Umbratara: The Garden of Shadows

by Kipakuta

Nocne Mesta

If Cheerilee hadn't been wearing the crescent moon pendant, she would've been dead.

Toola Roola drew back from the silver necklace. Cheerilee released her grip on the unicorn and backed away quickly. "Cheerilee, I..."The unicorn began, watching as the earth pony slumped against one wall of the cellar. Toola Roola turned to Starsong. "I suppose you better get your stake and mallet, and do what needs to be done." The pegasus nodded then slowly headed upstairs.

Cheerilee and Toola Roola stared at each-other in silence. Cheerilee finally broke the silence. "So how did this happen?"

"I-I don't know. One moment I'm looking around the back rooms, the next thing I know, I'm down here with that thing." She pointed to the putrescent corpse with three arrows sticking out of it's flesh. "Sucking my blood and making me drink it's own." Starsong returned, carrying the stake and mallet.

"Ok, so how are we gonna do this?" She asked.

Toola Roola laid down then rolled onto her back. "Place the stake right here." She indicated a spot on the left side of her chest. "And angle the stake so that the point will go under the center bone." Starsong trotted over and positioned the stake, according to her instructions, holding it with both hooves.

Cheerilee came over and took the hammer. She held the hammer in both hooves, then reared up. Starsong steadied the stake with both of her front hooves.

"Cheerilee. Starsong. You two are the best things that have ever happened to me." Toola Roola whispered, closing her eyes. Cheerilee brought the hammer down with all her strength.

*THUD*

Toola Roola opened one eye and saw the mallet partially embedded in the dirt floor of the cellar, inches from her head. Cheerilee released the handle and slumped to a sitting position. "I can't do it. You're still the mare I love."

"But Cheerilee-" The magenta mare held up a hoof.

"Listen to me, both of you." Cheerilee began. "We've got to stay focused. We have one task." She slowly stood up. "We can't fall apart over this. Because if we start bawling, we might not be able to stop."

With a grunt of frustration, Starsong threw the stake aside. It bounced off the wall of the cellar then landed in the dirt. "We gonna go to Baba and get the cure?"

"That's two days away, and another two days back here." Cheerilee replied. "And we're so close to our goal now." She looked down to Toola Roola. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry, scared." The unicorn replied. "What if I lose control? I don't want to hurt either of you, but I can smell your blood."

"Toola Roola." Cheerilee put on a smile. "You are the most beautiful pony I ever met, and it hurts me to see you suffer like this." She took off the necklace and set it aside. "If you only feed for a few seconds from each of us, I think we can get through this."

"I'll be as gentle as I can." Toola Roola replied as she got up..

- - -

The soldiers of Bohaymia and Pferd-Reiten emerged from several pale-white shimmering portals, and got into formation near the town of Buckarest. The central portal was larger than the others, and allowed the soldiers to bring their siege weapons through. Princess Luna kept a watchful eye as the weapons were pushed into position, and loaded.

"Your Highness, er, Majesty." A Bohaymian Commander addressed her. "These moonbridge spells. How long do they last?"

"Unless negated by the unicorn supporting them, the spells function only in the light of our moon." The alicorn replied. "We also hope thine unicorn mages have memorized the spell, for it will be part of the required spell compendium."

The Commander nodded. "I will relay that order and note it in the manual." She cleared her throat. "Next thing. How much leeway are we given in our assault?"

Luna grinned. "I am anticipating that the city would need a complete rebuilding. While stone is durable and long lasting, a thousand years of neglect and weathering should work in our favor. And the inhabitants are considered hostile to ponykind. We see no reason to leave e'en a populace of one."

"In other words, level it." The commander replied.

"Allow me to reduce the sentiment further." Luna replied. She shaped some of the soil into a small scale model depicting the town. She raised a hoof then slammed it into the model, scattering the dirt.

"Yes your Highness." The Commander saluted before leaving.

- - -

Using light spells, Celestia and two dozen unicorn battle mages lead the way through the mines. Celestia had shared Starswirl's map with them, so they knew the path to the under-mesa tunnel. Other junctions were sealed up with carefully rigged cave-ins, or barred with silver to imprison whatever might be lurking deeper down.

"Halt." Celestia called after few miles. The soldiers drew their weapons and listened carefully. The air inside the mine smelled mostly of rock, along with fresh accents of pony sweat and weapon oil, but a new scent seemed to waft from further ahead. The sound of something rustling against the rock, echoed along the tunnel.

"Your Majesty?" Captain Kalterbriss prodded with some hesitance. Celestia raised a hoof to silence her.

A pair of teal eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead, hovering above even Celestia's eye level. The eyes steadily came closer, the shadows gradually parting to reveal the upside-down visage of an indigo unicorn. As more of her form was revealed by the light, there were several gasps from the soldiers, and Celestia felt a sense of dread.

The pony in front of them had four pairs of limbs, which were stretched, given more joints, covered with a thick chitin, and the hooves reshaped into claws that allowed her to grip the ceiling. Beyond the last pair of chitinous legs, was a huge bloated chitin-covered abdomen, bearing a narrow bright red stripe along the back.

"So nice of you to come down off of your pedestal, Celestia." The spider-pony snarked, bearing a set of sharp fangs.

"Identify yourself!" Celestia demanded.

"I am Lord Zernaba's personal guard, and your death." The being announced, before leaping at the alicorn. Celestia scrabbled back, leaving the Captain in the lead. As the spider-pony landed in front of her, the Captain drew her sword, and was joined by a few other soldiers.

Celestia turned to the rear of the march, and saw the rearmost soldiers already engaged with a draconic pony-like thing that kept flickering in and out of sight. "Captain, there's another one in the back!" She yelled.

"They got us pinned in!? Soldiers, protect the Princess!"

- - -

"I find a certain irony in this." Cheerilee commented, as she and Starsong huddled within blankets, eating the stew.

"Hmm? What is it?" The purple pegasus asked after swallowing a scoop of stew

"That Toola is taking care of us." The magenta mare replied.

Starsong nodded. "If only she'd studied to be a nurse, we'd gladly be her patients."

"I don't know if I could stand that." The unicorn in question remarked. "You know how I am about blood and all that. I'm nervous just having these in my muzzle." She tapped one of her fangs with a hoof.

"How are you feeling?" Starsong asked her.

"Not as ravenous." Toola Roola replied. "But I don't think you two could survive another feeding."

"No, as it is, we need to get to a hospital after this is over." Cheerilee commented. "Make sure there's no serious consequences from losing blood."

"I wonder if they can cure me." Toola Roola said quietly.

"In folklore, killing the sire usually results in their victims turning back." Starsong stated. "Dunno why it didn't work with you, cause I killed your sire."

"You interrupted the feeding process. Maybe that caused enough of a delay that I wasn't fully turned till after his death." Toola Roola pondered. "Maybe we need to give him Last Rites."

"You can if you want." Cheerilee stated. "I just want to get this over with so I can go home."

Starsong set her empty bowl down. "Wanna leave now?"

"We might as well." Cheerilee commented. "It's only a few miles, about the same distance between our mansion and Zecora's hut."

"Alright." Toola Roola . "We'll rest there then."

Rinsing and packing the dishes took a minute. Cheerilee and Starsong each wrapped their blanket around themselves and secured them. Toola Roola wore only her ribbons, since she couldn't feel the cold air against her skin. Starsong carried the three silver-tipped staves, while Toola Roola carried the staff with her family crest on it. Cheerilee carefully carried the burning twigs down to the cellar, then threw it on the remains of the vampony. After coming back upstairs. She looked to her friends. "Everypony ready?"

"Ready."

"As ready as I'll ever be."

They left the house, not bothering to close the door behind them. Though the moon provided a little light, Toola Roola noticed that the darkness didn't hinder her vision, so she took the lead. Cheerilee and Starsong followed, their improvised cloaks providing some protection against the gusty night winds that blew over the hills.

With Toola Roola pausing every few minutes to check on her companions, the group made it to the capital in an hour.

- - -

"This silence tis most unnerving." Luna commented as the dust settled around the breaches in the outer walls of the city. "Surely our enemy should show some signs of liveliness."

"Vamponies, your Highness." The commander reminded her. Luna blushed and chuckled. "But I get your sentiment. We've announced ourselves, and they haven't responded. Maybe the city is abandoned."

"Send in patrols to investigate." Luna commanded. She created an indigo aura around the piles of rubble, and began moving the stones aside. "And move the catapults up to attack the castle."

"Commander!" A pegasus scout landed nearby. "They're behind us." Luna and the Commander turned around to look. In the distance they saw a large horde of ponies shambling towards them, their eyes glowing like teal points.

"From whence did they arrive?" Luna wondered aloud.

"I saw them come up from the ground." The scout replied. "I flew back here to warn you."

"Soldiers!" The Commander called out. "To the south!" There was a clatter as the skirmisher troops drew their weapons and charged..

- - -

Cheerilee, Starsong and Toola Roola stood outside of the gate that lead into the city. "So, who gets to step in first?" Toola Roola asked.

"You do." Cheerilee replied. "It's only right and fitting." Toola Roola lifted her hoof and set it firmly inside the gate.

"Then I am the first pony to enter the city in almost a thousand years." She exclaimed. One inside, she turned and smiled to the others. "Let me welcome you to Nocne Mesta. I am your Host and Concierge, Toola Roola." She ended with a bow and a flourish.

Cheerilee and Starsong snickered before entering. "I suppose we should keep up a certain level of decorum." Cheerilee replied. "This place needs it." They approached a weathered stone column with words engraved on each of the six sides. "Stars, can you read this?"

Starsong approached the column, relying on the dim moonlight to see the words. "Maybe if I had a torch or something, I could make some sense of it."

Toola Roola gazed over the column. "I know what this is. Stories passed down among the Roani speak of Nocne Mesta's many secrets." She walked over to the column and brushed a hoof along one side. "These are the six Eternal Laws of Equestria."

"The Elements of Harmony." Cheerilee stated with reverence. "But under their old names, no doubt."

"Sympathy, Verity, Jollity, Fidelity, Charity, and The Great Mystery." Starsong stated. "At least that's how Princess Luna would call them."

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. "And you know this, how?"

Starsong blushed. "It just seems like something she'd say. You know, being a thousand years displaced and all." The answer satisfied Cheerilee.

"There's another one over there." Toola Roola pointed towards a plaza set back a few dozen strides from the gate.

"We can investigate in the morning." Cheerilee stated, leaning against a nearby bench. "I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, let's get inside and get some rest." Starsong headed over to a nearby stone house.

"Ok, you two rest, I'll look around and come back in the morning." Toola Roola stated.

"Stay safe." Cheerilee replied.

"Stay sane." Toola Roola quipped. Cheerilee and Starsong entered the house then secured the door. Toola Roola headed up the ramps to explore the terraces. The many buildings of the town bore traces of fire and assault. She noticed strange wispy figures around the town, though none came near her, or even seemed to notice her. Toola Roola watched a few as they appeared to perform scenes of being attacked by something or somepony. "This many ghosts in one place is unusual." She commented to herself.

{They failed in their duties.} Toola Roola heard a voice whisper.

"Wh-wh-wh-who's there?" The unicorn paused and looked around, trying to find some sign of the speaker.

{Traitors should get what they deserve.} The voice whispered again.

"Show yourself." Toola Roola walked towards a row of buildings, peering into the spaces between them.

{You were abandoned.} The last statement was accompanied by a brief image of Cheerilee and Starsong.

"What? No." Toola Roola protested, backing up against a gnarled tree. "They'd never leave me."

{Left you to die.} The voice added with a chuckle.

"But there was a vampony-"

{They never cared.} The whispering voice interrupted. {They only want you for your wealth.}

"They're my friends." Toola Roola protested. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

{You don't need them. You don't need anypony.}

The unicorn slumped to the ground. "Just go away!" She snapped.

{Go it alone.}

Toola Roola put her hooves over her ears. "I'm not listening!"

{Don't listen to their lies. It was their fault.} The voice rose in volume.

"Their fault..." Toola Roola repeated. She stood up again. "They choose to stop in that town. I wanted to come straight here."

{How long will you be subject to another pony's whims?}

"I'm done with that, done with them." The unicorn spat. "What business do we have being here?"

{Claim this land for yourself.}

"But, it's Princess Luna's domain."

{Is it?}

"It was...The whole reason we came here was to restore her to the throne."

{Why her? Why not you?}

Toola Roola looked to her hooves. "I don't have the right. I'm not a princess."

{Queen Antonia LaRoulette Dendari sounds so much better.}

"But my Honor-"

{Everypony gets what they deserve. Isn't that the rule?}

"That's right." Toola Roola agreed. She turned and began making her way to the castle. "I deserve this."

- - -

Celestia was quickly growing tired of the hit and run attacks. It felt like every stride of progress forward was met with an attack from the two monstrous ponies, who would retreat after a brief skirmish. The repeated battles left the army with fewer resources and less energy with little gain. The alicorn stepped over to Kalterbriss. "Captain, May I have a moment of your time?"

The Captain turned to face Celestia. "Do you have a plan, your Majesty?" Kalterbriss asked without her usual bravado. "Because I'm opting to just collapse the mine and get out."

"I feel like we're not making much progress. It's like they're trying to slow us down for some reason."

"What does the map show, your Majesty?"

Celestia unrolled the scroll. "According to this, there should be a curve up ahead, then the tunnel doubles back for a short distance to a cavern." She walked over to one side. "If we were to tunnel through here, that would bring us closer to our quarry."

"Bruneigh! Haydi!" The Captain called. Two unicorns cantered over. "Set a warp beacon on the other side of the this wall."

"Yes Ma'am." They replied in unison. The two unicorns created a magical aura around themselves, blurred slightly, then walked into the wall.

Captain Kalterbriss grinned to Celestia. "Intangibility spells. Very useful for rescuing ponies trapped by rockslides and cave-ins."

"Quite." Celestia replied. "I have suggested it to Twilight Sparkle." The two unicorns returned about a minute later.

"The warp beacon is set, Ma'am." Bruneigh stated as she ceased blurring.

"Good." The Captain called to her soldiers. "Platoons one through four go first! Platoon six on the Princess. Platoon eight on me. Platoon ten, you go last."

"Yes Captain!" Came the reply. After platoon five had entered the warp current, the two monsters attacked again. With half their forces on the other side of a rock wall, the army was getting pressed in.

"Platoon six, go! Platoon eight, we're last!" The Captain shouted. She drew her sword. "Get a bladestorm on the chameleon thing!" She shouted as she charged the spiderpony.

Celestia began channeling her magic, but found herself surrounded by another unicorn's aura. There was a flash of light around her, then she found herself in the other tunnel. "What, no! I could have helped."

"Your Majesty." One of the solders admonished as she lead the Princess away. "The Captain knows what she's doing." Celestia watched as the remaining platoons appeared, one by one. platoons nine and eight came through injured but intact.

"Sie fast hat uns."* The Captain panted. "I hope Princess Luna is faring better than we are."

- - -

Princess Luna surveyed the fields around the city, from within the safety of a dome surrounding the town. The army-having been gathered within the town and the castle-watched warily as the dessicated animated ponies outside paced and circled. Occasionally they would hiss and glare at the soldiers inside. The few that had tried to force their way through the barrier, found themselves set alight by the concentrated moonlight.

~"Your Highness, are we just waiting for the inevitable?" The Bohaymian Commander looked to Luna.

~"Nay, Commander." Luna replied. ~"We need only keep them at bay for a time. Once Bohaymian special task force one hath completed their assigned task, we shall engage the enemy and deliver a mighty blow."

The commander looked back to the castle. ~"You mentioned something about modifying one of the Objectivists designs."

Luna grinned. ~"Among the plans and projects that were liberated from Zeranovice, was a prototype for a Light Energy Amplification Device. We have asked some of the more technically inclined soldiers to modify the device to use energy from the Moon."

~"So we're gonna defeat the vamponies with the M.E.A.D.?"

~"The is precisely correct, Commander." Luna replied. ~"And We appreciate a clever play on words and acronyms. Once we have a satisfactory field test, we can send out an order for more such devices. M.E.A.D. for all my forces!"

"Forgive my hesitation, My princess, but it sounds a little dangerous."

"We shall see, Commander." Luna looked back to the mob outside of town. "Hopefully it will be more dangerous to them than to us."

~"At the very least, we'll get an amazing light show." The Commander added.

- - -

Toola Roola waddled into the open door of the castle, her speed and movement hampered by a distended belly. "What a wreck, I should have it knocked down and rebuilt."

{Build a towering skyscraper. Like the ones in the cities to the east.}

"I could build it a mile high." She added. "And the top ten floors will be my family's home and office." The unicorn made her way past the foyer and into the main hall.

{The capital of a new Equestria.}

A smile crossed Toola Roola's lips. "Why should it be limited to Equestria. I have contacts and allies in the Gryphon lands too."

{Good, good. A world-spanning empire, united under our banner.}

Toola Roola blinked. "Wait, no, that's what Any Random wanted."

{Our rule will be different. Our power can and must be shared with all.}

"What power?" Toola wondered. "And how would sharing it work?"

{This power.} There was a sensation of something oozing up her spine to her head, then a flood of ideas and concepts burst into her mind. Toola stared with wide eyes, seeing the images flicker and change rapidly. {Mastery over the mortal form. Usable by all who share the blood.}

"I wouldn't even need magic." Toola realized. "The Gift of Blood can be shared with everypony. And with non-ponies as well."

{The blood will unite us all.} Toola entered the throne room. {Everyone and everything will be as one.}

"Eternal Harmony..." The unicorn mused. "A world without strife, without Discord."

{The time is coming, Mother.}

Toola Roola ambled over to the throne. "Mother...I like the sound of that. I had hoped to be one with Cheerilee, but..."

{She and Starsong can be the first converts to our Grand Union.}

"Converts?"

{You must share the Gift of Blood with them first.}

Toola Roola settled onto the throne, then turned her gaze to her swollen belly. "Tell me more about this gift."

{As I share the knowledge with you, you must use it to make yourself into a proper vessel. I must draw upon my mana source to recreate my body. You must adapt to it or the plan for Harmonic Union will be ruined.}

Toola Roola caressed her belly with a hoof. "When shall we begin?"

{At noon, I will guide you through the first steps.}

- - -

"Your Majesty, we have secured and fortified our position." Captain Kalterbriss stated while Celestia was studying a short stone stele. "The beasts will not pass."

"Good." Celestia turned to the brick facade near the middle of the cavern. "What I need you to do is to focus all your attention on the tunnel. We are between Si'Mu'Ze and it's guards."

"Yes Your Majesty." The Captain returned to her soldiers and gave instructions. Celestia approached the open doorway of the facade, scanning it with her magic.

"That's odd." She said to herself. "There should be a powerful ward here." She stepped through the doorway and into the room. There was a sound in the darkness that reminded her of bubbling mud. "Si'Mu'Ze. I am Princess Celestia. Spirit of the Sun, Keeper of Harmony and Joint Diarch of the Principality of of Equestria."

A chorus of whispering voices spoke. "You should go."

"Leave this place."

"This meeting is unnecessary."

Celestia created a light spell, illuminating the room. Several hairless equines were partially merged into the walls and the floor, which were composed of grayish teal flesh. The equine's faces were completely smooth where their eyes should have been. Also attached to the walls, were tentacles tipped with eyes bearing oddly-shaped pupils. They blinked in the sudden light, turning to follow Celestia's movements. A large central mass expanded and contracted in an irrhythmic manner, causing a teal bloodlike ichor to flow along raised veins that lead from the mass to each of the embedded equines. "What...are you?"

"We are improved ponies." One of the equines spoke, it's words echoed by the others.

"We are united." Said another, also accompanied by a chorus.

"We are shaped by will." A third pony chimed in.

"We are Si'Mu'Ze." The syllables were spoken in a clipped manner.

Celestia felt a chill along her spine, and flared her wings in reflex.

"An alicorn."

"An intermediate form."

"It is but a step to greater states of being."

"I bear the Elemental gifts of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water!" Celestia spoke, using a spell to amplify her voice.

"We are beyond that." The chorus replied, easing into a conversational volume. "We discarded our elemental gifts as insufficient. The Gift of Blood is all we need."

Celestia took a step back. "What is this Gift of Blood?"

In response to her question, one of the equines detached itself from the wall with a wet schlorp. It shambled over to Celestia. "It makes us one."

"One family."

"One flesh."

"One mind."

"One will."

"One is all, and all are one."

"A Harmonious Union."

"That is not Harmony!" Celestia shouted. "That is a twisted mockery of it!"

"Friendship can break, love may fade, our bonds of blood are eternal." The pony reached out to Celestia. "Join us."

Celestia backhoofed the pony, sending it sprawling. The other embedded equines moaned in pain. An aura of blinding white fire appeared around her horn. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn you to a cinder!" She snapped. Silence. Celestia touched her horn to the nearest portion of the thing. The brilliant white flame spread quickly along the floor then up the walls. The equines shrieked and screamed as the sunfire incinerated their flesh. Celestia turned and left.

"Captain, pack up and move out."

"But what about-"

"We need to get out of here." Celestia snapped. Already a draft of air was being drawn into the cavern from the tunnel. "Before we all suffocate."

Captain Kalterbriss turned to her soldiers. "We have a cave fire, evac now!"

The platoons proceeded into the tunnel in an orderly manner. As they approached the bend in the tunnel, one of the lead soldiers called back. "Captain, there's a tunnel that branches off and slopes upward."

Celestia glanced to the map. "There's no record of that on here."

Captain Kalterbriss took one look at the shaft. "Follow it."

"Yes Ma'am." The group filed along the tunnel. It was a straight line on a gentle slope that exited in one of the hills next to the mesa.

"Captain, how did you know it wasn't a dead end?" Celestia asked.

"A, the tunnel is less than a thousand years old. B, The only ponies who have the means, motive and opportunity to dig a tunnel, are the ponies that revere whatever that thing was. And C, There were small tufts of grass on the floor."

"An excellent observation, Captain." Celestia gave him a grin.

- - -

"Your Highness, your Highness!" A group of soldiers jogged over to Luna's position. "It's ready!"

"To what are you referring?" Luna inquired.

"The Mead." One of the soldiers replied. She held up a tubelike device that had a truncated cone at one end.

"Then you must deploy it at once." Luna commanded, leading the group to the town gate. "Show me how effective it be."

With another soldier acting as her support, the pony aimed the device and pressed a button. There was a muffled clicking sound from the tube, and a white-violet dot flickered on whatever the device was aimed at. Whenever it touched vampony skin, flames would ignite, causing the creature to shriek and flee, but other objects were unaffected. Seeing their peers spontaneously ignite and burn, the mob began dispersing, fleeing from the city.

"Haha, we have got them on the run!" Luna cheered. "Give chase before they are out of range!"

"Impossible, your Highness." The soldier replied, as she swept the weapon about. "The beam remains focused for a range of 500 strides."

Luna stared at the growing conflagration. "Then we have won." She said quietly. "They cannot close without risking their own selves, and we can maintain a large gap."

"As long as the moon shines, your Highness." The soldier replied. "huh, that's odd." She commented.

"What?"

"They're dispersing to the north." The soldier stopped firing for a moment. "You'd expect them to scatter in all directions at once."

"That be the path up to Nocne Mesta." Luna turned. "Climb 'pon my back."

The soldier grinned. "Going on a strafing run?" She carefully got onto Luna's back, making sure that she and the device were secure.

"Commander! Gather the armies and follow us!" Luna called to the Bohaymian officer. The Commader saluted, then Luna took to the air.

As Luna soared over the mob of fleeing vamponies, the soldier on her back played her weapon over the crowd. A swath of vamponies burst into flame as the UV light touched their bare skin, shrieking in pain and panic. The fires spread to other nearby vamponies, proving impossible to extinguish.

After reaching the head of the mob, Luna felt a pressure in her head. "Ok ok, sister." She muttered.

"What, morning already?" The soldier asked.

"Apparantly so." Luna grumped. The eastern side of the sky lightened.

"We've had enough fun. If any vampony is still around after today, we can find them."

Luna gave a look back over her shoulder. "For now though, we shall fly straight to Nocne Mesta."

- - -

Cheerilee stepped outside and halted almost immediately. "Good Morning, your Majesty." The earth pony greeted with a bow.

Celestia turned her gaze from the stelle to face the magenta mare. "Oh, greetings my little pony. How was your rest?"

Cheerilee rubbed the back of her neck. "I've slept better. It probably didn't help that Starsong and I lost some blood last night."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I have ten platoons of the Reiten forces with me. There are medics that can examine you."

Cheerilee shook her head. "No, we need treatment for blood loss. My Marewife was turned into a vampony last night, and we had to give her some of our blood to ease her hunger."

Celestia trotted over and nuzzled. "A noble act. But where is she now?"

"I don't know." Cheerilee replied. "She said that she was going to explore the town, and come back in the morning."

"I fear something may have happened to her." Celestia stated. "I've met..." She hesitated a moment. "Lord Si'Mu'Ze Czernabog." Cheerilee brought a hoof to her mouth.

"You're not...infected, are you?"

"No Cheerilee, but if what I saw last night is any indication, I think I know what's going on."

"And just what is going on?" A blue alicorn asked as she came in for a landing. "Were you successful in removing the Blight?" There was a silver-clad soldier on Luna's back, holding a tube with odd embellishments.

"Luna, why does that Soldier have an Objectivist weapon?" Celestia asked.

"Tis an energy amplification device." Luna replied. "It focuses the magic channeled into it, and creates a straight ray of light."

"I take it then, that Buckarest is secure?" Starsong asked, rubbing an eye as she approached. "Where's Toola?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Celestia added.

"I will find her." Luna declared, an indigo aura appearing around her horn.

{Together we will bring Harmony to this imperfect world.} Toola Roola's thoughts seemed to echo with a darker undertone.

"NO!" Luna shrieked, her eyes widening and the pupils shrinking. Celestia leapt to her sister's side."The fiend doth dwell inside her!" Her voice sounded on the verge of panic.

"What?!" Cheerilee, Starsong and Celestia exchanged glances.

"The castle!" Luna pointed a trembling hoof at the large stone building on the top terrace. "Make haste!"

"Cheerilee, get on!" Starsong flared her wings. Celestia had already taken flight. Cheerilee glomped the pegasus and held on tight. Starsong took off as soon as Cheerilee's front legs were around her neck.

"Your Highness?" The soldier prodded. "Highness!" Luna snapped out of her hyperventilating daze. "This is no time to fall apart. Your kingdom needs you."

Luna flared her wings, steeled herself, and took flight.

- - -

A draconic pony perked his ears as he heard something outside of his buried house. Turning his gaze to the entrance, he saw a glow coming from a narrow tunnel between two huge pillars of stone. As the glow resoved itself into a torch, Si'Mu'Ze could make out some features of the pony who carried it. ~"So the story was true." The pony exclaimed, as she approached.

~"Traveller." Si'Mu'Ze called out. ~"Of what story do you speak?"

The other pony stammered and began backing away. A teal aura formed around her, lifted her up, and whisked her to Si'Mu'Ze. ~"Please don't hurt me!" The mare cried out. ~"I'll do whatever you wish." She pleaded.

~"Hurt you? Why would I hurt you? Should I hurt you? Have you committed some act that deserves punishment?"

~"Th-th-the Zigneigh call you 'The Mutilator'"

~"The Zigneigh? Oh The Szrig'hay. They still exist?" Si'Mu'Ze released the mare. ~"Because I learned to sculpt flesh and bone as a potter sculpts clay, they take offense and seal me up like some monster."

~"Sorry, I'll go now." The mare turned to leave.

~"Wait." Si'Mu'Ze called. The mare halted. ~"At least lend me your warmth. It has been so long since I have known the closeness of another living being."

The mare returned. ~"You won't hurt me, will you?"

Si'Mu'Ze smiled. ~"Such is not mine intention."

- - -

A conjoined pair of ponies held up a chunk of rock, examining it in the light of a torch. ~"Interesting. If we could alter our bones to match this degree of hardness..."

~"What do you intend, Lord Si'mu'ze?" A nearby mare asked.

The conjoined ponies turned one head to face the mare. ~"As already demonstrated, my progeny are able to pass through the barrier, and those who share my blood have a connection to me. If I could somehow solidify my flesh into a material object, that object could be shaped into armor, weapons or jewelry. It might provide a weak link to influence other ponies."

~"We could bring others to your service. And they would act as your proxies. You could retake your Principality?" The mare inquired, rubbing her chin with a feline paw.

~"And expand it." The conjoined ponies chuckled in unison.

- - -

~"Tell us more about this alicorn pretender." A group of ponies intoned; their voices lacking any emotional inflection.

~"My Lord." A robed unicorn began. ~"Princess Luna claimed this land after defeating a creature of chaos, known as Discord. She has three pieces of something called the Elements of Harmony."

~"So she stands against chaos. That is good. She could be an ally." One of the ponies approached the unicorn. ~"Bozena, you have told us that your oath specifically mentioned serving the ruler of the land."

Bozena chuckled.. ~"She is as yet unaware of you, Father."

~"With your help, and that of the rest of my followers, we can join all things together as one. There would be no conflict, no disagreements, no cause for strife."

~"How would we get others to join our cause?" Bozena asked.

~"This is how we will do it. If there should be a plague, and our blood be the only cure, we would have the afflicted begging to join."

Bozena grinned. ~"Then I shall get started on one right away."

- - -

Bozena stood on a hill looking at the entrance to Nocne Mesta. behind her was a mob of ponies. Some were soldiers who had joined her cause, some were fellow cultists, but the majority were ponies who had grievances against Luna and a distrust of the Zigany. The unicorn turned to address the assembly, who wielded swords, improvised weapons and torches.

"Ponies of the shadowed land, I know that you grow weary of having your foals taken by the roaming jokers who serve as Luna's chosen. After today, you won't have to worry about your children being raised to serve as her dedicated servants!" She pointed up at the moon. "That should have been set an hour ago! Luna surely does not care about us!"

The mob loudly agreed with her, the ponies shifting uncomfortable, anxious to do something about their complaints. A sky chariot approached the castle from the west, then entered the courtyard. "Behold, The Sun Princess! Let us go!" The mob let out a loud cheer, then charged towards the gate of the capital.

- - -

The moment that Celestia set hoof into the castle, she was pounced. A distortion in the air was the only visible sign of what attacked her. She felt something wrap around her barrel, looping a few times before constricting. "You ssshould not have come by yourssself." A voice whispered in one of her ears. "We will finishsss what we ssstarted lassst night." Another voice hissed in her other ear.

Celestia held her breath, fighting against the coils. She had the distinct impression of some large ophidic equine. As she saw Cheerilee and Starsong enter, She grunted the words. "Throne room," allowing the coils to tighten slightly. The two ponies hesitated for a moment, unsure of their Monarch's dilemma.

Something heavy passed through the air, distorting the background as it headed for the two ponies. They leapt aside just before the thing thudded into the floor where they were standing, stirring up dust. "Sister!" came a shout. Celestia's vision was wavering from having her lungs squeezed, but she still could make out the dark blue colors of Luna as the other other alicorn entered.

"You are too late!" The voices spoke. The distortion faded, revealing a two-headed, teal colored pony-naga. "Lord Si'Mu'Ze will soon be reborn!"

"Soldier, pass me the Mead!" Luna commanded, reaching a front hoof over the opposite side shoulder."

"You will join your sister in death, Princess!" The ponynaga taunted, uncoiling from Celestia who had gone limp.

"Is that, is that?" Cheerilee began, trying to comprehend the distorted but familiar looking faces.

"Vonnyvetra and Zimolez." Starsong finished.

The pair were joined at the waist, with flesh strips and bone braces linking their limbless barrels together. From the waist down, their bodies were reshaped into a long ophidic tail, ending in a heavy knob of bone. Their muzzles were shaped into snakelike jaws complete with fangs and forked tongues.

Luna gave a warcry and channeled indigo colored thaumic energy into the device. A narrow beam of similar colored light shot from the device, striking the pony naga and scorching their skin. They shrieked and writhed, twisting, turning and darting away from the beam. Luna tried to follow their path, but they swung their tail-mace at Luna, knocking her sprawling. The device separated from her leg and clattered across the floor, coming to rest near Celestia, a thin whisp of black smoke wafting from the back end. "Get to Toola, now!" Luna shouted, flinging bolts of indigo magic at the ponynaga.

Cheerilee and Starsong dashed to the main hall. "Cheery, look!" Starsong pointed at something in the middle of the room. Cheerilee gasped, seeing three discarded ribbons and a gold-tipped redwood cane bearing the emblem of the LaRoulette family.

"Stars, grab the cane and come with me." Cheerilee dashed over to the throne room.

Throwing open the door, the two ponies stared in shock.

Seated upon the throne, was a pink unicorn, with a crest of pink, yellow and orange spikes spanning from her horn to the back of her neck, bony plates covering her barrel, a heavily distended belly and a thick tapering tail lined with with cyan, blue and purple spines. "I have been expecting you." The unicorn spoke, her voice echoing slightly. "Cheerilee, Starsong. There is nothing to fear. I have been given a wondrous gift."

"Toola, what happened to you?" Cheerilee asked.

"Si'Mu'Ze has shown me the way to Harmony." Toola Roola replied. She rested a hoof on her belly. "The Zigany sealed him away with their blood, but only through me can he return."

"So that monster is using you as an incubator?" Starsong retorted.

"He is not a monster!" Toola Roola shouted. "He is my son, and the future ruler of this world." She curled protectively around her belly.

"And what do you think he'll do when he's done with you." Cheerilee snarked. "You'll be tossed aside like the meat puppet that you are."

"No! Si'Mu'Ze wouldn't abandon his subjects. He will bring Harmony to us all!" Toola slid off the throne. "You will see."

Cheerilee exhaled. "Toola. Harmony can't be forced on others. Smooze is a bitter, selfish thing."

"You're wrong!" Toola Roola approached Cheerilee. "Si'Mu'Ze loves me, I'm his mother, his devoted subject."

"His slave." Cheerilee retorted. "Toola. I will not be a mindless zombie for an egotistical tyrant!"

"Yeah." Starsong added, standing at Cheerilee's side. "I'd rather die than serve Smooze."

"Then you are of no use to us!" Toola Roola reared up and sharp serrated boney spikes projected from each of her front pasterns.

Cheerilee and Starsong closed their eyes. "What happened to the mare that I love?" Cheerilee asked. Toola Roola swung her hooves, aiming the blades at each of their necks.

- - -

"Your Highness, I don't know how-" The soldier stopped her sentence long enough to dodge a tailstrike from the ponynaga. "-much longer we can keep this up!" She held her sword defensively.

Luna gave a quick glance to Celestia. "As long as absolutely necessary." She replied. Luna created another volley of energy beams, firing them at the Naga. They darted out of the path of the volley, then lunged at Luna. The princess rolled to one side. "Fiend! Thou canst bite silver!"

"Is that a twist on the Fae insult 'Bite iron'? And here we thought you once had the Element of Laughter. Your humor is rusty, Princess." The creature taunted, before swiping with their tail again.

"Thou wouldst not know humor if she came up to thee dressed as a present, and slapped thee with a rubber pullet!" Luna snorted as she leapt aside, the bony mace crashing against the stone floor, stirring up more dust.

"Hey Naga!" Celestia snapped. The naga turned their attention to her. A gold-white aura formed around the alicorn's horn as she raised the amplifier device. "You're toast!" A beam of blinding white light surged from the tip of the cone, igniting white fire where it touched the naga. The flames spread quickly, engulfing the conjoined creature in the span of a few seconds. They screamed and flailed, trying to escape the flames, but keeling over before they could reach the exit. The soldier darted out of the naga's reach as they thrashed about. There was a loud pop from the device, then the fire stream stopped and thick black smoke billowed from the back end of the tube. "I think I overloaded it." Celestia commented.

"I bet that really burns you up." Luna remarked. She and Celestia looked to each-other for a moment, then both of them burst into laughter. The soldier joined in a second later.

- - -

Cheerilee opened one of her eyes, and saw a look of terror on Toola Roola's face. Her front legs were trembling, the blades being held a tiny space away from Cheerilee and Starsong's necks. "I cant, I can't, I can't." The unicorn kept repeating. Cheerilee quickly guided Starsong back a bit, then Toola Roola let her front legs swing and cross together, the blades slicing through the empty air. She fell, but quickly caught herself. "Cheerilee, Starsong!" She looked up at them with tear-rimmed eyes. "I...I..."

"It's not your fault." Cheerilee said, approaching her cautiously. Toola Roola doubled over, clutched her belly and let out a short cry. "You've got a very nasty parasite."

"Go away." Toola Roola snarled. "You would've killed me last night."

"Look me in the eye and say that." Cheerilee challenged. Toola Roola looked. "I could never kill the mare I love. And the Toola Roola that I know, would never try to kill me."

"Cheerilee, I reject

love you." The echo began to unsynch.

"C'mon, you can fight it." Starsong encouraged. "Don't let it control you."

"ThIs WoRlD iS BbErAoTkIeFnUL!" The unicorn thrashed as she spoke. "I will, I won't, I must, I can't." her limbs jerked and twitched, first reaching towards Cheerilee and Starsong, then snapping away.

Starsong thrust out the casino cane with the family crest on it. "Think of your family, your friends, Chevau L'honneur."

"Are NOTHING

EVERYTHING to meeeeeeeeeeeee!" Toola's voice rose to a shriek. She collapsed and began panting. "We could have the world!" Toola spoke with a distorted voice.

"And rule an empty shell!" She stated in her own voice. Her body trembled as her mutations began dissolving into a teal ichor.

"I gave you the Gift of Blood!" A shrieking voice issued from Toola Roola's open mouth. Starsong and Cheerilee reached out to her.

"You spurned the Gift of Heart!" Toola Roola replied. She reached out and grabbed the offered hooves with each of her own. "Cheerilee, Starsong. Don't-" Her voice deepened. "-let go!" They held on tightly, adjusting for the slippery substance that oozed around and between their hooves.

"Earth, Wind and Fire." Starsong declared, as the ichor began pulling itself away from Toola Roola's body, coalescing behind her.

"Children of Luna." Cheerilee added. The unicorn let out a scream which was muffled when she vomited a mass of teal ichor.

- - -

Celestia, Luna and the Tech Destrier arrived in the throne room. They saw Cheerilee and Starsong dragging a bald, emaciated unicorn away from a writhing mass of teal slime. Eyes, mouths, limbs, spiked tendrils and other features formed from the slime, only to be reabsorbed and replaced every few seconds. The constantly shifting mutations invoked feelings of disgust in the observers. "Is she-" Celestia began, but was interrupted.

"She's alive, no thanks to that thing." Starsong replied, indicating the slime, which spat insults and obscenities in high-pitched voices, punctuating with pained shrieks.

"Then let's finish it." The Sun princess declared, approaching the slime.

"Stop." Toola Roola gasped out. "He's my responsibility." She strained to make her words heard.

"You can barely stand up and after all you've been through, I think you should rest." Cheerilee stated.

In response, Toola Roola snatched the casino cane from Starsong, turned and pointed it at the gelatinous monster. "Cheerilee, Starsong, help me." She cried, falling into a sitting position.

"What does thou intend?" Luna asked, raising a hoof to her chest.

"I think I know." Cheerilee stated, placing a hoof next to Toola Roola's. Starsong gripped the cane, placing her hoof next to Cheerilee's then all three projected their innate mana into the cane. A magenta, purple and pink beam of light shot from the crest and struck the monster, enveloping it. The slime twitched and quivered, extending pseudopods and trying to drag itself away from the light that swirled around it.

"Smooze." Toola Roola hissed through gritted teeth. "You were right about one thing. Everypony gets what they deserve!" A loud piercing shriek filled the air as the slime's flesh turned orange, bubbled and dissolved. "And you deserve this! Every moment of suffering that you ever inflicted on others!" There was a distortion around the slime, and it seemed to tear, fragment, boil away and implode in on itself simultaniously. Once the creature vanished, Toola Roola managed to mumble "All debts repaid." before she, Cheerilee and Starsong collapsed into unconsiousness, dropping the cane and ending the spell.

The only sound was the constant gale from outside, reminding Luna of her goal. The tech destrier did a quick assessment on the three fallen ponies. "They're still alive, but we should get them to the army docs."

"Allow me to take care of them." Celestia stated, enveloping the three ponies with a golden aura. As she reached up to touch her tiara, a wizened old unicorn entered. "Mother?! What are you doing here?"

"Mother?" The Tech Destrier inquired.

"Mother!" Luna looked to the unicorn.

"I came to make sure that you complete your sworn task, Luna." The mare declared. She looked to Celestia. "I'm so proud of you, both of you."

"I apologize for not being more cordial." Celestia began. "But these three are in need of urgent medical care."

Clover shooed her away. "Then go already, and I love you too." Celestia touched a hoof to her tiara. There was a spark, a gold flash, then Celestia, Cheerilee, Starsong and Toola Roola were gone.

"Tech Destrier." Luna addressed the soldier. "Go down to the encampment, and let them know we have accomplished our goal. The second force should be arriving within a few hours. Tell everypony that We will call a meeting once we have finished certain tasks here."

"Yes ma'am." The soldier saluted then hurried out the door.

Luna looked to Clover. "I suppose-" Clover held up a hoof.

"No, no talking, no pleading, no more delays."

Luna sighed. "Very well then." She seated herself upon the throne, then invited Clover over for a hug. She then relaxed, opening herself to the mana of the land. As she felt the energy blend with her own, the winds outside calmed. Clover closed her eyes as her muscles slackened, causing her to slump against the Moon Princess. "Be at peace Mother. You are with Father again." Luna declared, shedding a single tear as Clover exhaled one last time, then was still.

- - -

Celestia appeared in her bedroom, accompanied by three unconsious ponies. She opened the door surprising the two guards. "Your Majesty!? What-" She held up a hoof to silence them.

"I have three ponies who need immediate medical attention."

The guard turned and rushed down the hall and around a corner. The guard returned after half a minute. "Alright. I just called in the emergency."

"Thank you, guard."

A few minutes later, a crew of ponies bearing gurneys arrived. Celestia allowed then in and hooved over a scroll that she had written during her wait. One of the med ponies took the scroll and read it, while the others prepped Cheerilee, Starsong and Toola Roola, then placed them on the gurneys. "We''ll make sure they're taken care of." The Paramedic stated, as the crew filed out of the room with their charges.

"Ok. Second item. Make a checklist of the remaining items." She used her magic to grab a bundle of scrolls and a pen.

---

* They almost had us