Scene 1: The Breaking Point of Metal

Metall Kant frowned at the darkness of his eyelids.

Love means nothing anymore. Nothing. It's worthless, it's pointless, and it should be stopped...They don't need Cadence's love, they have enough on their own as it is...

And besides...Now that Vind Rullator is dead...What is love to the world? Love means nothing, it won't save your loved ones, it will only hurt those who love...

"Uh, mister? Are...Are you okay?"

Metall Kant opened his eyes to see Cadence, the Princess of Love. He smiled pleasantly, despite the maelstrom in his mind. "Yes, I'm quite alright, Princess," he nonchalantly stated, trotting towards the large, heart-shaped bed in the center of the room. A chest plate with a star family crest lay upon the plush furnishing.

"The heirloom of a lover, no doubt?" Metall Kant asked as he turned it over for inspection with his enchanted claw. Two letters-undoubtedly initials-were inscribed onto the back. "S.A....Hmph. Shining Armor, of the Royal Guard?"

Love. They're in love. How fickle...

With a burst of magic, the chest plate had been levitated, and moved into a discrete corner of the room. "That doesn't concern you," Cadence muttered, her face flushing red as she looked away.

"Oh, of course," Metall growled, staring Cadence in the eye, "what is the business of a princess to a god?"

Cadence blinked in surprise, and took another look at Metall Kant. "Your hoof is a claw. Who did you pay to do that?"

He waved said claw dismissively. "Enchanted by none other than Vida, the mother of Celestia and Luna when I was chosen as the Elder. In fact, as a Leader of the Elders."

Cadence cocked her head in confusion. "Elders? And how did you get here, anyway? You're not a unicorn!"

"But I am a god. Now, you are the goddess of love. Meamore Cadence, the Princess of Love..." Metall imitated a swoon as he spoke, openly insulting the princess before him. "And what has love brought me? Pain."

"I'm very sorry to here that," Cadence said softly. "Now, who are the Elders?"

"Ask Celestia. She'll tell you."

"Ah-huh. Well, is that all?"

"No, no, my personal story is not the point of my presence," Metall said, poetically weaving each word into the next. "Rather, I'm here to request you stop pumping love into the couple Peter and Rainbow Dash."

Cadence chuckled lightly. "Please. Celestia herself ordered me to do so. I'm not exactly sure as to why, as I've been kept in the dark, but..."

Metall smiled, and stood on his hind hooves. With a flash, his blade had appeared in his mercury claw.

"Either you stop pumping love into them," he whispered venomously, "or I end love forever."

Shining Armor walked, humming, into the break room.

"Sir," a guard said to the white stallion.

"Yes, today is a fine day," the white stallion responded, leaving his guard baffled and confused.

"Ah, Shining Armor, glad to see you so...Chipper."

Shining Armor turned to the Princess, and bowed. "Ah, Princess Celestia. May your light shine forever."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, and nodded. "Yes, of course. I am not yet ready for today's practice, Shining Armor. Could you maybe...Come back in an hour or so?"

The Captain of the Royal Guard looked up in confusion, and saw a cross-eyed grey Pegasus, right by the edge of Celestia's marble throne. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing of it.

These were surely strange times.

"While you're on break," Celestia added to the stationary Captain with a smirk, "you may as well retrieve your chest plate from Cadence's chambers, lovercolt."

Shining Armor flushed red, and was about to refute the claim, when he remembered he was dealing with a Princess. "Ah, yes. Of course, my Princess..."

The alicorn giggled lightly, and the grey mare simply smiled in...Success? Anyway, Shining Armor backed out of the room, and hastily made his way back to Cadence's chamber, making sure that nopony saw his blush.

When he arrived at his lover's chambers, he gasped at the sight before him.

"Cadence!" He shouted, his horn glowing as he stepped towards the black pony, whose silvery claw gleamed in the light of Cadence's failed spells.

"No!" The Princess cried. "Stay back, my love!"

Shining didn't listen. Instead, he charged right for the pony holding the blade to his lover's heart, and was sent back by some unknown force, and went crashing into the wall.

"Stay out of this, fool," the pony growled, a hint of insanity creeping into his voice. "Now, Cadence, will you do as I say?"

Shining Armor watched on, helplessly, as the black earth pony pressed on his blade, and drew a small drop of blood from Cadence's hide.

I need to get Celestia...

Shining Armor stood, and nodded to Cadence, who gulped, and began to stall the pony before her.

Somehow undetected by the black earth pony, Shining Armor slipped out, and ran for the throne room at top throttle, ignoring cries of dissent from blustered ponies.

A few seconds later, he burst through the doors to Celestia's throne, interrupting a meeting between the Princess, the cross-eyed Pegasus, a Diamond Dog, and a Griffin.

"Shining Armor!" Celestia cried. "What is the meaning of this !?"

Shining raised a hoof, panting.

"Oh, Celestia, if you're busy, we can, ah...Return," the Diamond Dog whispered.

"Celestia...Quickly...Cadence...Danger..."

Celestia blinked in surprise, and looked to the grey Pegasus. After a small nod, Celestia took off without another word.

She was helpless under the "Elder's" power. She could only breathe, blink and speak.

"Well? I grow tired of your silence."

Cadence cried out in pain as the blade pierced a small amount deeper, brushing up against her outermost rib. "Please...Stop...I'll...I'll stop...I won't pump love into them anymore, but please, stop..."

With a triumphant smile, the "Elder" slowly removed his blade, and released Cadence. She fell to the ground, panting and crying, holding a hoof to the small incision in her chest. "You're a monster," she spat in disgust.

"Only because you made me that way."

He began to glow, when Celestia burst in, followed by Shining Armor. The Princess' ethereal mane immediately stiffening as she caught sight of the black pony.

A split second later, he was gone.

"No..." Celestia whispered, barely audibly. "Why would he turn against us..."

Cadence stood, feeling relief as Shining Armor mended the wound in her chest. "Are you okay!?" He shouted, helping her onto her hooves.

With a shake of the head, Cadence smiled into Shining Armor's eyes. "Yes, my love, I'm fine..."

She looked to Celestia, to see that her face was fixed in a thoughtful frown.

"Celestia?"

The white alicorn simply stared at them. "What did he want?"

"He wanted me to stop pumping love into that couple."

Celestia's frown deepened. "You have the day off, Shining Armor. And, Cadence..."

Cadence's chest tightened, and fear gripped her.

"I suggest you do what he says. He's more powerful than Luna and I combined."

Cadence nodded, and immediately cut off her small link to the couple in the train, with a small amount of relief. It was one thing to instill love in a fighting couple nearby, but another thing to maintain constant love between a superfluous couple miles away.

"I must depart," Celestia muttered. "I will see you two tomorrow. If I return."

Cadence reached out a hoof, but before she could object, Celestia was gone.

"What in the hay is going on?" She muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I...I don't know," Shining Armor admitted, nuzzling Cadence lightly on the neck.

The two of them sighed, and Cadence waved a hoof in the direction of Luna's quarters.

"We should go tell Luna," she muttered, holding onto Shining armor for balance. While the wound was almost nothing, the power used on her had drained almost all of her energy. It was almost as if her love was being replaced with utter pain...

Celestia frowned at the Elder before her. He appeared to be ignoring her.

"Look at me, Metall."

Metall Kant looked up to her, and she could tell that he had been crying, if only lightly. Her heart softened, but she turned it to stone.

"You attacked a Princess. Undoubtedly, all of Canterlot will be hunting you down now."

"I apologize, Celestia. Now, if you will excuse me, I have-"

"No, I will not excuse you."

Metall Kant looked up at her, surprise etched across his face. "Oh?"

Celestia sat down in front of his desk, and furled her wings onto her sides. "Metall, what's wrong? Why are you acting so strangely? One moment, you're threatening to murder a Princess, the next, you're crying?"

The Elder sighed. "I never wanted this...Any of it. I can't fee love anymore."

"Yes, you can. Vind Rullator-"

"Is dead. She died in the Temple of Origins, along with half the Elders."

Celestia frowned. She was slightly taken aback that she hadn't been informed directly, but she put it off for a later date.

"Metall, you can't keep dwelling on that."

Metall Kant slammed his enchanted claw on his desk. "Damnit, Celestia, just let me do my job!"

"No. I won't. Not when you're tearing yourself apart like this. You need to take a break, Metall. After the loss of your loved one, you need to take a break."

"What do you think I've been doing!?" He shouted, obviously enraged. "I've been sitting here doing nothing! All it's brought me is pain, as I can't get her out of my damn head! And I can't find another pony, because she'll just die like the rest of them!"

"What about one of the New Age Elders?"

"No! She was the only pony I could ever love!"

Celestia's heart softened, and she felt the utmost pity as the Elder let his head collapse into his forelegs, sobbing as memories wracked him.

Within a few moments, he was back up, not a single quiver present in his voice to suggest he had been crying.

"Anyway, I think I should get back to work..."

Celestia gulped, and decided to let loose a secret she had kept for thousands of years.

"But, Metall..." She whispered. "What about...Me?"

Metall looked at her in surprise. "You?"

"Yes, Metall. I...I love you. I should have told you sooner..."

She saw something soften in Metall's eyes, but she didn't see any love. "Well...That's...Unfortunate. I am sorry to say that I can no longer feel any love."

Celestia nodded, working hard to keep her composure. "I understand..." She looked away. "It's just...For years, I've known how you felt for Vind Rullator, and for eons, I've been in love with you...But I...I just...I couldn't deal with the fact that it wasn't me that you loved...I thought that love had abandoned me..."

Her heart skipped a beat as Metall Kant placed a hoof on Celestia's, his only forehoof. "It hasn't. You can still find somepony. I, however...I cannot."

Celestia looked into Metall Kant's eyes, and gulped. "At least...Come stay with me...For a night..."

Metall withdrew his hoof. "I thought you had abandoned the old ways, Celestia."

"Some old habits can be hard to shrug..."

Metall chuckled lightly, and nodded. "You've got that right..."

They stayed there, silent, for several moments, before Celestia interrupted the silence's busy conversation.

"I'm sorry, just...If you ever do this again..."

She turned her heart to steel, blocking out all emotion.

"I will kill you."

Metall Kant looked up at her in shock, and his fragile emotions gave way. "I'd like to see you try," he growled, clenching his mercury claw into a fist.

"I won't be alone."

Metall Kant gritted his teeth, and pointed at Celestia with a shaking claw. "You get the buck out of here, you coward. You're lucky I don't run you through right now, and put an end to your sorry existence!"

Celestia sighed, and stood. "Metall, I'm sorry. Sorry that you're already dead..."

Metall drew his blade, and leaned towards Celestia. "Is that a threat?"

"No," Celestia responded. "It was mourning. The Metall I fell in love with, and the Metall my mother chose as a Leader, is dead. He's been replaced with a monster."

Metall drew back slightly, and Celestia stood. "I shall depart now. I trust that you'll do the right thing."

Metall Kant looked down at his blade. "You shouldn't..."

"But I do. Because I love you."

Metall visibly recoiled. He waved a hoof at Celestia, and she turned, waiting for the sound of his blade being sheathed.

It never came.

Rather, it clattered onto the floor.

"Metall?" She asked, turning.

The black pony stared at his hoof and claw. "Who am I...What have I become?" He blathered to himself in the Language, and Celestia had to hold her hooves to her ears. The sounds of each syllable, each consenant, echoed and resonated endlessly in the Hall of the Elders.

"Metall, please, stop! Remember that you have somepony who loves you! Remember me!!"

Celestia dove over the desk at Metal, and brought him crashing down onto the stone floor. She kissed him, on the muzzle, unable to believe what she was doing. "Metall, be strong! For me!"

Metall opened his eyes, and all Celestia saw was darkness.

"Metall is too weak to withhold me, Celestia."

Celestia frowned, and stared right into the darkness.

"Mørket! Why have you turned against us? Why are you no longer Lys i Mørket!?"

"Because Discord has shown me the way to enlightenment, my dear," Mørket drawled on in Metall's voice. "He has shown me what I am: a tool."

"You were my mother's most trusted ally, and her personal squire, before Discord sealed her away!"

"And before you sealed me away."

"You were thrown into the Temple of Origins by Discord!" Celestia shouted into the darkness. "Not us!"

"Ah, yes, but my minions set me free, not you."

"Because we couldn't!"

"Oh? Why not?"

"Time is different in the Realm of Dreams, you know that!"

"We have strayed off subject. Metall is too weak to resist my power, his emotions are too confused. So, kill him."

Celestia recoiled, but kept pinning Metall down. "No!"

"Kill him, and be rid of me!"

"Why have you turned against us!?"

"Because if I can awaken Vida, I can corrupt her, and have my vengeance!"

Contorting Metall's face into a smirk, Mørket angeled Metall's face closer to Celestia's face. "Kill me. You know you want to. Kill me for inhabiting the pony you love. Go on, kill me!" Mørket had Metall's body thrash around, causing minor brusing and a few small scrapes. "Get rid of me! Exterminate me!"

Celestia closed her eyes. "I know that there's a light somewhere in there...The Metall I once knew...The Metall I love..."

When she opened her eyes, the sneer hadn't lessened. "Mørket, if you leave his body, I promise that I will help you get revenge on Vida and Discord."

Metall's face contorted in shock. "Vida? Why do you wish ill upon Vida?"

"She helped my father gain control. She helped him cast Luna and I down, her own daughters. Only when he betrayed her did she help us. And even then, she attempted to bring us down, so that she could rule Equestria by herself."

Metall Kant snorted. "What would be in it for me?"

"Killing the one who took your body."

Mørket chuckled. "No. I won't gain revenge on her, or Discord. However, seeing as how I'm getting nowhere, I think it's high time I find a new host."

And, with that, Mørket had left Metall's body.

"C...Celestia? What're you..."

Celestia didn't let him finish. She kissed him. "Oh, Metall, I was so scared that Mørket would hurt you..."

"What? What happened?"

Celestia relayed what had happened. Only, she did so slowly and carefully, stressing small details so that she could keep whispering into Metall's ear, and be close to him...

"And then, he left your body, and you woke up," Celestia said after about ten minutes. Metall nodded, and pushed at the alicorn's foreleg. "Uh, Celestia? Would you mind..."

Celestia nuzzled Metall on the neck. "Equestria can wait for five more minutes..."

Metall gulped, and Celestia revelled in the old Metall. Of course, she knew this would only be for a small amount of time, but it was still worth it.

"I love you, Metall."

"My love is dead..."

Celestia felt a pang in her heart. "So you have room for a new one!"

Metall took a deep breath, obviously composing himself. "What if somepony finds out?"

Celestia smiled at him, and let herself lay totally flat on his body. "They'll have to deal with it. I am a Princess, after all."

Metall shook his head. "In Equestria's current state, I don't think we could afford for things like this..." He whispered, still pushing lightly at Celestia's foreleg. "Could you please?"

Celestia blushed, and stood, slowly. As soon as there was enough room, Metall slid out from underneath her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But...After eons of being alone, to hold somepony tight and kiss them felt...Amazing."

Metall Kant nodded. "I understand. I felt the same way with Vind..." He sighed, and scratched the back of his head with his claw. "That was incredibly unprofessional..."

Celestia nodded, blushing as Metall placed a hoof on her foreleg. "But thank you. For getting Mørket out of me. I know that I'll break down again, and when I do, I will probably be more violent. If I do, please..."

Celestia smiled down at Metall, but the smile quickly died.

"Kill me."

"No," Celestia responded, shaking her head violently. "I won't. I love you too much..."

"And that love will hurt you, Celestia. And Equestria needs you." Metall removed his hoof from her side, and Celestia suddenly felt...Alone. Without being able to hold Metall tight again, it was all so...Lonely.

"Please, Metall, just...Stay with me for one night. Not for sex, but just so that I can be with you..."

Metall frowned. "All of Canterlot will be hunting for me. I can't..."

"Then at least let me stay with you!"

Metall recoiled, and looked away, blushing. "Celestia, I'm flattered, but no."

"Please, Metall...Please..."

Metall Kant sighed, and looked back into Celestia's eyes. He must have seen the pain in her eyes, as well as the tears forming in them, as he slowly began to change his mind.

"But...What if somepony finds us?"

"I am a Princess. No, actually, I'm a Queen. For me, they will make an exception."

Metall raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say you're a Queen?"

"Because I rule Equestria now, not my mother. And there are a Prince and a Princess back in Canterlot, and they'll find somepony one day. In fact, Cadence has found her somepony. Just as Luna and I have found our someponies..."

"Luna?"

"Gammel."

Metall smiled. "Ah. Of course." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, you have a lot of work to do, my Queen..."

Celestia's eyes began to moisten. "Yes, of...Of course..."

She lowered her head, and was about to turn to leave, when Metall placed his hoof on her cheek.

"Please, Celestia, do not cry," he whispered as he brought her face up to his. "I don't enjoy seeing you hurt..."

Celestia smiled, and attempted to kiss the black swordspony. She was stopped, however, by his mercury claw.

"And do not kiss me, either. You're like a little sister to me. I watched over you for Vida, when she attempted to infiltrate Discord's kingdom as his Queen. She could never forgive herself for what she did..."

Celestia smiled, and hugged Metall instead. "I love you, Metall. Can't you at least give me a chance? A single date?"

Metall withdrew. "Celestia, you know that we don't have time for this."

Celestia sighed. "Okay. I will be in Canterlot. If you have another breakdown, come to me, immediately."

Metall nodded, and, with a flash, Celestia was in Canterlot castle.

Scene 2: State

"My sister, why do you look so downcast?"

Luna was standing in front of the Diamond Dog and Griffin Heart's, and Ditzy was there as well. Celestia sat down at the small counsel, and regained her composure.

"Now," she began, "where were we?"

"I believe that Lycarieous Lupae has a pony hostage. He's releasing her for some reason, or at least I believe he is. According to my sources, he's, ah, had her way with her many times."

Celestia recoiled, and snarled in disgust. "That's an act of war..."

Her mind wandered to the idea of Metall, standing by her as she received the news of a pony being a sex slave...

"What will we do?" Luna asked, who was also snarling in disgust.

"We shall let him release her. But, I will send a diplomat to converse the matter with him. Namely, I will go, and bring a small team with me to ensure my safety."

Opal Heart nodded, and so did Feather Heart. However, Luna and Ditzy stood in defiance.

"That's insane, sister! You can't endanger your own life, you're a princess!"

"I am a Queen, and so are you. We must act it, and take responsibility. I will go to the Diamond Dog capital in Cania. And, if the captive has already been released, I will see to it that Lycarieous Lupae is punished. I shall remove more land from Cania, and give it to the Changelings."

"Why the Changelings, my Princ-Queen?" Diamond Heart asked, frowning slightly.

"We are going to go to war with the Diamond Dogs. It is inevitable. And if we want to beat them without Peter's technology, we must have allies. I want the Changelings. Crysalis will be granted full reign over her region, and we shall track down the Prince and send him to her. Vida knows, she's wanted her son executed for his treason for years..."

Luna shook her head. "But, sister, if you go to the Diamond Dog capital, who will you choose to bring?"

"Elders. I will bring Deajer den Trollmann, Gammel Hjerte, and..." She smiled. "And Metall Kant. He's breaking down, and recently attacked Cadence. It will give me a way to ensure not only his stability, but also to keep ponies safe."

"Can I come, sister? I dread what would happen if you go..."

Celestia shook her head. "No, Luna. You must stay, and rule in my absence."

"My Queen," a familiar voice said. "If you so wish, I could continue my duties as the Hoof."

Celestia turned, and stared at the pony that had just entered. He was a green unicorn, with a dark blue mane that was almost flat and extremely short, and a tail of the same color that was just as short. On his flank was a scroll and quill, complete with an inkwell.

"Hello, Order," Celestia sighed. "Yes, you can take up your position as Hoof, now that I have accepted my role as Queen. And Luna may accompany me..."

With a triumphant smile, Luna stood.

"However, Opal Heart must remain here. His safety would be at risk if he were to return to Cania."

Opal Heart nodded, and Feather Heart gave Celestia a pointed glance. "What about me?"

"You will return to Phesiopia, and inform your Queen that we wish to ally with them in this coming war. Their diplomatic immunity shall remain untouched."

Feather Heart nodded, and Opal Heart grabbed her talons. "Fly safe, sister."

The griffin gently pecked the Diamond Dog on the forehead. "Of course, brother."

She took off, and Opal simply sighed.

"My Queen, you had best get the Elders now," Ditzy Doo finally said, her Eye of Dreams still glowing after her obvious search for the pony captive.

"Why?" Celestia demanded.

"I can't find their captive."

Scene 3: Bribery

Trixie smiled as she licked at Lycarieous Lupae's jewel. He smiled back at her, and she moved to kiss him.

"You're a bloody good whore," he growled.

"I know," she whispered in return, before returning between his legs.

"You may just convince me to send me as my spy..."

Trixie smiled, and used her magic to stimulate him, just as Mirror Mare had taught her...

"Oh, yes, may just convince me..."

Trixie climbed on top of him, and did more convincing.

"Oh, very close to convincing me..."

Within a few minutes, Trixie was taking yet another risk of pregnancy.

"Ahh...My children would be strong within you, my Queen..."

Trixie raised an eyebrow, but remained smiling. "Whatever happened to 'whore'?"

Lycarieous Lupae pressed a giant paw to her face in a loving fashion. It sent chills down Trixie's spine.

"After years of searching for a suitable mate, I may have found mine," he whispered, before pulling her off of himself and holding her close to his heart, allowing her to curl up into a ball. "And I believe I love you, Trixie."

The blue unicorn smiled as he kissed her. "You act like a monster, yet all you want is love...You're no monster, my love."

The hideous dog frowned. "I am no monster. But Celestia has made me into one..."

Trixie kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, I know. Just as Twilight Sparkle has made me a monster..."

Lycarieous raised an eyebrow at his Queen-to-be. "My love, what do you mean? You're no monster."

Trixie sighed. "Yes, but...I almost killed a foal, to gain more power so that I could kill her..."

He frowned. "Well, I guess that puts us on the same level, dear. If killing a pony pup meant I could gain more power, I would gladly do it..."

Trixie nuzzled his stark white coat, taking care not to tap his powerful, long fangs with her horn.

"I'll gladly be your spy, my love," she whispered into his ear. "If you will be my King tonight."

Lycarieous Lupae smiled down at her, and feigned ignorance. "I'm already your King. You're the Queen of these mongrels, and I'm the King of these dogs."

Trixie smiled, and seductively closed her eyes a fraction of the way. "Ah, yes, you are my King. And I'll be your Queen and spy, if tonight, you will be the King of my wet cunt."

The King of the Diamond Dogs smirked, and kissed Trixie passionately, his tongue dancing around hers in the darkness. "Of course, my Queen."

Just then, Mirror Mare, along with her three Diamond Dog servants, burst into the room.

Lycarieous Lupae gently placed Trixie on the bed by his side, and stood, his member left unattended to and dangling for all the dogs and ponies present to see.

"What is the meaning of this!?" He barked, glowering at the shiny automaton.

"Why, I just wanted to ensure that my King was enjoying his gift," Mirror Mare said, poetically weaving her words in a careful fashion from Shiny's chest.

"Yes, and she will be my Queen," he responded, frowning into the reflection that wasn't there.

"Oh, that's marvelous! In fact, that's just perfect!" Mirror Mare shouted, swooning within the reflective surface of the stationary robot.

"Yes, yes it is," Lycarieous Lupae growled. He, however, didn't understand the full meaning of the unicorn's words.

She means that it's perfect for her, as she can gain more power in the bureaucracy, Trixie thought to herself. She smiled at Mirror Mare, who smiled back.

"I assume that, as her steward, I will be at the next council meeting, hm?" Mirror Mare delicately asked, turning her voice into that of a helpless ditz yearning for the chance to be on a royal council.

"You already have enough power," the war wolf growled in response. "Why would I give you more?"

"Because I give you that foolish dragons' gems. If I'm not on the next council meeting, let's just say that your next payment to Celestia may be a little...Late."

Lycarieous Lupae snarled, and Trixie listened carefully, intrigued as to what Mirror Mare meant by 'payment'.

"I have Diamond Dogs scouring the land for gems every day. If you were to stop supplying, I could easily pay off the debt, albeit in a longer amount of time."

What debt? Trixie mentally questioned. She decided to ask him what their collective debt was later.

"Oh, what a pity. It's just...I have this rather large cache of gems, worth millions of bits..." She used her magic to make Shiny lean forward, and she made no attempt of hiding her words. "And, if I were to, say, be on the next council," she continued, making it very clear as to what she wanted, "then they would be all yours!"

Lycarieous Lupae's snarl faltered, and Trixie blinked in astonishment.

Bribery...He would never cede to that, would he?

Lycarieous Lupae searched for an answer, and, after a few minutes of wordless noises, he finally found it.

"Fine. You can be on the next council. Just...Keep your bonin' mouth shut about this," he grumbled, shaking his head in obvious self-disappointment.

With a victorious smile, Mirror Mare clapped her hooves, and the four intruders turned and left the room, the giant, bronze door slamming shut behind with with a thunderous boom.

Sighing, Lycarieous Lupae returned to the bed, and absent-mindedly stroked Trixie's mane gently.

"Why are we in debt?" She asked after a few minutes.

"During the Great War, about one thousand years ago, it was the Diamond Dogs, the Griffons, and the Changelings, against the Dragons, and eventually the ponies, who entered the war on the Dragon's side when I killed one of the only patriarchs..."

Scene 4: The Past

Lycarieous Lupae grasped at the next rock in the mountainside, and pulled himself up without any effort.

He looked below at his progress. Blood was spreading across the snow, where he had killed countless dragon children. He smirked, and returned his attention to climbing, squinting to see past the torrents of snow that buffeted his vision.

As he neared a ledge, a giant claw closed around his body, and tore him off of the frozen mountainside.

"You," the dragon he had come to kill growled, his red scales glistening as snow buffeted his body, "you dare to climb my mountain!? And kill my children!? I will be your end!"

Lycarieous Lupae struggled against the claw, and managed to unsheathe blade. "Like hell you will!" He growled in return as he drove the blade deep into Terra Ignia's claw.

With a roar of pain, Terra Ignia released Lycarieous Lupae in a vault, and sent him crashing into the wall of his cave. Lycarieous instantly fell into the pile of gold and jewels, and was buried by the artifacts.

"I will melt you and all the gold in this damn cave, you hear me!?"

Lycarieous Lupae didn't hesitate. He burst out of the trove, and unsheathed his second blade from his hip.

With a grunt of effort, he dodged the flames, and darted for Terra Ignia's leg. It came out to meet him, and sent him sprawling onto the cave floor, dangerously close to the enlarging pool of molten gold.

"Damn you! You made me destroy my treasures!" The dragon roared, swatting at his foe.

Lycarieous Lupae raised his sword to block the giant claw that came towards him. With a few sparks from the collision, the claw had been averted, and slammed into the ground, splitting one of the talons and bringing forth a spout of blood.

"Damn you, mongrel!" The red dragon roared as it breathed fire at his foe.

Lycarieous Lupae rolled away, and ended up on his feet, just as a giant claw slammed into his back, sending him flying into the opposite wall.

Terra Ignia breathed fire on the damaged Diamond Dog, engulfing him in flames.

With a roar of defiance, Lycarieous Lupae rolled off of the rock that he had been crushed onto, and out of the cave, onto the snowy plateau that raised high above the mountain.

With a roar, Terra followed Lycarieous Lupae, and, before the war hound could react, grabbed him with his good claw, holding on tight, cracking bones and splitting scars.

"I will kill you!" Lycarieous Lupae cried as he fought against the grip.

"No, you fool, I will kill you," the dragon growled as he flapped, grunting in obvious pain.

With a roar, (and a groan of dissent,) Lycarieous Lupae bit down on the dragon's claw, hard. His jagged, bloody teeth managed to find purchase in a joint where the scales were thin, while breaking a few of the war hounds' teeth as they sunk into the exposed flesh.

With a cry of pain, Terra Ignia decided it was better to let the damn thing fall to its death.

However, as he let go, he didn't foresee Lycarieous Lupae using his claw as a springboard to his other, blood-soaked claw, grasping onto the blade that had been embedded in his scales as purchase.

With a mighty swing, Lycarieous Lupae launched himself up onto Terra Ignia's back, blade now in hand. He ran the length of the dragon's back, up to its head, just before the dragon began to do a barrel roll.

"You fool! You have settled your own death!" The dragon cried as he plummeted towards the ground, determined to crush the bug on his head...

"Oh, no, I have not," Lycarieous Lupae growled. With a roar, he drove his blade deep into the dragon's eye, and turned, viciously hacking away at the organ.

"Agh! Mercy, I beg of you, I surrender!" The dragon moaned, Lycarieous Lupae holding onto one of Terra's horns with his legs to ensure his safety.

"Shut up," Lycarieous Lupae snarled, before withdrawing the blade from his foe's eye, letting a spout of blood come forth.

"Now we will both die! I can't see where I'm flying!"

Lycarieous Lupae smiled a cruel, twisted grin. "That's where you're wrong."

He let go with his legs, and swung onto the red dragon's neck, holding on with his legs. With a roar of victory, he plunged the blade into the crook of the dragon's neck. Blood showered the war hound, from both the dragon's neck and mouth as he withdrew the blade, and tossed the hilt away. The blade remained embedded in the dragon's neck, jagged where it had snapped.

"Only you die," he growled as the dragon's wings stopped beating, and it flopped onto its back. With expert agility, Lycarieous ran up the belly of the beast, using the scales as purchase, and looked at the ground below. His timing would need to be perfect...

As he neared the tail, it began to angle downwards, towards the ground. With expert precision, he jumped off of the tip, and rolled onto the ground, just before the dragon crashed into the mountainside.

As the dragon fell, a jagged stone punctured his belly, and through the pouch that held his liquid fire. Needless to say, it reacted quite violently, and the high-pressure, flammable liquid was expelled from the dragon's body in an explosion, tearing the mountain into two.

Lycarieous Lupae simply stood in place,waiting for his portion of the mountain to be angled correctly. When it was, he jumped down, and onto the soft snow about two miles below. With a roll, he ended up on his back, panting from over exertion and pain as the mountain crumbled onto itself behind him. Dust showered him, but he paid it no mind.

Blood seeped into the snow around him, and he quickly assessed his wounds. He had ten cuts on his legs, a gash on his torso, a seeping wound on his head, and half of his bones were broken.

A new record.

With a grunt, he stood, and somehow managed to limp over to the white Princess that had materialized before him.

"You killed a Patriarch," she stated, calmly and dryly.

"Of course," he responded, waving his paw as if it were nothing. "So, what? Will you warm my bed, the bed of a great warrior?"

The Princess snarled. "I would not warm thy bed even if a blade was held up to mine throat, fiend."

Lycarieous Lupae waved his paw again. "Spare me the pleasantries. What do you want?"

"Your head on a platter."

Lycarieous Lupae frowned at Celestia. "That's an act of war, you dumb bitch."

"Killing the Patriarch we had a treaty with is also an act of war, you mongrel," Celestia growled in response, stomping a hoof into the snow. The blanket of soft crystals somewhat diminished the effect.

"Well, then, shall it be war?" He asked, smirking.

"Yes. I have already declared war, and I have already won."

A small team of Elders rose from the snow, and immediately melted the everything from Lycarieous Lupae but his bones. He took a step back, astounded at his transformation, and at how sudden it was. He tried to speak, but all that came out was dust, and the click of bones.

"If you want your body back," Celestia grumbled, "you will surrender to me, and cede half your land to Equestria."

He wanted to strike out at her, but he knew he was too weak in this skeletal form. So, he nodded, and his body immediately re-materialized.

"If you ever turn against me, I will remove your body and curse you to forever roam the land as a walking skeleton," she added, before she and the Elders departed in a flash of light.

Scene 5: Plans

Lycarieous Lupae was about to finish recounting his enthralling tale, when Mirror Mare burst in, gleaming from Shiny's exterior.

"What," Lycarieous moaned. Trixie pouted as he turned away from her.

"I must speak with my Queen," she dryly stated. "It is urgent. And I must speak with her alone."

Lycarieous raised an eyebrow. "Why should I do that?"

"I can tell Celestia your plans to send Trixie as a spy."

Lycarieous pressed a paw to his face with a sigh. "Who told you about that?"

"You did."

He sighed, and nodded, standing as he lovingly stroked Trixie's mane.

"I will return, my love, when I can," he whispered before leaving the room, carefully closing the giant doors behind him with a strong, practiced arm.

Trixie sighed, and looked around at the room. It was, much like the rest of the underground city, carved right into the stone in a spiraling fashion, with strange lights dotting the wall that hummed with hidden energy. The ceiling, about a mile upwards, had intricate designs on it, and on it was inscribed the names of various leaders. One of them, Lycarieous Lupae, was glowing, to designate that he was now the King of the Diamond Dogs.

"Trixie, you have done very well," Mirror Mare whispered, sitting on the reflection of the bed, next to Trixie.

"Thank you, Mirror," she mumbled, only half listening to the rest of what the reflection stared. Most of the blue unicorn's attention was centered around the giant door, and the warhound behind it.

Why do I love him?

Is it because Mirror Mare forced me to?

Or do I really love him?

First off, he's a monster in bed, and second off, he's no monster at heart...

Do I love his cock more than I love him?

Or do I really love him?

"Are you even listening to me?" Mirror Mare whined, snapping Trixie back into the world.

"Uh, ah...What?"

With a sigh, the reflection started up her lecture again.

"You need to make sure that everything goes without a hitch, and act as if you really love him," she whispered. "If you don't, we may never be able to exact revenge on Celestia..."

Trixie frowned. "What do you mean, on Celestia? I don't have any qualms with Celestia, only with Twilight Sparkle!"

"But I do. Now, you must buck him like wild tonight, my dear, and lie that you love him..."

Trixie's frown deepened, and her eyebrows creased to form a second frown. "But I do love him. I love him like I've loved nopony else..."

The reflection smiled. "Well, that's nice to hear. Just as I love Discord...

"Did you know that for the past two days, all I've been doing is sucking Discord's cock?"

Trixie immediately recoiled in shock. "Why would you tell me that?"

"To set an example. He says that he loves me, and I suck his cock harder. You must suck Lupae's cock like I suck Discord's, do you hear me?"

Trixie nodded, and Mirror Mare made a motion that somehow told her automaton to turn and leave the room.

Discord lay out on the pile of gold, waiting for the pony who loved him to return...

Oh, she may be a filthy pony, but her tongue and cunt are so worth it...

He sighed, wishing he could be back in the real world.

Really, that drab old statue is taking rather too long to disintegrate...How is it that after burning two villages down, I still cannot recover my body?

He shook his head, and extended his mind towards Mirror Mare's and Trixie's.

My two pawns... He thought to himself, careful not to let either of them hear him. I am losing one of them...

Trixie was beginning to question what Discord had told her to do, and he didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

However, Lycarieous Lupae, on the other hand, opened a new venue for chaos.

If I can manipulate his love for her, and have him send her to Twilight...Possibly...Yes, that could work, if I can just send her to that Realm...

He sighed, and decided that his attention was needed elsewhere.

With a rather silent explosion, he was immediately in the Realm of Death, watching his most powerful pawn destroy what Gammel Hjerte had created. The large mansion, with lights all around it, had been turned into a palace of absolute darkness.

"Hello, Discord," Roose said as he tainted yet another bit of the mansion. "How goes your struggle?"

With a sigh, Discord pointed at the Sword of Souls, which was strapped to his General's waste.

"Have you been using it?"

"Yes, I have, Discord. And I plan to use it much more."

The draconnequus nodded, and turned to leave. "Well, everything here seems under control...I shall be on my way."

Scene 6: Shadows

Roose smiled as Discord left.

That simple fool. He didn't even bother to check what I was doing, besides tainting this beautiful mansion...I could have been conspiring against him...Then again, that would be totally retarded, he could kill me with a snap of his fingers.

He stopped to admire a golden mantlepiece, and frowned as it, too, was enveloped in darkness.

Just like back home...Nothing exists, everything is dead...

He squeezed his eyes shut as images of his family, burning and screaming, flashed by his vision.

"Why, God!?" He cried after a short moment. It had all finally gotten the better of him.

"Why, why am I cursed to have these memories of pain, while he lives on in happiness, with a new family!?" He punched at the wall, tears streaming down his face as he tried to remember what life was like before the war...

"Why!? Why can't I have my memories of my family, before they were fucking murdered!?"

He drew his Sword of Souls, and sliced at the mantlepiece he had been observing in blind rage.

"WHY?!" He continuously cried as he slashed at everything in his reach.

What he couldn't say in words, shot through his mind like bullets.

Why am I cursed to relive these nightmares?

Why am I cursed to see only the face of my mother as she burns, as she burns in that fucking fire!?

His voice cracking, and his throat chafed by the pure power of his roar, he bellowed a final "WHY!?" As he shouted, he grabbed a blackened urn, and catapulted it through the window, just before collapsing to his knees, covering his face with his palms as he sobbed, the shards of glass playing a song that was not unfamiliar to him as he was rained in particles of pure pain.

"Why..." He sobbed to himself, an all-too-familiar face flashing by his vision.

Why did you let me die, Peter? The woman asked, standing right on the ledge of the window, staring down at Peter as he crawled towards the apparition, shards of glass piercing his skin.

"No, honey, I didn't want you to," Peter sobbed, his face contorting in pain as a shard of glass pierced his arm. "I didn't want you to, I swear! There was nothing I could do..."

The woman shook her head slowly, and walked backwards, closer to her death.

"No, honey, please, I love you, please, don't jump, I love you, Jane, please..."

Jane simply frowned. If you love me, why did you let me die? Why did you let that man stab me?

Roose held his hands to his temples, writhing in pain as the words sliced through his mind. "There was nothing I could do!" He spat out, tears and blood mixing. "I couldn't do anything, I had to get away, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

I thought you loved me. You asked me to marry you.

Roose held out a hand towards the apparition, and crawled forward just a little bit more. "Honey, please, I'm sorry..."

The apparition closed her eyes, and let herself fall backwards.

"NO!" Roose screamed, unable to think of any other words as he stood, his wounds healed by his dark powers. He tried to fling himself out the window, but all he met was just that: A window. He looked around, confused, to find that the shards of glass had somehow been rearranged into the shape of a window.

Roose beat his fist against it, and didn't even make a scratch. He drew the Sword of Souls, and sliced at it, but nothing happened.

He thought it was a dream.

But it wasn't.

The pain was still there.

In his mind.

In his body.

In his very soul.

His black, dark soul.

And, as his Despair was replaced with Anger, his soul simply darkened a little bit more.

"I swear, Peter," he growled to himself, "I will break you."

Huh? Hah?

How's THAT for character development/foreshadowing/a bunch of weird shit?

First off, Chuckles the Werewolf, you're welcome.

Second, Metall Kant, you're super duper welcome.

Third, Jagun, you're extra EXTRA welcome for making your OC a total fucking badass.

Fourth, me, you're welcome for not doing your AP Global Essay.

Oh, wait, I did do it.

Huzzah!