The yellow sun had hidden behind the horizon, letting the sky throne to its little white sister. However. its shine would be blocked by the forming clouds over this free forest. They were common for this place and storms could occur in a very short time.

They were traveling without stopping for rest for once. Their march sounded through the jungle, warning every nearby creature to get quickly out of their way. They moved in a three pony column like a well oiled machine. Their discipline was superb and none spoke a word. The warriors followed their leader, ready to jump on ever threat, that would appear on their path.

"Take the lead, commander. I'll have to check our guest at the back."

"Of course, general."

The old changeling stepped outside the column and waited. His blue eyes moved from one warrior to another, admiring on their strength and willingness to follow him to the end. They were the finest of the finest. They were born to lead their Hive to the bright future no matter the cost. Every single one of them were veterans, who had a lot of experience from the invasion of the Equestrian Capital and other conflicts. Though the last time they got beaten, none of them lowered their spirits and fully embraced their previous mistakes, which brought them one step closer to being the perfect tools of war.

The column was a long one and some time passed until its end was slightly visible in the darkness. The changelings had well developed eyes and they could see in the night even batter than cats. The general saw the tail of the black stream and smirked.

Two changelings were pulling two long rods, to which Lucky had his legs glued and the spy was tied on his back. The pegasus faced the ground, while the other one staring the trees. Their heads were also glued, so that it would be almost impossible for them to move them in either direction. They were in this pose for the entire trip and both could agree that it was becoming something of an annoyance.

The general joined the column, when the mobile cage approached him.

"Are you getting tired, Mr Lucky? Your back surely needs some rest." he looked down at the dirty green mane, which was colliding with every grass and bush on the path. There was no answer, coming from the pegasus.

"Hello, anypony there?!" the general was knocking on his head but didn't achieve anything by this action. Lucky was doing his best to not let the anger get outside of him. "Hm, you must be sleeping deeply. Let me wake you then."

The general said in his ear:

"We have captured your partner."

Lucky smiled and looked at the green life below him.

"Then where is he? Why is he not glued to my back?" Lucky knew that the changeling was laying.

"Interesting. So you do not deny that there are more of you, somewhere near us." the general briefly looked back to make sure, that there were no surprises and then back at him. The marching changelings had created something like a tunnel in the dense jungle, which was very easy to follow. "Are you expecting them to rescue you?"

"For the love of Celestia, I told you that I'm completely alone. I'm after a ..."

"... lost soul, wasn't it?" the shape-shifter interrupted. "You can make a better excuse than this. Please, don't embarrass yourself."

"It's the truth!" Lucky sighed. "You know what, I'm gonna tell you, who this soul is."

The general looked surprised but that was a false countenance of his true state of his mind. He was very serious and paid attention to every detail. He was all ears for the next lie, the pegasus was trying to put in his head.

"She is my future wife. A rival mare put a spell on her, which turned her into a monster. My bride became wild and ran away. I want to cure her with the magic of love. Please, you must let me go. I need to finish my quest to save my heart."

"So touching, that you made me tear. Unfortunately, my warriors haven't eaten anything juicy as you, so I can't free you. I feel you, winged pony, but you must understand my position too. If I don't make these fearsome fighter satisfied then they'll remove me from my position and we shouldn't let that happen, don't we?"

Lucky closed his eyes. It was time to rethink what he could do. To tell the truth or be silent were his only options so far but neither of them were satisfactory.

"So if you are done pretending, lets talk about how you got to know about us. Do you have spies in the Hive or did traitors gave you the information?"

Lucky was quiet.

"Not the talkative kind, eh?" the general shook his head. "Soon, you shall know how deep a pain can go inside your mind. You'll eventually tell us everything after the torture but I'm kind enough to offer you an easy way. If you sing everything, your death will be quick and painless, well, most of the part anyway. You have time until we finish our stuff at the old temple."

Then the general began moving ahead, when Lucky's voice pleasantly sounded in his black ears.

"You must be very proud to kill a defenseless pony. I hope that you've become the person your mother always wanted you to be."

The general slowed down and looked back. His evil smile was still there but there was something new in his deep blue eyes.

"My parents are long dead because of starvation, which slowly kills our nation every day. Yes, I've done a lot things in my service in the Hive and I'm proud of them. If you think, that I'll change my mind and let you live, you are wrong. By the way, haven't you heard to never speak with a changeling about moral?"

Lucky was silent. His last attempt was an epic fail and there was nothing more, he could do to change his situation via communication. Now his only means of escape was the changeling on his back, who he didn't like much.

"Hm." the general then quickly moved to the head of this column of black clones.

Everything seemed oddly quiet through the rest of the trip, even no sounds came from the jungle. A storm was forming up high above the ground of the living. The first lightnings in the distance marked the beginning of what was to be another drench. The land was ready for it, so was the green sea. Only the inhabitants of this forest were not eager to experience another rain and it was so hopeless to control the weather, which had a mind of its own.

The black column stopped its crusade in front of tall stone wall, that was covered in lianas and other vegetation. It looked very ancient and left with no care for thousands of years. The warriors felt uncomfortable at the sight of this huge aged building, made by a force that had no equal to it. However, none showed weakness and kept a perfect discipline in the ranks.  

The general made a sign to his commander to stay put and slowly moved to the wall. He was very calm at first but was unable to hold his excitement. Only a few hoofs away from the cold stones and he felt like it was his birthday. His eyes looked up, admiring on this old monument of an age that was to come. He reached out with his hoof and touched the stone block. Immediately feeling of might went through him, powering his dark soul with thoughts of a brighter future. The images were glorious, his kind victorious and endless feasts sounded through the Equestrian land.

He turned around and smiled like a filly, who just got his present. They've found the Temple of Paradox, the one and only tool of powerful magic, that could change every fate, destroy kingdoms and give power to new empires. It waited so long for somepony to discover it and lend its chaotic energy to the ones, who were bold enough to enter in it.    

"We need to go around it and find the entrance. There, we will wait for our new lord of our salvation." the general said.

"You heard the general! Split into two groups and check all sides of the temple! Move it!" the commander yelled orders left and right. The obedient warriors quickly followed the commands and encircled the big structure. It was large, square and its walls were not smooth. The ziggurat loomed to the cloudy sky like a black tower, unwilling to succumb to the nature. However, the forest already won cause there was no help from the living creatures, who had build it long ago.

The gateway was on the other side, facing a field that had no trees, only grass and occasional lonely red flowers. A gigantic round rock blocked the entrance. On its circular surface was engraved symbol that resembled an arrow without its tail. The stairway, connecting the base to the portal, had seen better days. On some places it seemed like a giant worm had eaten through the solid rock, creating dozens of holes in the stairs. The vegetation hadn't conquered this side but growing plants were beginning their steep climb.

The insectoid ponies met each other in front of the temple and delightedly smiled on their find. They formed a crescent around the stairs and waited for further orders. The general appeared in front of everypony and looked at the temple. They were so close to their ultimate goal, only their new leader needed to arrive and open the gates for them. What a glorious moment this was, the sudden euphoria quickly spread through every changeling. The general let his troops to feel good once in their lives because they deserved it. From now on, their loyalty would be reworded with the sweet fruits of this genius plan to take over Equestria for real and brake the chains on their ponies.

The general slowly turned to the black crowd and hundreds blue eyes stared at him. He felt like a star, who was about to perform the best concert in his life. His dark heart began beating very fast from the excitement. However, the old one had to make himself look authoritative and serious in all situations.

"Warriors! We've done a lot by only coming here. Our cause is just and we shall bring glory to the Hive! This moment will be sung by the generations to come. We will be remembered like the fathers of the new age, where no changeling will know hunger!"

Every warrior tapped his hooves and hissed fearsomely. Lucky couldn't understand what was happening and why they had stopped but the sounds coming from them, made it clear, that something big was about to happen.

"My brothers in arms, the journey was long and tiresome. We will need rest to be ready for the events that are going to rock the foundations of this world. We will camp next to the temple and wait for the blessing, that came in our darkest hour. Our new leader, Tails of Horns Silver, will be arriving soon and guide us to the victory! For the Hive!"

The general lifted his left hoof up in the air, which was followed with hundreds others and all shouted mightily:

"For the Hive!"

Their snake-like voices loudly sounded through the surrounding jungle, telling a creature of anger and devastation, where they were. It turned at the direction of the distant voices and began its dangerous approach.

The warriors shouted so powerfully, as if they want to be heard by the sky gods, that were throwing more and more lightnings at the earth. A tear came from the general's eye. He was so proud of them but soon his every dream was going to turn into ashes.

When the emotions lowered their levels, he slowly went to his commander.

"Make a camp in the open space. We'll need three warriors in each side to watch for trouble."

His right hoof nodded.

"It shall be done, general."

"Also prepare the the pegasus for interrogation. I'll squeeze any information from him and then give him to the troops. They deserve another meal."

"You are too kind, sir." then the commander went to execute his orders. The general turned to the tall structure and his smile grew bigger. His two sharp teeth were ready to sink in the future of delusions and pure madness.

Two changelings put the rods vertically and thrust them in the ground, so that Lucky now faced the temple. Then they joined their comrades and disappeared in the see of blackness. A few lightnings illuminated its rough surface and he was able to notice some little details. On the stone roof, small golden statues of strange creatures were put in a row. They all bowed at the changelings below but their faces weren't happy ones. Lucky felt a lot of darkness, when he looked at the one, which had two legs and two hands. It wore an heavy armor, that covered its body from the top to bottom. The statue held a flag in its right hand and a large stick in the other. Its face looked so fearsome and for some reason unwilling to give respect to the guest below.

"Are you really after a beast? Can she be saved?" the voice from behind reminded him that he was not here for sightseeing.  

"Yes, I am looking for her, though I do not know how to bring her back." Lucky took a look at the crowd. "Why you want to know?"

"I'm just curious and information is my business. Too bad you wont make it out of here to search for the freak."

"She may be a freak but she is my partner." Lucky turned very serious. "What do you mean by not getting out of here? Wouldn't you help me escape?"

"I never said that I'll help you. I'm saving my skin only and I don't give two bits about you."

Lucky felt a lot of anger going through him and the fact that his back was touching the changelings, disgusted him even more. On top of that, his stomach rebelled again and that meant only bad things for him.

"I can pay you, if that's what you want?"

"You ruined my perfect escape earlier, so I'd rather see you suffer."

The changeling irritated him so much, that the claws inside his hooves began moving.

"You should reconsider. I can be very useful, if you need a hoof to fight off the swarm." Lucky barely kept his politeness.

"I do not need your skills because I see to what they've brought you to. I'll be better alone."

Lucky clenched his teeth. If only he could get free without being noticed, he'd show the spy. Suddenly, he realized that his hoofs didn't need to be freed to bruise the changeling's nose. The pegasus smirked.

"So, you are going to leave without saying Good-Bye, eh? Then, let me just warn every guard here of your grandeur escape from the chains."

"You wouldn't!" the spy sounded a little scared from the thought of being captured on the move again.

"Oh, but I will! What did you call me earlier? Idiot, moron? You were too kind, let me return the favor!"

The changeling began shivering from fear.

"Don't! Ah, my big mouth! I'm sorry, just don't alarm the others."

"Only if you get me out of this glue or I'll shout as loudly as I can. You are not the smartest spy, eh?" Lucky sounded very provocative, which annoyed a lot the ears of the changeling.

"No, I just let my hatred towards your kind dictate my words. However, it won't happen again, I promise you. Alright, I'll free you but it will take longer time."

Lucky's eyes shined from this victorious moment but he shouldn't be getting to high in the sky cause six insectoid ponies approached them. They stared him with their big blue eye but Lucky didn't get scared by their frightening look. The truth was that the six were beginning to feel uncomfortable, when the orange eyes stared back at them. There was something made from pure evil in the pegasus and they sensed its destructive power, which could awaken at any given moment.

"Why are you standing there like little girls? Move into positions. The general expects the torture to be extremely painful, without killing him!" the commander ordered behind them. Lucky didn't understand anything from the hisses but guessed, that it was not good.

The warriors surrounded the two prisoners in a circle and prepared to use their black magic. Lucky looked darkly at his tormentors and tried to calm his heart. He need a cold head, if he wanted to escape from this place alive.

Despite the sounds coming from the resting warriors, this little prison felt very quiet. The general steadily approached and looked very delighted. Another close lighting illuminated his gruesome teeth, that were sticking from his mouth. His knife-like horn was ready to recreate some horrific spells that had only one goal: to break anypony's spirit.

"What a pleasant evening, don't you think, Mr Lucky?"

"I'd prefer, if it was sunny but it will do." unlike the old changeling, the pegasus sounded very earnest. "I can see that you are gonna torture me now. I thought you'd leave me for later."

The general smirked.

"I don't like to leave unfinished work, so here I am. I'm giving you a last chance to rethink your position Equestrian spy. Answer the previous questions and I'll grand you a very quick death. I give my word!"  

"I told you the truth."

Three lightning shined in the night sky, opening the gates for millions of drops to bombard the ground. The rain began to fall slowly and unconvincingly but then it gained more force, creating a thick water curtain. The ground quickly turned into sticky mud and puddles started to form.

A lot of water was falling from their chins. Lucky's mane fell down from the weight and stuck on his head and neck. Everypony stood they ground without saying a word. Suddenly green energy pierced the center of the pegasus, causing such an enormous pain, that he was unable to even scream.

"I'd tried to be polite. However, I seem to be in error here. I should have been straight with you from the beginning."

He ceased the spell, that was coming from his horn. His cold blue eyes looked at the enervate captive and felt no pity. The general lifted up his right hoof and a warrior handed him the two medallions. Red and green, together they made the blood of the participants in this torment.

The old one moved closer to Lucky, who seemed was whiter than usual. He was barely breathing and felt like his life was sucked out of him.

"What's their purpose? Speak you miserable piece of meat!"

Lucky looked at the emerald spiral, which reminded him of his old ponies. That gave him strength for the next dosage of tortures, which came very shortly.

"Again you are silent like the lambs. Let's open that mouth, shall we?" his horn shined in bright green and fired another beam at the pegasus. Lucky was unable to take a breath, the shocks went through his entire body, paralyzing his every cell. It was a silent agony, which the spy felt via his back. He wasn't going easy on him and that was only a fraction of the pain they were about to put him through.

The green stream ended but the pegasus still suffered from the fire inside him. His key life moments flashed like a movie in his head. Some of them were sad, others were happy moments, where he was close to his friends and family. Lucky had a feeling that he was about to die for real this time but somehow his body found a way to keep itself alive.

"Fascinating. You've survived two very powerful spells in a roll. Now I'm very interested to see what makes you so durable. But first..." the general closed the medallions to Lucky's suffered face. "Are these recording crystals? How long have you spied on us? Who was the primary source?"

No sound came from Lucky. The changeling learned that the pegasus was tougher than he looks and breaking him would take some time, something the old one didn't have.

"So they are only bijou? Then you wouldn't mind, if I take care of them." he dropped them in the wet ground. Lucky tracked their descend and when they hit the ground, he stared at his torturer's blue eyes, trying to guess what he was about to do with the evidence of a force, greater than anything on this planet.

The general sent his hoof at the two lockets but before he could smash them into pieces, the wild spirit inside Lucky took control over his body, powering it with great energy. An orange aura surrounded the white pegasus, destroying the organic chains. Suddenly, the old changeling found himself laying on the muddy earth with a pony on top of him. The pegasus looked like a beast than an intelligent pony. Claws were sticking out of his hooves, which went deep in the changeling's flesh.

There was a green blast that violently threw Lucky in the air and then he fell like a sack of potatoes several meters away from the general. The commander quickly came to the wounded and frantically checked his condition.

"I'll be alright, number one." he stood up, shaking from the furious force of the pegasus. Green blood began coming out from the wounds but the general didn't have time to bleed. His entire attention was focused on the monstrosity, which was slowly recovering from the magical explosion. "What are you?"

Lucky's demonic eyes pointed at his black soul. The dragon within wanted blood, no matter the color. The dark thoughts that went in his head maddened his mind but there was nothing he could do to stop the beast from accomplishing utter carnage.

The rain was heavy, there was no wind of change. Nature cried for the poor souls below.  

"I just lost control!" his thought echoed in the darkness. "Foxy, I failed!"

Immediately the other six changelings positioned themselves around the demonic pegasus but none attacked because they were too scared. They've never seen such a thing in their lives as warriors. The rest of the small army noticed that something was happening and quickly went to help their comrades. Soon the white pegasus was completely surrounded from all sides. The air was also blocked by the black fliers. They've created a giant cage, in which the only way to freedom was to go straight at its living walls.

It was just perfect for him.

The changeling in front of him was the first victim of his claws, that cut him in the center. He was so fast that the warrior was not even able to blink. Every changeling charged him. He jumped mightily forward to the next pray. The victim fell down in the mud, spilling green blood from his throat.

The white demon continued his bloody crusade, cutting and throwing bodies everywhere. He was like a ghost, who moved through the living, taking their souls with him. There was nothing stopping him and the unluckiest ones in front of demon experienced most of his wild anger. The soil soaked the blood of the fallen ones. However, the deed was not done yet. His goal was to get to the leader of this army and make him pay for all the tortures.

Three stood in his way and prepared for the inevitable clash. Fear was coming from their eyes but they'd not move from their position. The pegasus moved like an arrow. Changelings attacked him from the sides but he showed them his claws at close, without slowing his advance. He was turning, dodging and counter-attacking with speeds only Goddess could follow.

Suddenly, Lucky jumped forward, his hoofs aimed at the center of the small wall. He landed on the changeling in the middle, knocking him on the ground and then jumped again with spread wings. The pegasus escaped the black cage and aimed at the general, who was surprised to see him.

The lightnings illuminated the beast-like face of the white pony, which flew ferociously at his target. The old one stepped to right and pointed his horn at the approaching threat. Time slowed down and he was able to ignore the rain. His horn moved a little to the left, then little to the right, it was spot on the pegasus. A green beam came out of the top his head, that pierced the night like a light sword.

Lucky swiftly barrow-rolled to the right, barely dodging the deadly ray. He ceased his attack and flew away from him. A better angle of attack was needed. The pegasus was making another turn, when his ears sensed something approaching from behind. He turned his attention to the black foggy jungle but there was nothing in sight. His instincts told him to fly higher, when a changeling managed to jump on his back and hold him in one place in the air.

"I got him! I got him!" the warrior shouted.

The pegasus looked angrily at the smiling changeling, who thought the battle was over. With a few quick moves, Lucky was able to get rid of the nasty parasite, sending him directly at the ground. The warrior fell on his back but was able to fast stand up, ready for another try, when a gigantic black hand squished him like a bug. Green blood flew outwards from underneath the paw, feeding the muddy earth with more juice.

The small army stopped promptly and looked at the new guest, who was little late for the party. The big orange eyes moved from a changeling to changeling, seeing only destruction and death. The creatures below held their breath, no pony expected a bloody dragon in here, for which they were purely prepared to deal with. The enormous beast slowly stepped in the field and with each breathing, the hearts of the warriors beat faster. Lucky slowly flew backwards, while not removing his eyes on the heavily armored dragon. He noticed that it didn't have wings, but it was almost as high as the trees. How this huge creature managed to get so close to them, without it being sensed sooner? This question puzzled the general but there was no time in theorizing.

The dragon roared, belching purple fire at the army. The ones in the center were the unluckiest ones. The flames quickly turned them into charcoals. The ones that managed to escape the hell flames galloped or flew away as much as possible, heading for the thick forest. Multiple lightnings illuminated their faces, on which the fear was easily readable. Only the general stood his ground and yelled orders:

"Form three attacking groups! One in the front, two the sides to flank the dragon, while the front group gets its attention! We must not let the temple become its new home!"

The commander looked surprisingly at his superior.

"But, general. We'll be toasted, if we try to fight it! We should retreat to the jungle!"

The old one looked at him darkly. His face was split in half: one illuminated by the fire and the other black like the night.

"If we loose the temple, we loose our future! Only blackness awaits us, if we fail."

Then the general turned to the fleeing warriors and began forming them into groups. The right hoof felt somewhat unwilling to obey the orders but he didn't have a choice. He joined his superior and helped in the organization. Very quickly the changelings made an attacking formation, all facing the slowly approaching dragon.

The general stood mightily in front of them. His eyes aimed at the orange ones. The rain began pounding harder and lightnings gave the start of the battle.

"We are the elite! We fight for the swarm! We will be victorious!" he loudly shouted, bringing some courage in their hearts. "Let's test our might against this monster. Songs will be sung for our glory! For the Hive!"

"For the Hive!" thunderous voices sounded as one.

Then the general began galloping straight forward at the dragon and after him the rest of the elites. They formed a spear, that began spreading to the sides to make room for maneuvers. Although this was a brave attempt to exorcise the black demon, they were fools to challenge it. The dragon opened his mouth and sent another stream of hot purple flames. Some were caught in the inferno but the others kept charging. Fifty of them flew out from the ground and began their air attacks.

Green beams hit the black scale armor with no effect. The dragon stood on two legs and made attempts to take those pesky flies down. Six from the air group were smashed in the giant hands in their first attack. Meanwhile the ground troops surrounded him and began firing at its strong legs. The commander looked up and made an interesting discovery.

"General, its a she-dragon!" he yelled.

"Female dragons like to lay eggs in magical places like this! We must double our efforts or this temple's door will be forever closed for us!"

The warriors increased their fire rate and the power of the beams. They were hitting her from every possible angle and the only thing they've managed to accomplish so far was to anger her even more. Her eyes turned to the small creatures and slammed her leg into a dense group. Only few barely escaped and continued to fire on her. The fliers made another turn and flew towards her with great speed. However, their strike was unsuccessful one because they were met by the hellfire, which burned fifteen fliers to ashes. The rest disengaged and broke the formation. More changelings from the ground joined their comrades in the air.

The she-dragon used its tail like a whip, smashing the warriors behind her. But they kept swarming her from all sides. The sounds from the battle were horrific and louder than the storm above their heads. Wounded changelings, that were somehow still alive, cried with the top of their lungs. Purple flames burned everywhere in the battlefield, leaving less and less space for the warriors to move around. The beast stood tall like a titan, who refused to give up his kingdom. Green rays struck its skin so many times and yet no serious wounds were caused.

Lucky watched the battle from a safe distance. Whenever his eyes looked at the dragon, a familiar feeling would emerge. His beastly mind was confused of what was happening right now. Should he join the fray or get away from here? The demon inside him had an unfinished business with the general. It really wanted to see him lying cold and covert with his own blood.    

The pegasus flew towards the the total chaos without any fears. His claws aimed at the moving target. His vision narrowed, his next victim was unaware. The general was busy commanding his forces and missed to see the little white star, coming right at him. Only a dozen of meters separated the two, when Lucky sensed something coming at him. He turned his head and saw the big tail right next him. It slammed him so hard, that he was thrown in another direction. His body hit the round rock in front of the entrance of the temple, flew through it like a bullet and fell on the cold floor. The rock fractured like a glass and collapsed on its own weight, completely sealing the temple.

The general looked at the pile of debris and smoke.

"Protect the temple on all costs! It must not get destroyed!"  

A shade arrived and looked at the dreadful battle, which was in its peak.

"Just as planed!" he smirked. Out of a sudden, his eyes caught something shining in the dark. "What is this?"

The shadow swiftly moved around the fires unnoticed by the combatants. He reshaped himself again in front of the two medallions, that were laying in the mud. The spy was trying to get them, when a tentacle went through his back.  

"Did our hero forgot his stuff? Let me take this with me." then he saw the blocked entrance. "Oh, I'm a tad late for my first meeting with him. I need to be quick!"

He grabbed the lockets and silently moved to little hole in temples walls. Before he entered inside it, the shadow took another look at the battlefield. It was like a fire and light spectacle. His dead heart filled with joy of the massacre of the elites.

"Get them all, Foxy! You are doing a fine job! He-he."

Then the shade entered the crevice.  

The pegasus slowly opened his eyes. He was having the worst headache in his life. His white coat was covered in bruises and red wounds. Lucky survived the impact without breaking any bones or injuring any internal organs and all because of his half-transformation, which hardened his entire body.

He stood up, shaking in one place, not knowing where he was. The walls hadn't seen a living being for thousands of years. It was too dark, even for his eyes. It was very quiet. The beastly pegasus was still very aggressive and the feeling of being trapped only increased it.

There were sounds of hooves, which drew his attention. They were coming from the other end of the dark corridor. Lucky was ready to attack this new threat. The hooves sounded closer and closer but there was no sight of the creature that made them. Then his nose smelled a very pleasant scent. It elated him and incite him to make the first step forward. Soon the pegasus began moving in the direction, from which the aroma was coming from.

The end of the corridor leaded to a spiral stairway, that seemed to go on forever. Lucky went down the stairs. It took him quite some time to get to the bottom, where there was one entrance to a lighted room. He went inside under the hypnosis of the scent and found himself in front of a big golden disk that was the source of the light. Strange symbols were engraved on it and there was a little hole in its center.

The entrance disappeared behind the pegasus but he couldn't notice it. Lucky stood still and stared at the shining object on the stone table. There was a flash, which awakened the real Lucky and put the demon to sleep. He frantically looked around, trying to make a sense of what he was seeing.

"I was expecting you." the voice sounded from behind but when Lucky turned around there was no pony there. "You must feel honored to be in the prophecy."

"What prophecy? What is this place?" he suddenly realized that his voice had changed. Lucky looked at his clawed hooves that were stained with green blood. He had no memory of what happened during his rampage but better that he didn't.

"The Shadow Sun Prophecy. You are destined to stop Her advance to this world. Tell, me how do you feel?" the voice was calm but that wasn't how Lucky perceived it. For him it sounded scary and mysterious.

"I'm feeling confused. Who are you?"

"I'm the Guardian of the Temple of Paradox." a black pony figure appeared behind the big disk. His white eyes stared at the pegasus but the later didn't get the chills. "Do you like my true form or should I change into something else?"

"No, don't change. I had enough with dealing with appearance-shifters. However, you remind me of the shadow we fought back in Manehatten. Oh, no. You are with the Dark Princess, aren't you?"

The shade shook his head.

"No, I'm not under Her control. I'll help you to fulfill your destiny."

"Why?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Because I used to be a free creature like you. When I died, instead of going to a wonderful place, my soul was caught by Shadow Sun. I've seen what She's done. Entire worlds were consumed and left empty of any life. She is a plague of the universe and when I was released from Her tight grip, I felt the need to protect this world, which used to be my home."

"You are lying!" he pointed his hoof at him.

"Let me show you this."

Suddenly every wall disappeared and they found themselves flying in the cosmos. There were stars all around them. It looked so real that at first Lucky thought he'd fall but nothing bad happened. They accelerated to the speed of light and everything blurred with the colors of the millions of suns.  

"You are about to see the fate of the one world, that had the pleasure to meet with Her."

Suddenly they decelerated and Lucky was able to see a brown planet, that had no water or forests. There was no life and this world was just a ghost of its previous self. The civilization left super large metropolises with building that reached the skies. However, time was not pleasant to them. Many towers had fallen and the remaining ones were barely holding on their metal constructions.

The streets we filled with the skeletons and skulls of ape-like species. Some of them were wearing metal armors, others nothing. Along side them were their rusting creations. Some were small others as big as the buildings. There was one bronze statue, surrounded by skeletons, that held a flag in one hand and on the other a stick. Lucky recognized it from the statues on the roof of the temple. However, this one looked at the sky and smiled. Three symbols were visible on the decaying flag: "UER".

"This used to be a civilization, filled with hatred and wars. But in the end they found peace and tolerance among themselves. They even reached for the stars to seek out for new lifeforms and new civilizations. They tried to find they meaning in this universe but then Shadow Sun came on their world. In almost an instant, they all perished. That's what awaits your world, if you don't stop Her."    

"There are other intelligent beings? You speak of an universe. Is that something like a big space, where our worlds are created?"

"You are smart. The universe is so large that it's beyond you comprehension. There are a lot of planets, on which life is developing as we speak. However, every world with life on it is a target to Shadow Sun."

Then they quickly moved away from this planet and went into the deep unknown. They stopped just in front of a giant blue sun. Lucky thought he'd be burned immediately by the fires but again this was only an illusion.    

"Meet the Princess of the Universe!" the shade said and turned to the sun.

"The sun?"

"She is in front of you."

Lucky stared and then notice a black figure that slowly approached them. He couldn't focus her at first and only when she was really close, he saw the same alicorn, who was in his dream. She didn't seem to notice them and continued her endless march. The blue sun seemed to follow her and steadily moved towards them.

"That's not Her true form, my little pegasus. You see her as an alicorn because you are a pony but the species on the previous planet viewed Her like one of their own but with wings."

"So that's her avatar?" Lucky looked closely at the black alicorn. She was wearing the red triangle medallion on a golden chain. Her white eyes gazed in the stars.

"Yes, the real Princess is the sun, though don't get fooled by its look. It's just an illusion of what she used to be before exploding. In its core, there's only blackness and eternal hunger. I speculate that Her core is made out of nothing and everything She touches turns into nothing. That's why She can never satisfy her hunger. Though that's only a speculation."

"Suns explode?" he looked curiously at the shade.

"Huh, you ponies really need to step up your science. Yes, suns explode in the end of their life cycle. They either turn into smaller suns, made from the radioactive cores of the previous ones or they become black holes."

Lucky didn't understand any of that.

"Wait a second, are you saying that our sun will explode? Is Princess Celestia going to die?  Will she turn into what Shadow Sun is now?"

The shade smiled.

"Celestia is a different story. She is an avatar of the sun not from its birth and her heart doesn't desire to live forever. I guess she will perish among everything else on your planet, when that happens. Shadow Sun was born, when Her sun formed from the gases. She was a ruler of her world and a good one, I might add. However, the Princess didn't find peace in Her soul, when She found out that she was dying. Shadow Sun tried to prevent a catastrophe but it didn't turn so well for Her or her subjects. A big explosion, it was but She didn't die. Now She is a true immortal, who has powers to bend time and space and with Her endless hunger, you get a very dangerous cocktail. The Dark Princess has consumed millions of worlds since and yours is next on the list."

Lucky looked worried at him.

"If she is so powerful, then what stops Her from just coming here and kill every living being?"

"Every planet that has life, has a molten metal core that creates a magnetic field around the planet, which protects you from the deadly rays coming from the stars and your sun. This field also works as a shield against Her."

"Despite Her able to control time, She can't just get rid of the planets core or life would never emerge." Lucky said with a low voice.

"Exactly. Because we all live in a linear three dimensional world, the Princess has to wait for life to grow and prosper and then consume it. Your planet is in a golden age, where ponies live in harmony with nature and themselves. Life is in bloom and She really likes that."

They returned to the stone room, where the disk still shined brightly. The shade moved closer to Lucky.

"If I was an enemy, would I show you so much? Do you believe me, chosen one?"

Lucky thought for a minute to process everything. Something in his voice and white eyes felt not quite right but looks could be deceiving. The advance of this fallen sun had to be stopped and only he was the key of doing so.

"Where is my partner?" he asked very seriously.

"Outside. Although I'd advise you not to go out right now. Not very healthy to be outside." the shade said.

"Has she turned into a dragon?" Lucky turned his head to the shadow.

"Yes. However, before we go out and change her back, we need to stop Shadow Sun."

"How we do that?"

The shade turned to the golden disk and pointed in its center.

"This is the gateway, which She will use to get inside this world."

Lucky stepped closer to the glowing object and looked closely.

"Who created this thing and why?" he asked in husky voice.

"Created by ponies thousands of years ago, way before the raise of Celestia and Luna. The ruler of that time was corrupted by you know who and build this temple in Her name."

"What happened to them?"

The shade slowly turned his head to the pegasus.

"They moved south of here and never returned. I know you have a lot of questions but our history lesson must come to an end. Our time is short." the shadow went to the disk and magically moved its symbols. They began forming new patterns and shined in blue. "If you are going to stop Her, you'll need a lot of courage for what you are about to do. Be warned that not following my instructions will lead to very nasty consequences. The question is: are you ready to change the fate of the entire world?"

Lucky felt very unsure in himself. He didn't trust the black ghost, despite all the revealings, that were made.  

"How can I be sure you are not tricking me?"

The shade turned around and looked directly in his eye. The whiteness showed no emotion, unlike the deep orange eyes.

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already." the shadow swiftly moved behind the pegasus and aimed his sharp tentacles at his throat. He closed his mouth to Lucky's right ear and said very darkly. "I can do this very easily and without hesitation. However, I need you to make the prophecy come true. The disk will activate only, when the green key is filled with the misfortunes of a pony. Yes, this is the answer of your questions why you were so unlucky in your life. This is your destiny, my little sufferer and only you can prevent this beautiful world of turning into ashes."

Lucky darkly looked down, realizing the meaning of his life. All this time, he endured unhappiness in the name of the planet. Will he finally feel peace in his soul? If he'd turn away from his destiny, only timeless pain awaits him. However, he feared what was on the other side. He closed his eyes. The dream was true and there was no escaping from this reality. He only wished that this was only a fantasy.

"What do I have to do?" he asked quietly.

The shade smiled delightfully.

"Put the key inside the center of the disk."

The shade lifted the spiral emerald pendant and gently put it on the pegasus's neck. Lucky looked at it and felt like a great burden landed on his shoulders. He uncertainly stepped forward and took the green spiral in his hoof. Lucky had final doubts before slowly putting the crystal in the little hole. The entire disk flashed and his entire world gave a way to the bright light.

Suddenly, everything went dark. He needed a few seconds to adjust and when he did, Lucky couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He was on a roof of a building in Manehatten. On his left, the stadium was shaking from the loud music. Green, blue and red lights shined the in the night like a lighthouse. The streets below were illuminated by the street light and were fairly empty.  

His eyes spotted the flying duo, which was making about to make an one hundred and eighty degree turn and fly straight forward at the stadium.

"In order to destroy the gate we must change time itself." the shade said behind him. "This is the first of three actions you must take."

"What actions?" he asked without losing sight of himself.

"The flash that briefly blinded you, came from you."

"What?" Lucky turned around to the shadow. "This can't be possible!"

"Yet, it is." the ghost calmly said.

Lucky looked really worried and turned his attention to the speeding pegesus. The ninja stood on two legs and prepared to jumped at their opponent.

"What happens, if there wasn't a flash?"

"You'll die by the tentacles and Foxy will turn this city into smoking ruins. The story ends here and every creature on this planet dies. You don't want that to happen, right?"

Lucky shook his head.

"Good. Now just think of the fire inside you."

Lucky closed his eyes and soon his green medallion flashed with a bright light, just when they were about to pass nearby. The flying pegasus lost control and began descending. The shadow pulled Lucky to the darkness, so that the ninja wouldn't be able to recognize him.

Then they disappeared, as if they were never there.

They reappeared in front of an yellow house with big crystal windows. It was very beautiful and extraordinary. The sun was shining happily in the blue sky. They were the only beings on this paved street. Lucky looked around and some of the buildings looked familiar.

"Are we in Canterlot?" he asked.

"Yes, months ago." he point at the gorgeous house. "This is where Rain Paint lives and she is currently alone. The artist is about to receive a very unexpected package."

The shadow handed over the red medallion. Lucky silently took it.

"She is the one, who started it all. The medallion will corrupt her mind and it will lead to the future events, in which you take part."

Lucky felt very guilty of being the cause of the artists' bad relationship. It felt so not right to do this but did the winged pony had any choice? He went to the door with the silver ornaments, which were shaped like hearts. The pegasus knocked a few times and placed the red crystal locket on the doorstep.

Immediately they disappeared from this timeline. The door opened and a charming unicorn with a ping long mane looked around. She was a little confused but when her eyes noticed the laying medallion, her heart pulse raised. It must have been her love, that left this beautiful bijou.

They materialized in a green field. The night was raising and the sun gracefully shined its last beams on the land of Equestria. Lucky admired the beautiful view, though only for a short moment. He remembered this place, the slow wind, the flowers, that teetered. The mountains stood tall and proud and behind them, the Capital prepared to sleep.

"We are here..." the shadow started.

"... to make myself into a worthless piece of meat for one year." Lucky interrupted him with a very dark voice. He looked up in the darkening sky. Two white pegasus were flying in the direction of the sunset. They seemed so young and full with energy. They were two good friends, that were going to have some good time in the confectionery. Their mouths were thirsty for some good cider. This night would mark the end of a long and tiresome week, if it wasn't the unavoidable tragedy.

"It's time for the final act." the shade prompted.

It was very hard for him to do this. He was actually dooming himself of an one year of misery.  

"My life is not equal to the lives of the entire world!" he whispered.  

"Oh, it is. If you return to Canterlot with your sight intact, later you'll die from the ninja's claws, when she tries to steal those apples. In a sense, you are saving your future plot."

Lucky took off his medallion and aimed it at his past self.

"I hope what I'm about to do is the right thing."

The shade silently nodded.

"Hey, over here, Lucky!" he shouted loudly.

The flying young pegasus heard something calling for him. He turned his head in the direction of the voice and then the green crystal flashed brighter than the sun. The flying pony experienced one of the worst pains in his life and quickly began falling to ground. He looked like an angel, who forgot how to wave his wings. His partner swiftly flew down to save him. The falling pony, barely escaped certain death. His friend caught him just in time and they slowly landed on the other side of the field.

The other guardian gently put his comrade, who was in total agony, on the fresh grass and looked at their direction. He noticed them and tantivy flew towards them.

"We need to get out of here now!" Lucky said to the shadow but it had disappeared.

When the incoming guardian got close enough, he recognized the attacker. He slowed down and stepped on the ground in front of Lucky, who looked like he saw a ghost.

"Lucky?" Metal Eye asked disbelievingly. Then he looked behind him and saw the body of his friend still laying on the other side of the field. The Guardian turned his head back but for his surprise, the pony had vanished into the thin air.  

They went back to the future. They were now outside the temple, where the black dragon was finishing the last remain of the elite changelings. The general flew around the beast and fired yet another beam of magical energy at it. Again there was no effect on its thick skin and only angered it more. He dodged her hot fiery breaths but his body was too old for a fight like this and at one point he made a critical mistake.

Lucky was quite shocked by the devastation, this serpent was causing. He felt sorry for his partner. The entire filed in front of the temple was burning in purple flames. The small army was smashed and turned into cinder. Nature was still weeping but her tears weren't able to put out the fire.

The general fell down and wasn't able to stand up anymore. The dragon closed its head to him and looked in his fearless blue eyes. His brothers were melted and his dream shattered in pieces but he still wouldn't give up.

The general was breathing deeply. Sweat was falling from him.

"You damn dragon! You destroyed our future!" he looked at the illuminated in purple temple. "I should have listened to you, my dear number one. You were right but I was too foolish not to understand your wise words. May this cursed place rot to eternity!"  

The dragon opened its mouth, revealing hundreds of big teeth and purple flames enveloped the general. He didn't scream. His charred body burned with bright light.

Though Lucky hated the changeling, he felt so heavy to see him perish in such a way. The shade only smiled evilly. The first phase of his plan was completed, now it was time for him to get moving to the next stage. He took the medallion off Lucky and hid it under its black body. The pegasus turned to him in surprised manner.

"You don't need that anymore. I'm gonna give you this apple, instead."

One of the tentacles pulled out the fruit from his chest and handed it to Lucky. The pegasus was perplexed.

"Believe me, you'll need this more than the medallion. Because you saved this world from Shadow Sun, I'm going to purge the demon inside you."

His white eyes flashed in red light and Lucky's demonic features disappeared under his body. The bloody claws moved inside his hooves, the teeth shrank and the spikes hid under his back. His eyes regained their brown color and intelligent look.

"Congratulations! Now you are a normal pegasus again. Although I can't remove those cyan feathers but I think they are quite charming on your wings."

There was a loud low-frequency sound, coming from the temple. The shadow looked at the light show and turned Lucky's head to the temple with his tentacle. Beams of colorful light pierced the massive structure and soon the temple vanished in a bright white light, that wrapped it fully. It left a flat earth surface, where the building used to be. The spectacle got the attention of the huge beast and it noticed the two standing pony figures.

"The gate is forever closed." the shadow looked at the dragon, which was silently approaching them from the burning field. "Now, I have to leave you, my little hero. You'll never see me again."

Lucky quickly shook his head to wake himself from this nightmare. His eyes stared at the she-dragon, which had only one intention.

"Wait, wait! What should I do with this apple?" he sounded a little scared.

"I think you'll figure it out on your own. She is your partner, after all! Have fun!" then his pony figure melted on the ground and quickly disappeared in the darkness.

Lucky turned his eyes at the big armored head in front of him. Its eyes pierced through his soul like blades. His heart began pumping faster and harder. A long sweat moved from his forehead to his cheek and felt on the wet ground. The raindrops were falling hard on his little white body. His hoof that held the apple began shaking, though he tried to stay still.

The big mouth opened and Lucky was able to see in great detail those razor sharp teeth. The big tongue moved a little back. The dragon exhaled toxic gases, that mixed with the air and instantly ignited. Lucky quickly flew upwards, barely escaping the purple flames. He gained speed and altitude. Only when he was high above ground and sure that the dragon wouldn't get him, the pony stopped in the air and looked below.

The she-dragon stared back and it was very unhappy that her pray escaped her. Lightnings sounded all around them and Lucky wished that he had his black suit for bad weathers. It was very risky to fly in this storm without protection but the ground was currently occupied.

"Think, Lucky, think! How do I change her back? Do I have to throw the apple at her? Or maybe put in her mouth? Crap, I got only one chance at this, so I should not blow it! At least I can stay here and carefully plan my attack."

Suddenly, a fireball flew from the dragon's mouth, aimed at him. He moved a bit to the side and the projectile missed him.

"Or maybe not!"

More flaming orbs flew at him and with each one, they got closer and closer to him. The she-dragon blenched the deadly projectiles like an artillery. Thankfully the pegasus was too small and fast for them.

"Alright, lets give her some juicy food. May Celestia guide my actions!" he said to himself, before making a sharp turn and flew downwards like a meteor. She continued the bombardment. The closer he got to her, the more harder it became to dodge the balls of doom. The beast grew in size in front of him but he didn't hesitate. His speed increased to drastic levels, that he created a wind behind him. The white pegasus was like a speeding bullet. Full determination and courage were holding him in this attacking vector, just like when he got his cutie mark.  

Lucky aimed the apple forward. The she-dragon was about to fire another ball at him, when she felt the pegasus hitting the inner walls of her mouth. He bounced from the soft tissue and escaped the deadly trap without a scratch. He was successful in his attempt. The untouched apple was slowly moving to the belly of the beast.

Lucky fell on the mud just outside her head. He quickly jumped on his feet and look at her. The monster chocked, when it suddenly exhaled toxic gases from its nostrils, that got in his eyes. The unlucky pony closed them and fell on his knees. He cried out of pain, when the she-dragon roared mightily in the air. A bright light enveloped its enormous body and she began shrinking her size.

Everything went dark and in front of Lucky appeared Foxy, covered in black cloth. She unconsciously fell down with a splash in a puddle. The wing pony moaned loudly. If he could get rid of his eyes, he'd do it just to take away the hellish pain. Somehow he managed to stay above it and began groping the earth to look for his partner. He slowly rambled forward and when he touched the laying mare, he painfully smiled.

He dragged himself closer and lay back next to her for a few minutes. The storm slowly subsided, until it barely dripped. The cold tears calmed him and relieved his suffering. He was breathing slowly and deeply. It was all over. Finally he could get some real rest from this little adventure. He gently opened his eyes but the picture was still dark.

"Back to the black..." he said with a low voice. "At least, I saved everypony!"

Foxy's ears moved slightly. She opened her orange eyes and looked at her savior. Everything was blurry and confusing.

"Lucky..." she whispered. "...where are we?"

The pegasus began laughing though he was almost breathless.

"We are in the jungle."

"I'm sorry, if I..."

He gently placed his hoof in front of her mouth.

"It wasn't your fault! I forgive you."

Tail felt her pulse raising. Her cheeks flushed. One of the three padlocks on her outfit opened and silently fell on the ground, disappearing in little smoke.  

"Thank you, Lucky."

"Hey, what are friends for? Although we will need to have a serious talk about the gutting-me-in-the-chest part. I'd rather not experience this again."

Foxy kept looking at his charming face. The warm feeling was growing exponentially but she didn't resist it.

"I've fulfilled my destiny, though payed the prize. Shadow Sun can't touch this world, which I'll never see again. At least, I gained a new friend from this adventure." he smiled.

The ninja felt guilty.

"Don't feel pity for me cause I'm just one ordinary pegasus. Luck has two sides like a coin and I've experienced them both. Now I want to experience peace and maybe some love." he sighed with relieve. "Let's return home!"

Foxy was silent and carefully listened to his every word. She understood him perfectly, as if they knew each other for years.

Tail slowly stood up and helped him to get on his hooves, when they heard the approach of waving wings. The ninja looked at the new pegasus, who was wearing a black suit and protective goggles. The wing pony was caring an old postal bag. The postmare was zigzagging in the air for no apparent reason.

"You've got mail! Uh, what stinks so badly?" she said, when she landed askew and almost fell in a big puddle.

The ninja looked surprised but Lucky was not so.

"How did you found us? From whom it is?" he asked.

"Well, the big fire gave your position and this is from Princess Celestia. Here."

She handed the letter to Lucky, who failed to grab it. Before the mail touched the wet ground, Foxy got it.

"Mister, you should work on your slow reflexes." the postmare said.

"Read it, please." Lucky asked his partner, who immediately open it.

To Lucky Eight

You are called back to Manehatten for a special mission, from which depends the future of Equestria. Your friend Metal Eye was onto leads that will reveal us the evil among our society. We lost contact with him, so you are our best hope of find him and bringing him back.

Equestria is forever grateful for your actions.

We await your return!

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna

"So my work is not over..." he said tiredly. "I guess, I can't back away from Her majesty's request. Foxy, will you join me in this new adventure?"

The ninja looked friendly at him.

"Only if you bring me the truck, full with apples, then yes."

"You have yourself a deal." Lucky smiled. Then he turned to the postillion. "One more thing! Do you also carry a pencil and a sheet of paper?"

"Of course, I do. Wouldn't be working in the Post Office, if I didn't have these all the time."

"Perfect. Could you write me a mail to Ms Rain Paint? You can use my back like a table."

"No problem!"

"So it goes: Dear Ms Paint.

I've found the source of your bad relation with Ms Rose. I've eliminated it and it will never bother you again. I know that you still feel a grudge against her but losing a close friend is like killing a part of yourself. I know it may be difficult to explain to her how her letter got in your hoof but I'm sure you'll find a way.

Also tell Ms Rose that fame and wealthy friends should not dictate how she spends her life and with whom. If she loves the pony in the jar so much, then she should pursue her happiness with him.

The last thing, tell her to send my payment in the Royal Guards Office in Manehatten."

"Is that all?" the postmare asked.

Lucky nodded.

"Now could you show us the way to nearest town?"

"Of course, follow me!" she put the wet letter in the bag and turned around.

"You are not thinking of flying in this bad weather, aren't you?" Foxy looked puzzled at him.

"That's exactly what I intend to do." Lucky answered with a smile. "Hop on my back and lets burn the sky!"

"Hope we don't crash." she sat on him and did her ninja magic to quickly loose weight.

The postmare jumped in the air, followed by Lucky. It was hard to wave his wet wings but with ninja's help, he managed to stay on coarse. The three ponies vanished in the darkness, leaving this ancient place for good. The fire continued burning for very long time, though was not able to destroy the jungle.  

Somewhere among the stars. a being of unlimited power watched the events, that unfolded. She felt no anger, that Her plans for this world were ruined. There were other ways of getting inside it, though they'd take Her more time and She had plenty of it. Next Chapter: Episode 2: Chapter 17: Two Horned Problems Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 3 Minutes