipated Suneater when he did, he may have averted a greater catastrophe than if the Black Dragon had escaped on his own after the last of Starswirl’s spell had run its course. That still left a few important questions however.

“Where is Suneater now?” The academic Alicorn asked.

“In his abode out in Erebos.” The Theoi answered with a casual wave of his hoof. “You might have passed it on your way in.”

“You said there was a Pantheon of freaks like him? How many more are there?” Dash asked, earning looks from her friends. “What? I can know what a Pantheon is!”

“With Suneater’s return, only one remains.” The Dark Lord said neutrally as he finished the last of his drink.

“So after you get him or her back, there’ll be one less monster in the world and you’ll have all your old friends back.” Pinkie went through another one of her summaries. “Things go back to normal and everypony wins!”

“No.” The Silent King shook his head. “I think not.”

“Aw, why?” The pastry baker pouted.

The Theoi stole quick glances at Lulamoon and the Grand Marshall, both of whom gave brief nods of understanding. Immediately, the entire atmosphere in the throne room changed. What was once slight unease from addressing dark side royalty morphed into a tense dread as the knights and giganties stood at attention as if awaiting an unspoken order. The Archmage started to murmur mantras under her breath as if trying to remember something.

“I got a really bad feeling about this.” Sparkle thought as she looked toward the door only to find a pair of guards had moved in front of it.

“Long before Equestria was even an idea, the world was divided into realms ruled by my brothers and sisters.” The stygian sovereign said coolly. “Out of respect for their dominion, I did my best to stay out of their politics and ensured the Primordial did the same. But my siblings are gone now, leaving me as the sole heir to their realms.”

“Well, you are a few thousand years late to claim inheritance.” Dash said with a not quite confident smirk. “The Alicorns rule the world now.”

“I am well aware.” The Theoi fixed the prismatic pegasus with a soul piercing stare. “I am also aware that their rule is crumbling; the invasion and destruction of the Crystal Empire cost you Cadenza and her crystal ponies' respect, the Shockwaves have shaken your subject’s sense of security and now the desolation of Canterlot has compromised their faith in said Alicorns.”

“That last one was your fault!” Applejack pointed out.

“Yes, the Alicorns of the Sun and Moon were nearly slain by accident.” The Silent King said neutrally. “Imagine if I desired their deaths.”

“You forget, your mute majesty, that more than Alicorns defend Equestria!” Pinkie exclaimed, her cheerful demeanor having gave way to a more serious side. “There is the Royal, Solar and Night Guard to boot!”

“And us!” Rarity added, having finally decided that Grey was no longer the stallion that wooed her on the train. “Don’t think for a minute we would stand idle, villain!”

“Why is he telling us this?” Sparkle thought suspiciously. “He has gone out of his way to remain hidden from us but now he is telling us his plan like a stereotypical villain. He is up to something…”

“Of course you would not.” The Overlord of the Underworld said, maintaining his impassionate monotone. “How fortunate then that the six heroines who could oppose my plans are here before me… powerless…with my guards at their backs…”

It was then that Princess Sparkle noticed something. The Dread Lord had squared up in his throne while one of his praetorians leaned his halberd forward and loosed his grip. Both were looked at Rainbow Dash. The prismatic pegasus’ wings were twitching expectantly as she seemed to be judging the distance between her and the villain that had threaten her friends and their homes.

“It’s a trap!” The academic Alicorn realized as her friend’s eyes narrowed and her wings flared. “He wants us to attack him!”

“DASH! STOP!” Twilight shouted as the Element of Loyalty shot out of her seat like a bat out of hell.

Even without the innate magic of the Overworld that allowed pegasi to fly, the cyan mare’s wings were still plenty strong enough to propel her through the cool air with a rainbow contrail. Faster than most could blink, Dash cleared the table and snatched the polearm from the armored bodyguard.

“I won’t let you hurt my friends!” She shouted as she used her momentum to drive the weapon into the seated Theoi’s chest.

The pale horse glanced down at the halberd protruding from his body, completely unfazed by the pegasus’ attempt at regicide. He looked up at Dash whose expression turned from righteous anger to total shock. The two praetorians flanking the throne moved to either side of the would-be assassin.

“Thank you, Ms. Dash.” The Silent King said with a ghost of a smile on his thin lips, his first change in emotion since the equines had arrived.

The weather mare’s face fell at the dawning realization of what was about to happen. In perfect sync, the praetorians drove their halberds into Dash’s sides, skewering her like a roast. The impaled pegasus let out a blood-choked scream of pain as the cold steel crushed her ribs and punctured her lungs.

“DASH!” Applejack leapt out of her seat and tried to charge the throne to help her friend. “YOU SON OF A-!”

*CRACK*

The sharp report of spell discharging split the air as a black bolt of Khthonic energy struck the blonde earth pony in the back of the head. The mare fell forward and skidded across the floor before bumping into Lulamoon’s hooves, a coin-sized hole burned into the base of her skull. The Archmage looked down at the unmoving body and smiled malevolently.

*C-C-C-CRACK*

Four more staccato reports and Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy slumped forward or fell out of their chairs, dead before they realized it. It was only by pure instinct that Sparkle managed to dodge the shot aimed at her head by diving across the table, scattering the dishes of mostly eater food. As the Undying unicorns advanced with horns aglow with negative light, the lavender Princess tried to scramble out of the line of fire only for something to knock her hind legs out from under her. She looked behind her to find Luna smirking with a teal gleam in her eyes.

“Why di-“ The Princess of Magic did not get to finish as the knights fired upon their stationary target.

There was a brief but extraordinary moment of agony that surged through her body as the black bolts perforated her limbs and torso. The pain quickly gave way to a soul-numbing cold that spread from her chest to her extremities. Darkness crept into the peripherals of Sparkle’s vision as she felt the life draining out of her. Across from her, she could see the still forms of her friends. Rarity appeared to be reaching for her but Sparkle could tell from her glazed eyes she was already gone. The Alicorn tried to look for the rest of her friends but her body refused to respond. It was when her own vision unfocused that she knew that it was over.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” Twilight thought as she slipped into oblivion. “I’m so sorry…”

---

“Such is the fate of all heroes.” The Silent King said coolly as he closed Dash’s lifeless eyes with a hoof.

The praetorians who had slain the speedster withdrew their halberds with a sickening squelch and tossed the colorful corpse onto the table to join her late friends. The Theoi picked up his bident and eased himself out of the Immortal Throne. His unreflective eyes swept over the fallen heroines as his knights returned to their posts.

“I just threw away all the good will I had built up in Equestria.” The pallid pony mused as he pulled out the polearm Dash had used to stab him and returned it to its proper owner. “Time to see if it was worth it.”

The still seated and unharmed Alicorn of the Night looked at each of the slain Element Bearers in kind, her smirk growing into a smile and then a wide grin. Pure elation shone in her glowing teal eyes as a malicious giggle burbled up from within her.

“Ah-hahahahaha!” The Lunar Princess broke into a triumphant cackle that echoed about the room. “Oh Hidden One, you have made me the happiest mare in the world.”

“Either Luna was not as friendly with the six as I thought or Nightmare Moon has returned.” The Dark Lord thought as he trotted toward the rapturous royal. “I know it’s the latter but the possibility was there.”

“I figured you would enjoy that, Nightmare Moon.” The Theoi said evenly as he stepped over Pinkie’s cooling body. “Consider it a welcome back gift.”

“Oh, I know you only slew them to get them out of your way.” The Usurper smiled mischievously as her voice dropped into a more sinister register. “But I will cherish this sight nonetheless.”

The King reached the fallen Princess and offered her a hoof to help her out of her seat. She took it and nuzzled against him affectionately once she was on all fours, earning an irritated nicker from Lulamoon.

“If a hug gets under her skin, I should probably avoid telling her that we have slept together.” The pallid pony thought. “Likewise I should not let Moon know that Lulamoon has kissed me. Huh, there really is a trend in my female companions; even their names are similar.”

“Your minions did not attack me and you served me moonflowers.” The fallen Diarch commented as she pulled away. “You knew I was coming?”

“You gave yourself away at the gateway to my realm.” The King answered. “I imagine we have much to discuss but perhaps we should retire to someplace more private?”

“Yes, this room is a bit corpse strewn.” Moon said as she took another satisfied look at her hated but finally bested foes. “We could talk over a bottle of wine in your-“

“The Boneyard is a good spot.” The Archmage offered suddenly as she deposited Applejack’s corpse on the table beside Dash’s. “Not many guards or staff will bother you there.”

“That is an excellent idea, Trixie.” The Theoi affirmed before Moon could say otherwise. “Shall we?”

“Not what I had in mind.” The Usurper shot the now smirking killjoy a withering glare. “But if you insist.”

The stygian sovereign moved to the door leading back into the halls of his palace and held them open for the Alicorn. The dark Princess trotted through with an expectant smile on her face. The Silent King followed after her but not before giving a telling nod toward his Archmage and Grand Marshall. The two returned the nod as the imposing doors swung close with a hollow boom.

“One…two…three…” Armor counted the fading hoof steps of his patron and former Diarch beneath his breath. “…and four. Alright, Hand, you’re up.”

From the deep darkness that coalesced in the high vaulted ceilings, the raven-winged daemon dropped down from his perch and alighted on the table with nary a sound. The Reaper looked over the corpses of the heroines, his disdain for them evident despite his stoic mask.

“I thought they would put up more of a struggle once the blue and orange ones were silenced.” The harvester deadpanned in Khthonic as he drew the black-bladed Kingslayer and held it aloft. “What a pitiful age this is if these are considered 'heroes'.”

“They were outnumbered, outmatched and we had the element of surprise.” Lulamoon said with a satisfied smile as the lingering souls of her one time rival and hecklers were drawn out from their bodies. “Really, was there ever any doubt?”

“Focus.” Armor ordered sharply as he removed his face concealing helm and fixed his mussed mane. “I don’t want any screw ups with this.”

The daemon and azure unicorn discontinued their discussion as the translucent shades of the Equestrians manifested in the cool air. Their cries of confusion, despair and rage were but quiet whispers as each one was drawn into the phylactery component of the deadly blade. When it was done, the Hand of Death sheathed the sword as the pommel glowed with the presence of the souls within.

“They will be safe in Death’s hands until the ritual is complete.” Lulamoon read Armor’s uneasy expression and assured him. “Trixie speaks from experience.”

“Good.” The Marshall said as he signaled his Undying Knights. “Now we only have to worry about their bodies.”

The guards retrieved bundles of blankets embroidered with runes of preservation and warding from the shadowed aisles and carefully wrapped the fallen heroines in them. They had to take extra care with Rainbow Dash’s as the praetorians had nearly cut her in half and she had loss the most blood. Now securely swaddled, each one was carried on the back or in the arms of a knight and brought before Lulamoon. The azure mage enveloped them in her ruby hued magic that carried a calming, almost healing aura.

“Between those blankets and Trixie’s magic, they should have something empty to return to.” The former magician said assuredly. “Now we need to bring them to Trixie’s tower. She has prepared the ritual site there.

“Then let us hurry.” Armor said as he held the still form of his sister in conjured claws.

The Archmage, Grand Marshall, the knights and their precious cargo filed out of a side passage toward the ensorcelled tower. Once they were gone, servants entered with mops and brooms to clean up the mess of food, cider and blood left behind. While one plan was enacted, another was steadily coming to fruition as the Lord of Shades and corrupted Princess of the Night trotted through the marble halls of Barathrum and into the osseous courtyard.

"What will become of Sparkle and her little followers?" Moon inquired. "It occurred to me that death is not necessarily the end down here."

"Their bodies will be given the proper rites and given to the dust of Asphodel." The Necroarch answered knowingly. "Their souls will be judged and sentenced just like everyone else's."

"Eventually." He mentally added.

"Is that all?" The Usurper sounded surprised. "No eternity of torment or sealing them away in that Pillar of yours?"

"That is all." The Theoi confirmed. "It behooves me not to unjustly punish my new subjects."

"Ah, I see." Moon grinned evilly. "So you get the pleasure of both slaying your enemies and ruling over them. Stallion after my own heart."

"I would say it is more out of pragmatism than pleasure." The Lord of Shades thought to himself.

The two trotted on toward the center of the macabre Boneyard. As the gurning figures of the looming Pillar of Agony came into view, the pallid pony noticed that his companion was somewhat overdressed.

“No need for the hood, Nightmare Moon.” He told the still hooded mare. “I know who you are now.”

“Ha, I had almost forgotten I was wearing this.” The navy Alicorn said with a short laugh. “One moment.”

With a quick flick of her head, she cast off the hood which disintegrated into a mass of bats that disappeared into the sunless sky. The mare beneath looked like Luna save for her shorter mane and were it not for her stub of a horn and still bound wings, the King would have never guessed she had been mauled by a dragon/Primordial. Still, he felt the need to address it.

“I do apologize for your injuries.” The pale horse said plainly as he gestured toward her head and body. “What I told the Element Bearers was true; I meant no harm.”

“Nonsense, my dear Dread Lord.” Moon dismissed his apology with casual wave. “Had you not, I might not have been able to finally escape my mental prison. I only wish I had retained my horn and not had to expend all my power just to enter the waking world.”

“Ah, that explained why she still looks like Luna.” The Theoi mused.

“But soon both will be returned to me.” The Usurper said expectantly. “And the world will be thrown into eternal ni-“

“How so?” The King interrupted her pontificating with a simple question.

“With your help, actually.” The corrupted Princess answered. “You see…”

Moon explained how she need to travel to the moon to not only restore her power but also release the Lady of the Stars from whatever prison she was being held in. To that end, she had accompanied the unaware and now dead heroines on their hunt for Suneater so that she may use him to get there. Short of being banished all over again, he was the only one capable of flying her to the moon.

“I see.” The Dark Lord thought as the night mare spoke. “The Lady plans to use her as a catalyst to facilitate her release similar to how I used Dugore and Corona. I wonder if she will still have use for her once she is free.”

“We have helped each other in the past.” Moon said slyly as they reached the Pillar of Agony in the middle of the Boneyard. “Why not continue this fruitful relationship of ours?”

“As it so happens, I was in the middle of devising a way to bring our mutual friend back home before you arrived.” The robed stallion said neutrally. “No need to convince me.”

“What if I wanted to convince you?” The fallen Alicorn asked teasingly as she tickled his bearded chin with a shoed hoof. “I have so many ways to make you say yes.”

“Like transforming in the middle of sex?” The Necroarch thought. “Tempting but there are more pressing matters to attend to.”

“We will have time to test that after the Lady of the Stars has returned to us.” He said as he righted the Princess’ slightly askew tiara.

“You tease.” Moon pouted. “But you are right. So what would it take to make Suneater take us to my moon?”

“Not much.” The Khthonic Theoi answered as he motioned for the Alicorn to give him some space. “If he thought dressing like a clown for one of Pinkie’s parties would reunite him with his beloved, he would do it.”

“Maybe not the clown part but he is truly devoted to her.” He mused. “As she is to him.”

The pale horse stamped his bident down once with a thunderous boom and shouted of something in Khthonic that made Moon’s ears hurt. The call echoed across Asphodel and the forest of Erebos before fading back into silence. Once her ears stopped ringing, the Alicorn was about to ask what the Dread Lord had said when other sound caught her attention. It was not the rhythmic beating of wings like she expected but rather a mix between wind blowing and water burbling. The pitch blackness above them suddenly shifted as tenebrous limbs reached out of the sunless sky and touched down amongst the gnarled trees.

“You called, Hidden One?” The Lord of Darkness’ Khthonic voice came from all around them.

“I see you have managed to regain your nebulous form, Shifting Darkness.” The Lord of Shades observed plainly. “Impressive.”

“Indeed but I have not been able to shift into anything else beyond this and my draconic self.” The Primordial rumbled. “But I doubt you called me here just to ask about my magnificent body.”

“Correct.” The Theoi nodded as he waved Moon forward. “You remember Princess Luna?”

“The Alicorn that tried to shoot us down in the storm, yes.” The nebulous darkness rumbled. “I see that it survived.”

“Not completely.” The King said plainly. “This is Nightmare Moon; her alter ego and agent of Night Sky.”

“Oh?” Even without features, the Alicorn could tell the Primordial was now intently focused on her.

The Usurper took a breath and reiterated what she had told the Dark Lord. She had scarcely finished when the writhing darkness congealed into the familiar shape of Suneater. Echoes of pain made themselves known in the corrupted mare’s body as the beast solidified before her eyes.

“So the moon is the key to my consort’s release?” The Black Dragon said as he lowered a wing for the Theoi and Alicorn to climb onto his back. “Then let us waste no time!”

“You were right, he didn’t need convincing.” Moon gave the King a look of relief as she trotted up the wing and found a hold amongst the Primordial’s spines.

“He is rather easy to manipulate that way.” The pale horse thought as he joined the Princess of the Night on the back of his old friend.

Once his passengers were secure, Suneater took to the air and flew into the sunless sky. With now habitual ease, the Overlord of the Underworld held out a hoof and commanded the quiet earth of his domain to part. On the surface, in the untamed wilds of the Everfree far from any civilization, tremors shook the ground. Terrified animals scattered as a yawning fissure split the earth and a tenebrous miasma spilled forth like smoke. With a roaring rush of air, the infamous dragon prince flew out of the abyss trailing ethereal darkness and tongues of baleful flame. As the ground closed behind him, Suneater continued his vertical ascent until he gained his bearings and sight of his destination.

“The moon hangs low in the sky.” The Lord of Darkness said in Khthonic. “It will be dawn before long.”

“True but we will not have to worry about patrols until the morning hours.” The Lord of Shades responded coolly. “We will have cross into the void of space by then, if you make haste.”

Leveling off in a roughly westward direction toward the pale orb, the Black Dragon rocketed through the air like a shadowed comet as the first rays of dawn began to brighten the horizon. As they climbed higher and higher into the atmosphere, Moon looked over the land she so jealously coveted.

“To think this may be the last dawn Equestria ever sees.” She said wistfully.

“Perhaps.” The Silent King thought as he looked over the vista as well. “But I know more than a few who would not go quietly into eternal night.”

The mighty forest became a blanket of sylvan greens and browns. Great cities shrank into pinpricks of light against an uneven canvas of mountains and plains with bursts of white and gray as they broke through the uppermost cloud layers. The once flat landscape began to distort as they flew high enough to perceive the curvature of the planet. The colors of the dawning sky began to fade into night as the air thinned into nothing. Before long, the roaring winds fell silent and the infinite void of outer space opened up before them.

Next Chapter: Point of No Return Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 38 Minutes