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// 8. Rending Hope 
// Story: Night will fall and the Dark will Rise 
// by Diokno44 
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It had been a few days since Nyx was foalnapped by Lord Tyrael's Titan Guards, a regiment of the former Lunar Guard, who were known as the Eclipse Guardians. Twilight had calmed down somewhat, though still teared up at points. They had met up with the Ponyville Underground, another group of freedom fighters. Their leader was Spitfire, who had managed to flee with the members of the Wonderbolts. 

"I can't believe SPITFIRE is leading the Underground. SQUUEE" Rainbow shrieked, as everypony stared at her. After a brief awkward silence, broken by only a few coughs, Spitfire continued, staring at a map of Equestria and her outlying lands. She looked  up, a grim smile on her face.

"Now, we've been able to hit several of Tyrael's bases. In those bases, we've found they've been experimenting on ponies, the research and notes we've acquired say its some sort of "Super-Soldier" program, imbuing magisicence, by imbuing a blend of strength, speed, endurance, agility, and intelligence chemicals and spells into them. Out of every ten, three have failed. There's also reports of a MASSIVE device, capable of wiping out a city the size of Talison in Griffonhala, and that city makes Canterlot look like a mouse." Spitfire said, staring intently at the assembled group of over 200 ponies.

Twilight suddenly gasped, which caused everypony to stare at her. Inhaling sharply, Twilight stated, "I think I know what this device may be. A couple days ago, I had a dream, where Hoofsburg was destroyed by this huge machine. Tyrael said he was purifying it from some dark taint. Then, Nyx, my daughter was foalnapped by some of his thugs. I saw something else in that vision, there were these dark sapient creatures who k-killed ponies. But, among them, I saw something else, something I had only seen in Equestrian history books, dating back over seven thousand years ago!" She gasped for breath after this.

Spitfire rubbed her chin with a hoof, taking all this new information in. After about three minutes, her brows furrowed in worry, as Spitfire turned to Twilight, raising her face from a picture of Roam, in Minoturope. Staring at Twilight, Spitfire asked in a nervous tone, "What was it, if its from our ancient history?" 

Twilight scuffed a hoof on the cold stone floor of the War Room, gulping down the remains of her lunch, before saying, a hint of fear in her voice, "I-it was... The Smooze."

Seven thousand, three hundred miles away, in an underground bunker east of Manehatten....

"Well, well, well. It looks like Little Moon is awake." Richtofen, Zebra vodoo expert, pyschology professor, and torturer of Facility Onyx said, striding into the dimly lit room. Richtofen's stripes were in an odd style, looking like stains on his dusty grey coat. He wore a lab coat, covered with various stain from his previous victims. A vicious grin covered his face. His ruby red, draconic "donated" eyes scanned his latest prize. Nyx, the young adopted daughter of Twilight Sparkle, and the former Nightmare Moon, lay shackled to a steel table,which was in an upright position. A vibranium (One of the few metals resistant to brute force or magic) protector shielded her horn, blocking off her magicusage, while iron coils wrapped around her wings,  tying them to her forelegs, twisting them slightly. 

Richtofen stepped into the light, generated by the lone lamp, swaying slightly above them, revealing himself to Nyx. She struggled against her bonds, bucking Richtofen in the muzzle, which rewarded her with a CRUNCH as she heard something crack in his mouth. He only chuckled, spitting out the loose teeth and licking the crimson hemoglobin that spurted from his muzzle, before saying, in a faint Germane accent,"Ah, a feisty one eh? No matter, Lord Tyrael will have need of your power, so, the nastier the better." He reached over with a hoof, picking up what appeared to be a greenish-gray slug-creature.

Holding it up to Nyx, Rictofen held up the slug, smirking, before saying, in a smug tone, "Do you know what this is, my Little Moon?" Nyx answered back with a no, staring intently at his eyes. "No, well, let me educate you Little Moon. This is a Yeerk, a parasitic life form that burrows into its victims brains, controlling them for the glory of their "Empire" but we've made new ones from samples of their DNA, altering them here to their, in which they long to serve Lord Tyrael. Now, shall we get down to business?"

Nyx spat at him, to which he simply opened his mouth, swallowing. "Buck you Richtofen, your sick! You do things your so called "Lord Tyrael" would have you executed for ten times over!" She said, a smug smile on her face, which was counteracted when she felt a pain in her head as Richtofen bopped her in the left ear with a hoof, causing her to flinch in pain. 

Richtofen smirked, he relished the smell of fear and took pleasure in the sounds of his victims pain. "Little foals should learn to watch their language around big ponies." He said, mocking Nyx, before continuing, "Well, time for the REAL fun to begin. Open wide, Little Moon!" As he brought the Yeerk down on Nyx's terrified face.