~~~~~Canterlot Castle, The next morning~~~~~

The double doors of the central situation room swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. The rustle of chain and leather against steel plate filled the room as the two figures in resplendent plate armor swept past the guards at the door to stand at the head of the table. "Report." Said Princess Cadence in a quiet, brusque voice - her usual golden torque and crown replaced by a heavy looking breastplate in shimmering sapphire blue crystal and a much filigreed helmet upon her brow. Her hooves were clad in knee high boots of the same color, and her mane tied back into a severe pony tail.

Captain Lancelot stood up - his ceremonial plate replaced by the mirrored steel breastplate of his rank. "Ma'am. First reports came in at oh-six hundred hours this morning, reporting smoke and unknown magical activity in the town of Ponyville. At oh seven hundred, reports were confirmed that the Ponyville town hall had been burned to the ground and some unknown magical effect held sway over the town." There was a pause as the rest of the table muttered softly, taking in the news. "Thirty minutes later, elements of Pegasus Force Recon infiltrated Ponyville airspace for thirteen minutes before evading back to neutral space."

Lancelot took a deep breath, his white-blonde mane frazzled from too many hours of wearing a helmet. "The information they retrieved is not good. Every pony still living in the town - of all ages, though there's something funny there we'll get back to - showed signs of magical contamination." Lancelot gave an embarrassed cough. "Not to beat around the bush, ma'am - but they were acting like the whole town had just gone into season and that it was the most normal thing in the world - just going about their business, most of them. Just with mares and stallions alike getting bucked six ways till Sunday right in the middle of the streets, and a whole lot of other public fetishism thrown into the mix. No regard for age, gender or species either."

A Sharp eyed pegasus wearing dark leather armor and a black mask around his face stepped up - his eyes hidden behind smoked flight goggles. "Yes, even the foals ma'am. Fillies and colts alike, though there's a buckload fewer of them in town than there ought to be. There was no sign of the town's school teacher, and a number of other prominent citizens were also missing." He said in a sharp, rough voice that cut across the chatter quickly.

Lancelot nodded once, continuing on with his report. "In addition, all the signs of the Equestrian Government have gone missing or been torn down. Sun and Moon banners have been replaced by new banners, and the town guard are wearing new colors. We are forced to conclude some kind of mass mind-control spell is currently on the town." He looked very uncomfortable at this one, looking down. "Which means we don't have so much as a lick of other reliable intel as to how this happened."

Cadence closed her eyes for a brief moment, with Prince Armor doing the same. The table took this as a call for silence, and it was granted - the half dozen generals, the clusters of royal advisors... all fell silent for a moment, before Princess Cadence spoke again, her voice thick with royal command. "Estimates casualties then? Presume all of those under control are losses."

Once again, the sharp eyed looking pegasus spoke. "Assuming we didn't just miss anypony, we're looking at 97 percent losses from the town’s population. Of those, 6 percent were either killed outright or suffered from some other form of misfortune." Shock and disbelief met these words, most of those at the table - save for the Princess and the Prince - just stared at him as he continued to speak. "Of those who escaped, most of them have been heading east." He tapped the map. "Towards White Tail Wood. The rest of them are scattering to the four winds."

Cadence nodded once, then turned back to her guard commanders. "Is there any realistic way for us to invest the town and the Everfree Forest? Or at least provide containment through one means or another." Her eyebrow arched delicately, and made her look even more severe under the delicate looking armored helm.

Guard Commander Victorious Dawn snorted derisively. "Yer majesty, it weren't realistic ta' do it when it was just tha' forest! We could prob'ly surround the town." He leaned over the tactical map, and rubbed at his chin. "If'n we brought in, say, th' boys at Fort Baltimare. They got the magical containment squaddies down thar'. But with th' whole town mind-bent? It'd be bloody work, yer majesty." He finished, in a gruff and angry tone of voice.

Pegasus Commander Daricho nodded slowly. "I grudgingly agree, your grace." He spoke in a light Las Pegasus sort of accent. "Our realistic means of containment are therefore two fold. First, we've already diverted the Friendship Express away from stopping at Ponyville. That's going to cause some raised eyebrows, but we've spread rumors about some sort of massive sabotage to the lines." He fluttered up and tapped the map. "Second, we can isolate them in the sky. We have a list of every pegasus who lived in Ponyville. We can task our security services to detaining them if they come to any of the major cities."

Daricho settled down next to the table and blew out his cheeks in a sigh. “Neither of these things addresses the problem of hoof-traffic. Which unless your grace has decided to inform the public...?" He let his words trail off slowly, as Prince Armor fixed him with an icy gaze.

Princess Cadence shook her head slowly. "No. I do understand the reasoning you've given, Commander Daricho - but I cannot risk blind panic. However." She raised a hoof to silence the gathering objections. "We will continue to reassess the policy every day. Should the situation become grave enough, I will personally make a statement on the subject to the people of Equestria." Some mutters met this bit of information, but Cadence rapped a shod hoof to the table and got immediate silence. "We must take all immediate and covert steps to keep the situation under control. EIS Is to immediately dispatch agents to Ponyville to assess the nature of the threat. I want all of our special forces to report for deployment. Gentlecolts, I trust you to know your business. Dismissed."

Nods met these decisions, and the commanders quickly filed out of the room to undertake their instructions. Princess Cadence sucked in a breath when they all had left, and let it out with a sob. "Twilight...why?" she whispered, as Shining Armor gently pressed himself against her - his weight comforting and familiar.

Suddenly, the door burst open behind them. "Your Majesties! I have a report you must read immediately!" yelled some unknown pegasus, his mane frazzled and his eyes wild...

~~~~The Edge of the Everfree Forest~~~~~~

Twilight Shadow was impressed.

They stood rank upon rank, row upon row. Ponies from every tribe and all clad in glittering violet armor, staring straight ahead in perfect military precision. Each and every one of them bore a black sparkle upon their chest - with five dark stars arrayed around it and a sliver of moonstone carved into the crescent moon set around it. She had to smirk at the symbolism. Winterlight is so very predictable. She chuckled mentally, wondering if perhaps she couldn't just indulge the Captain. Luna would be a valuable asset to the cause... If I could turn her.

That was a thought for another day. For now, Twilight admired them all - not a vast army, no. But they would be more than sufficient for her needs. More than enough to quell the few locals she could not convert to her cause. She turned to that selfsame Shadowbolt Captain and smiled. "Well done, Winterlight. I am pleased with your good work." She nodded to her side. "Walk with me." And began to walk away down through the lines, still carefully inspecting them.

Winterlight fell into step beside her, Twilight speaking firmly as they did. "I understand your desire to attack Canterlot, Captain - but it is simply not good tactics. The Griffon kingdoms first. Then then Ki-Lin. We will need both for our campaigns against the Zebra folk, and all three to end the threat of the Changelings once and for all." Winterlight was frowning and Twilight smirked. "We will secure our boarders first, Captain. What we have done, we have done for Equestria. Do not fret though. Our campaigns will not be drawn out affairs. With the Shadow at our beck and call, they will soon realize the folly of opposing us and bend knee in submission." She purred out, a little skip to her step in happiness. Things were going so very well!

Captain Winterlight looked more than a little dubiously at her. "I beg your forgiveness, my Queen. But the Griffons are not going to be impressed with a display of magical power, no matter how intimidating it might be. Just what are you planning?" She was curious - more than curious actually. Yet so far her majesty had been very close mouthed about her choice of strategy.

Twilight Shadow tossed her mane over shoulder - those all too glorious wings flaring out behind her in excitement. "You will see, Captain. I must attend to our Goddess now. Your orders stand - prepare all of the supplies and means for swift travel to the northern mountains, and do not forget the special supplies. We will leave at week’s end, once we have set a few other things into motion here." She gestured vaguely with her hoof. "You are dismissed, Captain."

Twilights wings flapped and she melted into the shadow of one of the nearby soldiers, vanishing completely. Winterlight swallowed softly at the display - and wondered if perhaps she hadn't made a small mistake in her plans. No... We will need one so strong as that if we are to restore the mind of the Nightmare. She shivered, turning to deliver orders to the nearest officer. I only pray they will not attempt to destroy one another. Else we will never have our Nighttime Eternal.

~~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~~

Princess Cadence sagged into the chair that Shining had placed for her. "How did you get this, Spitfire?" She asked hollowly, staring at the offending words on the document sitting before her. She wanted them to vanish, to disappear into the ether. Perhaps then, she could still have a few small threads of joy left in her soul connected to her beloved filly.

The fiery maned Wonderbolt stood nearby, having arrived in the room just a few minutes after the pegasus messenger. She had a wry sort of smile on her face. "There's something to be said for a well-trained spy, your Majesty. Black Spot happens to be one of the best. He got this directly from one of the Shadowbolt officers that he... ah, passed an evening with." There was a sly smile on her face. "Apparently they were just distributed today."

Cadence nodded numbly, her eyes still tracing across the words. Madness they were, to the letter. And yet, it though madness, Cadence could see the method. At long last, so many questions about how Twilight had fallen so far, so fast, made clear to her. She had thought her friends, her world was in danger... and that nopony was doing anything about it. What else would Twilight have done? She always did get wrapped up in trying to fix everypony's problems by herself.

Cadence took in a deep breath and exhaled. "The Griffon Aristocracy will never believe us, no matter how much evidence we have.." Cadence tried to summon her resolve, her willpower - and felt that deep river of support and energy flowing into her from Shining Armor, who had wrapped his hoof around her side in comfort. She smiled faintly then - she could survive this. "Spitfire, is there anything we can do?" She asked quietly, "I do not see how we can stop them without..." She could not say anything further, the lump in her throat too large.

Spitfire shook her head slowly. "I'm taking some steps right now but we won't be able to stop them completely. Best we can manage is to slow them a little. What you ought to be doing right now is getting ready for a flood of refugees that'll be coming in when all of this goes down." She paused, and took a deep breath. "Princess Cadence, have we received any word from Princess Celestia?" she asked quietly, her hooves tucked behind her back.

Cadence shook her head, just once. "No, Captain. All we have to go on now, I fear..." She looked out of the windows, towards the distant thatch-roofed cottages of Ponyville. "Is hope."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Discord sat upon a gold and jewel encrusted chest, his visage sulky and his mind roiling with thoughts that were no fun at all. His griffon clawed hand grasped a shining silver coin, and flipped it casually into the air every few moments with a soft ping sound, and the slap of the metal against flesh. He did so hate these brooding moods - when emotions other than chaotic joy overtook him. He wanted nothing more than to discard this hateful thinking and go play pranks on the castle maids for a few days. Maybe he could pose as 'Molestia' again, some of the maids actually seemed to enjoy that particular game.

He dragged his thoughts full of irritation back to the moment, and flipped the coin again with another gentle ping sound. He hated when Celestia was right. He hated even more when he couldn't find any illogical reason to pretend like it had been his idea all along! There were logical ones, certainly - but none of those were very fun. No, he had to admit - however painful it was to his chaotic sensibilities that the stupid white horse had been as correct about this as she had about other things he'd prefer to forget.

Worse still, she was off globe-trotting and following a trail of breadcrumbs laid down by yet another stupid know-it-all. One who had... well, not precisely conquered aging, but he'd certainly found plenty of praise-worthy ways to cheat death out of its payday! And therein lies the rub, old bean. You truly do want her to find him, and bring him back from his grave so you can ask him how he did it and if he can do it to somepony else as a favor. It was a grouse-inducing, maddening thought. The kind of thing that would have inspired him to even greater heights of chaotic madness back in the good old days.

The days before a pair of beautiful baby-blue eyes had stared through his thick, leathery resolve like it hadn't even existed. Before that yellow-coated pony had completely ignored every mean spirited trick he'd pulled, every stupid action and just... showed him that foolish kindness. It was as though she'd totally forgotten he'd mind-fucked her, and every single one of her friends! Before her, he'd never thought twice about screwing with the mind or soul or life of a creature just for the pure laughs. Before her, he never would have even thought about giving any kind of promise about good behavior to Celestia, not for all the tea in Neighpon!

Before he'd met Fluttershy, he'd been a different sort of Discord.

Now all those mean pranks didn't seem so funny anymore. All those silly games he'd played with their heads sort of fell flat, like a bad joke in front of a rough crowd. Every brilliant scheme, every crazy plan, every perfect chance to seize this entire little mudball for his own amusement no longer felt quite so important. Now, even that delightful little Pinkie Pie began to look like a more competent master of Chaos than he did, and wasn't that an incredibly depressing thought?

The coin smacked into his claw, and he gripped it firmly there. One free day. One day without limits, without restrictions, without responsibilities. He could do anything on that one, oh-so-tempting day. But all the random, limitless chaos that day might provide paled in comparison to what he could do with it. What he could do with it to beat a threat to his power as old as time itself. What he could do with it... to change fate itself?

What could he do with just one day where he could ignore all the rules... a gift granted to him by nothing less than Harmony's own power upon this earth?

What was he prepared to do...

To save a Friend?

Or maybe more than a Friend...

~~~~~The hills to the west of Ponyville~~~~~

A white coated creature knelt next to the still and lifeless form that lay on the ground, a few feet away from the edge of the tall cliff above. She looked down upon that still form with pitying, sad eyes - her mouth straight and unemotional - held tight by untold years of knowing the unfairness of the world. Death was part of life. All creatures died, eventually. All creatures met their ends in one way or another.

Some died in bed, surrounded by the families who loved them. Some died alone and cold in the dark, having never known the warm touch of a mothers kiss. Some died in pain, and some in their sleep. Some died without ever knowing what killed them, and some died having faced their death with a fearless eye. All things died.

Yet few creatures died as this one had. Few beings had faced their end with as much courage and honor as he. Fewer still died for so noble a cause, for so great a purpose. Yet death was death - cold, calculating and final. She could not save him, no matter how much her heart wept for his children or his bereft mate. All she could do was carry him to a place of suitable honor, before the black creatures that had caused his end decided to desecrate his body for their own puerile amusement.

A single leap of her mighty hooves carried her to the top of the cliff, to stare out over the town that now reeked with the power of Mab. Darkness covered the place like a thick sludge, visible only to those eyes that had the wit to see it. She showed no anger at this darkness, no hate. As well hate the sky for bringing rain, or the sea for bringing waves. It was her nature to do these things, it was her purpose to spread her darkness as far as it could go.

Just as it was the doe's purpose to fight her every step of the way.

The doe turned, having seen all she needed to see, and lept down to the cliff bottom below to collect the still form of the pony that lay there. She needed to hurry home, but first she had a soul to deliver to its final place of rest. The latest casualty in a war that had been fought for countless centuries, yet in his death he had provided the doe with a hope she'd not expected to find.

For Carrot Cake had died in a manner worthy of a hero, to protect the family he loved. If this was the measure of the courage in these ponies’ hearts, perhaps the world might survive what was to come after all.

~~~~Twilight Hall~~~~~

"Mother." Twilight spoke softly as her form melted from the shadows of her Hall - into the throne room where she'd begun this journey. Had it really not even been a year? Twilight was a little amazed at how quickly things could change in her life. Umbra... her Goddess, her Mother-in-soul stood at the end of that throne room, where the unused seat sat dusty and waiting for her. Before today, Twilight had seen no use in the edifice. Thrones were for rulers, not for librarians. She was as beautiful as when Twilight first laid her eyes upon her, and there was a gentle love that radiated off of her like heat.

Twilight Shadow's steps took her next to that creature - and just being next to her made every ounce of stress or worry at the coming days melt away into nothing. Twilight could feel her smile growing wider, her step becoming lighter. Everything was falling neatly into place, those closest to her were safe and sound. Her thoughts went out with a touch of sadness to Pinkie Pie, who was now in the gentle care of Applejack and Dash. Such a tragedy. What in the world could have driven Carrot Cake to do such a thing, I wonder?

It was an absurd thought. Twilight hadn't wanted to hurt him, or his family. She'd wanted to free them. It simply made no logical sense to her that he would hurl himself from a cliff in fear of that. Pinkie hadn't taken it well either, but Twilight was confident that Rainbow Dash and Applejack would be able to soothe her spirit back to health quickly enough. Even now, the frank emotional pain she'd felt from Pinkie's shadow was starting to dissipate - one of the great advantages to her personal attention to them had given her a psychic link. She would always know that her friends were safe, and if they were happy or not.

Umbra spoke up then, pulling Twilight's thoughts away from her friends for now. ~"You cannot avoid confronting Celestia forever, child."~ She said... not admonishing, just a gentle sort of reminder. ~"She will not take well to our good work until we have opened her eyes to the truth. Are you certain this plan of action is the correct one?"~ Her smooth voice was still thick with sensual promise, still cloyingly sultry - but Twilight had swiftly learned to read past those tones. She was not attempting to convince her of a new path, she was testing Twilight's resolve for this one. Like any good adviser, she had a knack for finding the flaws in a plan.

Twilight nodded once, her wings sweeping out and tucking around the sleek body of her Goddess - pulling her in closer. Umbra smirked and nuzzled her silken cheek against Twilight's. They both very much enjoyed these little moments of physical intimacy, and every touch strengthened the bond between them a little more. "Yes, mother. I love Celestia, truly and with all of my soul - But I knew her all too well. She will not attack me, nor will she confront me directly unless she believes she has some foolproof means to 'cure' me." There was a scornful smirk, a sly laugh behind that word. Cure. Right, as though this glorious gift were a disease to be purged.

Twilight continued, her eyes bright. "We will win over her own ponies, mother. They will come to us, to swear allegiance in droves when we crush the threats they have lived under their whole lives. When every foe of Equestria has been vanquished, and her nation bends knee to us, she will have no choice but to acknowledge our truth." Her words rang with conviction throughout the hall, and her heart soared with the hope of that glorious day. She did look ever so forward to bringing Celestia and Luna into her chambers - one at a time, of course - and slowly imbuing them with her Shadow over several long, wet, sexual days.

Umbra laughed softly, a sound like the tinkling of bells. ~"I see you have your plans well laid, my daughter. Very well, I shall not call into question your logic."~ She bowed her head to Twilight and kissed her upon the lips softly. ~"After all, your mind is so perfect for this sort of plan. I am so lucky to have you my dear... You will make me proud in a way no other has before you."~ She smirked softly...~"Since you already make me wet the way no other creature has before you..."~
They shared a soft laugh, and rubbed coat against coat, cheeks nuzzling and lips nipping and kissing absently. They were as one, and in a way they completed one another. Umbra whispered softly, her eyes bright. ~"So. What will you call this conflict then, hm? Every good war needs a name..."~

Twilight tilted her head, her eyes half lidded with delight. She smiled coyly. "They seemed determined to name everything else after me in this town. Why not just call it The Twilight War?" Umbra smirked and laughed in gentle approval...and then there were no words between them - lips locked together in a hungry lust for each other. They did not need words, for they slowly came together to celebrate the realization of two dreams.

For one, a dream of a safe Equestria for all the ponies Twilight loved. A world without war, without strife, without the need for a heroine like her to constantly rush in and save the day. A world full of love and joy for everypony, where stern control ensured that the crimes of the past would never again harm the future.

For the other, a dream of a world bathed in pure shadow. A dream of divinity restored, of vengeance against the false gods that dared to deny Umbra her rightful place. A dream of new pleasures and new glorious untold by previous ages. A dream of new worlds to conquer and convert to her glorious dark truth.

And though neither of them realized it, a third dream began to live as hoof touched hoof, and lips touched lips. As heat and passion and lust blurred the lines between God and Servant, how thousands of years of loneliness met the gentle, lonely heart of a young creature - and how the ragged edges of two hearts slowly fit together like an intricate puzzle. A dream of a love thought impossible. A love that would change the entire world, forever.

A love that would birth a War.

Author's Notes:

After three rewrites, I've made the decision to leave Rarity's scene on the cutting room floor. I know there will be folks disappoint at that, but it simply didn't fit into my views on how the fic should end in this chapter.

I have instead decided to shift that scene (And it's many implications) to the first chapter of the next book. It will actually make more sense there in the context of the story.

Sorry guys, you'll just have to wait for sexy marshmallow flank. Maybe I'll make it up to you with some one-shot clop at some point.

Which reminds me, the epilogue is next.