“Oh, Cadance! It's been a while. You look…” Twilight trailed off as her gaze traveled down the alicorn’s broken form.

The other pony was still missing a leg, an eye, and the majority of her fur as she did before, only now she looked sickly. What little fur she had left had become gray and seemed ready to fall out at a moment’s notice. Even her shattered horn seemed inflamed with sparks occasionally arcing from the broken stump.

“You can just say I look terrible, I certainly feel that way,” Cadance muttered in her broken, gravelly tone.

“I’d advise against speaking of her in such a way,” Chrysalis quickly added.

“Perhaps we should just jump right into discussing the reason for your timely arrival,” Sunset offered, glancing expectantly around the room.

“I assume ya ain't just helpin’ with the defense and whatnot?” Applejack remarked.

“I’m afraid that is not the only reason I’m here,” Cadance replied, the alicorn being helped towards the love seat which was swiftly vacated. “Thank you, dears.”

The pair of changelings said nothing as they gently lowered Cadance into the comfortable spot, the mare wincing briefly upon sitting down.

“You’re not sick, are you?” whispered Pinkie Pie in a hopeful tone.

“In a manner of speaking,” Cadance answered. “Though thankfully I know at least one of you has the ability to help me with that particular issue.”

“Is it me?” Twilight asked.

“For once this isn't about you, Twilight,” Chrysalis exclaimed.

“Relax, dear,” Cadance murmured, placing a hoof on Chrysalis’ side. “It’s Sunset that we’re here for. She has made a rather unique spell, one that I hope will remedy an issue I’ve struggled with for many centuries at this point.”

“My spell? You mean the telekinesis alteration,” Sunset all but whispered.

“Oooh, I knew it!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, only to immediately cover her mouth. “Whoopsie doodle. Go on.”

“I need you to help remove a certain… parting gift that Celestia left me with after I escaped her containment,” Cadance explained.

“I can't promise anything, but if I knew what it is that I’m removing, then I would have a better idea,” Sunset offered.

“I will tell you more in a little while, at the moment we need to discuss-” Cadance suddenly began coughing, her chest heaving as spittle shot from her mouth.

Chrysalis was quick to intervene, signaling her assistants to help Cadance while Chrysalis herself picked up the conversation.

“We need to teach you girls a word first. One that will allow you to temporarily empower Sunset enough that she can reach past even the aura of an alicorn,” Chrysalis declared.

The group shot Cadance a mix of pitying looks, their eyes quickly settling back on the changeling queen.

“Which word of power is it exactly?” Twilight pressed.

“It is the word for cooperation,” Chrysalis answered.

“Fascinating,” muttered Sunset.

“Why would you choose to teach it to us, if you don't mind me asking?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because the bonds between you girls are stronger than most, and it is those bonds which give the word its strength,” Chrysalis continued. “Cooperation can be learned relatively easily, but it must be spoken in unity with at least one other being who you know intimately.”

Cadance wiped her lips with a handkerchief and passed it to a changeling drone waiting to her right.

“What Chrysalis says is true. The word for it is weak, but it can be empowered by sharing more with the other speakers,” Cadance finished.

“Right, so get taught a word, use it on Sunset, and she helps you. Sounds easy enough. How do we learn it?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“You simply need to glimpse the memory where we learned it,” Cadance replied, casting Chrysalis a brief wan smile.

“Are you sure that isn't… too intimate of a moment?” Rarity asked.

“The level of intimacy is irrelevant, my heart is on the line,” Chrysalis declared.

“I do not think anyone doubts your resolve, Miss Chrysalis,” Midnight Moon offered.

“I just think she was being polite,” Fluttershy remarked.

Chrysalis sighed. “Yes, yes. Now let us cease with the pleasantries. There is much to do.”

“So do we just… Put our heads together, or what?” Applejack muttered.

“Would the spell go both ways?” Sunset nervously inquired.

“Worry not, you and Trixie here won't be involved with learning the word at all. It's just these six that we will be focusing on,” Cadance replied.

“Oh good. I didn't wanna be a part of this anyway,” Trixie muttered, hopping over the couch and angrily stomping into the kitchen.

“She’ll be fine. As usual, she's just putting on a show,” Rarity offered.

“Well, it wasn't a very good one,” Pinkie Pie muttered. “There wasn't even any magic.”

“I’m ready whenever you guys are,” Fluttershy declared.

“Thank you, Fluttershy. Now, is everyone else prepared? Don't worry, this shouldn't take long,” Cadance explained.

“Ready as spaghetti!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed.

Twilight nodded. “When you are.”

“So long as I don't miss the chance to see Sweetie Belle off. She was supposed to be joining the last caravan out of town,” Rarity muttered.

“Again, it shouldn't be long,” Cadance remarked in a low tone.

“Give the word,” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

“I was born ready,” Applejack stated confidently.

“That is wonderful to hear. Now just relax, and if you feel yourself falling, just try not to freak out,” Cadance warned.

“Otherwise you may end up trapped in the space between our minds, forever lost in a void of nothingness,” Chrysalis added.

“That can happen!?” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Cadance used her good elbow to hit Chrysalis in the stomach. “No, it can't. It would just be very uncomfortable for you while we locate you and drag you back into your own minds.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Fluttershy murmured.

“Right, starting the spell now,” Chrysalis began.

The queen’s eyes began to glow, and her own stump of a horn started to shoot a thin stream of emerald sparks. Locking hooves with Cadance, Chrysalis channeled the power through her own body and into the alicorn’s. Where it turned from a bright green to a vibrant shade of pink that an observer would instantly recognize as the color of love.

Both alicorn and changeling alike extended their unoccupied hooves to their side, sending a tendril of energy towards Applejack or Rainbow Dash. Who upon touching the strange bit of ethereal string, went slack in her seat, eyes falling shut as her body relaxed all at once. One by one more of them joined the circle, until at long last it was complete, and nearly everyone in the room was asleep.

Cadance awoke with a start, hastily inspecting her surroundings for anything that may be amiss. Sure enough, she was no longer in her room, nor the palace at all.

The constant presence of smooth, polished marble had been replaced by all encompassing metal which pressed down all around her. The bed she woke up on was one empty of lovers, and bereft of even a blanket, with the only comfort being a small, rather hard pillow. There were no other amenities, no comforts, only a rusted hole in one corner, and a tiny barred window from which blew a cold, bitter wind.

Shivering, she tried to light her horn, but found that her magic was completely blocked. A quick glance up at the thick iron ring confirmed why that was, and a tug established that it would not be easily removed.

“What the heck is going on?” she muttered. “Don't tell me I got captured by Lunites.”

Grumbling bitterly to herself, Cadance inspected what she assumed was some manner of privacy wall. Though the same color as the others, it was across the room from the tiny window that led outside, indicating that was likely the exit. She tested this theory by giving it a firm kick, which caused a pair of ripples to emanate across its oddly liquid, yet metallic surface.

Another few strikes did nothing, confirming Cadance’s fear that this was likely a prison intended to house dragons. Which made sense, as the room itself was huge, unlike her bed, which was only just barely large enough for the alicorn. Glancing over at her waste hole confirmed that it too had some kind of anti-tampering field placed upon it.

With a sigh, Cadance made her way over to the lone window and looked out through the bars, attempting to get some kind of information as to where she was.

Her question was quickly answered, though in its place several more immediately rose up to take its place. How did she get all the way to the relatively uninhabited northlands? Since when was there a jail halfway up the side of a mountain? How far down was the ground even? How long had it been since she had gone to sleep with her bed full of suitors?

Her train of thought was stopped dead in its tracks when she heard a strange noise from behind her, one followed by the clip-clop of hooves.

Spinning around, Cadance was ready to unleash her rage on whoever had been so foolish as to cage her, only to stop.

“Celestia? I thought you were still out fighting rebels?” Cadance asked.

“They are beaten, for the moment,” Celestia replied, standing tall and straight, her gold crown sparkling in the low, artificial light that emanated from above. “There are more pressing concerns.”

“Like rescuing me,” Cadance exclaimed with a smile.

“No,” Celestia answered. “You are here for your own good, I’m afraid.”

“What are you talking about, Celestia? We were supposed to be equals. You can't do this to me!” Cadance shouted.

“I can, and I will!” Celestia bellowed right back, the force of her voice knocking Cadance to the floor.

Cadance blinked. “What happened to you, Celestia? What lies were you told by the Lunites?”

“No one lies to me, not anymore,” Celestia replied, jaw clenched tight. “I have seen the truth.”

“You’re not making any sense. I’m your sister, Celestia, we were meant to rule together,” Cadance urged.

“You were meant to rule!” Celestia shouted. “You and that-”

The mare’s jaw tightened to the point that she couldn't speak, her neck muscles bulging. A vein became visible on the white alicorn’s forehead, and for a moment an uncomfortably bright light pulsed behind her eyes. Then the tension was gone, and Celestia stood relaxed once more, as if she hadn't just been ready to explode only a moment earlier.

“That doesn't matter anymore,” Celestia muttered. “As long as you are corrupted, you are no longer my sister. Don't worry though, I’ve already drawn up a comprehensive plan to rid you of this dark influence.”

Cadance blinked. “You can't possibly think I’m possessed. I have no desire to rule alone, nor do I long for anything I don't already have.”

“I’m well aware of your little harem,” Celestia muttered in disgust. “As well as your activities while not on official business.”

“Then why do all this? You know I’m no threat to you,” Cadance pressed.

“No threat? No threat! Cadance you embody the aspect of sex, lust, and change!” Celestia yelled, grabbing the other alicorn by the shoulders and shaking her viciously. “Sex destroys the body, lust the mind, and change the soul! I can't have some debauched sinners running around in my new empire!”

“Your new empire? What are you talking about, and sinners? We did away with religion centuries ago,” Cadance muttered, the smaller alicorn hanging loose in the other mare’s grip.

Celestia snorted and roughly tossed her sibling to the ground. “You don't get it. Religion is a useful tool, one that will ensure that everyone does as they are told.”

“Yes, yes, you want everything to be orderly,” Cadance muttered, rising from the floor. “But that is done easier and with less effort by simply supplying the people with a little bread and circus.”

“As usual, you fail to grasp the bigger picture. This isn't just about Equestria. Everyone must be united against the evil unleashed by-” Celestia winced, her face contorting in pain before quickly relaxing. “Her.”

“Are you talking about Lun-”

Celestia’s hoof shot to Cadance’s mouth, holding it shut. “Don't you dare utter her name. I had it erased from history for a reason.”

“She was our sister, you can't just pretend like she never existed,” Cadance muttered through gritted teeth.

“She wasn't, but don't worry. I’ll make sure you don't suffer the same fate. You will be purified, and you will rejoin me in due time,” Celestia retorted.

“You can't do this to me. There's nothing wrong with me!” Cadance declared.

“What are you going to do? Seduce your own sibling? We all know you sure aren't fighting your way out,” Celestia pressed, a cocky smile coming to her face.

For a moment Cadance considered throwing a punch, or maybe kicking the mare, but that urge faded quickly. While Cadance was sleek, Celestia was powerful, her body a finely tuned weapon of war with hundreds of years of experience. It wouldn't even be a challenge, and in the end the most Cadance would accomplish is spitting in her own sister’s face.

“And when you fail, then what?” Cadance asked, walking close enough that they were nearly nose to nose.

Celestia laughed. “Failure is not an option.”

Before Cadance had the chance to fire off another question, Celestia stepped back and activated the barrier. Now alone once more, Cadance released an angry shout which she quickly muffled by stuffing her face into the cold, hard pillow.

I didn't even check to see where I was, or if there was anyone else out there. I need to focus if I’m going to survive whatever Celestia has in store, Cadance thought to herself, her scream quickly turning into a long, drawn out sigh. Whatever. As soon as she realizes she's wasting her time, she’ll see the error of her ways and let me go.

Cadance rolled onto her back and sighed. “She better.”

The mare closed her eyes and was about to try and go to sleep when the ground began to shake. At first Cadance thought it was an earthquake, or perhaps an avalanche, but there was a voice buried in the noise. A voice which sounded like it was… yawning? Or perhaps in pain.

Cadance shivered as she lay on the bed, wings wrapped around her body. The effort to stay warm was wasted, as the wind howled continually, day and night almost without pause. The only window of silence were a few hours in the early morning which was when Cadance tried her best to catch up on sleep.

An objective she very rarely managed, and today was seemingly no different. That was until she heard the sound of the barrier falling and hooves clopping right outside her cell. Days ago, she would have leapt up and considered attacking whoever it was, but after nearly seventy-two hours, Cadance had little strength left. She could barely even turn her head to stare up at the grim face of her sister.

“Come on. We’ve got experiments to run,” Celestia demanded.

Cadance grunted. “Carry me.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “I know you’re stronger than that. Don't be a pain, and I’ll make sure you get some better food. We’ve got more than just the magically dehydrated stuff now.”

Cadance wanted to be annoyed, but the promise of food that didn't taste like warm bark was tempting. “Fine,” she muttered.

Pushing herself off the bed, Cadance stood on shaky hooves, nearly falling in the process, only to be caught by Celestia.

“I’ll make sure to have some bedding sent down for you,” Celestia whispered, hoisting Cadance back to her hooves and stepping away.

“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?” Cadance hissed, her half numb hooves barely holding her upright.

“Why wouldn't I? You may be corrupted, but you're still my sister. Now come on,” Celestia demanded, turning to the right.

Cadance trotted after her sibling, gaze sweeping over the long hallway she now found herself in. One which seemed completely normal, save for the fact that it was large enough to accommodate an ancient dragon. That, and the mass of cables, pipes, and dozen or so metal tubes which snaked across the ceiling in a semi-random pattern.

No other cells or exits were visible, though Cadance assumed that they were simply hidden as hers was.

She barely had the strength to walk, let alone pay attention to half dozen different things so the mare merely focused straight ahead. To where the hallway ended in a set of double doors, and a simple, smaller opening that continued on for another dozen meters before stopping suddenly.

Led towards what appeared to be an operating room of some kind, Cadance could feel a desire to run building in her chest. Yet she knew she wouldn't get far, even at her best she was simply no match for the alicorn before her. So Cadance continued to trot into the next room, stopping after having passed through the enormous entrance.

There she stood and gazed upon the myriad of bizarre contraptions that littered the area. This was definitely made by a dragon, that much was certain, as no race quite embraced the almost comic levels of evil that they did. Torture equipment, tubes filled with dismembered pony parts, strange brass coils just sitting there, sparking for no reason.

It would have been silly to Cadance, had she not been the one standing in its midst.

“Ignore the whole… everything,” Celestia muttered, waving a hoof in the air. “Most of this will be cleared out soon. It was mainly used for intimidation purposes, but we don't need that anymore.”

“Right,” muttered Cadance.

“Get on the table please,” Celestia demanded, pointing to a large metal X sitting a few feet away.

“What are you going to do to me?” Cadance asked.

“Purify you. Like I said,” Celestia replied. “Now please lay down. On your back.”

Once more, Cadance considered fighting, struggling, or making a break for it, but chose not to. Instead she meekly trotted over to the operating table and lay down on her back. A second later, metal cuffs slammed down over her hooves, holding her firmly in place as a wide belt was fastened around her waist.

“Now the doctor will focus all of the evil magic inside of you into a single place, allowing us to remove it,” Celestia explained.

“Remove it how?” Cadance muttered.

“Physically,” Celestia replied, fastening a strange set of devices to Cadance’s eye, forcing it open.

A second later, a pair of strangely heavy footsteps came from the door, though Cadance could no longer bend her neck to see who was coming. Heck, she could barely even see anything due to the large overhead lamp shining straight down on her face.

“Ahh, there we are. Ready, Celestia?” droned a heavily accented masculine voice.

“Just get on with it, and remember your side of the bargain. Six months or else it's into the sun with you,” Celestia whispered in a harsh tone.

The voice chuckled. “Do not worry, my old enemy. I’ve treated patients far worse than this.”

A moment later, the distorted features of a white dragon appeared before Cadance. “Greetings, patient zero. I am your doctor, Daurgothoth Varentell, and I will be your sole company in this frozen wasteland I call a hospital,” declared the drake.

Cadance’s eyes readjusted slowly, but when they did, they found that the elder dragon had likely undergone an unpleasant shrinking spell. Some parts of his body were out of proportion with others, and one eye even bulged visibly out of his head. Yet despite this, he did not seem to be in pain, in fact he was curious, and uncomfortably eager to inspect Cadance.

“Whenever you are ready,” Celestia exclaimed.

“Right, now then…” The dragon hobbled over to the other side of Cadance, his hand beginning to glow a faint teal. “Gathering one’s negative aspect is not difficult to do, especially for more powerful creatures such as ourselves.”

His hand moved up and down Cadance’s body, starting at her head then going lower, only to return to that same spot a moment earlier. As his hand hovered over a part of her, Cadance felt something stirring beneath her skin, only the sensation wasn't exactly physical. It was like some part of her soul was being gathered or pushed in a way that shouldn't be possible to do so.

“So much of alicorn physiology is simple magic forced into a mortal shell. All it takes is a bit of knowledge on how to manipulate that flow, and you can easily isolate the parts we need to remove,” he continued.

By then the flow had built to the point that Cadance could feel bulges or bumps beneath her skin. These lumps were stationary at first, but with some coaxing they started to travel up her body and towards her face. Centering at the back of one of her eyes, Cadance immediately realized what the dragon had in store for her.

“Wait, stop,” Cadance urged, the mare faintly aware that half the world had become tinged in green. “You can't honestly believe it’s that simple.”

“Ponies are simple creatures, why should your physiology be any different?” replied the dragon.

“Do it after I apply the anesthesia spell. I don't want her to suffer anymore than what's necessary,” Celestia declared, her horn lighting briefly before a wave of energy washed over Cadance’s body.

“Please just listen to me, I-” Cadance’s complaints were stopped when her mouth slammed shut, held closed by a powerful aura.

“Much better. You wouldn't want me to mess this up, now would you? I’d hate for it to get infected,” chuckled the dragon in a low, rumbling tone.

“Work in silence, creature,” spat Celestia.

“As you wish,” Daurgothoth muttered.

Cadance could only watch in horror as a clawed hand hovered over her now emerald sphere, his fingers continuing to glow brightly. Then, after nearly a minute of silent horror, the dragon reached forward and plucked the orb from Cadance’s skull. Her vision blurred, then cut off a second later, something hot pressing itself against the empty pit where her eye had once been.

Her scream was silent, and the tears she shed were swiftly dabbed away by some unseen force. Though painful, it wasn’t much worse than a particularly unpleasant kick to the shins, as all sensation was dulled significantly by Celestia’s spell. That almost made it worse somehow, as Cadance struggled to even mourn the loss of her eye.

“Did it work?” asked Celestia.

“See for yourself,” offered Daurgothoth.

Cadance wasn't sure what was going on, but from the way Celestia spoke, she seemed impressed.

“That was nearly all of it in one go. What do you have planned next?” Celestia inquired.

“I will spend several hours building it in a spot with deeper leylines,” Daurgothoth explained. “With time and focus, I should be able to excise this corruption relatively quickly.”

“See to it that you do,” Celestia declared. “I will return soon. In the meantime I expect you to treat your patient as if she were your closest kin, got it?”

“Understood,” Daurgothoth replied.

“Good. Do not fail me,” Celestia stated before trotting out of the room.

“Oh, I won't,” Daurgothoth whispered. “I know very well when I am beat.”

He smiled as Celestia vanished around the corner. “Though you didn't say anything about some side experiments,” murmured the dragon.

As the anesthesia spell ran its course, and exhaustion weighed on Cadance’s body, she heard the dragon chuckle quietly to himself.

Bastard. Cadance thought before falling unconscious.

Cadance lay on her back, lone forehoof pressed against her chest while the stump was tucked under it. Though she had blankets, they did very little against the constant cold and dull ache that came from her most recent injuries. Now missing both an eye and a limb, the alicorn stewed silently, her emotions roiling beneath the surface.

The first thing she had thought was that she was never going to be considered pretty again, but that thought didn't last long. She had bedded beautiful creatures of both sexes which had been missing several parts of themselves, and they had been wonderful. Why, just thinking about that one blind griffon she had seduced thirty years ago threatened to make her a little hot under the collar.

No, her concerns were not quite so petty, as there were more pressing concerns like the changes she could feel happening inside of her. Already her more feminine urges had dulled somewhat, and she could not feel the ambient emotion quite as well as she used to. Worse still, she was starting to grow more lethargic and accepting of her abuse as time went on.

That small realization would have drawn forth a burst of panic, but the pony simply couldn't feel such a thing. Be it the result of the doctor’s treatments or the simple effect of being tortured, Cadance couldn't be certain. Either way, she simply lay in the same spot, staring up at the ceiling until her limbs went numb and she was able to drift off to sleep.

However, the release of the door stopped her from finally succumbing to her own exhaustion. Her heart began to pound as she detected the familiar, chemical rich scent that followed her torturer like a shroud of flies. The dull thump of the dragon’s mismatched feet made the alicorn’s blood boil, but she could do nothing but glare at him silently.

“Up and at ‘em. We have another day of testing ahead of us, and it is going to be a promising one. Of that I am certain,” he declared with a strangely friendly, if lopsided smile.

“It won't be, and you’ll be another day closer to getting fired into the sun,” Cadance grumbled.

Daurgothoth chuckled to himself. “This problem may be more difficult than first anticipated, but I am confident that today’s experiment will prove most effective.”

Cadance groaned and crawled out of bed, her body tensing as she made a quick calculation in her mind. Then with a twist, she spun around and aimed a devastating buck at the dragon’s lumpy, misshapen face. She didn't quite connect though, as he stumbled back, catching a hoof to the chin, but being otherwise uninjured.

The alicorn wasted no time and attempted to pounce on him, but found herself stopped by a single word. One not uttered in the traditional manner, but some strange resonance that buried into her body and nestled deep in her soul. Like a switch being flipped, Cadance collapsed to the ground, her every muscle going limp.

“Not bad. Not bad at all,” Daurgothoth muttered, rubbing his chin. “You are lucky Celestia chose me for my skill as well as my bedside manner, or else I might have sought revenge for such an action. Thankfully I think the experiment itself will be far worse than the gentle caress you gave me.”

Cadance wanted to tell him off, to insult him, but she couldn't manage so much as a faint gurgle of anger.

“Ahh, yes. I forgot that I can't simply give you back the strength I took,” Daurgothoth chuckled. “Regardless, we have much to do and little time to do it.”

The dragon reached down and grabbed Cadance’s tail before turning towards the entrance. Dragging her behind him, the doctor trundled down the hall towards the experimentation room. Cadance grumbled bitterly, silently quite glad for the weight she had lost, as the trip wasn't even that painful.

That was until she was unceremoniously hauled back onto a metal table which she had grown quite used to. Only this time when her hooves were locked in place, and her torso was bound, she found that she was not alone. Rather there was a large tube sitting beside her, one filled with green liquid and a pitch black pony-shaped mass.

Though its eyes were open, there were no irises visible, nor the distant spark of intelligence one might see in an animal. It was more akin to a strange statue of some kind, one with translucent wings and a jagged horn. If it was alive, it didn't need to breathe, and if it was dead, there was no sign of an injury or any decay for that matter.

“Ahh, you’re curious about your new cellmate,” Daurgothoth exclaimed while attaching several cables to the tube, then to the metal corset he attached around Cadance’s midsection. “She was quite the fascinating experiment in her time.”

“She?” Cadance asked, her strength returning just enough that she could speak.

“Well, not she, it doesn't really have a gender, mind you, but it seemed appropriate,” Daurgothoth explained.

Cadance grunted.

“It was originally intended to serve as a sort of sleeper agent, and was designed by a famous assassin of some repute,” Daurgothoth continued, turning dials, flicking levers, and peering into bubbling tubes of strange liquid. “It was intended to go amongst you ponies in a disguise, passively feeding off the magic you emanate constantly in order to sustain itself. Then when we needed it to, we could activate it with a word, turning it into a remorseless killing machine.”

Cadance shivered in disgust.

He chuckled. “Oh, don't worry. We never actually managed to get it working before you quite handedly defeated us with that spell of yours. I’m so glad that Celestia has found a way to reverse it. Hope is a valuable thing, you know, especially to those with none.”

“She might be crazy, but she would never let more of you wake up,” Cadance muttered.

“Most likely not, unless she thought that doing so would save the world. But that is a plan that is very long in the making, and not something you need to worry about,” Daurgothoth remarked, standing beside the table with a crooked smile on his face. “Right now all you need to ponder is the simple question, ‘What happens when my soul is amputated and stuffed into a doll?’”

“It won’t work. It's like the rest of your attempts. You won’t be able to remove that part which makes me me without simply committing murder,” Cadance retorted, a hint of fear worming its way into her voice.

“Ahh, but that is where you are wrong. You see, parts of your amputated magic return to you because it doesn't have a home after being removed,” Daurgothoth continued. “I may be able to easily take out the majority of it through more direct means, but to remove the entirety of it, I need a new approach. Like finding a host which will eagerly devour your essence.”

Cadance glanced hesitantly over to the black creature, her apprehension growing as it gently bobbed within the tank.

“You can't be serious,” Cadance muttered.

“I think you’ll find that humor is one of the few things I am completely incapable of. Now hold still. This is going to hurt. A lot,” Daurgothoth exclaimed.

“Why, what are you do-” Cadance’s question quickly morphed into a scream of agony as the dragon brought down a cleaver on the end of the alicorn’s stump of a leg.

Blood immediately began to pour out, though it was stopped when her self-declared doctor uttered another word. The flow slowed to a trickle as his hand began to glow, hovering over Cadance’s chest and slowly drawing forth more strange energy. As before, this force gathered itself from deep in the mare’s body, coagulating into an uncomfortable mass just beneath her skin.

It felt almost like she was about to cast a spell, only through her chest rather than her horn. Though even then, that wasn't quite a perfect description as using magic did not sting like her soul was being filled with needles. This unpleasant sensation was joined by a pressure and more pain which only grew the longer his hand continued to hover over her chest.

Cadance took some small joy in the fact that he seemed to be straining, but that didn't help the agony he was putting her through. She imagined this was what childbirth was like, or perhaps it was even worse, as then you didn't get a section of your soul ripped out. Cadance could feel the energy which made up her soul get diffused into her blood, then pulled down towards her stump of a hoof.

The doctor’s scaled hand flashed brightly, then with another word the wound reopened completely. Allowing a wave of unnaturally dark, crimson to shoot out of Cadance like a tsunami of pain. The alicorn screamed, but nothing came out of her mouth save for a hoarse cry of wordless agony.

Nearly every part of her wanted to look away, yet Cadance felt her gaze drawn down towards the end of her hoof where her unsettlingly dark blood had pooled into a floating orb of undulating liquid the size of a watermelon. More and more flowed out of her until Cadance began to wonder if she was going to be killed by exsanguination.

That, thankfully, never happened, as the dragon cut off the flow with a muttered word, forcefully healing the stump. He then stepped away from Cadance, stumbling briefly before catching himself on a piece of machinery. With his feet under him, the dragon trundled awkwardly over to the tube and pulled a seemingly random lever.

The tank immediately drained of liquid, dropping the black creature to the bottom with a wet smack. The fall did nothing to the inert statue one bit, and neither did its unfortunate slide onto the hard stone floor. Cadance couldn't help but wince as the creature’s head bounced off the ground, though it uttered no sound.

“Come, feed,” Daurgothoth urged, lowering his hand closer to the ground.

He then uttered another word which wasn't a word, and the creature began to twitch, though it did not rise. This seemed to irritate the dragon, and he knelt down next to the floor, a claw dipping into the floating mass of blood. Carefully, he pried open the creature’s mouth and pressed his crimson finger against the serpentine tongue within.

“Now then, rise and fe-” Daurgothoth's command was cut off the second his finger was. “Augh, you no good waste of a perfectly good corpse.”

As the dragon began to curse and sputter insults the likes of which Cadance had never heard, the creature’s eyes opened, revealing twin orbs as black as its exterior, and just as devoid of any kind of emotion as the rest of its face was. Yet for whatever reason Cadance felt no fear, even as the creature began to inhale, causing the orb of blood to flow into its mouth.

Dozens of thin blackish red tentacles extended from the mass, intertwining as they traveled down the statue’s throat. Within seconds everything that had been extracted from Cadance was now inside the strange black creature. Who released a content purr, its throat creating an odd clicking noise not unlike a mixture of a cricket and a cat.

It was all rather amusing, though Cadance figured that her reaction might be due to the massive blood loss she had just suffered. Her companion was slightly less entertained, and he balled his now four fingered fist before slugging the creature across the jaw. The hit sent the black doll-like monster to the ground, its eyes blinking not in pain, but simple confusion.

“You were not supposed to take the whole finger. That is going to take days to grow back in this neutered body,” Daurgothoth cursed. “Now sit quietly while I staunch the bleeding.”

Raising his head, the dragon uttered another word, and his wound closed at least partially, stopping the flow of blood. A quick application of a bandage, and it was on the way to be healed, unlike Cadance’s still gaping wound. Which, she quickly realized, would likely never fully be fixed, no matter how good alicorn regeneration was.

“There we go,” Daurgothoth muttered. “Now let's check on this ‘corruption’ Celestia wanted expunged.”

“Screw you. You fat ugly pile of sentient afterbirth,” Cadance muttered.

The statuesque creature cackled like a bug-like hyena, annoying Daurgothoth immediately.

“Silence!” he shouted, glaring at the creature before spinning back to Cadance. “I suppose I deserved that. Now then, please be quiet. I’d like to get some fluids in you before you pass out, and I am not a good multitasker.”

“Multitasking, jokes. The list of things you suck at grows ever longer,” Cadance murmured.

Daurgothoth rolled his eyes as he hovered a glowing hand over Cadance’s body, a smile slowly growing across his face until he was grinning like a madman. His entire body shook as he worked to contain his budding excitement.

“Ha, I did it! Here I thought it would take months, and yet I’ve done it in only weeks,” Daurgothoth exclaimed.

“Did what? I don't feel any different,” Cadance murmured.

“That's because you're in shock. Getting a good half of your soul ripped out of you would do that though,” Daurgothoth replied with a chuckle. “Speaking of which, I don't want to be here for when that wears off.”

He turned to the stone faced creature expectantly. “Take the prisoner back to cell twenty-three, then sit in the corner of the room. I don't have a need for either of you anymore, though I am curious to see which one of you will survive until morning.”

He smirked down at the bug-like pony. “Perhaps you’ll eat her, and I can simply use you to replace her.” Daurgothoth stopped stroking his chin and snorted. “A consideration for another time. Now go!”

The creature seemed to hesitate a moment before nodding dutifully and unfastening Cadance’s straps. A moment later, the semi-delirious alicorn had been slung over her back as they made their way to the cell. With Daurgothoth following close behind, it wasn't long before the creature and Cadance were in the cell.

Which was closed and firmly locked behind them without a sound.

Now alone with the alicorn, the creature placed its charge in the lone bed, then sat beside her, conflicted. Cadance’s eyes flitted open briefly, evidently holding onto consciousness by a single aching thread.

“You can eat me if you’d like,” she offered with a wide smile. “I don't think I’m going to make it anyway, and you must be hungry, what with you just being born or whatever.”

Cadance suddenly erupted with laughter at a joke she hadn't even told yet. “I’d offer you some milk, but I have a strange feeling that would be weird. Besides, that well has long since gone dry.”

The creature cocked its head to the side, but said nothing.

“You wanna eat me in my sleep. What a polite little blood-drinking monster you are,” Cadance slurred, her hoof patting the creature’s head. “Just leave my face for last, okay? I wanna be pretty for as long as pos-”

The alicorn fell slack, her body hitting the bed like a puppet with its strings cut.

The creature sat there quietly, staring at the alicorn for several long seconds. Then when it had confirmed that Cadance was alive, it gently pushed her hoof back up onto the bed. After which it slowly maneuvered the blanket up Cadance’s body until it was snug under the alicorn’s chin.

It then opened its mouth and tried to say something, but no traditional words came out. Only the raw unfiltered emotion of love, drawn forth from a glimpse of beauty found within the alicorn’s divine features.

Cadance awoke with a start, and almost immediately fell back to the bed when a dizzy spell struck her. With a groan, she lay there staring at the ceiling, only now fully realizing what happened the day before. Her memories were difficult to even parse, with her addled state leaving the majority of them hazy and strange.

The alicorn continued to lay there silently until she remembered who else was in the room with her. Then she glanced over to her left and came nose-to-nose with the strange black creature.

“Blah!” she screamed, hastily shuffling backward.

“Blah?” mimicked the creature, turning its head.

Cadance blinked, only now noticing that something had changed in the monster that had become her cellmate. Instead of cold black eyes, there were twin slits of green that were small, though still visible. It had also grown slightly taller, reaching the height of a rather tall, adult pony.

“What the…” Cadance murmured.

“What the?” asked the creature, its voice gravelly and halting, as if it were struggling to string the words together.

“I guess you didn't eat me,” Cadance remarked.

“No,” replied the creature.

“So are you planning on feeding on me over a longer time, or what?” Cadance asked.

The creature cocked its head to the side, but said nothing.

“Figures. I doubt you even know what's going on,” Cadance murmured.

“Bad man imprisoned us. You were… betrayed,” murmured the creature, its head twisting about before coming to a stop, tongue sticking out. “Tastes terrible.”

“You can taste the betrayal?” Cadance asked.

The creature shrugged weakly.

“Hmm, well, anyway, it doesn't seem like you’re about to eat me, so thanks for that,” Cadance awkwardly remarked.

The golem-like pony seemed about to respond but suddenly winced in pain, dropping to the ground as it gripped its head.

Forgetting her own injuries for a moment, Cadance reached down and swiftly pulled the creature from the ground. Though it was heavy, the alicorn was able to call on a small amount of her natural earth pony magic, allowing her to lift the surprisingly dense individual. With a grunt, it was deposited next to Cadance, who swiftly began to look it over with a careful eye.

“Are you okay?” she whispered. “Where does it hurt?”

“Head. Flashes. Memories. Not mine,” it murmured, turning this way and that as it wrestled with an onslaught of new experiences.

“Huh, that…” Cadance frowned as she recalled a lesson from Twilight, one that went to great lengths to explain the nature of the soul. Including how memories could be shared, stored, or extracted if a particularly skilled necromancer cared enough to learn the process. “You have my… What do you see?”

The creature winced, face pressed firmly against the hard wooden bench. “Sex, violence, war, and so much suffering.”

Cadance paused and scanned her own memory banks for anything close to what her cellmate was describing. Sure she knew what those things were, but for the life of her Cadance, she couldn't recall an instance she had actually seen those things. With this strange realization came a wave of agony, one akin to seeing an injury and being reminded of it after it had been forgotten.

Now clutching one another tightly, the two beings grappled silently with their new reality and the pain that came with it. Minutes turned to hours, without an end in sight, only for the agony to end abruptly, allowing Cadance to finally breathe normally. When this happened, she looked down to find that the creature was gazing up at her with a strange, unreadable expression. Its eyes had become mostly white, save for a slit black pupil and a multihued iris that was three different shades of green.

“You look more… pony-like,” Cadance murmured. “It looks good on you.”

“Thanks,” it murmured.

“So, uh… See anything weird in those memories?” Cadance muttered absently.

“A lot. Helps me think and talk. Also found out that you have a thing for people taller than you,” it replied.

Cadance wanted to deny it, but something told her that the creature was absolutely correct.

“Shut up, you,” she whispered.

The creature laughed. “I would be offended, but you don't mean that. I can taste it.”

Cadance grumbled, only to realize that as the pair were dealing with their pain, they had become quite entangled with one another. Hooves wrapped around each other’s bodies, and the creature was nestled tightly into the crook of Cadance's neck. Though a little cold and its flesh weirdly hard, Cadance couldn't complain as the companionship was immensely enjoyable.

The distinct sound of the door opening caused Cadance’s relatively good mood to immediately disappear. It was further fouled by the dragon’s scowling deformed face and the plate of food he walked in with.

“Disgusting,” he muttered before quickly uttering a strange word.

The assassin creature in Cadance’s hooves immediately leapt backwards, escaping the alicorn’s grip. It then dutifully took position to the dragon’s right side, eyes becoming a black and featureless void once more.

“I may have lost my appetite, but that doesn't mean you haven't,” he exclaimed, dropping the plate of food in front of Cadance’s face. “Eat quickly, for it will be your last.”

“But Celestia forbid you from killing me,” Cadance pointed out.

“Yes, she forbade me from doing so, and ensured I completed my task. With that first thing done, I may now use my little puppet here to get rid of your now purified self. Now hurry up. I am doing you a rare kindness,” Daurgothoth declared.

Cadance grabbed the spoon and began to slurp up the bowl of oatmeal, noting much to her annoyance that it was genuinely good. There were even fresh berries inside of it, and the entire thing had been cooked to the exact right consistency. Throughout it all she observed the creature closely, attempting to discern what was going through its mind. A process which was difficult given that its face only changed expression once, flashing Cadance a tiny, almost imperceptibly small smile.

The alicorn choked down the last of her food and placed the plate aside, glancing up at the dragon expectantly.

“Well, get on with it,” she demanded.

“Impudent worm. I would add insult to injury, but that would only delay the inevitable. Now-” he uttered a strange sound that sounded vaguely like a word, prompting the creature to lurch forward.

With jaws extended and fangs revealed, it seemed poised to chomp down on Cadance’s neck. The alicorn felt no killing intent however, nor did she see any malice in the creature’s eyes. Sure enough, those fangs were not destined for her, as the creature suddenly spun around and buried them in Daurgothoth’s throat.

“What? How dare you!” he shouted, hands gripping the creature’s face in both hands.

With surprising strength, he pulled the assassin’s jaws open and threw the creature aside. It was swift however, and leapt back upon him, intent on landing another bite. Daurgothoth was faster still, and caught it mid-leap before twisting and tossing it across the room with much more force.

Cadance leapt into the fray a second later, throwing herself at the dragon and knocking him off his feet. Now astride his chest, Cadance slugged him repeatedly, though her blows were weak due to her own stifled magic and recent blood loss. Not only that, but it was hard to balance having only a single forehoof, resulting in the alicorn being roughly shoved back into the bed.

“Why, you filthy little abomination?” Daurgothoth muttered as he rose to his feet.

The creature screeched as it leapt at the dragon’s side, only to be caught by the throat before it could land a hit. Though it squirmed and tried to escape, Daurgothoth’s hold was firm, leaving little wiggle room. He didn't even seem particularly bothered by the blood pouring out of the four holes that had been punched into his neck.

Instead of addressing the wounds, he reached down and grabbed the creature’s horn in one hand, prompting another round of scratching, punching, and desperate attempts to get free, all of which were in vain. With a twist, he removed the creature’s horn, causing bright green sparks to shoot across the room.

The creature’s cry of agony turned into a gurgle of pain as it was tossed onto the bed.

“You monster,” Cadance muttered.

“You brought this on yourself,” Daurgothoth declared.

He then reached down, fingers splayed wide and intent on grabbing the alicorn’s horn as well. Cadance resisted, punching and scrambling out of the way, but the dragon was remarkably fast. In seconds his large stubby fingers wrapped about the pillar of bone, and the alicorn was wrenched forward.

“It seems as though you will live to see another day. You will come to regret this fact, I promise you,” Daurgothoth exclaimed before squeezing with all his might.

Cadance felt a moment of sharp pain before an intense stinging sensation exploded through her body, and she was thrown against the wall. By the time she became aware of her situation, Cadance found that the creature had wrapped its hooves around her. Not only that, but it was sobbing, its chest rising and falling as inky tears ran down its smooth features.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Cadance whispered, glancing up to find that they were now alone.

“I failed,” it muttered. “I thought because I saw all of that fighting, that I knew how, but I was useless.”

“He was stronger, but don't worry, we’ll get him next time,” Cadance murmured.

“Next time? There can't be a next time,” it pointed out. “You almost died.”

“You almost died,” Cadance retorted.

“Irrelevant,” declared the creature. “I am just a golem, a puppet. I don't even have a name.”

“Then let's fix that, hmm?” Cadance whispered.

“You cannot fix what I am,” it stated in a low tone, face pressed against Cadance’s chest.

“Hmm, you sound like a bug, but you act like a cat. Maybe Beetle Back? No, that doesn't sound right,” Cadance muttered to herself.

“You are wasting your time. This one is a worthless doll that deserves neither name, nor your pity,” it hissed.

Cadance merely stared off into space. “You did come from a tube, almost like a butterfly. That's it. I’ll call you… Chrysalis!”

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