Warning: This chapter contains explicit violence, gore and sex scenes, readers discretion is advised.

Chapter 10 – Scythe of Death.

-So be it- said King Sombra concentrating his power, his irritating smile firmly across his face.

The indigo alicorn did not hesitate a second and immediately charged against her foe, the edge of her sword pointing at king Sombra’s heart.

Sombra’s body darkened in a deep black color like if his own self was capable of suck all light around him. Sombra’s eyes were shedbying an intense greenish glow, his pupils had changed to a blood-red color and they fired a purplish vapor, while the shadows engulfed him making him grow several times his original size. Though, the princess of the night rammed her opponent at full speed, delving into the king’s body who was now completely covered by black shadows.

In a blink of an eye, Luna found herself engulfed by darkness, her magic suddenly vanished, completely consumed by the darkness around her and making her lose her grip on her black and blue sword.

She felt as if her mind were suddenly separated from her whole body, losing full control of her flight while feeling her nerves been suddenly disconnected from every fiber of her body at the same time she pass from one side of the shadow creature to the other.

-Such a shame- commented the shadow king with pessimism, as he regained his physical form once again.

The princess of the night fell heavily to the ground, her head hitting the crystal floor first, causing her helmet to fly out of her head. She tried to stand up on her hooves by pure instinct, but her legs barely answered her anymore. She had a hard time breathing, her hearth suddenly feeling a constrictor force surrounding it. Suddenly her mind was blank and shrouded by the darkness.

The night was at its peak, all Equestria slept peacefully sheltered by the beautiful blanket of stars which shone brighter than ever.

At the top of the castle tower of the two sisters stood an alicorn of dark blue fur, her sapphire-colored eyes staring engrossed in the vast infinity in front of her mesmerized by the sight of the amazing deep blue sky.

She had spent hours preparing this show with the firm hope of finally showing her beloved ponies how beautiful can be her gorgeous nights. She was ready to show them something only her nights could offer and was completely sure they will finally understand her.

Luna had spent days studying the best way to execute the impressive spectacle that was about to perform, carefully calculating the best trajectory and the precise amount of magic she had to imbue on each star of the firmament to ensure each one's movements were perfect and precisely timed. Luna has spent whole days and nights working and exercising control of her magic with the sole aim of making the show last as long as possible. Even if it ended up exhausting her physically and mentally. Just imagining the wonderful smiles her performance will draw over her subjects faces filled her with joy and excitement, that encouraged her to continue striving day and night until perfecting the execution of the night show.

For months Luna had thought of a way to attract the attention of her little ponies and show them how much she loved them, by given them a unique gift. One that could not be bought even with the most precious gems. One that only she could give them, a gift for which they would remember her for ages just as they remembered their beloved sister gifts.

She had tried everything for years, every night putting more effort into finding new ways to improve her already beautiful nights to the delight of others and she had achieved her goal, this was her most clever idea, her masterpiece, her most impressive creation. One for which she had put all her hearth on. One in which she had put all her effort and dedication. One in which she had tried to show her beloved subjects just how much she cares for them, how much she loves them and how grateful she felt every day to be the guardian of their nights and dreams.

And yet... and despite all her efforts, the streets remained deserted, the houses had their lights off but not a single soul outside their bed. She was sure of this after using her last reserves of magic to browse inside the dream room and find out if her ponies were actually at slept or simply staying inside their homes waiting for the show to start.

Luna just had to take little peek, a single look inside the dream room in order to confirm her worst fears. What she saw there broke her hearth. Luna had expended all her last amount of energy that night only to discover that not a single pony in all of Equestria remained awake at that time.

Being honest was almost midnight and rarely did any pony stay so late awake, but this time Luna has expected it to be different, after all she had made sure to warn Celestia the night before and ask her to help her spread the word and thus prepare each pony for the astonishing spectacle she had prepared.

So why?... What could be their damn reason? Why there was no one looking at her incredible adorned dark sky? Which had taken her so long to prepare, for which he had worked so hard. What a stupid excuse they'd have this time?

Last time, the Pegasus asked Celestia for permission to schedule a storm overnight to replenish the lack of rain. They had considered that because the night had less pony activity than the rest of the day. Therefore, it would be the best candidate to make sure that the storm did not affect the day-by-day activities of the kingdom residents, which had certainly annoyed the deity of the night. However, the young princess decided to accept the terms for the benefit of the kingdom.

Prior to that, the unicorns had caused a terrible mistake in misoccurring the seasons and ended up causing the princess of the night to cut back on some of her night time to prevent the cold nights of that winter from greatly affecting the earth, which undoubtedly irritated her greatly. However, Luna knew how to keep her mask perfectly by concealing her total disapproval and ended up agreeing with the request of her subjects.

The night she became the princess of the night. The same night she got her cutie mark, joy and pride filled her heart because at that moment she knew how much she could support the kingdom by using her magic to bring the night after the day. Now, however, she was no longer sure. Time and again she passed on to the most absurd requests with the sole aim of cheering other ponies, always keeping her mask firmly on her face and containing her nonconformities, irritations and discomfort. To be honest, Luna didn't really know how long she could go on like this before she finally ends up screaming at the sky. However, the dark blue alicorn princess was perfectly aware that part of her work as ruler was to look after the welfare of others before her own.

Her gaze turned to a small star near her silver light full Moon, It started to dismiss a faint glow as the little star began her journey.

"It's about time" she thought to herself.

The small star accelerated slowly traveling across the night sky in a matter of seconds followed by a second one, then another and another. Before long, hundreds of thousands of stars began to cross the night skies, their brightness being such that they illuminated the earth as they move creating stelae of light that flowed through the firmament at full speed.

Luna felt her cheeks moisten, as she stared at the spectacle alone on the balcony. She didn't even have the strength to contain her tears any more from falls downs her cheeks, like little pearls been tossed in a trash can, quietly falling on her dark-blue color fur. Each tear rolling down as silent as the shooting stars traveling across the land.

Tiredness had taken over her, but she could still hear a muted cry. She just decided to ignore it though. She was too tired to care. She felt an intense pain in her chest now, as if an object speared her from side to side. It didn't matter either. Luna kept her gaze on the firmament, observing her masterpiece in total solitude. The sound of the crying intensified, but the princess of the night continues to pay no attention to it. After all, if no one cared about her, why should she worry about some pony else right now?

"They're just ungrateful," she thought, angered.

The exhaustion became more and more evident in her, so she decided to close her eyes for a moment as she lay her head on her hooves which were also resting on the balcony railing.

"Why?" was the only question the princess was able to ask in her current state. The sound of the crying intensified, as much as the pain in her chest.

Something inside her broke in million pieces inside her right there.

As soon as she felt the warmth of a foreign body touching her and wraping her between its wings, she finally let out a cry of pain and sorrow as she began to cry openly. It was then that she understood it. Her heart was the one who had been weeping all along. The young princess felt a terrible combination of anger, pain, sadness and frustration that started consuming her soul.

That familiar feeling of soft fur and feathers that wrapped her hurts. That familiar smell hurts her too. That feeling that once gave her protection now made her feel like a prisoner. Her sister's unmistakable voice, which had always been extremely melodious and kind, now ripped her soul apart.

The deity of the night began to curse again and again, as she starts throwing furious blows with her hooves against the pearl white chest of the creature in front of her. However, the bright-white colored alicorn did not try to block any of them or even doge them. She didn’t even move and inch, on the contrary, the white creature deepened her embrace bringing her younger sister even closer to her massive chests while her own tears felt down over her little sister's blue-star mane.

Luna could hear her sister speak to her in a carrying voice, but she was unable to understand the words she articulated, perhaps the truth was that she was not interested in hearing them at all, at the time she was not even sure anymore. All she wanted was to keep crying and free herself from that terrible pain.

She had failed once more in a wretched manner. Her efforts had been wasted once again. All that time spent had gone to waste.

She spent a long time crying out her frustration and pain before tiredness forced her into a deep sleep, while the inexhaustible tears continued to fall from her eyes unstoppable.

-I'm… so sorry Luna- was the last thing she could hear before her conscious fell into darkness once again.

SILENCE

-Let me do this for the both of us- said a voice, a voice that was hers and at the same time belonged to some pony else.

-I can do what you don't dare to do- it continued. The deity of the night opened her sapphire blue eyes only to find herself in an empty, dark space. She could sense a faint light, very similar to that of her beautiful Moon, emanating from her body.

-Give me control and I promise you I'll make them pay for this- the dark blue alicorn looked at the ground her hooves were partially submerged in what appeared to be a surface made of black water, but the reflection in it was of a much higher and thinner alicorn, the other alicorn had a blackened fur and a star-bright mane, the creature reflexed on the surface had pointed fangs like knives and a sadistic and wide smile firmly placed on her lips.

-You just have to ask it and I will take revenge in your name- the other creature spoke to Luna, its eyes the same sapphire color as hers, but with torn pupils were looking her full of hunger.

Luna didn't answer, there was something familiar about that figure, something... extremely familiar and scary, but which for some reason at that time caused her no fear.

-Sombra deserves punishment for forcing us to relive that memory, you know what you have to do, you just have to let me out... all you need is to wish for my freedom and I promise you that everything will be fine for us- said the shady fur alicorn, her smile becoming even wider if possible.

-Sombra…- murmured the indigo alicorn, imitating the smile of her reflection.

-You just have to wish it... I promise you to take care of him... We can show him and the whole world the true power of the night-.

The image of a pearl-colored fur alicorn knocked down in front of her got her attention.

-Tia!...- Luna shouted.

-If you want to protect her, you only have to let me go- continued the shady fur creature under her.

To her right was present another figure this time a pony who had a metallic blue fur, its wings similar to those of a vampire, which lay on a pile of blood-stained snow. A long spear nailed to her heart.

-I can avenge her too… if you wish- said the dark alicorn in her reflection.

-Megrez...- whisper Luna, feeling her rage grow as she grinded her teeth.

-You just have to free me, and I'll make sure I fulfill your deepest and darkest wishes-

-Death would be like freedom. Sombra deserves a different fate... He deserves to live an eternal nightmare- the deity of the night replied, her eyes imitating those of her reflection.

-Your desires are my orders- replied the shady fur alicorn, as Luna's body began to sink into darkness.

The echo of a crazy laugh began to resonate all over the place stronger than ever.

-HAHAHAHAHA-

The sound of such spontaneous laughter took him by surprise.

-Do you think you found an ally in darkness?- askes a voice, a voice that was familiar and which in turn seemed completely foreign.

-Do you comprehend the powers you were gifted with? The same powers I was born into- in that instant Sombra was completely speechless. Something had gone wrong... terribly wrong... his heartless and meticulous mind had foreseen hundreds of possible scenarios... and yet he seemed to have made a huge mistake.

-Where do you think the shadows all go to hide from the precious light?- The king look at her shocked. The dark-blue coated alicorn was approaching him at a slow but firm pace. His spell had failed completely... Sombra was unsure how it happened, even if it was possible. He had mastered all kinds of black magic spells. Not a single one has ever failed him. It was impossible that his spell wouldn’t work at all. After all, the older sister was still trapped in his nightmare.

-Just who you think stands against them?- The alicorn lit her horn taking the scythe Sombra had left nailed to the floor.

-What you possess is a mere fraction of their might- she said as she looked at the weapon in great detail.

Shadow felt a shiver running through his back, a feeling he has seen for months in his own victims’ eyes multiple times, one he’d not felt in his own flesh for a long, long time.

-The same might I stand unyielding against, each and every night- her gaze was piercing. her smile had completely disappeared, her presence became bigger and frightening every second.

-STAY BACK!- the pressure made him act hastily, forcing him to attack on pure instinct.

The energy beam traveled at high speed. However, the deity of the night completely blocked the attack with a single swing of her scythe. The huge blade now as bright as the silver Moon light itself. The silver pearl rising high into the Skye. The weapon looks such menacing, it seems almost… alive. Sombra notice it vibrating in the magic grasp of the co-ruler, it looks like it was becoming impatient to test the king's blood.

Sombra knew dark magic was not as strong as white magic, used in combat the force of darkness has no power to deal against white magic, however dark magic was much more malleable and with some wit it could be much more lethal. However, the alicorn in front of him possessed a magic that was not only malleable but also immensely strong. Something he had not seen before.

-You are NOTHING compared to them... You're NOTHING compared to ME- the menacing alicorn suddenly roar.

Sombra had no time to react before feeling the blade of the scythe pressing on his neck. He could feel the edge of the blade about to pierce his skin and the cold of the crystal wall on his back preventing any movement.

-YOU CLAIM TO KNOW FEAR!? ... I SHALL SHOW YOU TRUE TERROR!- The creature's eyes in front of him were able to rip his soul like knives. Her pearly white teeth made him gulp, they were sharp and close to his neck. Luna’s fur was darker, in fact, it was completely black. A black so deep that it gave the feeling of completely swallowing any source of light around her.

-What... are you?- he barely pronounced, his throat felt dry, his lips trembled as he uttered the words and was sure that his own hooves felt flaccid and unable to bear his own weight.

The little giggles coming from the princess’ lips frost his blood.

-I... am a Nightmare- she pronounces raising the weapon striking at the king’s chest.

His body moved instinctively in an attempt to evade the attack as the shiny blade cut the wind making a creepy sound. Sombra use the crystal wall on his back to propel himself ahead and gain speed as fast as possible dodging the blow by a few inches.

He rolled on the ground conjuring a sword on his own. Above him appeared a crimson red sword made of crystal. The handle was covered in coltan and silver, the blade glowed with an intense crimson color, the same color of his horn.

The princess of the night simply smiled at the king who barely managed to block the scythe's first swing when he had to block a second... then a third and a fourth.

Both demonstrated great dexterity by manipulating their weapons, however it was clear that the speed and maneuverability of the alicorn was much greater.

The deity of the night attacked with a slice from the bottom to the top. Sombra blocks the sharp blade with his sword but the speed of the blow caused him to recoil losing his guard.

Without giving quarter, the princess of the night struck the umbrum with the handle of the scythe with such force that she caught up her enemy's jaw breaking it.

-HAAA!- Screamed Sombra as he quickly changed from his solid shape to his shadow form as he tried to move away from the alicorn.

-Oh come on, we're having so much fun- the alicorn said, transforming his body into a blue smoke and hunting down her opponent.

Shadow had to change his strategy if he wanted to have any chance against that creature, he knew full well that Luna possessed a natural talent in the handling of dark magic which came directly from her control over the night itself, however he did not imagine that hidden power would surpass him in such way, let alone hunt him down as if it were a sadistic, meaningless sport.

In his shadow form he quickly flew across the corridors, trying to reach the central tower. While he knew that the crystal heart could cause him great harm, he was sure that its simple presence would affect his persecutor as well. After all, she seems to possess such a large amount of dark energy right now, it would likely be possible that Luna took much greater damage in the process. Once incapacitated, he could contrive to throw her into the crystal-heart-protecting trap, and hopefully that would give him time to seal the princess with her crystallization spell.

Surprisingly a hoof took him by his mane pulling him out of the shadows and forcing him to return to his physical form.

- I hope you could do better than this- the alicorn said, the lower half of her body in its ethereal form as she held him tightly with her front hooves.

The alicorn took a quick turn constantly changing direction and hitting Sombra against the walls of the crystal castle multiple times, until charging straight and forcing him to cross the structure from side to side.

Sombra’s roar was heard all over the hall as he fell to the ground bouncing over and over again.

Without wasting time, he regains focus on his opponent and calculated the distance and speed at which she approached him. While still spinning he stretched out one of his hind legs firmly hitting the crystal floor. The impact caused his hoof to sink slightly to the ground, allowing him to suddenly stop his momentum. This took the alicorn off guard.

With a roar, he quickly took one of his opponent's helmets among his own and took a turn dislocating both his own hind leg and his opponent's hoof before crashing the dark princess to the ground using her momentum to increase the damage.

Sombra transformed his damaged leg into shadows immediately healing himself.

-Hahahahahaha... This is what I was expecting, I was starting to feel disappointed- the princes of the night’s laugh got his full attention.

The black alicorn was standing right in front of him, her damaged hoof had now melted with the shadows of the ground which was as dark as a pool of tar. Shadows quickly moved under Sombra before transforming into a series of stakes that began to emerge from the ground randomly.

Relying fully on his instincts the king took a turn backwards, to avoid the deadly attack, although the physical attacks Celestia had dealt to him had not caused considerable damage in his shadow form, Luna's attacks could certainly damage him even in his ethereal form because of the nature of her magic, so a bad move could also mean certain death in his current situation.

He quickly concentrated his energy on his crimson horn and created a crystal wall which he used to climb to the top of the room they were in and with a second attack blasted the ceiling to create a hole to pass through up to the upper levels.

-Grrr- growled the deity of the night before retaking her ethereal form and resume her pursue in a blink of an eye.

-I'm starting to get tired of this Sombra- the voice of the alicorn sounded frustrated -Stop running and face me-.

Sombra quickly advanced to the tower perfectly aware not to escape too fast to prevent his chaser from losing track of him. He finally stopped his career just below the chamber where he kept the crystal heart hidden.

He didn't have to wait long before the alicorn appeared by the threshold of the door leading to the stairs of the tower.

-You know many ponies would kill to be persecuted by a mare like me- she scoffed.

-I doubt they'll be aware of his own ignorance and stupidity- the king smiled back at her.

-No doubt they are- the princess replied, advancing at a slow pace -Tell me… how about you?... how ignorant and stupid can you really be?-

-You're about to find out princess- Sombra let a little laugh slip. Which caused the alicorn's gaze to harden.

-WELL, LETS FIND OUT!- cried the alicorn using her Canterlot voice before charging against Sombra once again.

Sombra faded the spell that blocked the power of the crystal heart, causing the room to be struck by the heirloom's purifying power in seconds.

He felt his body lose strength as a sense of discomfort completely overwhelmed him. He hear a dry blow near him and a low growl from the alicorn lying on the ground.

-Survival Lesson princess…- mocked the king -Never underestimate an enemy you share a weakness with, the latter may have overcome it- added Sombra grinning as he began to approach the now incapacitated princess.

-I did not expected you to fight so dirty... don't you have HONOR?- replied the deity of the night, her anger rising every second.

-Come on, don't be a bad loser, after all I've been enduring this malaise for a long time, it was obvious that it would serve me at some point. Although being honest I did not expect it to be in a situation like this- the king continued as he began to concentrate his energy on his horn.

The pain caused by the relic's purifying energy increased as the dark magic started accumulating in his horn. Which was why he had to end the battle as soon as possible to avoid further damage.

As soon as his spell was ready, he aimed his horn in the direction of the princess of the night throwing a blast against her. The characteristic crystallization sound indicated him that he had the victory assured.

The silence took hold of the room. The only thing he could hear was the echo that was producing his own breathing, he felt the beating of his own heart blasting his ears. His legs could barely keep his body under the weight of his armor, that now felt heavier than ever.

At his hooves was solidified in a pink crystal the figure of the alicorn princess. Sombra could still feel her enormous power enveloping the room, however now that it had been transformed into crystal it was impossible for her to continue fighting.

Probably if he left her in that place the energy of the crystal heart would take care of weakening the princess until she returned to her previous form and then he could deal with Luna calmly as was the original plan, but at the moment he had to take care of the older sister, who hopefully might not awaken from his nightmare, especially now that his powers had been wekened by the energy of the relic of the empire.

He had to hurry back to the throne room and end the sun's deity at once if he wanted to win the war.

Sombra set out on his way back to the throne room, moving each of his hooves represented a terrible effort, but he keeps walking at a tired pace.

-HeHeHeHeHeHeHe-

The sound made him stop dry and look up completely in shock.

-Who could have sworn it?... the fearsome and cruel King Sombra... Now you are nothing but a bunch of flesh and bones, completely unable to use your magic at will, let alone engage in a battle-

The whole room was covered in gloom, behind him he could feel the icy breath of another creature, but his body refused to respond.

-No... is impossible- he said incredulously.

-I will show you just how does true terror and despair of a nightmare in your own flesh feels like- The voice of the alicorn made his skin soared.

In front of his eyes appeared a bright white line, the line began to thicken rapidly until an intense pain became present in his eyes, as his vision turned red black spots ended up replacing everything.

-HAHAHAHAHAHA- laughed the deity of the night, seeing the king throw himself to the ground screaming in pain, the white blade of her weapon was now dyed red, and Sombras's eyes were bleeding.

The king ignited his magic in an attempt to heal the wound as soon as possible, however the sound of the wind being cut off by the lethal weapon, forced him to throw himself to one side in an attempt to dodge the blow, however, the sound of the flesh being torn and the bone being broken, followed by an intense pain immediately let him know that his reaction had been not fast enough.

The shriek of pain released by the King could be heard clearly throughout the palace. He felt the alicorn apply more force as she twisted the weapon’s blade, further opening the wound of his hind leg.

He concentrated his magic on an attempt to take his shadow form to escape the blade that kept him attached to the floor, however his surprise was greater at the realization that his body seemed unable to change to its ethereal form.

He probably must have had an expression of pain combined with confusion because the creature began to laugh mockingly

-I don't know why are you surprised?, as long as you have this blade stuck in your body I will be able to control the flow of magic inside you which allows me to completely block every spell you want to execute-

He felt the weapon become even more embedded as the blade twisted in the opposite direction, his cries of agony burning his throat. He could feel the ground becoming wet around him. The characteristic iron smell of blood flooded his nose, he was sure that if by that time his hind leg had not been mutilated it was not long before it was.

The deity of the night used the weapon as a hook to lift the king off the ground and nail him against the wall.

-Feel free to scream all you want- the alicorn said before hitting the king's ribs with her own hoof, using all her might the strike broke several ribs and causing Sombra to spit a large amount of blood through the snout.

-Have a little decency, shall you- said the alicorn mockingly -You’re a king, you shouldn't spit on the floor in front of a lady... it is not polite- she added coldly.

CRACK!

The deity of the night took one of Shadow's hooves and twisted it producing a sickly sound and leaving the limb in an unnatural position. Once again Sombra screamed in pain.

-You know... breaking the body of a pony is very simple, takes the fun out of this and diminishes the time one can enjoy, Don’t you think?- the alicorn placed one of its blackened hooves under her chin -I just hope your spirit is much more resilient- the princess of the night mocked concentrating her magic on her long black horn as her eyes began to shine brightly. Without wasting any more time, the princess cast the spell against Sombra.

-I’ll give you the honor to be the first to test the power of my nightmares, aren’t you exited?- she said, a madd grin placed on her face.

Sombra felt as if his whole body was skinned and then engulfed in flames.

When Sombra regained consciousness, he discovered his body was completely tied, his limbs fully extended. He was in the center of the main square of the crystal empire, the crystal ponies looked at him full of jubilation, their smiling faces watched him intently.

-W-What is this?- the king asked as he tried to free himself from his moorings.

-It looks like you've finally woken up- said a pony entering in his vision field, its colorful mane and crystal-bright fur making it unmistakable. It was the crystal queen Amore, the same one she had locked in the castle dungeons next to her daughter.

-How did you escape?- asked the king glaring at her, his mind was a chaos and he could not properly process the situation.

-The princesses of Equestria freed us and gave you up so we could give you the punishment you deserve for your crimes- answered the queen.

-Don't make me laugh, you don't have the courage to do anything to me... I AM YOUR KING!... I GIVE A PURPOSE TO YOUR MISERABLE EXISTENCE!... I!-

-No Sombra, you taught us the mistake we made, the mistake I made in thinking that I could give you the opportunity your race never had. But now it's clear, neither you nor your race deserves the forgiveness of our kind.

-Hahahaha... and what you can do to me, you have nothing!... you can't do anything that could harm me! you...- The king was mute to see the princesses approach him levitating among them the crystal heart -N-no, you can’t!-

-I'm sorry Sombra, but you left me no choice- the queen said with tears in her eyes.

Sombra looked the moment the crystal queen lit the crystal heart, as the crystal ponies leaned to the front full of joy. In seconds the crystal heart was loaded with power releasing a pure glow that completely covered the empire.

The energy shocked him causing serious burns to his skin, he felt his body been torn by the energy of the relic, while observing the gentle smiles of those present.

He watched in terror as his body became putrid as the pieces of his flesh were destroyed by the energy engulfing the kingdom.

-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- his cries of pain were overshadowed by the songs of jubilation of the crystal ponies.

He struggled again and again trying to free himself, in order to destroy those ponies and wipe those pathetic smiles from their faces.

CRACK

Shadow looked stunned at his hoof or more precisely, what was left of his leg. The stump of his hoof had pieces of flesh hanging and a piece of bone that came out of the center.

SILENCE

-HHHAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY- he cried in agony.

SILENCE

Sombra regain consciousness once again. The first thing he felt was a cold, hard surface beneath him. The second one, that his body was completely immobilized, and his snout gagged. The third thing he noticed was that around him was a group of hooded ponies.

-It seems to me that it is time to start with the extraction- said one of them, her voice sounded incredibly familiar but she couldn't concentrate his mind to identify it.

The rest of the ponies nodded and began to approach, positioning several metal carts on the surface of which were surgical instruments of different types.

His pupils dilated to see what they were about to do. He tried to concentrate his magic to get out of that place without success.

-Oh no anguish dear king, we will finish soon- said the pony before carrying a glass jar inside was placed his crimson horn.

-MMFFFF- tried to scream, unsuccessfully.

-First the hooves- said the hooded pony.

-MMFFFF-

Another one of the ponies took a hammer and a chisel and began to hit one of his legs tearing the flesh and breaking the bones. The process lasted what seemed an eternity, until at last the pony managed to completely detach the first of its hooves, proceeding with the others. Each causing the King terrible agony as he shook his body forcefully in an attempt to get rid of himself.

-Don't worry, we put a spell to prevent you from dying from lack of blood... or organs- he hear the voice of the hooded pony carrying a certain amount of excitement, he was only able to see one of his sapphire-colored eyes and his white smile stand out from the darkness that concealed his face.

-So don't worry your majesty, I assure you that you will remain alive and consent throughout the whole process- the smile of the pony grew wider.

Severe pain came from his abdomen- Sombra directed his gaze downwards and watched in horror as one of the ponies opened an incision throughout his belly leaving his organs exposed.

He watched as the ponies around him removed each of his organs leaving the space empty, as they cut with a saw his ribs and then opened them with a metal clamp exposing the inside of his rib cage.

-You know I envy your eyes, I've always wanted to have them-

Shadow's gaze turned again to the pony that was now facing him muzzle to muzzle.

-Hold him tight, I wouldn't want to damage such beautiful objects-

The king watched horrified as the pony opened its snout, its sharp teeth pierced the flesh as he watched one of his eyes entered the pony's mouth before being chewed by it.

The process lasted what seemed to be hours, finally the hooded ponies wrapped his body with bandages, the putrid smell coming from the fabric caused him nausea, only one of his eyes was discovered. He felt the ponies carry him and deposit him inside a sarcophagus made of wood and gold.

-Now Your Majesty, you will be able to remain for all eternity wrapped by the darkness you love so much- said the pony one of her eyes looking exactly like his own and her impossible huge side to side grin full of blood.

-MMFFFF-

-MMFFFFFFFFF

-MMMMMMMFFFFFFFFF- tried to shout the king, while the ponies placed the lid wrapping him in the cold darkness.

The last thing he could remember seen was the sadistic smile of the pony that had apparently increased in size. One of his eyes was sapphire blue, his pupil elongated like that of a reptile, the other was red, which shone in a green and purple tone he recognized his own look at him before being consumed by darkness until, another new nightmare begins.

-Enough!- shout the dark blue alicorn.

-I don't understand, dear, how can you feel sorry for this creature?- asked the much darker alicorn.

-Enough… its enough, he has already received his punishment. It was fun, but this is too much. Set him Free from the Nightmare! - ordered Luna by hitting the water surface with her hoof.

The tar colored alicorn looked at her pluzzled –After what he did to us… How you can even think of show him some compassion, remember what he did to Celestia!, what he did to Equestria, to the crystal ponies, to Megrez... TO YOU!. THAT THING DO NOT DESERVE OUR FORGIVENESS NEITHER OUR COMPASSION!-

-But this N-Nightmare...-

-Don't be a coward Luna let me do it personally so you don't have to take the blame-

The indigo alicorn looked away.

-Do you want to be continusly trampled by other ponies?, don't you want all Equestria to know that you have saved them?... It's your chance to show everyone what you can do... what we can both do-

The creature approached Luna by sheltering her under her wing – It's your only chance to show them what you're capable of - she lifted Luna's chin with her hoof –You know I'd never lie to you-.

-I... Us... O-okay, do it- Luna looked at the black alicorn in the eye –But... promise me you won't hurt him anymore.

-Oh dear of course I won't hurt him any more… no so much-

-I just want to end all this, I just want him to disappear from our lives and never come back anymore-

-Your wishes are my orders- replied the shady fur creature.

Sombra was on the ground. His mind went over and over again the horrific deaths he had witnessed, hundreds, perhaps thousands, he had completely lost count. His body ached, and it was impossible for him to concentrate his energy. His mind was a total chaos.

The sound of hooves hitting the ground caught his eye. He looked up. The silhouette in front of him was imposing, the creature of his nightmares was in front of him, her characteristic smile perfectly embodied in her face and her eyes looked at him as if he were no more than a simple squishable insect.

His body began to tremble, he looked horrified at the creature approaching him.

-N-No... N-no... You-You're not real... You-You can't be real... he said stuttering out of fear, he felt his blood freeze with every step the alicorn took towards him – STAY AWAY FROM ME! – cried in full desperation.

-Look at you... you're pathetic... you don't deserve death. I'll leave you in a place you'll never get out of-.

The moon began to shine as it positioned itself at the top of the blackened sky.

-You will be buried in the depths of this ice land for all eternity between this world and the other- she sentenced the alicorn by concentrating all its power.

-You and all those who accompany you will receive my punishment- she ended by casting her spell.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!” cried Luna inside her head.

The explosion of energy was distributed throughout the castle, reaching the limits of the empire, a sea of shadows began to devour the empire and its inhabitants.

-Withdrawal! - ordered Captain Caramel.

The ponies began to flee, trying to stay away of the sea of shadows before they managed to reach them. However, the Crystal Ponies who had been freed from Shadow's mind control were too dazed to realize what was happening, so they were quickly reached by the spell while their bodies were subsequently covered by shadows and swallowed by the snow before the horrified glances of the soldiers of the Equestria army.

Luna find herself fluttering in midair. she hadn't been able to stop Nightmare's spell in time.

Around her was a desolate landscape of snow and darkness, the brightness of her Moon returning to It’s normal glow making the black sky returns to a deep blue color. She could not believe what her sapphire blue eyes saw, the whole empire had been consumed by darkness, by her own darkness, over the snow she managed to see the bright golden gleaming armor of her older sister, who seemed to begin to regain consciousness.

The deity of the night slowly descended behind her sister, who woke up startled.

-Luna?! -

-What is it?-

The deity of the Sun looked at her sister for a second before letting out a sigh —Thank goodness you’re alright- she said as she wrapped her little sister in her wings. The indigo alicorn hug her back.

After a moment they pull apart from each other. Celestia observed the surroundings - Where are we…?- she asked disoriented – what happened to...? - The realization suddenly struck her upon seeing Luna's saddened gaze.

-Sombra is no more...- replied the younger sister, her gaze firmly nailed to the snow -But, the Empire... He... I...- she didn't really know how to say it, She was the culprit, the only one responsible, had taken months fighting Sombra with the aim of freeing the crystal ponies from his control but now there was no pony left to save. She knew she would be punished for this but imagining the pain in his sister's face when she found out hurt her even more.

-To banish an entire empire like that...-

Celestia's words took Luna completely by surprise.

-How much hatred and power were we truly facing...? - the deity of the Sun let a sigh escape –I am just grateful you are unharmed, and were able to get us out safely-

Luna deflected her embarrassed gaze, didn't her sister realize what had really happened, could she really let the guilt fall fully in Sombra?

Celestia cleared her throat loudly getting back her younger’s sister attention.

-We’ll need to bear news of this defeat to our subjects... Not every fight will be a victory- said Celestia -Come, it's cold- she added in a warmer tone -Let us return home.

That said, the deity of the Sun spread its wings and took the flight completely. Luna’s gaze changing for a second. Her pupils elongated.

"Did you see now? No one blames you for this" Luna hear that voice in her head. With a blink of an eye her eyes returned to her usual self.

Without thinking any longer, she opened his wings and set out to follow her sister, the first thing they would do would be to look for any survivor, after that she would return to the camp. From her tent, she could teleport to the guestroom where Chrysalis was waiting for her. With some a little luck her company would help clear her mind and forget what happened that night.

The room was silent as soon as Luna finished her story, although it was true that she had omitted several of the details about what had happened she had made sure to give the filly the necessary information.

-You must think we're some kind of monster now-

-I don't think I have the right to judge you in any way Luna- answered the little pegasus.

Luna looked up, her head still rested on the lap of the little filly.

-Snow...-

The deity of the night was silenced by the white-blue hoof of the filly.

-The important thing is that you are sorry for what has happened and I'm sure you will find a better way to talk to Princess Celestia, she is your sister Luna, I am sure she will forgive you as well as you always forgive her-

-It's complicated-

-Of course it is! Mom says that everything worthwhile in this world never comes for free. Usually the things and memories that we cherish the most are those that cost us more work, those that force us to outdo ourselves to be better... - said the little pegasus caressing Luna’s mane with her tiny hoof – And the same applies in relationships with other ponies-.

-We don't know how we could tell her, it's not a subject you can come out with in the middle of dinner you know?- replied the indigo alicorn by grasping Snowdrop’s little hoof with her own –I can't just come in and say: "Hey Tia how was your day?, our night was great thanks for asking. Oh! by the way, I forgot to mention to you that I banished an entire empire within an eternal prison of ice and snow between this world and the other"...-the deity sighs upset –No Snowdrop, things like that do not go well-

-Well you could tell me-

-It's different, you're our friend, she... well she is our sister-

-And couldn't it be both?-

-We're not sure about that Snow, my relationship with you is different from the one I have with my sister… or any other pony. I feel like you understand me better than anyone else and that's why I consider you an extremely special pony-

The pegasus stomped her wings approaching the deity of the night who was now on her four hooves. Snowdrop took Luna’s face between her hooves and placed a gentile kiss on the base of her long horn. At that moment Luna gave thanks her friend could not see her face. Luna’s cheeks blushed in a deep red color. Possibly she was unaware of it since being of different species, but it was very likely that the pegasus was not conceitful that the horns of the unicorns as well as those of the alicorns were extremely sensitive to the touch so that only some pony really close to them could touch it without consent.

-I am glad that you consider me such an important friend Luna, but you must understand that Princess Celestia, is the only one you can always count on... I'm still a filly, but I'm sure you'll still be here long after I'm gone, so you have to promise me you'll try-.

-You're still too young to think about those things Snow-

-I am aware and believe me, I hope to spend a lot of time by your side Luna, but that does not change the fact that our life times are different, but even after time Princess Celestia will still be by your side-

-I know-

-Promise me Luna... Promise me that you will open your heart to the princess in the same way that you have opened it to me-.

-I… I'll try-

-Good... Changing the subject. Would you help me bring Megrez’s flake, the ceremony is about to begin, and we must be punctual, then we can go to my house mom prepared pumpkin candy, I'm sure you will love it-

-You will take Megrez’s winter star and I take care of the rest of them. I'll let Tia know we'll be with you tonight. She'll certainly get a little jealous-.

-Jealous...? - asked the white blue pegasus while placing the Snowflake carefully under her wing before climbing on to the princess’ back.

-Oh!, Of course, I haven't told you that story yet. We had a friend, his name was Discord, he could do all sorts of things with his magic and one day he made a dessert for my sister. However, I think it was a bewitched dessert or something like that because since then Tia has become addicted to Sweet things...- Luna said giggling as she wrapped the remaining snowflakes with her magic and took the flight with the tow -Although she's already trying to control her impulses, I've seen her sneak into the palace kitchen for some frosting buns-

They both laughed as they left the room and set out to head to the royal palm from where the winter opening ceremony would take place.

The sound of water droplets hitting the ground and the jingle produced by the chains each time she moves was the only thing that became familiar at the time.

The chains on her hooves burned her skin and the numerous wounds prevented her from resting properly as the pain ended up waking her every time she was able to fall asleep.

She wasn't sure how long it had been since Queen Cocoon, her mother, had put her in the dungeon, but she knew exactly what it meant.

She could still remind his friend Carpio, his undeserved death just happening in front of her own eyes and also recall the sounds of his body being devoured. While it was true that changelings required consuming love to survive and if they didn't get it for a long time they could feed their bodies with fruit or meat, the latter did not provide them with the reserves of magic they needed, which consequently made her mother's cannibalistic practices more unpleasant than beneficial in any sense.

In the distance she hear the buzzing sound of the changeling patrol accompanied by the firm hoof steps of her jailer.

With a lot of effort she stood on her own hooves, moving slightly. She looked up, one of her eyes notoriously swollen from the blows, but that did not prevent her from clearly distinguishing the silhouette of the creature on the other side of the bars.

-That's how I like it Chrysi, you really make Mommy proud of you- the queen's smile changed to a grimace -Which leads me to wonder why you're still been so foolish and clumsy. Letting you be carried away by your feelings-

The glitter coming from the queen's horn unlock the cell door.

-I'll ask you just once...- the princess remained silent, her gaze fixed on her mother's eyes –Who did you get that energy from?-

SILENCE

-Well, maybe a slightly more intimate punishment will get you to change your mind- by swirling her head, Cocoon indicate the soldiers to get inside the cell.

The soldiers looked at the battered princess who could barely stand, then looked at the queen with worried expressions.

-Go ahead, do what you want with her and make sure you're not any gentle or else I'll take care of her punishment properly by myself-.

The soldiers looked preoccupied at the princess, clearly disagreed with her queen's methods.

-Please...- whispered the changeling princess. She was aware of the pain she would have to go through but she knew perfectly well that the soldiers would treat her much better than her mother would treat her –I beg you... -she murmured so low that only the soldiers could hear her-.

The group looked at her sadly. In her gaze they could see fear and the they fully understood what was the true terror that engulfed her at the time. They were soldiers of the hive and their mission was to watch over her majesties, even if to do so they had to hurt her.

-You've heard her- one of them said, closing his eyes in an attempt to muster the courage to do what his duty dictated.

The group approached the princess with firm pace and tears in their eyes. Just a little push was all they needed to take down the already sore princess.

Chrysalis kept her mouth shut and her gaze fixed on Cocoon’s, she would not give her mother the pleasure of seeing her scream, moan or even beg.

The changelings began by biting her body, nailing her fangs into the body of her princess, who remained without emitting a single sound.

The first of the soldiers stood just at Chrysalis hips and separated her back legs while the others continued to nibble on her body

-I'm sorry princess- mused the soldier before attacking the intimacy of the changeling princess with all his might.

The feeling of the soldier's limb aggressively ripping her intimacy almost made her scream. It took all her willpower to keep her lips firmly closed, although she could do little to prevent tears from beginning to roll down from her cheeks, she did not take a moment away from her mother's sight though.

The soldiers began slapping her and biting harder. One placed his long limb over her throat by cutting off her breath as the onslaughts continued to increase in rhythm.

The soldiers began to take turns. Some penetrated her from the front, others from behind. They did their best to be careful not to hit or bite the areas of Chrysalis' body that were still severely injured,

The act continued again and again, Coccon remained out of the cell at all times while his minions worked insatiably. She could see her daughter writhing in pain without looking away from the defiant gaze she was throwing at her.

It was until the soldiers were exhausted that the queen gave the order for them to withdraw.

-I'll be back in an hour, hopefully by then you've thought things over- said the queen igniting her horn to lock the cell once again.

Chrysalis keep lying on the ground, her body covered by a viscous liquid with a characteristic smell, her mouth was full of saliva combined with that same sexual juice, from her eyes keep coming out silent tears. After a while she stopped hearing her mother's footsteps, indicating that she had left the dungeon.

-Luna- she uttered in a broken voice, as she let out her voice finally crying openly in complete solitude.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks:

I take this moment to congratulate each and every member of Silly Filly, Studios for creating such beautiful stories and having introduced me to the desire to delve deeper into this fandom.

Author's note:

Hope you will have a grate Halloween night?

As you may have noticed, I been very busy, however, I will try to keep updates on time. In addition to the MLP series ending and my activities at work.

This chapter was slightly longer than the previous ones, so it took me some time to get it ready. Specially cause the original one has some serious orthographic issues I have to correct.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you for the support and time you have devoted to my history, see you in the next chapter.

Have a nice weekend you all.

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In memory of Victor Fidel Beloved grandfather and mentor.

March/1938 - October/2018