A strange smell reached Lunas nostrils as she once again entered her chambers. First, there was a the smell of Dust. The cotton from the bedsheets,
mixed with the cent of sweat and skin, probably from them spending the night tightly wrapped around each other. The smell of wool traveled across the
room from Dust's tattered robe, and then there was this odd smell behind it all, in the background. A sour yet at the same time sweet, metallic smell, with a
hint of something reminding Luna of burning embers.

The smell of magic.

No doubt, that of Celestias magic. She looked around the room in search for anything useful. Her eyes fixated on a small black object on the nightstand
on Dust's side of the bed, and she quickly walked up to it. With the string of the Jormundgand now clamped between her teeth, she hurried across the
room to grab a pair of old saddlebags she'd never had to use before. The Jormundgand went inside one of the pockets, as well as Dust's shirt.
The robe was difficult to fit inside the pocket with all of these things, but she managed to fold it with her magic and place it in the other bag, filling it to the
brim.

Before she went for her closet, Luna carefully turned her head around towards her left wing. Flexing the wing a bit under the straps of the saddlebags, she
got ahold of a couple of feathers with her teeth, and yanked them out, and then placed them inside the bag as well. Hopefully, Dust could use them.
As she hurried towards her closet, she passed a mirror, and she saw something in the reflection in the corner of her eyes. Something.. Off. She quickly
pushed those thoughts aside as an aura of blue light engulfed the closetdoors, swinging them open in front of her. In an instant, she found what she was
looking for, something she hadn't worn for a long, long time

And old cloak, dark grey in color, hanged from a hook inside the closet.

Last time she wore it was on Nightmare Night, a few years back. Since then, it had hung right there, unused and unwanted, gathering up dust as it slowly
aged. Luna reached her head inside and grabbed the cloaks clasp between her teeth, and as she swung it off the hook and around her neck, a vortex
of dust and cobwebs spread into the air. She coughed slightly as it entered her lungs.

The cloak didn't fit her that well at the moment, due to the saddlebags strapped to her body, and it looked like she had some sort of lump on her back,
hidden underneath the cloak. No matter though, as soon as she gave Dust what he needed, she would leave the bags behind, and the cloak would fit nicely
again. She pulled the big hood up over her head, closed the closet and turn around to exit the room.

As she walked past the mirror again, she couldn't help but take a quick glance at what she thought she saw just moments earlier. In the reflection, a hooded
mare with cyan eyes glared back at her. She'd never liked those eyes, or her face. Call it childish or sibling rivalry, but she had always felt herself inferior
to her sister. She would never be as pretty as her, no matter what Dust thought. But the thing that caught Luna's eyes was something else, something in
her coat. The usually blue color.. looked different. Darker, somehow. Not pitch black or anything, just a darker shade of blue.

Even though it was strange, she had more important things to think about right now. Luna turned her eyes away from the mirror once again, and quickly
galloped across the room and out into the corridor, setting her aim for the dungeons.

Water dropped somewhere nearby. A pool of it had formed on the ground, and the sounds of the waterdrops breaking the surface of it travelled across
the dark, empty room, echoing back and forth between the walls. More water streamed down the walls in various places, adding even more to the chilly
atmosphere.

Dust shuddered. Crawled up in one of the farthest corners of the room, he observed the door leading outside without taking his eyes away from it for even
a second. She would come for him, he was sure of it. The room was freezing, and his skin felt like ice. He would probably get a cold, no matter if he
got out of here or not. When the guards threw him in, he'd landed face down in a pool of water, and it soaked his entire body, chilling him to the bones.

How long had he even been here? It felt like days, or maybe hours. Perhaps just minutes. He wasn't sure, it was as if this horrible place sucked out everything,
every rational thought. Time was no longer part of his mind. The only thing he could think of was Luna, where she was and what might had happened to
her. If anypony hurt her, even so much as touched her, he would hunt that pony down and make it pay. And Celestia would pay the price as well.

He curled himself up tighter in an attempt to keep warm. As he kept on watching the door, he could see the walls getting closer in the corner of his eyes.
Then the ceiling started moving down towards him. He felt himself shrink as his surroundings enclosed him, crushing his bones like twigs, and he felt his
lungs collapse inside him, his last breath of air escaping his lips..

"Don't be afraid."

A voice reached his ears. A calm, silky voice, and instantly, the walls and ceilings withdrew and his body seemed to heal itself. Not that any of those things
actually happened, but in his mind, they did. Was the voice real? He had no idea, even though he recognized the voice the moment he heard it. Rarity was
in the room with him. Or maybe she was in his mind with him. Or alone in there. Never the less, he didn't answer her. Had to focus on the door.

"Dust, look at me." Rarity's voice said. "It's quite alright, you don't have to worry."

He didn't move. She wasn't real, couldn't be, impossible. He was just going insane from this fucking room. Nothing to worry about, just his mind breaking down.
Luna would come. Soon.

A white figure entered his field of vision. "Please, I want to help you.." Rarity walked up to him and sat down on the floor a few inches in front of him.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Dust finally said, his voice broken. He tried to raise his voice, but all that came out of his mouth was a weak whisper.

"Only to help."

"How can you possibly help me?" Dust replied. "You're dead, a ghost or something, I don't know, are you a ghost?" He stuttered.

"There's no such thing as ghosts, darlin'." The white unicorn answered calmly.

"Fine. Whatever you are, would you please leave me alone? I've had enough with you and that.. evil.. Luna.. thing.. whatever it is. And one more thing,
whenever you show up, she's always with you, and I really don't need that right now.."

"She won't bother us. She's unable to get here at the moment. Relax, it's just us. Now, perhaps I can finally get you to understand."

"Understand what?" Dust asked.

"That what happened wasn't your fault." Rarity said back to him. "You were being controlled by something else, not your own mind."

"Oh, thanks.. It makes me feel so much better knowing that someone else is groping around inside my brain."

"Something else." She said. "Not someone."

"Whatever." Dust responded, growing tired of the conversation. "Why won't you just leave me alone? I've got a new life now, and I've.. come to terms with
what I did." And as he said it, it felt as if a weight lifted from his shoulders. He wasn't lying, he'd accepted his mistake, and learned to live with it. "I.. I
don't want to dwell in the past."

He finally tore his eyes from the door, and looked straight at Rarity. "I don't need you anymore."

Without answering, Rarity stood up once again, and took the few more steps needed to reach him. They looked each other in the eyes as she raised her
forelegs and embraced him. Dust didn't feel a thing. She wasn't cold or warm, just.. as if she wasn't there. Carefully, the mare planted a final kiss on his
cheek, and before his eyes, she began fading.

When she was all but gone, he could hear her voice again. "I'll always be with you, watching you. Good bye darlin'. Love you."

Then, she was gone. That was the last time Dust ever saw her.

Luna stood terrified at what lay before her. Terrified at the scene, terrified by the fact that she caused it.

In front of her, a stallion laid spread out across the floor, one of the guards on duty in the dungeons. Her stomach threatened to turn inside-out once again
as she observed the guards face, distorted in his last moment of pain and fear, his neck twisted completely around. His eyes bulged out of his head like
the eyes of a cow, and his mouth was frozen in a permanent silent scream.

The blue alicorn stepped around the stallion with tears in her eyes, running as fast as she could to get out of there. Several times she tripped, almost falling
flat on her face, but she regained her balance. Just had to get out of there, away from the stallion. The further away she got, the easier it would be to deny
it. If only he'd let her through instead, if only he'd stepped aside.. But he didn't, and now she ran from her own actions.

It wasn't easy taking someponys life. It would scar you forever, haunt you. At least, that was what she had been told. But it was all too easy. A quick
surge of magic and a twist, and it had all been over. A living being, denied of life and cast away into the abyss. She only felt disgusted by her decision.

Once she got to her destination, once she could just fall down exhausted and spent in the arms of her lover, everything would be alright.

Her hooves clattered hard against the stone floor as she ran, panting and wheezing from fatigue. Just before she thought she would collapse, she arrived
at her destination. The end of the corridor held only one massive iron door with a heavy bolt lock. It had been reinforced with several more locks and thick
chains. Her sister really did not want Dust to get out.

Without hesitation, Luna sent a flash of blue magic against the door, and as it hit the door bent inwards with a metallic sound, and the hinges loosened up.
She charged her magic again, but now she let it coat the entire door in blue light, and with a jerk of her neck, she ripped it straight out of the wall. It flew
straight past her, followed by dust, rocks and debris. She turned her face away and covered it with a hoof. Once everything had settled, she rushed in
through the open doorway.

She was met by a cold chill, slamming into her like a brick wall, and she gasped for air instantly. Her throat became cold, like she had just inhaled nothing but
ice.

"Dust!" She cried out as she spotted the human, crouched into a corner. She ran straight at him, throwing her forelegs around him. "I'm so sorry, I nevev
should have brought you here, I'm so sorry, my love, it's all my fault i-"

Dust silenced her with a kiss. "It's fine." He whispered. "Just.. get me out of here, please."

They got up from the floor, and Dust helped Luna remove the saddlebags. It took him no more than a couple of minutes to get fully dressed again, and with
Jormundgand safely around his neck. Slowly, he pulled the hood up over his face.

"Now you look like yourself again." Luna said, feeling a bit better with him beside her. "Oh, and.. here you go." She fished up the feathers she pulled out
earlier from the bag. "I thought you could.. use them." She finished.

"I could try." Dust replied. "I'll just.. try to throw them in the air, and see what happens."

Luna nodded and took a few steps back. Judging from what she saw last time he did this, she had no desire to stand too close to him. A sword through
the neck wouldn't really be helpful. She watched him repeat the same procedure as last time, how the feathers levitated in the palm of his hand, before
they shot up through the air. Except this time, they both hit the ceiling above them. Then they stayed up there for a while, floating in the air. Suddenly,
a bright light coursed through them.

One of the feathers started to change, growing longer and thicker, and once it fell to the floor, it had been fully transformed into a sword, identical to the
ones Dust had earlier. They both observed the second feather, still floating up in the ceiling. After a few more seconds, it started spinning around, faster
and faster, as another bright light slowly emanated from it. It too changed form, but not into a sword as they thought.

Instead, what fell to the floor the second time was something none of them had expected, and they stood amazed at what they saw: a scythe.

The handle of it was about the same length as the sword next to it, and in the same grey color, and a spiraling pattern traveled across it, from top to bottom.
At the bottom of the handle, a small crooked blade in the shape of a crescent moon shot out. On the opposite side was the main blade, coated in the same
dull blue as the blade of the sword, with patterns running all over it. The top side of the blade looked jagged, almost like teeth, while the downside of it
looked to be sharp enough to cut through stone.

The blade of the scythe had the shape of a regular scythe, only a bit thicker and slightly more bent. Overall, an odd yet fearsome weapon.

Dust picked both of them up one by one, examining the scythe as he placed the sword in his belt.

"So.. last time you created the swords, you said you envisioned something that could protect us.." Luna said slowly. "What in the world did you think
about to conjure up.. that.. thing?"

Dust shook his head as he carefully touched the sharp end of the blade. "Just.. more protection, I guess." He then turned his head towards her. "You look
good by the way. The cloak I mean. It suits you, that.. mystique."

Luna smiled a little at his words. "It made sense to wear this." She answered. "You're my stallion, and if my stallion wears a cloak and hood, it's only fitting
that his mare does so too. Now come on, we should get out of here."

Dust nodded. "Yeah.. With all of this, I'm sure we can take down your sister." He walked up to her and gave her a quick kiss. "And then we can finally take
our place, with you as rightful ruler of Equestria."

"And you by my side." Luna replied. "A queen needs a king, after all."

Before Dust could answer, however, the sound of clattering hooves and clanking metal filled the area, accompanied by loud yelling.

"The guards!" They both spat out at the same time.

Quickly, they ran towards the door and out into the corridor. The loud sounds of the guards came closer, and if they caught them here, they would get
pinned down, with nowhere but the cell to go. They had no choice but to keep on running and hope that they got away. Once they exited the narrow
corridor, they found themselves in a large room, and to make matters worse; it was full of stallions, all of them dressed in golden armor and with weapons
at the ready. Dust held the scythe in his left hand and drew his sword with the right.

Both him and Luna slowly backed up, ready for the incoming attack. "Luna.. Run, get out of here." Dust said between his teeth.

"No, I'm staying." Luna said back to him. "I won't leave your side, no matter what." Without Dust's permission, she quickly moved to her right and closed
her mouth around the handle of the scythe, and tugged it out of his hand.

Dust tried to protest, but was quickly cut off as the mass of guards all cried out in unison and set off running towards them. He closed his left hand around
the handle of his sword as well, and gritted his teeth against the soldiers.

"If we don't make it out of this alive.." He said, his voice gaining more strength the more he talked. "Know that I'll always love you!"

They both yelled loudly as they raised their weapons. In unison, they kicked off the ground and charged towards the guards.

Together, they would fight for their love, or die trying.

The sound of steel against steel rang out across the room as both sides clashed together violently. As they collided, Dust swiped through the air as hard as
he could, directly hitting one of the guards. Blood sprayed like a fountain as the body of the stallion fell, his head skidding across the floor.
Screams and cries filled the room as the human and the alicorn sliced their way through the crowd relentlessly, determined to live. Luna had forgotten
her disgust and fear of what she did earlier, the memory of the guard she ripped from life had completely faded from her mind as she sent the scythe
slising across the belly of her opponent.

Blood coated her, covering her cloak and legs, but she felt no disgust over it, no remorse over her actions when she grabbed another guard with her
magic and threw him hard into the nearest wall. The stallions body cracked, and he didn't get up again. Dust parried the blows of swords and axes as
best as he could, trying to find a gap in the endless barrage of blades.

"Luna!" He cried out, trying to make himself heard over the sounds of steel and flesh.

She didn't answer, but a few seconds later he heard the sound of magic blasting through the room, and a split second later it hit his sword. Instantly,
the blade started glowing in a blue light, and the guards eyes widened at the sight. They stopped for not even a second, and that was enough for Dust
to bring the blade down on them. The moment the sword impacted with one of the stallions, a massive thunder crack echoed through the room, and a spark
of blue magic sent them all tumbling backwards through the air.

Most of them hit the wall behind them and fell to the ground and instantly tried to get up, but was stopped by the rest of the stallions as they fell upon them,
a couple of them actually landing on their fallen comrades swords. Their legs flailed about like that of a bug on its back as the blades pierced their
bodies, slicing up through their stomachs and chests.

More blood sprayed over the floor and walls as the guards fell one by one, brought down by either a sword of a scythe, cut open like gutted pigs. Dust
looked over at Luna a split second, and he didn't even recognize her anymore. She looked almost crazy the way she slashed through the guards, covered
in blood and teeth gritted. Ferocious, almost feral in her attacks, as if she had lost grip of her sanity.

And then, just as suddenly as the battle had begun, it stopped, and the area went completely silent, apart from the couples panting breaths. A loud clank
echoed as Luna dropped the scythe to the floor. Dust ran up to her.

"Are you alright, did they hurt you?" He asked in a frantic voice. Luna shook her head.

"Let's.." She began. "Let's just.. get out of here. I think I'm going to be sick.."

Dust couldn't argue with that. Now that the primal instinct for survival had settled, the room made him sick to his stomach. Bodies, drenched in blood, severed
bodyparts, guts and more blood covered the floor. It looked like a slaughterhouse, in which ponies were the main product. Trying not to look anymore,
Dust picked up the scythe from the floor and put it in his belt. He grabbed Luna to help her get out of the room, and soon they started running again.

They rushed down the castle corridors, the blood on their bodies and cloaks stained the floor and walls as they passed, Several ponies of court looked at
them in fear as they ran past them, but nopony tried to stand in their way.

Finally, the doors leading into the throneroom appeared before them. When they got closer, blue magic engulfed the scythe again, pulling it from Dust's belt.
Luna once again grabbed it between her teeth, determination shining in her eyes. They ran through the doors into the throneroom, and got greeted by the eyes
of Celestia looking down on them from her seat in the throne. As well as the eyes from the dossens of guards surrounding her.

Everything stopped. Luna and Dust stopped, staring at the mass of ponies in front of them, and they stared back at them. Time stood still, and it seemed
as if the throneroom had been ripped out of this world and plunged into another dimension were nothing but silence existed.

Celestias eyes narrowed. Her mane seemed to have changed, the usual colors had faded a bit in strength. She looked old, and her eyes mirrored that age.

"My.. Look at you, dear sister." She said in a low voice. "I never thought you would have it in you."

"Shut up!" Dust spat out. "You have no right to speak to her that way!"

Celestia looked at him with an almost annoyed expression. She sighed and nodded her head. "Kill them both."

"Luna, shield!" Dust called out, and instantly fired up his own magic.

She nodded in response, and her horn lit up with magic, sending a ray of light a few feet into the air, then spreading out into a thin veil around them. Dust
did the same, and a red ray shot out from the palm of his hand. It grew and expanded above their heads, and once it met Lunas magic, they instantly mixed
into a dark purple. After just a few seconds, a big purple bubble surrounded the couple.

"I'd like to see them try!" Luna shouted back at her sister from inside the bubble.

As if this was a signal to attack, the guards rushed towards them with their weapons at the ready. A stampede of bloodthirsty stallions approached them
like a wall of death. The first guards to reach the shield yelled out and threw themselves against it, only to be silenced as their bodies disintegrated into dust.
The rest of the guards all stopped dead in their track, except a couple of unlucky ones that where to slow and met their fate against the shield.

"Ashes to ashes." Dust said.

"Dust to dust." Luna finished.

But then the shield started crackling as a flash of gold hit it. Celestia yelled out in triumph as the shield crumbled around them.

"Now, get them!" She cried, and the guards obeyed in an instant.

They rushed towards Luna and Dust, and once again the song of steel echoed across the castle. Broken notes and broken blades, the chorus of blood
building up to the final crescendo, the moment when magic flies freely across the sky, literally ripping the last notes of the song apart. The notes being stallions,
their shattered remains scattered by Dust's magic.

"You underestimated our powers, Celestia." Dust said slowly as the body of the last pony fell to the floor, blood spraying from its open throat.

Without fear or hesitation, they both approached the princess, who now started to look afraid, all trace of the fire in her eyes snuffed out.

"I'm sorry, sister." Luna whispered. "I've always loved you, but your actions cannot go unpunished."

Celestias eyes went back and forth between the two in panic. "Are you going to kill me..?" She asked of them.

Dust shook his head slowly. "No, princess. But from this day you have no more power upon this land, and you will answer to the rightful ruler of Equestria,
you sister. As of today, the Lunar Republic governs this land, and you will be permanently exiled."

"No, please don't send me away!" Celestia shouted. "Please sister, I don't.. Look at me! I'm sick, just like Cadence! Please, let me stay, let me pass with
my sister by my side.."

Luna and Dust looked at each other without saying anything. Then they both nodded.

"We will let you stay." Luna replied.

"But we must of course remove certain.. threats you possess. Wouldn't want you to stab me and Luna in the back."

"What are you talk-" Celestia began, but her voice quickly died away as the sound of steel flying through the air echoed around them.

In a few seconds of silence, the couple watched the white princess, who sat confused as to what had just happened. Then the pain struck her like a brick
wall, and she cried out and recoiled. As she did, her horn moved slightly on its own, sliding off her head after having been cut clean off by Dust's sword.

It hit the floor with a clanking sound that seemed to be loud enough to break the windows of the entire castle.