To those who hide in darkness
Astral made haste in the morning to get to the train station, when she said goodbye to Spike he gave her some bits to catch the train to the wastelands border town, the trip was easy, more so than the last as she had the cloak now and could ride in the cabin. When she got to the town she was quick to get her supplies and while she was doing so she could feel several presences follow her, Astral went down an alleyway as they follow and turned to her assailants letting loose a pillar of red magic trapping them as they kicked and flopped to get loose, "WHO DARE FOLLOW ME!!"
A mares voice screamed out, "stop astral, I'm sorry for following you"
Astrals face contoured as she shouted at the marble mare, "SWEETIE!! I told you to fucking stay in Ponyville, how long have you been following me?"
"Since Spikes but I had to, I am tired of having to hide in this dark world as he rules, I want to make a difference"
Astral grunted in an annoyed manner, "FINE, but let me warn you, the mare you knew as Twilight is gone, I'm Astral now and if you slow me down I will not hesitate to leave you for DEAD! do you get me?" Astral face showed that she was not joking.
Sweetie knew that if she says yes there is no turning back, gulping she said, "yes I know, I wont slow you down neither will these guys," she put a hoof backwards to the rest of her group.
Astral put a judging eye on the group, "fine," then she released her pillar of magic letting them get up, "I'll give you ten minutes to get your supplies as we are crossing this desert to get to black crystal mountain where Crysalis' Hive resides," she then point a hoof at the blurred image of the mountain across the desert.
"you don't have to worry we have everything we need already, even a cart to travel in, Cable carl and Dirt dasher will pull us, isn't that right boys," when she said this two hoods came down, one orange stallion with brown hair and one blue stallion with sky blue hair put their hooves to their heads.
"So be it but if you come with me past this point it be on your own heads to survive, I don't know if the Hive has changed but c'mon then lets go," she turned around and started to walk as the group fumbled into the cart.
The cart came past Astral just in front of her, "Here you go Miss," a sleek black hoof reached out as Astral accepted it, "glad to have you aboard"
The base of the Black crystal mountain
The trip took around four hours until the Mountain was visible, although up close is wasn't a mountain, it stood tall as a crystal tower more like a palace than a mountain, small swarms of changelings could be seen around the outside of the palace going her and there and at closer inspection there were two changelings that guarded the door, "what the fuck are those things," one of the stallions said.
Astral was as shocked as the rest, "I don't know they are behemoths, they are huge at least two heads above Celestia, they weren't in her army before. They might be like worker ants, small forgers and large soldiers to protect the palace, we'll have to find another way in to kill that bitch," Astral said, YOU KNOW WE COULD JUST DESTROY THE PALACE AROUND THAT ASS, you know we cant do that, the others could get hurt too, FUCK THE OTHERS WE LIVE TO DESTROY THOSE WHO KILLED US, with a shake of the head Astral leap off the back of the cart, "Okay we will have to find another opening, any ideas as to where the queen of bitchness would put a back entrance to her hive?"
Another stallion voice came forward, "how about there," A hoof was directed at the side of the Palace where small changelings were carrying boxes and other items through a side entrance.
"Good eyes there, I have an idea, all of you come here," the group did as they were told, Astal began to glow a dark red, "for ones looks to change you must be rearranged into something much more plain," the air began to simmer with magic as all who were set up in fire after the fire dissipated they all stood in the forms of changelings, "good much better, now gather your stuff and do as they do, carry your items into their palace and sneak off to the shadows, I have placed a magic tracker within your bodies and can find you when needed, we will meet up in the palace," after saying this they left the cart and came up behind the black chariots where the changelings were picking the objects from.
All was okay for a while they joined the line and headed through two massive black steel doors that led into the chitin walled palace, not much different from Celestias apart from the odd one or two piles of green gunk that illuminated the walkways. A large domed roof had stacks of boxes, one by one the changelings passed another with a board he was writing on, finally it came to their turn but something went wrong as the changeling threw the board and hurtled at Astral, I knew it since I don't have a mind connection he knew about me, NOT ALWAYS THE SMART ONE FUCK FACE, before he could touch Astral she backed up ready to attack with her head faced upwards, a tendril of red magic hurtled at the changeling piercing through it with force as a bit of ooze fell to Astrals face, she shivered at the feeling as a devilish grin became her face, "who wants me next then," she dropped her disguise in her pleasure.
All the changeling that were in the room apart from the still disguised group were hurtled about here and there in a horrific manner and when they were dead Astral didn't stop as she would prance in there green ooze and slash at there corpses with her magic, it took one of her friends to snap the blood lust away from her, "Astral stop, they are dead already," the rest of them released their respective disguises as Sweetie stepped forward cautiously, "stop, PLEASE!!"
Astral grasped at the air that struck her lungs, her senses finally coming back to her, "I..I....c'mon lets carry on, she will know what has happened they are all connected through the Hive mind.
Travelling the Palace
Unlike what Astral had thought they traveled through the palace for around a good thirty minutes without trouble, the odd one or two changelings had retreated into the shadows, Astral could feel the magical signature of her target easily and she knew that she was enclosing on her fast. A few minutes later and they stood in front of a huge double door-ed walkway that had illuminated green crystals embedded into it, as they pushed it open the Queen had been sat there with two behemoths either side of her, a voice came from her that sounded like two voices with a gritty echo, "welcome esteemed guests, welcome to the dark palace may I inquire as to whom I have in my company, so I may cut its head off whilst I scream thy name," The queen rose from her seat with her voice dripping venom.
Astral could not contain herself as she shocked the rest of the group with maniacal laughter, "Oh the Queen herself doesn't know my name after she killed me, this saddens me so but what the heck I have a new name since I am not the same pony you killed, I am not Twilight Sparkle any more," at this comment the Queen practically screamed from her facial features itself.
The Queen regained her composure before saying, "That is not possible, that little shit died in canterlots caves"
"Don't get me wrong, you did kill me non-the-less except I'll just say you shouldn't have FUCKED WITH SOMEPONY YOU CANT KEEP DEAD!!" Astral made this her opportunity to run at the queen until one of the behemoths swung a massive axe in green magic toward Astral, she teleported back to where she was, "didn't think those fat fucking minions could move so fast, this is gunna take longer but never-the-less I will have your head Crysalis"
The rest of the group decided to split up into two groups and target the behemoths, they held them back long enough for Astral to get close to Crysalis, "I'm not the only one with people who work for me you bitch"
"Touchy, touchy, maybe I should brake your leg again and watch you writhe in pain but I must say you have changed, I did not think you would escape the caves," she swung her horn at Astral catching her fur slightly as her red liquid escaped it, "But you will never have changed, still the little filly who wouldn't hurt a fly"
"I wouldn't be too sure," Astrals horn glowed an almost black color of red as the red mist started to escape her body, her voice sounded more ghastly now, "I've changed more than you think," a tendril of red span at Crysalis who dodged just barely with a shocked face, "you really should see yourself you look just li....." A scream came from her left.
"CLOUD RACER!!! NO STOP YOU'RE KILLING HIM," Sweeitie screamed as the behemoth had the pony in his jaws, being as big as it was even this stallion who was just a bit smaller than Bic mac fit snug in his mouth, with a crunch the stallions blue fur became red as all his blood poured from all orifices of his body, his body dropped to the floor as the behemoth laughed with deep bass, "NOOOOO!!!!" Sweetie rushed forward only to be swatted away.
While Astrals attention was taken Crysalis swung at her with her own magic taking one of Astrals legs and flinging her across the room knocking her unconscious, one by one the rest were killed by the behemoths leaving only Star Crasher and Sweetie left, "Oh this was uneventful I thought you would actually do better Twilight or should I say Astral, it was you're downfall having brought these young ones with you alas everything can die twice," The queen waited as the rest were killed, Star Crasher was lifted into the air as his limbs were tore off one by one and then flung aside.
Sweetie Belle was scrunched up against the chitin wall as Crysalis strode over, "OO I'm sorry did you have an accident you seem to have PISSED YOURSELF," Crysalis bellowed as the young mare began to shake uncontrollably, "now sorry for the rush but I have things to do kill her, as I want my fun with dear sparkle over her," her behemoth nodded.
Astral cracked an eye open as the muffled sounds came into focus, pain rose from her side as she took a look to see nothing there...... literally her leg was missing and she was bleeding but now the wound had magic stitching into it, using her magic she got to the hooves that were still usable and made a sue-do leg of magic and looked around just in time to see a behemoth swing an axe downward toward Sweetie Belle.
The behemoth gulped and dropped his axe, all he remembered was a blinding crimson light and pain in his chest, as his eyes readjusted there he saw a monster with serrated teeth staring him straight in his glowing eyes, the behemoth stood as a line of red going past his neck and down the barrel of his chest began to drip and then all of a sudden his body slid in two halves as the green ooze left his body, seeing this Crysalis screamed as the second behemoth fared no better against this wounded monster.
"YOUR NO PONY ANYMORE YOUR A MONSTER!!!" Crysalis began to trip backwards back to her throne as she collapsed onto it, "more guards help me, GUARDS," she screamed, she couldn't feel her hive mind, green trickled down her muzzle as she looked up to see her horn missing, she then screamed again.
"Monster?! HA most fitting but no I wont go to your level I'll just sever your head tear out your inards and destroy every last parasite of your hive then go for the king, not too over the top then ey Crysi, I'll make it quick......... oh I see Sweeite wasn't the only one who had an accident now has she Crysi?" each word sounded like it came from the devil himself, there was no more harmony left in Astral, only rage.
The queen laid there as the liquid she released dripped off the throne, much like Sweetie was she shaked, "Please don't kill me it was Sombra, you wouldn't kill me, release me like you did before, let me live I wont do this again I swear, PLE...." A quick flash of red was the last thing she saw, "ARGH!!!! my eyes I cant see," both her eyes were torn from her skull.
Astral didn't stop as she tore her left foreleg off in the same manner Crysalis did to her, gaining a skrill of pain from the queen Astral shivered in pleasure as her mouth opened and dangled her tongue out, "feel more PAIN!!!" she moved to tear another limb off as the green ooze sprayed out of the flailing nubs that were Crysilis' legs.
With a voice hagged, "YOU...BITCH!!! you wont..win against Sombra *coughing blood* even if you have *haaah* changed you don't stand a chance, now end me"
"HA end you? no I would never do that Crysi I will just leave you to die like you did me"
"But you said"
"I said I wouldn't stoop to your level yes, that just meant I would leave you in a state you couldn't revive from," after saying this she swiped a physical red form of magic across the queens stumoche as most her inerds escaped her, "Stay put whilst I destroy your castle," leaving the heap of mess wheezing she walks over to Sweetie as best she could with how her body is, "Sweetie get up," all she got in response was an eep, Sweetie had horror filled eyes that were stairing straight at Astral.
It was clear that her rage was showing, her fur became nearly black and the red mist escaped her eyes, her mane grew long and began to shift a little at no wind at all, the whites of her eyes were pitch black and finally her teeth were serrated, Sweetie had just watched her literally slaughter the one who made child's play of her friends, "I..I.II.."
"GET UP!!! NOW!!!" Sweetie shot up and followed Astral out of the room as changelings small and big flooded into the room ignoring the two and going straight to their queen, minutes later they were out of the castle, Astral turned to the castle and laughed under her breathe, "for sixteen years of pain it was rather fast Crysalis, maybe Sombra will entertain me more, now for the finale," Astral rose into the air as a orb of darkness surrounded her, as it was around her it began to swirl and pin pointed onto her horn, she opened her eyes and fired a tendril of black and red at the castle and on impact the big palace imploded as the 'mountain' collapsed, Dust flew past the two.
"They died in there and you just destroy the place?" Sweetie questioned.
Now on the ground Astral turned to her, "so they were dead what could I do about it, let the horde come out and look for us in blind rage, no I brought their castle down on there heads, you accepted what I said when we went in there, be it on your heads to survive. Stop being a filly and realize that life just isn't so sweet Mrs Belle!!"
The walk back through the Desert was pain staking, miles upon miles of sand, finally arriving in the town the pair go to an inn. I the room there was only one bed, Sweetie had already collapsed onto her tear filled pillow as Astral laid onto hers, Sleep took her to the dream realm again.
Back in the dream realm
Just like the night before she was accompanied by the blue Alicorn and her counterpart except Eclipse had grown in height and was as tall as the alicorn, "well done today boss, quite the brutality, I couldn't have done better myself"
"O h shut up you know it had to be that way"
"you sound more like me by the minute fucko hopefully I'll have a body soon"
The navy blue Alicorn stomped her hoof, "enough, were all adults here"
Eclipse sprung in, "and phycos"
"BE QUIET!! Finally, now Astral that was faster than I expected it to be but never-the-less a job well done. Next though is the true enemy and you will have to embrace the darkness fully to kill that tyrant bastard and release Celestia and your little friends, thou will make haste though if Sombra hears of Crysilis' downfall it wont be long until his defenses become impenetrable, now do you want sending back or will you comply this time by waking up my dear," a toothy grin came across the Alicorns face.
"I will comply but first I have a question, what is you're name, you haven't told us yet"
"Its nightmare....... nightmare moon my dear"