Deep within the dungeon, various prisoners were subjected to severe amounts of torture. From cell to torture device, there was no telling what ungodly thing would happen if the prisoner was to ever be executed. In the darkest corner of the dungeon, the Flim Flam Brothers received heavy wounds and mistreatment. As Spike walked into the dungeon, the guards immediately bowed before his presence. He respectfully says,

“Rise.”

After the guards rose up, a griffon captain approached Spike and said,

“Your Highness, we have information from the Flim Flam Brothers. We were told that they were attempting to smuggle our equipment to give to the Crystal Empire so that they could evade us.”

“Sounds that it would be too implausible to ignore. Bring them to me.” Spike commanded.

Heeding his command, the captain ordered the guards to bring over the Flim Flam Brothers. When they brought the brothers over, they were severely broken and injured from the pain inflicted on the by the guards. Their horns were broken, flesh partially ripped along with their cutie marks, and their hair messed up from the sweat. Flam’s eyes were even gouged out with his eyes bleeding. When Flim took notice, he immediately said,

“B-Brother, it's the king! Lower your head!”

“Y-Yes, brother!” Flam said in a whimpering voice.

They both lowered their heads and spoke nothing. Spike moved closer and smelled their bodies as the creature came out of the former's body. The creature lick Flam’s body while he closed his eyes in a terrified manner. The creature said,

“This one's flesh is dirty, but will suffice when it is cleaned.”

Spike looked at the two and said,

“What were the two of you hoping to gain from stealing one of my armories? You must have known it would come to this.”

“Why, revenge of course! You destroyed everything! There’s nothing left of our home! Once we had made it to the Crystal Empire, we would give them the needs to stand against you!”

“Yet here you are, powerless and hopeless in here, rotting away as we do away with filth like you. Scheming, tricking, and lying your way through to get what you want. But I am not Princess Celestia.”

Turning toward the guards, Spike said as he walked away,

“Prepare them for tonight. We have a special feast for the Dragon Lord. I have other matters to attend to.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” the guards headed as they bowed.

“Feast? What feast?!” Flam shouted.

“But sire. What about the other ponies we captured?” one captain asked.

Looking around cells containing the captured ponies, Spike said,

“Kill them.”

“Yes sire.” the guards gleefully said.

Turning around as Spike walked away, he heard countless cries from the captured ponies as they were slaughtered one by one. Walking back with Thorax, he turns to his hippogriff servant and asks,

“Will the other royals be here?”

“I will see to it they receive their invitations.” the hippogriff said in a regal manner as he bowed.

After the hippogriff left, Spike asked,

“Have you been shown to your room yet?”

“No, but I have no ill will against the servants. It's Chrysalis that gets angry whenever she doesn’t receive her meal on time.”

“Will she be joining us?”

“No. She is too occupied with the Hive to join us in our festivities.”

“I can only hope she will receive the regards to my proposal to the Dragon Lord.”

Just then, two dragon soldiers arrived in the hallway as both Spike and Thorax turned towards them.

“Your Holiness, we have received word from the front of Saddle Arabia.”

“Really? Would you care to tell me the details?”

Wasting no time, the soldier said,

“We have successfully killed every single pony that stood and fought us to the bitter end on the front. We butchered every soldier that stood in our way, including the mares and the fillies. But when we searched deeper, we found a vast amount of resources. We could use the raw materials to create more weapons and expand your kingdom? Do we have your permission?”

“Hmm. Hold onto the materials for now. See if you can haul them off to the Apple farm for research and development. Relay that command to the CO as you return.” Spike ordered

“Yes, Your Highness.” The soldiers said as they bowed.

After the soldiers left, Spike decided to head to the command post to check on how things are in the war against the Crystal Empire. Thorax followed suit, but Spike said,

“Stay here and make yourself at home. I have important matters to attend to.”

“Okay. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you at dinner.” Thorax said as he turned the other way.

After Thorax left for his room, Spike walked towards central command. As he moved, the creature came out through his back. It said,

“We are beginning to grow the more we conquer Equestria.”

“And the more we consume, the more weak the ponies will become. It will be a wonderful day when I get to wrap my claws around Twilight’s throat for what she did to me. Along with her friends who did nothing but watch as they expelled me from her life.” Spike said as he continued to walk.

“Your time will come when you get to sink your teeth into their skin along with the marrow that leaks from the crunching of their bones. Especially the Princess of Love, that hideous sight of her husband, and this little excrement of a foal. Her family makes me puke. I look forward to watching their heads fly.”

“But for the time being, we must be patient. Tirek is doing everything within his power to destroy the many armies lain by the Crystal Empire. And we are succeeding as of now.”

As they continued to walk, the creature started to have thoughts about what Spike said concerning patience. It was beginning to rub off on it like it was becoming important to the dragon. It asked,

“Would you care if I told you a story as you walk?”

Hearing this knocked Spike for a loop. He already knew that the creature was bloodthirsty and more than ready to kill everypony they come across, but he never took it for the the creature to tell stories. Nonetheless, Spike said,

“I’m listening.”

“There once, before your lifetime, existed a goat known by the name, King Grogar.”

“Wasn’t he the goat who nearly came close to destroying Equestria along with the Royal Sisters?”

“Yes. But he was not always evil. He was just like you. Before he became one with the darkness you see before you now, he was once a friendly traveler who moved everywhere across the entire land of Equestria. Others were friendly, others were not. But when he came to settle into the mainland of Equestria after years of weary travel, he was met with nothing but bigotry and ridicule from the ponies that came before him in his quest. But from his agony at the hooves of those wastes of flesh, there existed a unicorn that was kind and friendly to him. Her name was Chasma Andromeda. She was studying as a wizard and was the most kindest pony anybody could have ever know.”

“How did she and Grogar meet?”

“Of that I do not recall. But they were good friends. She even taught him how to use magic. When her friends and family learned of this, they didn’t take too kindly to his presence and forbidden him from ever seeing her again.”

“That’s awful.”

“Naturally, he didn’t take too kindly to being banished from Equestria by the ponies, so he gathered a mass amount of the creatures that he met on his journey and led a crusade against the ponies whom he felt wronged him. He even, in his lust for revenge, killed Chasma Andromeda in his path.”

“Why?”

“Guilty by association, I assume. After laying waste to the lands of Equestria and nearly taking over as the new king, two alicorns, whom you already know as the Royal Sisters, rose up against King Grogar. In his arrogance, he used the combined powers of his dark magic and the light magic he was taught by Chasma to defeat the two princesses. But it proved to be for naught as the sisters combined their efforts to vanquish King Grogar from existence. All the other creatures involved in his rebellion were imprisoned for their crimes and executed.”

“What are you getting at? And how do you know all this?”

“Because I was his loyal servant and without his sorcery, I would not have been created and I would not have found a host which you have already known as Stygian. If I had not placed bits of my being inside the heart now embedded in your chest, I would have been lost.”

“Why are you telling me this story and when were you created?”

“That’s a story for another time and we’re nearly close to command.”

“I still have plans to propose to Ember, so I would be grateful if you didn’t interfere.”

“You let me do the talking and I will not choke you.”

“Was that a threat?”

“Think of it as a test of character when time comes for your final battle against the ponies at the Crystal Empire.” the creature said as it enveloped Spike.

“Right…” Spike said upon being full enveloped by the ooze.

Afterwards, the two went inside Command as the Celestia hallucination watched them enter.

Author's Notes:

From now on, I'm gonna publish a chapter every Friday because I'm very busy with other stuff that I barely have time for this. Also, I start my part-time job next week. Rest assured though, I will keep writing more chapters for this epic story of darkness and evil. But for the time being, enjoy yourselves and tell me your thoughts in the comment section down below. I'll see you on the other side.