"LUNAAA!" Princess Celestia called out only to receive no reply. "LUNAAA!"

The alabaster Alicorn flew low and slow over the ground, alert to any signs of her missing sister. After she had crashed in the storm, the Solar Alicorn had attempted to rejoin the chase only to lose both her nocturnal counterpart and their draconic foe. The Princess had then reached a weather team port and exited the storm where she witnessed the full moon dim to a pale, sickly white; a sure sign that her only sister was in mortal peril. Since then, the Princess of the Day had spent what would have been the early hours of the morning scouring the sodden quagmire left in the supercell's wake.

"LUNA!" The Alicorn screamed out again, her voice rough and thick with worry. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Again, there was no answer. Celestia gritted her teeth as her exhausted and battered body screamed out at her to stop and rest but she pressed on. She would not rest until her little sister was safe and sound, nursing a warm cup of tea and berating her for building Canterlot over a dragon's lair.

"How in the world did we miss that?" The Solar Princess thought. "Later, Celly. Find Luna now!"

Just as she was about to consider enlisting any weather teams working on storm mop-up, she spotted something out in the slough. Whisps of smoke rose out of a good-sized crater surrounded by a stretch of dry land. The Diarch immediately changed direction and shot toward the landmark.

"A stray shot from the monster?" She wondered. "I guess it would be too much to hope that's where it landed after Luna shot it down."

Celestia had just reached the blasted crater when her long-suffering wings seized up in a cramp. The Alicorn landed in a heap midway up the slope, every ache and pain in her body making itself known. The Princess muttered an intelligible curse and half galloped, half dragged herself up the crater. As she drew closer to the rim, she saw embers of weird fire smoldering in the charred shrubs and ashen dirt. This would have lent credence to her earlier inference if the sickening scent of burnt flesh had not assaulted her nose.

"No...no..." The eldest Princess whispered as crested the ridge and found her missing sister. "No...no,no,no..."

The alabaster Alicorn fell down the reverse side and scambled toward the motionless Luna. The formidable Princess of the Night was a mangled mess of twisted limbs and shattered bones. Her wings were shredded and burnt while her horn was broken off near her scalp. Celestia could only stare at her seemingly lifeless body before she sank to her knees in despair.

"No...please...Luna..." The Diarch of the Day choked out as tears welled up in her eyes.

Celestia crawled toward her stricken sister and gently nuzzled against her head, desperate for one last familial embrace. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as she lay there in the filth, tears flowing freely as she held her beloved Luna. As time ticked by, Celestia felt a small twitch against her muzzle; little more than a passing itch. The Princess did not think much of it until she heard what sounded like a slight cough. She raised her head to see Luna's nostrils flare slightly and a single eye, glazed over and unfocused, crack open.

"...Cel..." The voice came as soft and weak as a whisper lost in the wind. "...Urrgh..."

"Luna..." Celestia hesitated at first as if the universe was playing a cruel trick on her. "Luna!"

Lost in a wave of joy and relief, the eldest sister nearly embraced her junior before she caught herself. There was a long list of things she could and could not do to an injured equine and moving them was near the top. The alabaster Alicorn settled for placing a gentle hoof on Luna's head.

"Don't move, Luna." The Solar Princess said as her rapture returned to worry. "Focus on me."

"...hurrgh..." The stricken mare gasped out.

"What can I do?" Celestia thought feverishly as Luna finally focused on her. "Solar magic won't help here."

"Princess?!" A different voice called out in the distance. "Anypony out here?!"

"HERE!" The eldest Alicorn shouted as she shot a flare of golden magic into the night. "OVER HERE!"

A few moments later, a flutter of leathery wings announced the arrival of a flight of thestrals. Three of them appeared at the rim of the crater while others circled overhead. Their leader, one of Luna's Night-Captains, froze in shock at the sight of her nocturnal mistress.

"Which one is she?" The Solar Alicorn thought. "Avenge? No, Vengeance."

"Don't just stand there, Vengeance!" Celestia shouted. "Get a medic and a stretcher!"

"Stars above, you two heard her!" The thestral snapped out of her stupor and rounded on her wingmates. "Send for medivac! NOW!"

The two saluted before taking to the air again. Vengeance rushed to the Princesses' side to find Luna was both still breathing and conscious if only just. The Alicorn of the Day ignored her as she tried to keep her sister from drifting off.

"Help is on the way, Luna." Celestia whispered. "Just hold on."

"...tha..." The Princess of the Night attempted to smile but only allowed a stream of blood to leak from her broken mouth.

"Don't talk, mistress." Vengeance advised as all she could do was stand guard over her. "Just stay awake until we can get you to a doctor."

The three stayed in the crater for what felt like an agonizing eternity until the thestrals finally returned with a flight of pegasi medics in tow. The Princess and Night-Captain gave them space as the doctors surrounded the broken Alicorn, only coming forward when prompted for help. Every groan and gasp of pain from Luna was like a dagger of ice into Celestia's heart.

"This is my fault." She thought bitterly. "I left her to fight that beast alone."

"...make sure that's not too tight." One of the medics instructed before he approached the Princess. "We've done all that we can here but we need to get her out of here."

"Then what are you telling us for?!" Vengeance snarled. "Move it!"

"The hospital in Canterlot is overwhelmed at the moment!" The pegasus explained quickly. "I was asking if either of you two know a good alternative."

"They can't make room for a Princess?!?" The thestral bared her fangs in anger. "What-!"

"Twilight's castle." Celestia cut her off promptly. "Medical ward. Might even be better than Canterlot's."

"Thank you, your highness." The medic gave a short bow before he turned to the awaiting team. "Ponyville! Get the lead out!"

With that, the flights of thestrals and pegasi took to the air with their precious passenger carried between two bat-ponies. The Solar Alicorn flew alongside her sister, now mummified in bandages with a tarp draped over her like a shroud and strapped to a stretcher. Her still hazy eye drifted over to the alabaster Alicorn and seemed to focus for a moment.

"We're taking you somewhere safe, Lulu." Celestia forced on a smile that belied her mounting pangs of guilt and worry. "You'll be fine."

"...huzzah..." Luna whispered with a modicum of recovered strength before she drifted back into a daze.

---

Princess Twilight Sparkle paced nervously back and forth across a balcony overlooking Ponyville. Below her palace, the normally sleepy town was bustling with the influx of equines from Canterlot. She along with her fellow Element Bearers, Cadenza and other heroic ponies had successfully evacuated the palace, leaving only a detachment of Solar Guards to watch over vital locations such as the treasury and archives. While some citizens simply returned to their homes within the capital city, the majority fled to nearby settlements with Ponyville and Cloudsdale being chief among them. The success of the evacuation would have given the youngest Alicorn some relief had the moon not paled and dimmed soon after; a bad omen if there ever was one.

“Something horrible has happened.” The scholarly mare thought as she scanned the skies for any sign of her fellow Princesses' return. “I wish I could do more than just stand here and worry.”

After staring at the horizon for a few more moments, Sparkle turned away from the vista and trotted back into her crystalline palace. The normally quiet halls were filled with the din of conversing equines, patrolling guards and nobles lamenting their less-than-stellar accommodations in the guest quarters. Most of them had enough tact to cease their complaining as their gracious host passed by on her way to the council chambers.

"I've learned that a good number of them just like a good moan, odd as it sounds." The Princess of Magic thought as her guards opened the doors for her. "Don't care about solutions, just want to be mad."

The noise from the halls became muted as the doors shut behind her, granting the chamber privacy. Within were her fellow Element Bearers in their designated chairs, called to the council as soon as they had checked on their families and properties. In addition, Princess Cadenza sat in an extra seat flanked by her ever-alert guards while Twilight's draconic assistant Spike perched atop a looming stack of papers munching on a crystal. Above them, reclining in a hammock suspended between two roots of the chandelier, was the trickster Discord who seemed more interested in a cloud of cotton candy than the assembly of mares beneath him.

"He was complaining earlier that his magic was acting up." Sparkle thought as the draconequus snapped his talons to summon a drink. "Seems to have passed."

"Any sign of them, Twilight?" The Alicorn of Love asked.

"Not yet." The other Alicorn shook her head as she took her seat. "I'm beginning to worry."

"They're probably weighed down dragging that sorry excuse for a dragon back here." Rainbow Dash said confidently. "'Til then, your clerks brought some light reading for you."

"Heh, she doesn't take 'official business' lightly." Spike said as he finished his treat with a hearty crunch. "Before you ask, Twilight, I've already sorted them alphabetically and by subject."

"It was truly a marvel to watch him work." Rarity shot the appreciative dragon a brilliant smile. "Years of practice, I'm sure."

"Indeed." Sparkle nodded. "I guess we should get started going through those."

"Wait, 'we'?" The prismatic pegasus paled slightly. "I thought we were here to-"

"This is part of it, RD." Applejack cut her off with a hard glare. "So quit yer fussin'. Many hooves make light work n' all."

"Yeah, yeah." Dash sighed. "Dibs on guard stuff, Spike."

"I figured you would." The young dragon smirked as he dismounted the pile. "Uh, Discord? I'd ask..."

"But you won't." The mismatched prankster waved a dismissive paw. "Wake me if you ladies find anything exciting."

With Spike's help, the pile was divided fairly evenly between the six mares. Soon the room was filled with quiet mutterings and papers rustling punctuated by Discord's uneven snoring and Pinkie materializing a cart of snacks for her friends. Sparkle politely refused an offered plate of flowers as she committed important bits to memory while keeping an eye out for anything 'exciting' as Discord had put it.

"Hundreds injured... dozens in critical condition... no fatalities as of yet." Sparkle offered a silent thanks for that miraculous development as she read a casualty report. "Probably exhausted Equestria's supply of dumb luck for that."

The same could not be said for the palace and city of Canterlot. The rain of debris had devastated the upper levels and the weird fire of the dragon had proven frustratingly difficult to extinguish. The initial reports claimed that repairs to the city itself would be pricy but completed relatively quickly. The palace, however, could very well take years depending on what Equestria's engineers and architects conclude.

"They are more focused on the mountain itself right now." The lavender Princess thought as she shifted through more reports. "Got to make sure it won't collapse and that dragon doesn't have a mate down there."

"Mayor Mare glad to have the influx of ponies and their money." Rarity said aloud. "She's also worried Ponyville won't be able to support this sudden boom."

"Ah don't see many stickin' around once Canterlot is fixed." Applejack shook her head. "Ah reckon both are temporary."

"Ditto for Cloudsdale." Dash concurred as she tossed a report back onto the pile. "So has anypony found out anything about the dragon? The guards didn't have much besides 'it's big, black and built like a tank'."

"Oh! I think I do!" Spike ripped his attention away from another crystal and dug something out of the stack. "Twilight, do you remember that report on Starswirl you did ages ago?"

"You're going to have to be more specific." Cadence said knowingly, earning a few snickers from the council and a look from the Princess.

"Right, the one about his early life." The juvenile drake clarified as he held up the report in question. "Teamed up with some mages to fight a big, black dragon."

"Ah, yes." The lavender Alicorn nodded after some thought. "How did you remember that?"

"Grey asked about a black dragon last time he was here." Spike explained. "Got me interested in it so I dug this up along with most of your citations. I gotta say, long read but we were pretty awesome back in the day... aside from the countryside burnination and general evilness."

"Hold up." Dash's ears pricked up. "Why was spooky looking into dragons?"

"Well, he was looking into Pre-Equestrian history to be specific." The drake recalled. "I think he was using the black dragon as a reference point."

"He does have a professional interest in history, darling." Rarity added. "Oh, Grey was a traveler that passed through here a while ago, Princess Cadence."

"Ah, I see." The contextless pink Alicorn gave her a thankful smile.

"Anyway, there are a lot of similarities between our monster and the one Starswirl beat." Spike cut the tangent as he passed the old report to its author. "Size, scale color, fire that messes with magic, that type of stuff."

"Spike, what would I do without you?" Sparkle thought as she skimmed through her past self's work and came to the relevant sections. "Oh. Now I remember this."

"Suneater the Black Dragon." She read out the audacious name with a wince. "Usurper of the Dragon Lords, Scourge of Equus and all-around fiend."

"Suneater, you say?" Discord roused from his light nap and rolled out of his hammock. "I've heard that name before."

"An old friend of yours?" Rarity prompted him to elaborate.

"Hm? Oh, no. It was a name that was batted around back in the good old days." The trickster answered with a hint of nostalgia. "Apparently he and some other lizard boys took a crack at the world before I did."

"Yes and like you, he nearly won until brave equines rose up and defeated him." Sparkle summarised her report. "Only instead of being turned to stone, he was sealed away in a temple."

"Oh, so then it can't be him." Dash pointed out. "Ours popped out of a mountain."

"Actually, speedy horse, there is a chance I may have dropped a mountain or two on some holy houses." Discord admitted sheepishly.

"Ah'm afraid to ask why." Applejack said with a frown.

"Have you ever met a pony of the cloth? Exhibit Bleh of why Order is so boring!" The mismatched draconequus made a disgusted gagging noise. "Honestly though, not all my ideas are bangers and I couldn't be asked to spare much thought to those party-poopers. A big rock was all it usually took."

"Glad he didn't try that on us." Sparkle thought.

"That would explain the lack of evidence of a lair before they built Canterlot." She said seriously. "And given the rarity- not you -of dragons of that size and color palette, Suneater might be our baddie."

"What do you say, Fluttershy?" Pinkie turned to the quieter than usual pegasus. "You've stared down big dragons before."

"I... I thought it might have been just scared; spooked after waking up suddenly and lashing out." The kindly animal caretaker spoke barely above a whisper. "But when I stared into it..."

"Darling, you're shaking like a leaf." Rarity said gently. "Take your time."

"...it stared back." Fluttershy found her resolve and continued. "It looked at me like you would at a bit of mud on a new dress or a worm in an apple."

"Filth an' pests." Applejack reiterated with a grimace. "That sound like ol' Suneater, Twi?"

"It would explain his M.O. of razing his conquests rather than occupying them." The scholarly Princess nodded. "Whether he intended to build something on the ashes or not is a matter of speculation."

"I'd rather not wait to find out." Dash said with a wry nicker. "Do any of those books say what exactly Starswirl did to beat him? Might work again."

"Uhh, no." Spike searched for a reference but came up empty-clawed. "Did they really not write that down?"

"Any record before the Age of Discord will have holes in it." Sparkle sighed as the bringer of said age looked away innocently. "Best I can do is guess."

"I have a question." Cadence raise a hoof as if she was back in school. "Assuming our dragon even is Suneater and not a lookalike, what woke him up? We've had parties on Canterhorn before."

"Anything from Discord reshuffling geography to whatever caused the Breach could have set the timer on his metaphorical alarm." The younger Alicorn mused. "Or someone set it off on purpose."

“Princess Sparkle?” A voice followed after a loud series of knocks at the door. "Captain Sentry is here."

"Huh? Oh!" The Alicorn took a moment to snap out of her thoughts. "Send him in."

The doors opened and an obviously tired Sentry trotted in. From his posture and expression, the heroines could tell he did not bring good news.

"Princess Celestia and Luna are back." The orange pegasus reported plainly. "They're both in the medical ward."

"What?! What happened?!" Sparkle along with her friend stood out of their chairs. "Tell us on the way!"

The group navigated the crystalline halls of the tree-palace to the infirmary while Sentry told them of what he knew. They arrived to find a section of the ward cordoned off by grim-faced thestrals. The Night Guard allowed Sparkle and Sentry to pass but no more, citing standing orders to keep visitors to a minimum regardless of their status as heroines, Alicorns or 'reformed' villains.

“This isn't good.” The Alicorn of Magic thought nervously as the rest of her friends waited in a lobby.

Pass another set of guards, the two came to the trauma section where an entire host of bat-ponies stood at the ready. Equines in both white coats and blue scrubs came and went from a room that Sparkle assumed they were tending to Luna. Outside the room looking in from a window stood Princess Celestia, herself being minded by a pink-maned mare who made some minor adjustments to a few bandages around her barrel and head. Pacing back and forth in the middle of the hall was Night-Captain Vengeance, her face a storm of worry and anger.

“Night-Captain.” Sentry greeted his nocturnal counterpart.

“Captain.” The thestral barely acknowledged the two as she continued pacing. "Princess."

“How is she, Vengeance?” Sparkle asked gently.

“Ask the quack here.” The Night-Captain gestured to Celestia's minder.

"I'm a nurse, not a miracle worker." The nurse nickered indignantly before turning to the two. "The field medics stabilized Princess Luna but she is still in critical condition. She is in triage until we determine the full extent of her injures."

“Oh.” The lavender Princess’ ears fell flat against her head. “Is…is there anything I can do to help?”

“Help?!” Vengeance suddenly rounded on the Alicorn, teethed bared in a snarl. “Yes, Sparkle, you can help by telling me where this damn dragon is so I can pluck out its eyes and feed them to it!”

“We are still searching for it.” Sentry stepped forward and put himself between the two mares. "Something that big can't hide for long so it's only a matter of time."

“Time, he says.” The thestral growled to herself as she resumed pacing. "Useless... golden boy... *grumble-grumble*"

As the orange pegasus bristled at the Night-Captain, Sparkle approached the unmoving Princess of the Sun. She did not acknowledge her former pupil as her gaze was fixed on the flurry of activity beyond the window. The youngest Alicorn could see not only the expected feelings of pain and worry across the alabaster Diarch's expression but also a smoldering rage that made Vengeance's fury seem like a candle before a supernova.

"She had a similar look when she glassed Sombra's thugs." Sparkle thought as she carefully placed a hoof on the Solar Princess, minding her bandages.

"Twilight." Celestia snapped out of her thoughts and managed a small if forced smile. "So much for a boring Gala, huh?"

"There's always next year." The Princess of Magic said with a mirthless laugh. "She'll pull through, Princess."

"Of course she will!" The thestral said more to herself. "Once she's back, we will make this right."

"Speaking of making things right..." The nurse spoke up as she finished her adjustments. "I'd advise you to get some sleep; you too, Princess Sparkle."

"I'll rest when..." The Alicorn of the Sun's rebuttal died on her lips when she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. "Fine but I have to do one last thing before retiring; it should have been dawn a while ago."

"Of course." The nurse nodded as she noticed one of the doctors wave her in. "If you'll excuse me."

"I have a balcony with a good view of the eastern horizon." Sparkle gently steered her former mentor away from the window. "Afterwards, I can lend you my room for the night, er, day."

"Don't let me run you out of your own castle." Celestia said politely. "I really just need some throw pillows."

"I assume you're going to stay up, Night-Captain?" Sentry asked Vengeance who nodded. "If there are any new developments-"

"I'll let you know." The bat-pony finished for him. "I don't know how you can sleep at a time like this."

"Not all of us can run on caffeine." The good captain needled, earning a wry smirk from his nocturnal counterpart. "Good night."

With that, the Captain of the Guard departed along with the Princesses. The three exited the medical ward and rejoined the others in the hall. They were informed of Luna's condition, earning a mix of shocked silence, near tears and even a serious silence from Discord. Sentry did his best to alleviate their worries with a spiel about the top-notch skill of the doctors and the divine fortitude of Alicorns; a speech he had no doubt practiced in the event he had to make a public statement.

"A fair point, o' captain, my captain." The draconequus broke the sullen mood with a carefree tone. "If I couldn't keep moon-butt down, what chance does Suneater have?"

"Suneater?" Celestia bristled at the name and its implications.

"We believe that is the identity of the dragon." Cadenza answered. "The global threat before Discord. The name is more symbolic than literal... we think."

"Lovely." The Princess of the Sun nickered. "Perhaps I can use my sun as bait."

"I would take it." Discord waggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning a feathery rebuke from Fluttershy's wing.

With the Diarch of the Day informed of what they had learned, the group made their way through crystalline tree-palace to one of its balconies. A vista of the eastern landscape stretched out before them, dominated by nearby Canterlot and the sickly pale moon that still hung in the sky. Celestia gazed up at the orb and noted that while it was still a far cry from its former majesty, it no longer appeared to be on the verge of winking out.

"Never thought I would have to intrude on Luna's domain again." The eldest Alicorn thought aloud as she ignited her horn. "The last time, I hope."

"Do you need help?" Sparkle offered as both she and Cadenza trotted forward. "I know a little about moon magic."

"I can manage." The Solar Alicorn held up a prohibitive hoof. "I just have to make a few adjustments."

Reaching through the ether with her magic, the alabaster Princess willed the moon to set. Unlike her burning and mighty sun that almost welcomed her touch, the lesser light of the sky felt cold and alien as if she were trespassing. The pale orb resisted her and for a brief moment, the pareidolic image of the Mare-in-the-Moon became clearer. Before any of the onlookers could comment on the Alicorn's struggles, the moon finally began to set and soon disappeared beneath the horizon. With a soft sigh, Celestia turned her attention to the comparatively easier task of raising the sun. Soon the hues of twilight painted the sky as the warm glow of dawn was teased.

"It will remain twilight for a few hours so we can salvage some of our sleep schedules." The Herald of the Day explained with a tired huff. "Which I now intend to do."

"Then this is where I depart." Cadenza said as she signaled her attentive guards. "I'll probably sleep on the ride home."

"Yer not staying?" Applejack voiced what the group was thinking.

"The monster was heading north before we lost it." The crystal regent pointed in said direction. "I need to be there for my little ponies if it decides a city made of crystals looks tasty."

"Mmm, it does." Spike salivated slightly at the thought.

"Then we will not keep you any longer." Celestia stepped forward as if to embrace her niece but opted for a short bow instead. "Shall I have Captain Sentry provide an escort?"

"I would appreciate it." The crystal princess nodded before one of her guards could protest. "Farewell, everypony. I wish this night ended on a more pleasant note."

"Stay safe, Cadence." Sparkle gave her old foal sitter a quick hug. "And keep in touch."

After a few more words of farewell, Cadenza reentered the palace to begin her departure. The Element Bearers followed soon after with warm beds and the desire for some sleep calling out to them. Spike tasked himself with preparing a guest room for Celestia while Discord, seeing there was no more fun to be had at present, snapped away to where ever his whims took him.

"There is still so much for us to do." Sparkle said past a yawn. "Sleeping now feels... irresponsible."

"We've done what we can for now." Her former mentor consoled. "And we need to be prepared for what may come."

"Right." The Princess of Magic agreed. "You coming, Flash?"

"I still need to check in with returning patrols and arrange Cadenza's escort." The orange pegasus shook his head. "After that, I'll squeeze in a power nap on a couch somewhere. Sleep well, your highnesses."

"There plenty of space in my quarters." The lavender Alicorn offered as she and her alabaster counterpart trotted into the palace. "I'll leave the doors unlocked."

Left alone on the balcony, the Captain took a moment to enjoy the early morning air as he considered her invitation. While it sounded suggestive, he doubted that Sparkle had anything but innocent intentions.

"If the dragon hadn't attacked, that would have been a different story." Sentry murmured as he scanned the skies in case Celestia's earlier jest about sun bait held some weight. "Still not sure which one of us would make...wait, is that Knight?"

Squinting against the haze of twilight, the pegasus was able to discern the Night-Captain making his way toward him from Canterlot. Before long, the thestral alighted on the balcony with a grunt of exertion. From the heavy bags under his eyes and the bandage around his head, the orange Captain could tell he had a rough night.

"Night-Captain Knight." Sentry greeted as he noticed what appeared to be papers in his saddlebags. "Good news, I hope."

For a moment, Knight did not respond. He gave the orange pegasus a distrustful sideways glance as he mentally mulled over something. Before the Captain of the Guard could comment, the look of suspicion passed and the bat-stallion faced him fully.

"Captain Sentry." Knight returned the greeting. "No, I fear we have another problem; we've been robbed."

---

The Black Dragon flew low and silent over the wild expanses of the Everfree, his passing marked only by the rush of air and panicked cries of the local denizens. While he had emerged from the storm victorious, he was not unscathed. Primordial ichor seeped from between cracked scales and turned into a tenebrous mist in his wake. Most troubling of his wounds, however, was the gaping hole in one of his wings. The compromised membrane rippled and shuddered as he flew, making the effort to stay airborne a challenge.

"Rrgh, I need to rest and mend." Suneater rumbled as he winced in pain. "But where? None of this looks familiar."

"All the more reason for us to get back underground." The beast's unseen passenger thought as he wrung out the last of the rainwater from his coat. "We should be coming up on Avernus shortly."

Whether by chance or some instinctive sense of direction, the behemoth had taken them toward the crater lake. The lights of Hollow Shades could be seen amongst their broken mountain home and the air held just a hint of acridity. The pale horse was about to advise his friend to skirt the thestral colony when he noticed that the moon had set and twilight graced the skyline.

"That was fast. Either Luna is already back on her hooves or Celestia is pulling double duty." The Theoi thought with some relief. "If they are catching up, then dawn should be-!"

No sooner had the thought occurred to him than the first rays of the sun illuminated the land. The Primordial balked and shuddered at his natural enemy's appearance, his already battered body now hissing and smoldering. With a sickening ripping sound, his wounded wing finally tore in two.

"Rargh! Accursed sun!" The beast roared as he lost both balance and altitude. "Has a new Lord taken up your reigns?!"

Suneater attempted to right his fall but in the light of day, it was futile. With a series of cracks followed by a hard crash, the dragon smashed through a length of the Everfree before slamming into the unforgiving ground. His bulk uprooted trees, pulverized stone and carved a considerable ditch in the dirt before ground to a sudden stop against a rocky outcrop. Momentum dislodged his passenger and catapulted him into the ground with a dull thud.

"Oh, sweet terra firma." The pale horse muttered as he felt ground beneath him again. "I embrace you."

"Urrgh, thank Khaos for some shade." Suneater groaned as he shook the sunspots from his vision. "Ah! And a snack. Where did you come from, little morsel?"

"You do not recognize me, Shifting Darkness?" The pallid pony said in Khthonic as he got to all fours and faced the behemoth. "I am insulted."

"You know my tongue?!" The dragon's eyes widened in shock and nearly bulged out of their sockets in realization. "Hidden One! What?! When?! How?! Why?! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!"

"As do I, my old friend." The Theoi grimaced as his ears rang. "Unfortunately, this is neither the time nor the place for such inquires."

"Over here!" A distant voice shouted. "I heard it roar! Hurry!"

"There is why." The Necroarch sighed. "We must move, quickly!"

Still in shock over the sudden appearance of the pale horse, Suneater tried to babble out a few questions before stomping after his old friend. After none too subtly clearing a trail through the forest, the pair reached the volcanic ruins. The colossal beast paused as it looked around the paradoxically familiar and alien environment.

"Was not this on an island?" He asked as he dug a testing claw into the blasted ground.

"The world's geography was shuffled after your imprisonment." The Lord of Shades explained quickly. "Again, we will have time to talk later."

The two reached the rim of the crater and the boiling lake beyond. Through the noxious steam, the Theoi sighted and pointed out the fissure leading into the carven system. Suneater looked from the crack to his massive form and came to the obvious conclusion.

"I am not going to fit." The dragon said simply.

"Can you not shift into a smaller form?" The pale horse asked. "Or something more malleable?"

"I...rrgh...maybe..." The Primordial's draconic features became muddled as he tried to force something but ultimately snapped back. "Damnation!"

"Like when you freeze water, he needs time to 'melt'." The Theoi inferred as he looked back at the lake. "Speaking of heat..."

“Then we shall use the route you and your kin made.” The Lord of Shades indicated the roiling waters. “Unless you cannot swim as well.”

“Now I can do that.” The dragon rumbled as he swooped up the stygian stallion and placed him on his back again. “Hold fast.”

Suneater folded his wings against his body and lept off the rim. In a surprising display of grace, the beast arced through the poisoned air and dove into the brackish waters with a loud splash. As the tail of the colossal dragon vanished beneath the surface, the thestral pursuers emerged from the forest.

"Where did it go?" A bat-pony asked aloud. "I could have sworn I heard it just now."

"The lake?" Another ventured as it circled the rim. "If it did, that problem just took care of itself."

"It might have gone airborne again." A third scanned the skies for movement. "Spread out and somepony report in to Dunwich. She needs to know we got a rogue dragon."

As the denizens of Hollow Shades searched for their intruder, the two immortals slipped into the depths of the earth. Where any mortal creature would have perished immediately in the boiling toxic waters, the Primordial and Theoi felt little more than a tingle. The caldera eventually bottomed out in a massive flooded chamber where the Khthonic Theoi had landed following the end of the Cosmomachy. From this cavity reached many twisting passages and tunnels created by the dark entities as they seeped into what would become the Underworld. Acting from ancient memories, the Black Dragon followed one of these tunnels until they reached an air pocket.

“Blah! Nothing like an acid bath to invigorate the body.” Suneater gasped as he surfaced and dragged himself to dry land.

"Indeed." His passenger agreed as he dismounted. "Now hold your fire; we are not alone."

"They followed us?" The beast asked as he noticed movement in a tunnel leading further in.

"No. These are mine." The Lord of Shades explained before addressing the skulking figures. "Hail to you, Undying."

"Boss? Dat you?" The rough accent of Fleabag echoed from the dark. "Arms down, boyz!"

From the tunnel emerged the hooded and lightly armored figures of a revenant patrol, mostly diamond dogs. The Undying saluted their patron while their attention was fixed on the dragon.

"Gor! Dat's a big 'un!" Fleabag stared unabashedly. "Friend of yourz?"

"Old and dear." The Theoi nodded. "Meet some of the new members of the Undying Order, Shifting Darkness. Use common; some of them are still learning Khthonic."

"Must I?" The behemoth complained but relented. "Blessings upon you, gem hounds and... what is that?"

"I'm a changeling." The lone drone buzzed in annoyance. "You know? Shapeshifter?"

"An emergent species then." Suneater rubbed a claw against his chin. "I have been gone a long time."

"I have a trove of tomes for you to use back in Barathrum." The pale horse assured him before turning back toward the guards. "Have the rest of my party returned?"

"Yea, da rest got here a while 'fore you." Fleabag confirmed. "Oi, buggy. Call yer mum n' let 'er know da boss iz back."

"Got it." The changeling nodded as his horn glowed a sickly green. "She says 'hurry back, she wants to meet the dragon'."

"Well, that is an improvement over using runners." The impressed pallid pony thought. "Wish I had something similar last night."

“Then let us not keep her waiting.” The Hidden One said as he held up a hoof and exerted his control over the Sunless Lands. “Just let me make some room.”

The subterranean stone shifted and groaned as the tunnel nearly doubled in diameter. Keeping his head low and his wings folded, the dragon stomped down the path following after the Theoi and his minions. Deep within the quiet earth, in the monochrome meadows of Asphodel, Hive Queen Chrysalis awaited their return along with Archmage Lulamoon and Grand Marshal Armor.

"His majesty just got underground with the dragon." The changeling matron reported as she cut the connection with her drone. "He should be back soon."

"Good. Trixie was getting worried." The lich sighed. "We got separated early and things just went off the rails after that."

"That's putting it mildly." Armor said with a frown, having just been given an abridged version of the night's events. "What stealth mission involves blowing up a mountain?"

"The best kind, Shining." Chrysalis shot him a toothy smile. "Admit it, you hope some of the ponies up there got sent down here."

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment." A voice said from above. "A lesson I often need to be taught."

The grim figure of the Hand of Death alighted on a rocky outcrop nearby. While his appearance would have shocked lesser creatures, the dead, undead and the functionally immortal trio had grown accustomed to the sullen reaper. Lulamoon, for her part, considered the scythe-wielding daemon a friend although it remained to be seen if it was mutual.

"Greetings, Soul Collector." The azure unicorn welcomed in Khthonic. "Do you mean that no one has perished in the attack?"

"The psychopomps and keres still haunt the mountain but no harvest as of yet." The reaper shook his head. "The only new arrivals of note were a quartet of dragons."

"The Astute and Observant Trixie suspects that was His Excellency's doing." The lich said thoughtfully. "While you are here, Trixie has procured a few items from Canterlot. One of which will be of interest to you."

"Sticky hooves, Lulamoon?" Armor asked wryly. "Didn't take you for a thief."

"Is it theft if Trixie is returning them to their proper owners?" The unicorn asked as she rummaged through her small stash of pilfered baubles. "Better they be in our hooves than collecting dust in Luna's temple to her vanity."

"The Night Alicorn?" The winged daemon dropped down from his perch and approached tentatively. "Is it possible you have found it?"

“The Adept and Scholarly Trixie believes she has.” The lich faced the reaper and made of show of kneeling while presenting a sword wrapped in cloth. "Behold, the Kingslayer!"

"Neat name." Chrysalis whispered to a keenly interested Armor.

Wordlessly, the Hand of Death took up the sword and held it aloft. The crystalline core of the blade began to glow and a surge of deathly energy burned off the makeshift scabbard. In the Overworld, every noble and royal of every nation felt a gravely chill run down their spines.

“I have missed you as well.” Were he not wearing a mask frozen in stern aspect, Lulamoon would have sworn he was smiling. “You have my eternal gratitude, Trixie Lulamoon.”

“It was her pleasure.” The Archmage beamed in the dark tongue. "There should be some souls already in there."

"I see them." The reaper nodded as he ran a gauntleted hand over the shimmering sword. "You possess an impressive will if you were able to wield it without succumbing to madness."

"Oh, don't you start sucking up to her." Chrysalis chittered. "What else is in that pile?"

"Not much that would interest you." Lulamoon shot the Hive Queen a look. "But the Kind and Generous Trixie will allow you to browse her collection."

The rest of the loot was divided amongst the three. The lich kept those that still contained some magic while Armor took the weapons to build up an armory of his own. Chrysalis, not given to collecting trinkets, settled for the non-magical jewelry to help make more complete disguises.

“Hmm, surprised we didn't see you during the Tartarus campaign.” Armor said as he held the heat-warped helm of Dugore. "So Luna took credit for this?"

"No, but having it on display amongst her other trophies with not even a word saying otherwise..." The azure unicorn left the implication hanging.

"Right." The revenant rolled his eyes. "On the subject of Princesses, you said you met my sister?"

“Indeed, Trixie did.” The Archmage trotted closer and almost got nose to nose with Armor. “She got this close to her and the foalish fool was none the wiser.”

“You’re welcome.” The now fashionably gaudy Chrysalis buzzed smugly.

“How about after Canterlot exploded?” The Marshall asked with a concerned look over at the scattered shades milling about the meadows.

“The Keen and Observant Trixie did not see her again that night.” The Archmage said after some thought. “If you are concerned about her health, Trixie thinks we would know if the so-called Princess of Magic perished.”

“His Excellency and I would have words if she did.” The Undying unicorn grumbled with a dangerous glare.

Deciding not to point out that the Theoi could probably turn Armor to dust with a gesture, the group occupied themselves with looking over the shades. Much to Armor’s relief and Lulamoon and Chrysalis’ disappointment, no phantom of a Princess materialized or any other recognizable ghost. Their shade watching was interrupted by bit of rock falling to the ground a short distance away.

“Either a gang of diamond dogs has made a big mistake or the boss is back.” Chrysalis said as the spectral citizens cleared away from the cave in.

With a rush of air and the rumbling boom of the earth closing behind him, the Black Dragon and Lord of Shades fell from the starless sky and landed like a sack of bricks. Lulamoon and the changelings took an instinctive step back from the colossal beast while Armor stood his ground.

"That is one big bastard." The Hive Matron buzzed as the Primordial recovered from his undignified landing.

"Sure is." The revenant nodded. "Well, I suppose we should say hello."

The four approached the returned Lords with a mix of trepidation and excitement. Before introductions could be made, the dragon noticed them and cocked his head to the side. The Theoi, wary of a reaction similar to his first meeting of Canterlot's equines, trotted forward.

“Meet more of my stalwart servants, Shifting Darkness.” The pale horse said quickly before switching to the mortal tongue. “This is Archmage Trixie Lulamoon.”

“A pleasure, Darkest of Lords.” The azure unicorn said in Khthonic as she curtsied in her tattered gown.

"Ah, a lich." The beast gave something approaching a smile as he nodded in acknowledgment. "I was about to question your judgment in recruiting mortals."

"Sometimes you don't have a choice." The Necroarch thought.

“Hive Queen Chrysalis, the matron of the changelings.” The stygian stallion continued down the line. "It's impolite to stare, shapeshifter."

"I'm almost done." Chrysalis waved him off as she continued to stare at the dragon who stared right back. "I'm terrified yet impressed."

"I have that effect on others." Suneater rumbled smugly.

“Truthfully, we all do down here.” The Theoi shrugged. “And this is Shining Armor; the latest Grand Marshall of the Undying Order.”

“Sirs!” Armor snapped a crisp salute. "Welcome back."

"You went with a unicorn?" The dragon asked, earning a frown from the Marshall. "Not my first choice for a martial position."

"He has more than proven himself, as I can attest to, but those are tales for another time." The pallid pony assured both parties. "Now surely I do not need to introduce the Hand of Death."

The Grim Reaper stepped forward and knelt before the dragon. The beast stared at the daemon for a moment before he broke into a hearty chuckle and snatched up the specter of death in a familial embrace. Surprise turned to shock when the normally austere Hand returned the hug albeit in a manner appropriate for all long-suffering juveniles.

"Death, my boy!" The Lord of Darkness smiled as only a father can. "How I have missed that frozen expression."

"Father." The reaper greeted as he pulled away from the embrace. "The Underworld was not the same without you."

"That's his dad?" Lulamoon asked as the Theoi gave the Khthonic family reunion some space.

"That he is." The pale horse confirmed. "In fact, with the exception of the Erinyes, the daemons can trace their parentage to him and/or his consort."

"We need to catch up, Shining." Chrysalis shot the revenant a wry smile. “So we got another living superweapon, Hand got his kill-sword and Elytra is embedded in the heart of Equestria. I call that mission accomplished.”

"Far from perfect but I'm inclined to..." The Necroarch trailed off as he realized what she said. "Apologies, kill-sword?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie recovered the Kingslayer from Luna's gallery." Lulamoon explained proudly. "She also secured a few other trinkets that she thinks would better serve us."

"If Suneater had been a bust, that would have more than made this trip worth it." The pale horse mused as a genuine smile crossed his features.

"You exceed expectations yet again, Lulamoon." He said simply. "I only regret leaving you to fend for yourself in the chaos."

"Well, if you want to make it up to Trixie..." The lich played with her mane suggestively. "We could celebrate our success over some cider, complements of the Grand Marshal here."

"I'm not sure if it's a brewery's worth but it should be close." Armor explained with a knowing smirk.

"Truthfully, I had almost forgotten about that." The former Lurker said before something occurred to him. "Where did you get it? The Gala?"

"From that mud pony, Applejack." Lulamoon confirmed. "Trixie paid to have it delivered... to Hollow Shades! Fuck!"

"Oh, bravo." Chrysalis clapped her hooves together in spectacular condescension. "Left them a little trail of bread crumbs right to us."

"The Regretful and Apologetic Trixie is so sorry!" The Archmage professed in a near panic. "It didn't seem like a big deal to her; just some cider for a friend."

"Calm yourself, Lulamoon." The Lord of Shades said neutrally as he rubbed a temple with a hoof. "Does anyone know that you and the Merchant Princess are one and the same?"

"That thestral, Knight." The former showmare admitted before turning on Chrysalis. "Your disguise failed at the worst time."

"Hey, I warned you it wasn't permanent." The matron hissed. "You had the bright idea to rob Luna in front of her bloodsucker."

"The dragon will take priority but Knight isn't one to ignore things like this." The revenant brought a hoof to his chin in thought. "There are a few dots to connect but I don't think any lead directly to us."

"Still closer than I'm comfortable with." The pallid pony said flatly. "Have the changelings reported anything retaining to us?"

"All I've gotten from Elytra is that they are still picking up the pieces." Chrysalis reported. "If miss great and powerful here has exposed us, she'll let us know."

"More than anything, they will follow the trail Shifting Darkness and I left." The stygian stallion sighed heavily. "Still, we should prepare for potential visitors."

"I'll step up patrols in the tunnels." Armor said as he began mentally forming plans. "Chrysalis, can you spare more drones for comm duties?"

"A few." The matron did a quick mental count. "I was teasing before but we really need to expand the hive."

"What should we do about the cider?" Lulamoon cringed as if it pained her to bring it up.

"It would be a shame if it went to waste." The Grand Marshall suggested. "But it was ultimately supposed to be a gift to you so your call, sir."

"A no-show on collection may raise suspicion." The Theoi decided. "Just make sure the trail of crumbs ends in Hollow Shades."

"The Stealthy and Tactful Trixie will be as a ghost in the night!" The lich declared. "That is after she gets a change of clothes."

"Fared better than mine." The Theoi thought as he glanced at the mess that was his ensemble. "At least the greatcoat is salvageable."

"I'll leave you to it then." He said as he stripped off the coat and summoned his normal vestments. "Oh, and Lulamoon? Don't let this one blunder spoil an otherwise very productive night. You have all done well."

The Archmage beamed happily as she departed for her tower while Armor and Chrysalis returned to Barathrum. Once they were gone, he turned his attention to the reunited Lord of Darkness and Hand of Death. The latter was regaling the former with some of his more interesting harvests namely his the one that ended with his confrontation with the Alicorn of the Night.

"...the mountain broke before I did." The grim daemon said to his attentive father. "I had thought my blade lost but thanks to Barathrum's newest Archmage, that error has been rectified."

"So not only has this Alicorn usurped the Night, but she has also denied the rights of Death!" Suneater rumbled in outrage. "Can you believe the sheer audacity, Hidden One?"

"Just wait until you get into their history." The Theoi said knowingly. "For what it is worth, that was the same Alicorn you struck down during our egress."

"Ah, then I am proud to have delivered justice to the pretender!" The dragon puffed out his chest in satisfaction.

"Justice by a measure, father." The Reaper pointed out. "She yet lives although..."

A gauntleted hand strayed toward the pommel of the black blade now in its sheath. The pale horse prepared to talk him down but the deathly daemon ultimately shrugged off his vengeful thoughts. While he would no doubt savor ending the Princess's time among the living, he still prided himself on adhering to Fate-appointed hours.

"Fate is fickle, however." The Necroarch thought. "And surprisingly malleable given how flexible those 'hours' can be."

"That is for the best." He said plainly. "Despite her transgressions, Princess Luna is somewhat of an ally."

"You know the wretch by name?" The Primordial arched an eyeridge. "What have you been up to?"

"That is a tale that requires context, Shifting Darkness." The Theoi decided to postpone a deluge of questions. "Now, I recommend you return to your estate to heal and recuperate before embarking on an archive binge."

"That reminds me, the mansion has fallen into disrepair." The Hand of Death said as he took to the air. "The palace took priority in terms of maintenance."

"Then I shall send some builders along with that trove of knowledge." The stygian stallion nodded in understanding. "I shall visit soon where we can discuss matters in greater detail."

"I will try to get the old pile in presentable condition." Suneater chuckled as he joined his son. "And Hidden One? You have my gratitude for freeing me."

"What are friends for?" He said with a ghost of a smile before waving the two off and making the relatively short trip to the palace.

Once back in the familiar onyx halls, the ancient king dispatched the industrious cyclopes to Erebos with an approved selection of the archives. He made a quick detour to the tailors to drop off what was left of his clothes where the swishy shade took it rather well, claiming that all the greats had a lost art and that he would 'raise a phoenix out of the ashes of what came before'. Looking forward to a new item to add to his admittedly small wardrobe, the Necroarch finally made for his throne room. As he sat once more upon his Immortal Throne, the Theoi Anax let the gears within his mind begin to turn.

"If history is any indication, it is only a matter of time before heroes discover my realm regardless of how careful I am." The ancient Lord mused. "In the past, once obscurity failed, dread served as a fine shield. Nowadays, I may need to explore other options."

Next Chapter: Recurring Nightmare Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 52 Minutes