Into The Depths

by Pen Stroke

Tirek's Touch

“So, what’s our next move?” Twin Blades asked, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen over the room. The quartet of ponies were lying on the floor of the coffin chamber, still finding solace in the light from the enchanted gems that dotted the room. And, above all, they were all still staring at the old book which, at the moment, seemed the source of all their woes.

“Again, I’d like to vote for getting the heck out of Dodge,” Path Finder said raising his hoof. “We’ve got Twilight, and I’d bet my left hoof she can cast a pretty bright light spell. We’d be able to get outside this time. We were so close the first time, before your spell failed, Princess.”

“But what if these spirits are working to free Tirek right here in these tunnels? What if they free him before we can get more soldiers down here to stop them?” Twin Blades asked.

“Then it will be good we got Twilight Sparkle outside, won't it?” Path Finder argued. “I mean, she and her friends the only ones that can use the Elements of Harmony right now, and from the princess’s story, it sure sounds like that’s the only wave to shove Tirek back into Tartarus if he gets out.”

“You two know I’m sitting here, right?” Twilight said as she looked between the two soldiers. “I may just have an opinion too.”

“They mean no disrespect, Twilight,” Celestia assured gently, “but they are right. If even half of our theories prove true, the Elements of Harmony maybe be the only power capable of setting things right. Even if the spirits aren’t working to free Tirek, as the book leads us to believe, they must still be sent back to Tartarus. The Elements of Harmony are the power that can accomplish this. Thus, right now Twilight, your safety is of the utmost importance, even above my own.”

“B-b-b-but Princess Celestia,” Twilight tried to protest.

“No, she’s right,” Twin Blades said. “Our first priority has to be getting Twilight to safety, but I doubt we’ll be able to just waltz out the front door. We will need to move succinctly. We can’t make a single wrong turn. We’ll also need as much light as we can muster. Princess, how’s your head?”

“Better,” Celestia said, flashing her magic. “Extended or intense use of my magic will probably make my debilitating headache come back, but right now I can at least manage a decent light spell.”

“And do you mind if Twilight rides on your back?”

“N-no, I couldn’t do that. Nopony should—” Twilight tried to protest.

“Yes, she may and she will,” Celestia said firmly. “In fact, I think all three of you should.”

“Agreed,” Twin Blades said before looking at Path Finder. “Okay, sergeant, let’s get ready. We have a lot more light gems now. Let’s transfigure them into any free surface we have on our armor. You and I are going to look like disco balls, but it should help keep us safe.”

“Hey, disco never dies, Lieutenant,” Path Finder joked, a bit of his humor returning with the thought that they once more had a hope of leaving the chambers alive. Twilight, however, quickly strode up to Princess Celestia.

“B-but Princess, nopony should be riding on your back, and me... my safety shouldn’t be more important than yours. Y-you're the princess, I’m just your student.”

“You are an amazing mare, Twilight,” Celestia said. “You are the mare that changed Nightmare Moon back to Luna, that defeated Discord, and that my sister turned to in her time of need. You are the Element of Magic, something... I am not anymore. In truth, Equestria has needed you more than it has needed me for a long time now.”

“B-but Princess?”

“It will be all right. Twin Blades and Path Finder know the way out. All you have to do is make the strongest light spell you can, and all I have to do is carry you on my back. Besides, you’ve ridden on my back before. I can remember a time when a small little filly wondered what it was like to be as tall as a princess, and she giggled her head off as I galloped around the garden with her on my back.”

“P-princess,” Twilight said, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Still, Celestia lowered her head and gently nuzzled Twilight’s side.

“You are a wonderful student, and as your teacher, one of my duties is to make sure you stay safe and are prepared for any obstacle you may face. Should our fears be realized, should Tirek be freed, the Elements of Harmony will be needed,” Celestia pulled her head back, her voice still full of compassion but also ringing with hope. “So let me protect you, as you have protected Equestria so many times before.”

Celestia stood with her eyes shut, taking in deep breaths and releasing them slowly. She could feel Twin Blades, Twilight, and Path Finder shifting on her back, making sure they were secure as they gathered any final supplies. The plan had been made, the route studied. She knew exactly how many turns she had to make and in what order. One final attempt for the surface, one final journey through the tunnels.

One final hope of escape.

“Okay, engage spells,” Twin Blades said, and a moment later three horns sparked to life. Celestia cast a light spell ahead of her, a strong beam like the lamp on the front of a train. Path Finder began to charge a blast spell, building its intensity with each moment. Twilight focused a levitation spell on the door. She began undoing the hinges, ready to throw the door out of the way.

“Now, remember, there may still be a mountain of skeletons on the far side. Be ready to plow through them.”

The three horn-wielding ponies nodded.

“All right! Charge!”

Magic was unleashed the moment the command was given. Twilight threw the door to the side. Path Finder cast his blast spell. Celestia leapt forward, unleashing a boom of her Royal Canterlot Voice. The avalanche of bones, which had formed up against the far side of the door, were thrown back. The path was cleared and the bones were not rising back to try and chase them. They had cleared the first step.

Now, all they had to do was reach the exit.

Celestia galloped down the crypt corridor, not at a full sprint but still an impressive clip. Twilight and Path Finder shifted their magic, igniting light spells of their own. At once, the group became like a shot from a flare gun. Nopony could have looked directly at them as they raced through the tunnels, and the darkness reared back from the brightness as well.

A few minutes, they were clear of the crypt and back into the tunnels proper. Hisses and growls in the distance began to reach their ears. They heard things crashing and the patter of hooves from behind them. But still, nothing entered their light. The darkness, the evil, was pushed back and forced to evaporate, just like morning dew under the bright sun.

“Left, Straight, Straight, Right, Straight,” Twin Blades shouted in Celestia’s ears, directing her back through the corridors. It was a rare situation the princess found herself taking such sharp, demanding orders, but she obeyed like a well trained soldier. She didn't question, she didn’t even try to keep track of where they were going. She trusted the lieutenant to guide them out. She instead focused on her spell, her hooves, and keeping her headache at bay, which was being stirred back up.

They passed through the rotunda, finding its gut wrenching smells gone. In its place the air once more had a stale, dry odor. There were two piles of bones, the skeletons of the fallen corporals. The flesh that had once clung to them decayed and turned to dust. It was like years, if not decades, had passed from the last time they had reached the rotunda. It brought a question. How much time had passed outside? Could they already be too late?

They were all worrisome thoughts Celestia had to push from her mind. She had to focus on her light, her running, and keeping her headache at bay. She breathed deep, cleared her thoughts, and powered on through the rotunda and down the corridor that lead back outside.

A few more turns, and the staircase came into view. Celestia skidded to a stop and, as planned, Twin Blades and Path Finder jumped off. The many light gems on their armor stretched much of the way up the stairs, but not all the way to the door. The darkness was sticky, it clung tightly. It did not want to let them out.

Celestia turned, stood at the base of the stairs, and focused her light once more. It poured through the darkness, which hissed and popped like water on a hot skillet. The door rose out of the darkness, becoming brightly lit. This was Twilight’s cue. She leapt off Celestia’s back and galloped up the steps. She stumbled once or twice from the speed she was trying to ascend, but she reached the door. The next moment, she placed her horn against it, and cast a shockwave spell.

The doors flew open with a loud clatter, and the moon’s pale light poured down the staircase. Smiles formed on the quartet’s faces. Twilight cheered, “Shining”, and quickly rushed to her brother, who, along with all the other guards, had been scared half to death by the doors slamming open. Path Finder, Twin Blades, and Celestia began to ascend the steps as well, finding safety in the moonlight that was pouring over them like a welcoming shower.

Celestia lowered her own light spell, smiling as she reached the halfway point. Her sister’s moon had never looked so beautiful. It showed so brightly, a light guiding her way back to safety. They had made it. Twilight was outside, she could get the Elements of Harmony and stop the demons. Luna would be saved, Celestia knew it now. The Elements of Harmony had never failed before. It was all going to be—

The wind gusted around the castle, and a single stray cloud moved towards the moon. It crossed the pale surface. For a moment, the world lost its light. Things fell into darkness, and Celestia felt something grab her leg.

“NO!”

“Shining!” Twilight cheered, galloping as fast as her hooves could carry her, tears streaming from her face. She leapt just as her old brother began to turn, tackling him to the ground. It was a rare moment where the captain of the guard was taken down so easily, but Shining showed no anger. Instead, a smile spread onto his face as he hugged Twilight back with all the strength his forehooves could muster.

“Oh Twilight, I was so worried. Where were you?”

Twilight pulled herself away from her brother, smiling happily. “Oh, I was buried alive in a stone coffin.”

Shining Armor opened his mouth, intending to ask why Twilight was happy about that. Still, before he could, other voices began to emanate from the staircase.

“Yes, we made it!” Path Finder cheered. He jumped and rolled on the long, overgrown grass just outside the tunnel entrance. He then jumped up and began to dance to a melody only he knew. It was a sight that made Twin Blades roll her eyes, but she smiled. Her eyes then drifted to the moon. She spread her wings, blades glinting in the light. She drunk deep of the fresh air, pulling in as much as her lungs could hold.

Then, there was gust of wind. It got dark. Twin Blades opened her eyes and saw a cloud passing in front of the moon. In a moment, the safety and freedom she and the others had been enjoying disappeared and their hearts pounded in their chests.

“NO!”

They heard Celestia’s shout and, a moment later, the doors to the tunnels slammed shut. A loud clicking filled the air, and it was followed by the panicked shouts of everypony near. Twilight ran to the door, her magic flaring as she desperately pulled on the handle. Path Finder, and every other unicorn on the surface joined in as well, trying to blast and pry open the ancient door.

But the door held firm. It resisted every spell. They tried removing its hinges, but they would not budge. They tried forcing open the lock, but it would not relent. They tried to burn the wood, but it wouldn’t even smolder. The doors simply stood resolute, refusing them entry.

And as panic turned to desperation, and as desperation turned into fear, Twilight broke down. She ended her magic, ran up to the door, and pounded on it with her own hooves. “Celestia! CELESTIA!”

The darkness consumed her once again as Celestia was drug to the bottom of the stairs. She kicked and flailed, but her captor had a firm grip. She struggled as her headache returned with a vengeance. Her light spell had gone out, all was dark. She screamed for help and clawed at the stone steps, trying to keep herself from being drug away, but nopony came to aid her. She could hear pounding, but nothing more. Her ponies could not get through the door.

Head pounding like it was being beaten by a sledgehammer, Celestia rolled on her back and continued to flail her legs. She was trying to kick at the thing that held one of her hind legs, and she connected a few times, but the blows did not make the beast release. Only one thing would do that: light.

Celestia grunted and furrowed her brow, trying to call on even the simplist of light spells. Her head was pounding again. The run through the corridors, the panic of her current situation, it all made her headache so bad she could hardly concentrate. Still, she pushed through and reached for her magic. She grabbed a tuft, as much as she could manage at once, and with a final scream formed it into a light spell.

“LET GO!”

The small light formed at the tip of her horn. The thing hissed and released her leg, allowing Celestia to quickly scramble back to her hooves. She then turned to face her attacker, wings flared and her body tense. She was ready to fight, tooth and hoof, but then the air turned to stone in her chest.

“Sergeant F-Fortress?!” Celestia stuttered as she looked into the familiar face of the unicorn lunar guard sergeant. Fortress was there, standing on her hooves, yet she looked dead at the same time. Her body was anemic. Skin stretched over bone and little more. Her eye sockets were empty, and the stench of death rolled off her and choked Celestia’s nose. Growls and hisses escaped Fortress’s mouth as she cringed away from the light. She backed away into the darkness, and when Celestia stepped forward to try and find her again, Fortress had disappeared.

Celestia opened her mouth to once more call out to the sergeant, but she was forced to bite back her words when she felt something scrape her flank. She quickly looked back, and saw a long, shallow cut had formed across her cutie mark. She also heard the clatter of metal against floor near her. She looked down and saw a glint of metal resting near her hoof, its edge bathed in her own blood.

It was a crossbow bolt tip.

Beginning to hyperventilate and panic, Celestia glanced once more over her shoulder and felt an overwhelming sensation of fear wash over her. She was being watched, being hunted, and she was all alone and hurt. It was an ancient survival situation, the kind fillies and colts read about in textbooks. Predators would single out members of the herd, those already weak, and then make their kill.

Celestia felt another crossbow arrow tip wiz through her mane and clatter behind her. She stumbled on her hooves. She hadn’t seen which way Fortress had pulled her. She didn’t know which way it was to the stairs. She would have thought Twilight and the guards would have come straight down to save her, but yet there was no sound of rescue coming in the distance. She was alone. she was in trouble.

She had to run!

And run she did. Turning and sprinting, Celestia took off with all the speed she could muster, even as her headache began to pound harder and harder against her head.

Princess Celestia pressed her back against the cold brick, gasping for breath as the light from her horn flickered. Her lungs burned. Her mouth was filled with the irony taste of blood. Her legs trembled, threatening to give out beneath her. The cut across her flank, across her cutie mark, wept her life blood. Her crown, her chest piece, her shoes... they were all gone. All of her guards, her ponies... all gone. She was all alone.

Her ears swiveled for the smallest sound, and she strained to make her light burn as bright as it could. The effort, however, only made the pounding in her head worse. A large bump on the side of her head throbbed, each pulse sending a wave of pain through her skull. It was making it hard to think. She had a mild concussion, but still she strained her senses. She listened to the silence. She looked into the dark. She saw and heard nothing, but knew what lay beyond. She could feel the eyes.

She was being watched.

Her light flickered, her connection with her magic failing. The darkness was drawing in. She was losing sight of the corridor. She was losing sight of herself. Her hooves and tail fell into darkness. Her forelegs and her flanks. Her chest, her neck. The light kept fading until she could only see her nose and her horn, and then they too faded into the darkness. Her magic cut out.

All the while the silence continued to press in. She should have heard the echoes of her desperate breathing and shifting hooves. The corridors had been full of echoes when she and the squad had first entered the tunnels. She should have heard the echoes, but the silence was eating every sound she produced. The silence ate the sound just as the darkness seemed to eat her light.

The darkness and silence were surrounding her.

Then she heard it, a single click in the distance. She focused her eyes on it, but there was no sound after that. Her tension grew. The irony taste in her mouth grew more intense. The smell of dust and stale air began to carry undercurrents of blood. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

She knew what lay beyond. She knew what was hunting her. It was lying in wait. It was preparing to pounce. Yet it did not attack. It was just waiting. It was just watching her squirm.

“Come on!” She shouted through a tremor in her voice. “What are you waiting for!?”

And all at once she felt a dozen hooves upon her, grabbing and pulling her away from the wall. Then, there was a blow to the back of her head, and in an instant she was unconscious. She fell limp, becoming nothing but a rag doll in the hooves of her captors.

The world came back to Celestia slowly as she regained consciousness. Her nose was filled with the acidic stench of brimstone, and the air was dry and uncomfortably hot, like the furnace room of Canterlot Castle. She shifted, and could feel dried blood cracking and flaking off the back of her neck and her flank. She tried to lift her hooves, but found them weighed down by heavy shackles and chains.

“Prrrrrr. Looks like somepony’s finally woken up. Good, we didn’t want you to miss this.” A voice whispered in Celestia’s ear as she felt a hoof brush a bit of her mane. “Oh, I hope that lump on the back of your head doesn’t scar. Scars are just so unbecoming.”

“Don’t talk like you're the one that’s going to get to possess her,” a rough, low, boisterous voice grumbled. A pair of hoofsteps began to draw closer, and Celestia opened her eyes to see who it was. For a moment, all she could see was black, but, as her eyes adjusted to the low light, she saw Night Gaze standing in front of her. He, however, looked as Fortress had. Anemic, dead, with eye sockets that were nothing but black voids.

“And why shouldn’t I?” The female voice purred. Celestia turned her head slowly, looking over her shoulder. Fortress was lying across Celestia’s back like the princess was a big white couch, but the voice coming from that mouth was not Fortress’s. It had a sneer to it, like the tone of a woman who had grown up a spoiled brat.

“I am the most beautiful one among us. I am also the only female of our merry little band.” She purred again, rubbing her bone stretched skin against Celestia’s back, making the princess shiver in disgust. “It is only fitting that I receive the most beautiful of bodies.”

“This may be true, but she is also powerful,” a third voice commented as another figure came towards them. The voice was male, proper in tone, but was accented by slurping sounds as if the pony was trying to talk and hold a water in his mouth at the same time.

“Celestia is, in fact, the most powerful of our guests. And, more importantly, she has not been in any recent, direct contact with the Elements.” The unicorn moved closer, making Celestia gasp. It was Corporal Wind Runner, one of the guards that had been killed beneath the fallen weapon rack. His helmet was gone and his horn, which should have stood proudly from his forehead, had been bent back. It grew around the cap of his skull. It then split into two branches and curled on either side of his head, making it look like Wind Runner had grown goat horns.

Fortress growled, making the sound of a displeased cat, before she leapt down from the princess’s back. “Fine, then I want Luna.”

“Luna is for me,” the ram-horned unicorn snapped. “Or have you forgotten your place, Catrina?”

“What have you done with Luna, you demons?” Celestia snapped, glaring down the three. She now understood. Fortress was not Fortress. Her body had been taken by one of the six spirits, taken by Catrina the Cruel. Celestia could only imagine it was the same for the ram-horned unicorn and for Night Gaze, since neither spoke with the correct voices.

“Uh-oh, looks like she’s mad, Grogar.”

“Yes, Arabus,” the ram-horned unicorn, possessed by the demon Grogar, sneered, “though she’s in no place to do anything about it.” He moved closer, smiling at the princess and revealing teeth that were sharp and pointed, the teeth of a carnivore. “And don’t worry, we have been taking good care of her. Wouldn’t want to ruin my new home, would I?”

“What do you mean? Where is she? Let me see Luna!” Celestia demanded.

“Of course, your highness, it would be our pleasure,” Grogar said as his coiled horns glowed. Celestia found herself being lifted up and carried. The low light in the chamber was coming from eldritch lines that criss crossed the floor, which all seemed to flow to a single point. The demons were following said lines as they carried Celestia, passing by ancient, empty book shelves.

The group rounded a corner, finding a place where all the eldritch lines met in a circle that lay just below the vault. The ancient door had been painted with the lines as well and sealed. And, in the center of these lines, lying limp and with a pained expression, was Luna. She was surrounded on three sides by three more dead looking guards, three more demon possessed corpses.

“There, you see, no worse for wear,” Grogar sneered as Arabus and Catrina shared a chuckle.

“Let me see her!” Celestia demanded, straining at the shackles around her legs.

Grogar paused, as if rolling around this request in his head, he then lowered Celestia to the ground. Her shackles popped open with a click, and he looked over his shoulder and smiled. “But of course. Please, go tend to your baby sister.”

Celestia glanced between the demons, expecting some grand track, but then her instincts as a sister became too powerful to ignore. She rushed to Luna’s side as the other three demons stepped back. The glow on the eldritch lines weakened and Luna slowly opened her eyes.

“Oh Luna, I was so worried.” Celestia said as she gently nuzzled her sister’s side.

“C-cel... Celestia,” Luna groaned as she sat up. Her eyes then narrowed and she looked to her sister in panic. “No! Celestia, you shouldn’t be here, you must— AH!”

Grogar’s horns glowed, and Luna suddenly found herself hauled out of the circle. The three other demons approached again, the lines returning to their original glow. Celestia quickly climbed to her hooves and tried to gallop after Luna, but she crashed into an invisible barrier formed on the edge of the circle. She stumbled back from the blow, struggling to keep her balance as the demons around her laughed.

“Now now, Celestia, we can’t have you running off,” Grogar said as he placed the shackles around Luna’s legs and tossed her to the ground. “You are, after all, the perfect mare for our master.”

“So you are scheming to release Tirek!” Celestia accused as she slammed her shoulder against the barrier again, trying to break free.

“But of course,” Catrina purred as she strode around the edge of the barrier. “He is our dark king, the ruler of all the black hearts who find themselves in Tartarus. Oh yes, he has such wonderful plans for your bright, colorful world as soon as we get him out.”

“Tirek isn’t here, Catrina, there’s no need for you to be kissing flank.” A possessed unicorn guard, one Celestia once knew as Sharp Lance, said as he twirled a crossbow bolt tip in his magic.

Catrina, in return, hissed, baring her fangs. “And you show some respect to our master, Leraje.”

“I do show him respect,” Leraje argued before throwing the bolt tip he had been spinning at Catrina, making her hiss and jump back. “But I am my master’s bow. I am a well honed, accurate, and deadly weapon. My place at his side is guaranteed by the work I do. No, I’m not like you, a declawed cat who can’t wake up in the morning without her witch weed and who has to spout endless flatterings to make herself sound useful.”

Another guard, a lunar earth pony guard named Moon Crest, came up beside Catrina and put a hoof across her shoulder. “Now don’t be so harsh, Leraje. Catrina is very useful.”

Catrina hissed again, turned, and swung a hoof at Barbas. He ducked back before the blow could connect, but still Catrina growled at him. “Do not speak as if you are on my side, Barbas. Your words are nothing but lies!”

“Well that is why they call me Barbas the Liar,” he scoffed with a shrug of his shoulders. “But I don’t always lie. No, that would make things too easy. No, I choose when I lie, it’s you who must figure out whether or not what I said before was a lie, or if this itself is a lie.”

Arabus groaned and rubbed his head, “Barbas, no more riddles. They give me headaches.”

“Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting about the small brain inside that fat head of yours.”

“Did you just call me stupid again?!”

“I don’t know. Was I really calling you stupid the first time, or is this the first time? Or was I lying both times and complimenting you on your brilliance?”

Arabus grumbled and began to stomp towards Barbas, only for a pair of hooves to stretch up and between them. The sixth and final possessed corpse, the body of a pegasus corporal that Celestia once knew as Nose Dive, moved up between the two. Her wings were missing half their feathers, and her forehooves were stretched and bent at unnatural angles.

“Thank you, Furfur,” Grogar said with a nod. “We must look presentable to our master, after all, and these bodies are already on the verge of needing to be replaced.”

“But why now?” Celestia interrupted, looking out across the six demons. “You have been free of Tartarus since my sister summoned you? Why did you not act sooner? Why do you torment us now?”

“She’s got you figured out, Grogar,” Arabus snickered, only to be thrown back by a burst of magic.

“We did not act sooner because of your court soothsayer. That annoying thorn tapped into power of the Elements of Harmony to bind my comrades and protect herself from our influence. She even put an invisibility charm on the elements, so your guards wouldn’t remove them from their pedestals. She would have bound me too, if the Element of Magic had not disappeared.”

Grogar smiled wide, bearing his sharp teeth. “I took great joy in watching that soothsayer realize she would not be able to seal me, right before I crushed the heart in her chest.”

“So Grogar had to wait,” Catrina continued, coming to a stop on the far side of the circle. “Wait until somepony moved the Elements off the pedestals. Then we had to wait for the charms to lose power, for all six of us to be free again.” Catrina smile, baring her own fangs. “But after that, we were free to travel to Canterlot and torment your sister in her dreams.”

“Only her dreams, mind you,” Grogar corrected. “That place is too full of lovey dovey harmony magic for us to do any real work, but here – in this place – there hasn’t been a drop of harmony in centuries. So we drew Luna here, made her come searching for her little book, and once we had her, we started waiting for the last time.”

“Waiting for what?” Celestia demanded.

“Your sister got a full blast from the Elements of Harmony on the night of her return. Even now, that magic is protecting her from our influence. It will fade in time, and we were content to wait for that moment to arrive. I used my magic to make time speed ahead, to make minutes pass like hours here in the dark, all so that the blessing from the Elements would fade before you could save her.” Grogar stepped up to the edge of the circle. “But now you’re here, my dear Celestia, and you have given us... another option. After all, when’s the last time you touched the Elements of Harmony?”

Arabus stepped up to the circle as well, all six demons now surrounding Celestia. Their voices lowered, turning to dark murmurs as the lines beneath her pulsed. A thumping filled the air, like the castle itself had grown a heartbeat. Luna struggled against her shackles and tried to cast spells, but every attempt was thwarted by Grogar, who lifted and dropped the lunar princess against the ground.

The air grew colder and colder. Celestia saw her breath and felt a shiver run up her spine. The heartbeat grew louder and louder. She could feel its rhythmic thumping beneath her hooves. The murmuring of the demons grew deeper, darker, and began to fall beneath the range a pony can naturally hear. It felt like the world was about to tear itself apart.

Then there was a click, the opening of a lock. Celestia turned to the vault door, watching as its handle spun, pulling back the bolts that once sealed the great metal chamber. It then began to swing open, but it did not reveal the vault interior as it should. Instead there was an endless blackness beyond. To Celestia, it felt as if she was staring into eternity, into a void with no end.

Then part of that blackness moved. She didn’t know how she had seen it, but the writhing fear in her gut told her that she had seen something. It was like a movement in the periphery of her vision. It was that tingling sense on her spine. Something was ahead of her, in that inky blackness, and it was coming closer.

A single all black hoof extended from the vault door, and the air in the room grew even colder. Ice began to form on the ground, and, to Celestia, it felt as if her heart was going to stop beating in her chest. Another hoof followed, and soon a living shadow emerged from the vault. It was the silhouette of a centaur, tall and powerful with large, sharp horns and a pair of burning red eyes that could sear the soul from your flesh. A small leather bag hung from his chest on a simple piece of string, it was the only part of the creature that wasn’t bathed in black.

It was Tirek.

The demons shuffled to one side of the circle as Tirek, as a spirit, closed the gap between himself and the spell. He stepped through the barrier as if it was not there, towering over Celestia. The princess had stumbled back, pressing her flank against the barrier. Tirek reached out for her. Luna was screaming, protesting, begging that he take her instead, but soon Tirek touched Celestia’s forehead with a fingertip.

That first finger sank into Celestia’s head, and she screamed in agony. Her soul was being ripped from her body, being torn away so Tirek’s spirit might take its place. He sank his fingers further into her skull, and the pain only increased. Celestia screamed and writhed. She flapped her wings, waved her head, but still Tirek advanced.

“Your resistance is that of a mouse caught in a tiger’s grip,” Grogar sneered as he and the other demons watched their master work. “There is no plea you can make to turn his black heart. You have no Elements either, and thus you have no rainbow to force him back into Tartarus. There is nothing you can do to save yourself, Celestia.”

Celestia opened her eyes, blurred by the tears that were flowing down her face. It hurt. It hurt more than anything she had ever experienced. Tirek had sank his arm into her head, his elbow now even with the base of her horn. His eyes were upon her, heartless and unblinking. She was beginning to grow numb. The chill of death was overtaking her. She was feeling distant in her own skin, as if she was falling away.

Still, before she was entirely gone, Celestia flicked her gaze down to something moving in the periphery of her vision. It was the small leather pouch that hung from Tirek’s neck by an aged string. It was swinging back and forth.

“I may not have the power , but your MASTER DOES!” Celestia screamed, digging her back hooves into the ground. She pushed herself forward, pushing Tirek’s arm deeper into her head and his essence deeper into her body. She screamed from the pain, the scraping and ripping of her soul. But, at the same time, she was able to drive her horn down into the leather pouch that hung from Tirek’s neck.

In an instant, a surge of dark, malevolent power enveloped Celestia’s horn, cascading over her. It was the power of the dark rainbow, an ancient force of magic. It was a power of darkness, a power of corruption, and the moment Celestia touched it, it began to overtake her.

Her coat turned black, and the sun on her flank a blood red. The pastel rainbow of her mane faded, replaced by dark and sickly grays. All that remained of her true self were her eyes, a final sign of her soul fighting back against the dark rainbow. Still, even then, the veins in her eyes were beginning to turn black, a sign that the dark power was slowly overtaking her.

To Celestia, it felt so much different. When you used the Elements of Harmony, it was like calling on a friend. The power stood with you, supported you. It worked with you as an ally. It was like a friend you had known all your life had come to your aid in your darkest hour, saving you from defeat.

The power of Tirek’s dark rainbow, however, scared and seared. You did not work with it. It was not a friend or ally. To hold it was to try and cage a violent beast, a dog of war. It would turn on you at the first sign of hesitation or weakness, and it was trying to turn on Celestia at that very moment. It raged inside her, lashing out at every fiber of her being. It sought nothing more than destruction of the world, and, even then, it would not be satisfied.

And Celestia struggled against it. The dark rainbow raged in her body, like a maelstrom. She tumbled back from Tirek, who looked on with his demons in disbelief. No one had ever dared to wield the dark rainbow besides Tirek. Only he had ever proven strong enough of will to command it, yet... where others had been obliterated by the dark rainbow instantaneously, Celestia was surviving.

She was gaining command.

With a stomp of her hoof, which left cracks across the floor, Celestia steadied herself. She then looked up, locking her eyes on Tirek. Her irises were still pink, her eyes were still her own, but they hard and unwavering. They were filled with the anger, hatred, and raw power of the dark rainbow. It was enough to even make Tirek step back.

Celestia glared at him as if she was a usurper to his dark throne.

“NOW GO BACK TO TARTARUS! EQUESTRIA IS MINE!” Celestia screamed as dark magic spiraled around her horn. She unleashed a blast into Tirek’s chest, sending his dark silhouette flying back through the open vault door.

There was a clatter of hooves, the six demons trying to escape with the bodies they had possessed, but Celestia would not let them leave. She would make them pay for what they had done to her, her sister, and her ponies. In the dim light from the eldritch spell lines, Celestia’s shadow stretched out and latched onto each of the six demons. This stopped their attempt at escape, and a moment later more shadowy tendrils were upon them. The shadows sank into the possessed bodies, and began to pull the demons from the dead flesh. They kicked, they screamed, but Celestia showed no mercy.

One after the other Celestia threw the spirits through the vault door, returning them to Tartarus from whence they came. Then, rearing back, she pointed her own horn at the door. With a loud crack of thunder, she unleashed the power of the dark rainbow she had stolen from Tirek’s bag. The dark rainbow shot forward, moving forward like jagged lightning, before it too disappeared into the vast portal.

Celestia returned to normal slowly. Her coat turned white and her mane regained its normal colors. The blackness from the veins in her eyes faded, and with a final flicker of her horn, she threw the vault door shut and spun the lock. She then began to tremble, hacking and coughing from the strain as her head pounded. The world was spinning, her ears were ringing, and her stomach convulsed, as if trying to expel some final dark part of Tirek. It was all too much to deal with at once.

Celestia collapsed on the spot to the panicked shouts of her sister.

“Celestia.”

She stood in darkness, and with that one word from the depths, dark red lines formed around her. They glowed with a ghastly light, painting her whole coat the same red tone. Her hooves became stuck to the floor, and her magic was useless.

“Celestia.”

She turned, looking into the darkness as a pair of blood red eyes opened. They moved towards her. A hand moved into the light from the red lines, reaching for her head. She screamed and tossed, trying to escape, but the hand only drew closer and closer. It was followed by a body, a head, and horns. It was the arm of Tirek, and he was smiling down at her with fangs dripping blood.

“Celestia.”

He touched her forehead.

GASP!

Celestia bolted up in her bed, body shaking. She looked around in a panic, her eyes blinded by a bright white. She wished to stand, to run, but then she felt a hoof gently touch her own.

“It’s okay, Sister, you are safe.”

Celestia’s eyes began to adjust to the light in the room. The walls around her were not the shadow choked stone of the old castle’s tunnels. Instead, she was surrounded by the gentle colors of dusk and was resting on a familiar cushion. She was tucked beneath a warm blanket as a fire danced in the nearby fireplace. The moon’s light shone in through the window, a welcome friend. She was in her private study. She was back in Canterlot.

She was safe at home.

“H-how?”

“When you banished the demons back to Tartarus, Grogar’s spells ended, including the one he was using to seal the entrance to the tunnels. Shining Armor and Twilight came charging in and found us in the archives. We brought you back here straight away. You’ve been asleep for about a day.

“And don’t worry,” Luna said before Celestia could ask. “I took care of the sunrise this and yesterday morning.”

Celestia eased herself back into her cushion, her body calming down. “And I got the demons?”

“You did, Sister, and when you closed the vault, the way to Tartarus was closed as well. Once I was freed of my shackles by Shining, I washed away the demons’ spell from the door. If it is opened again, ponies will find it only leads to the old vault, as it should.”

Luna then grew quiet, moving close to the bed and hanging her head. “And, Sister, I am so sorry. I wished to deal with this myself. I did not wish for you to know the depths I sank to in my jealousy, or how I came about my power as Nightmare Moon. I didn’t think you’d ever forgive me if you found out.”

“It is true, Luna, that to delve into such magics is one of the worst mistakes you’ve ever made,” Celestia said. Her voice started out firm, but then she sat up from her cushion, leaned forward, and wrapped her forehooves around Luna. “But I’ll ground you later. Right now, I’m just glad you are safe.”

Luna leaned into Celestia’s embrace, nodding her head. “Thank you, Sister.” She then pulled back, smiling as she glanced back at the door. “Twilight and her friends are here to see you. Would you like me to show them in?”

“Perhaps in the morning,” Celestia said as she settled back into her cushion. “If I know Pinkie Pie, she will wish to throw a party of some sort, and I am not ready to face such jubilation just yet.”

“Very well,” Luna said as she began to stride towards the door. “Then I will leave you to rest and assure them you are well. ”

“Luna, before you go...”

Luna stopped at the door, turning back to look at Celestia. “Yes, Sister?”

“Where is the Clavicula Concordia Regis?”

The smile faded from Luna’s face. She lifted a hoof and pointed to Celestia’s small work table. There, laying on top of scrap paper as if it was an innocent novel, was the book that had been at the heart of their woes. Celestia picked the book up in her magic, cracking it open and glancing over the pages. She then slammed it shut and, with a flick of her horn, she threw it into the nearby fireplace.

“May the knowledge it contains rot in Tartarus for all time,” Celestia said firmly, watching as the book caught fire. “And may never its dark arts hurt another pony again.”

“I could not have said it better myself, Sister,” Luna commended before she opened the door and turned to leave. “Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“One more thing, Luna,” Celestia called before her sister could depart. “Were you calling my name before I woke up?”

Luna slipped out of the room, turning to close the door behind her as she allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. “I don’t know what you are talking about sister. You must have been having a nightmare.” At that she closed the door behind her with a quiet click.

Celestia allowed herself a small chuckle. She then looked back to the fire, continuing to watch the book burn, its pages turning quickly to ash. She wished to throw her own memories of the past hours, of her trek into the tunnels beneath the old castle, into the fire as well. The terror that had gripped her and the fates that had befallen so many of her ponies would haunt her.

That, and there was one thing she could not ever forget. The touch of Tirek, the sensation of him pushing the soul from her body to make space for his own. That pain, that agony, it sent a shiver down her spine even then. That sensation, it lingered with her even now. She lifted a hoof to her forehead, to a place just below her horn, where there was a low, constant pain.

Celestia rubbed that spot for a few moments before yawning and getting comfortable again. She snuggled beneath the blanket, finding comfort in its warmth, and laid there waiting for sleep to take her. She laid, watching the fireplace and the flames within. The moon began to rise out of sight of her window, and with it her bedroom began to grow darker.

Shivering, Celestia hugged the blanket closer to her body. She continued to watch the fire, but felt a growing urge to look over her shoulder. Something was watching her. Something in the dark, but that was impossible. Tirek was sealed. The demons were sealed. The book was burning. There couldn’t be anything.

Yet the sensation remained. A bead of sweat ran down Celestia’s brow, her body tensing. In a single moment, it all became too much. She threw back the covers and turned over on her cushion, looking into the darker corners of the room behind her. But, there was nothing there. The only shadow she saw was her own, and it was cast against the far wall by the fireplace's light.

Breathing a few slow, deep breaths to calm herself, Celestia turned and laid back down. She went back to watching the fire, and even used her magic to draw her bed closer to the flames. Its warmth began lulling and calming her, letting her eyes slowly droop. She was drawn back from the verge of sleep a few times, her mind playing tricks on her. It sounded as if the fire was calling her name, but she finally slipped off to slumber as the last pages of the book began to curl and burn.

And as the book burned, as more of its pages were consumed and others were revealed, the section on Tirek became revealed. The sketch of his visage stood proud for a few moments before the fire began to eat at it and the text below it. Word after word, piece after piece of that one brief section burned until only one sentence remained.

Those who have been touched by Tirek are forever within his grasp.