//------------------------------// // 07 Letting go // Story: A new breed of evil // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// Two months had passed since the unfortunate stallion named Astral Chrome had fallen victim to possibly the worst pony that somepony would ever come across. Thanks to his mental conditions, it only allowed him to speak the warning that was given off by the queen herself. The rest of his words would have turned into nothing but utter gibberish. Uncertain of that what they could possibly be doing for the poor stallion had the inn owner made the decision to let him be transported to the only place where she knew they could help him to the best of their abilities. And that place was nowhere else than Canterlot itself. The majestic and royal city on top and alongside the beautiful mountain was a sight that many loved. Though just as many had tried to destroy it in the past. Creatures like the elusive and dangerous changelings had been spotted, the ancient unicorn king named Sombra once tried to siege the city and claim it. The god of chaos and disharmony himself even tried it, twice. But the only one who actually managed to almost succeed upon the dangerous act had to be the previous Nightmare. The remains of what kind of hatred was flowing through the body of the princess of the night, It was Nightmare Moon who had almost managed to taken over, twice as well. Though during her last attempt, she was stopped by the elements of harmony. The very elements in which she resided for part of her soul. The city had seen and suffered great loses itself but it always managed to become the beauty of Equestria no matter what. It was home to the most socially high placed ponies and even the home of the princesses themselves. Both princess Celestia and Luna resided inside of the castle that was built almost hanging off of the side of the mountain. And it would be that very same castle where the first and only known survivor of the vicious White Tail attacks would be brought. For a doctor was almost galloping through the hallways, the labcoat waving in his wake as the panting became only deeper and deeper. The stallion didn't care for any ponies who might have been in the way whatsoever as all he cared for was to get his words out by the royals themselves. Whether they would be pleased with his interruption, would be something to worry about later. For his findings and his patient could give a lot more insight in the fact of just what was going on in the woods of White Tails itself. ~~~~   Panting for his dear life had the stallion galloped into the throne room. The very room where both of the royal princesses happened to be present and discussing things of long ago. Their mood was something happy, nostalgic even when they spoke about times they were just fillies themselves. Yet it was Luna who first turned her eyes away. All in order to witness the aged doctor. In her one visible eye did she caught an old stallion with squared glasses and a labcoat. What she had to do in the situation, was absolutely unknown to her at the time being. Her eye narrowed a bit while she remained silent. Would she get mad at him for the interruption? Would she scold him away for interrupting like the way he did? Or would she just remain calm and ask for an explanation? Even after her return to the throne as she was supposed to be, her entire personality had suffered at the hooves of her nightmarish incarnation. It showed the fractures that it created. Luna’s soul had never fully returned to a state none of the current living ponies had seen with the exception of one, her older sister. Though Luna allowed herself a deep breath before her words were released in a calm tone. Something that even caught Celestia by surprise. They both had taken their relaxing position upon the royal throne. “If we, I’m sorry, if I may ask, what is the meaning of this rude walk-in into throne room?” Luna asked of him. But the doctor could hear a sense of curiosity in her voice. It wasn't that much, but the signs were obviously there. That was something that worried him a lot as he had to reply against the both of them. It was a once in a lifetime event and the doctor knew he couldn't give himself any form of error. He scraped his throat with a hoof and started to pace a little bit up and down. Celestia kept a watchful eye on him. She was well aware that the words would come to him once the time was right. Patience was and always would be a virtue in the mind of the elder sister. Celestia was one of the few in the land who could say that she had waited more than anypony to see somepony dear to her, return back home. The both of them irradiated a certain calm over the aged stallion, whose heart was almost beating inside of the same throat. “We,” the stallion started before he turned his head over to the both of them. Both royals focused their one visible eye back on him with a stern but justifying look. “Well, I, was given a patient back in the asylum to take care of. But after first and original diagnosis, my first thought was that this particular pony had gone mad. But when I searched through his backstory, there wasn't any lead that could have driven him to it. Not to mention these constant fright attacks. But perhaps the biggest lead might be the only words he is actually capable to speak, you can’t run away from your fears. And last but not least, he was found near the woods of White Tails. Your highness’, I think we might actually have, a confirming truth to the horrible gossip.” The royals were listening to his story almost with open mouths. Neither of them could even believe the words he spoke towards them. Of course had they too heard the rumors of the woods but shoved it off as common folklore. Though with the evidence given right in their laps, they couldn't deny it. They possibly didn't even wanted to deny it even more. Something was going on. Action was the first thing that came into the mind of Celestia as she knew almost exactly what she wanted to do. “Doctor, bring me, and my sister if she wants to, to your patient. We want to see and hear the things for ourselves. We want to hear those words exactly, out of his mouth. Do you object if I go straight away?” she spoke to the doctor. Her body rose itself up from the throne, ready to do when it was needed. The aged doctor was taken by a major surprise from the made proposal and couldn't do anything else than to give a nod to the most powerful magical being in the land. He began to lead the way for both Celestia as Luna. The latter had rather stayed behind to at least have one of the two in control of the castle. Though the two of them disappeared out of the door. Luna released a deep sigh through her nostrils before she also left the throne. Her direction would be someplace else though. A place where she could be deep inside of her thoughts alone and think about her deeds of madness from times long gone. Times that still haunted her like ghosts. Nightmares that would wake her up from her slumber. And the only place she would be able to do that was the private garden she kept somewhere in the castle. Her place of total serenity and peace. ~~~~   A heavy metal door screeched open. In the opening stood nopony else then princess Celestia. For a month and a half had she been visiting the broken Astral Chrome daily to check upon his condition. A condition that only became worse with each day. For his own safety had he been placed under heavy doses of sleeping medication and set in a straightjacket just in case. Yet the conditions he was in were far from perfect. The asylum was dirty and rotten like the most of them yet the staff was top notch for some reason. It had been two months since his assault. Ever since he was taken under care of the princess herself, nothing seemed to be working in order to help him. Yet that didn't mean they didn't knew what was wrong with his mind. They did found something terrible when they were analyzing his earth pony brain for effects of magic. It was a rather farfetched idea that a unicorn would do something like that to an earth pony, but once the tests were done, there was no doubt about it. It was a fact that greatly concerned Celestia herself. She knew that something was lurking in White Tails, something she had never seen. The royal princess had a small and one way conversation with the broken stallion before she left the cell again with a sigh. The door got closed behind her by nopony else than the doctor. She shook her head to him in a negative manner. “There is possibly nothing that we can do for him. He can’t speak anything else but the warning and lives in a world basically made of his own fears. Any, results, from the lab tests on what this magic might be?” she spoke up to the doctor. Her one magenta red iris looked over him with a gaze of sorrow and pity for the poor Astral. The doctor shook his head to her words. “It’s, untestable without going crazy yourself. Even with the doses taken from blood inside the skull, my ponies are still suffering delusions of fright,” he replied to her in a quiet tone. “I see,” said Celestia before the two started to walk down the hallways of the mental asylum. “So there is no hope of making a full on study to this kind of magic. Meaning we can’t trace it. So all we have, is the warning he keeps speaking.” The princess wanted to speak her words further but she was interrupted by a hellish scream. One that went through marrow and bone with ease. The doctor turned his head around to look at the closed door. He shut his eyes for a moment. The doctor knew more than well that the source of the hellish yell was in fact nopony else but Astral. The stallion who had another delusional attack on his mind. “We just have to see and wait until the big revelation of this she-pony he keeps speaking about,” the princess continued after the screams had died down or they got out of range. The doctor opened his eyes again. He just gave her a nod to the words. Even in his scientific mind it was possibly the best thing that they could do. Even if it meant they would be waiting for their doom. ~~~~   Two whole months had passed by with ease. The nightmarish unicorn hadn't been sitting still on her throne either. For the mare herself had been testing her magical abilities to limits unseen before. Every single soul that had entered the dungeon received the same kind of therapy without resistance. Only to discover that the effects would be stronger nearly every single week. True mental torture was what they all suffered for her. Though the worst part of it all was the fact that she loved doing it. The powers she had gained, the abilities she controlled, it was all mouthwatering to her. Nightmare Rarity discovered that her powers were good enough to release an attack that involved multiple ponies. All because of the force she was able to push out if she wanted. It made her feel eerily good about being in control of so much power that coursed through her veins. One day when she was done with her ‘experiments’, the queen would have found herself standing on the balcony of her tower. Her cat-like eyes watched the as sun set itself and the moon rose over the enchanted fog of White Tails. She was oddly calm for the troubles that had been made. Her entire posture just stood still and not a single fiber moved itself. Though a little bit behind her, hidden on the inside of the queen her chamber, stood the two commanders. They were waiting to hear the relieving words from the mouth of Nightmare Rarity herself. Both Fright and Blood waited in silence to that what came out of her mouth. Little did they knew just what she had planned inside of her devilish mind. What kind of terror she desired to release over the land. With what force she would have made her presence truly known to all the equines in the land. What terror she could strike directly into the hearts, of the princesses, her ‘friends’ and her ‘family’. While the moon kept on crawling into the skies, the eyes of Nightmare Rarity closed themselves just before a deep sigh was released through her nostrils. With the wind that came by as a gentle breeze were both her mane and tail waving along to her right side. It was something that created quite the serene scene. Though in reality, it was everything but. “They have been the thorn in my side and the pain in the neck for times longer than I can even remember. Those wretched mares just dumped me for somepony better. Well I’ll show them all, that when you burn your flanks, you’ll have to sit on the blisters,” the mare mumbled to herself. Though she spoke loud enough to let the words be heard by her commanders. “I shall topple you all in fright, make live with the dreams I have lived for so long and enjoy, watching you crumble to dust.” Without a warning had the queen turned herself around. Her legs began to walk her back into the chambers. Without a sound she passed the two shadow stallions and closed the door behind her before her still gorgeous looking body dropped itself on a crystalline, with velvet cushioned, sofa. From her position had the two stallions walked up to her though they never spoke a word to her. Mostly because of the fact that they thought she was already having the solution upon the matter. They could only wish that she did that already. “Ponyville, shall, burn,” Nightmare Rarity growled in a sinister tone towards the two of them. That was just before an ominous grin was also given to two shadow stallions. A grin that even gave them the shivers. ~~~~   Yet inside of that same little town that had become almost the prime target for the new Nightmare, inside of the Golden Oak Library to be exact, was Twilight pacing up and down her study room. The thoughts that kept grinding themselves through her head almost became too much. Thoughts about Rarity and how she had been the past two months to begin with. But with so little news of the ivory unicorn, there was nothing else she could do than to give up on the matter.         Twilight Sparkle gave up on one of her best friends in the land. It was a heartbreaking moment for her. It was among the worst that she could possibly do. Yet when she looked through the facts as they were, it all pointed out that that was the best she could do. A sigh could be heard through the room. The coated unicorn walked over to the window and crossed her forelegs on top of the sill, only to rest her head on top of it.         Her eyes kept looking upon the wonderful moon above them for a few seconds. The thoughts kept on going inside of her mind. A mind that eventually would come to a standstill. The eyes were being closed once more. From the corner of the closed eyes were two tiny tears that formed. Tears which began to travel down her face under a soft sob.         Just about the worst possible thing had happened for the unicorn. All she could do in the moment was just cry for her friend and pray in silence that she would come back one day. She didn't care whether it could be in the far future or the next minute, she just didn't care.         The studious unicorn gave herself the time to weep about her friend who had gone without a single trace. Though in the end did her eyes opened themselves again. The violet rims were accompanied by a reddish coloring. They had fallen victim to her own tears. Tears which she wiped from her face and left the study room for that what it was. There was only one desire that she had and that was to go to bed. Twilight wanted to get some rest in the hope to set things right.         When she wandered into the bedroom itself, the darkness had taken it over but her bed was clearly seen in the moonlight. One last sniffle was being made by the unicorn before she dropped her body below the blankets. Twilight just closed her eyes again and started to listen. Listen to the natural sounds of the room, the tree’s leaves rustling in the wind, the soft snoring of her little baby dragon in the basket, the bones inside of her body snapping gently when she kicked her hind legs.         All of the sounds just satisfied her for some reason. They were how they were supposed to be. Though before she knew it, Twilight Sparkle had made the step over into the dream realm.         In the two months of time that had passed by, everypony had slowly given up the hope on the fact that Rarity would ever return to the little town. For nopony believed in the facts that she even would return because she had just vanished from the surface of the land. Nopony had seen her nor could possibly even knew just where the hell she could have been. All options were looked over time and time again before the final verdict came in. One that devastated friend and enemy the like. And that was declare her passed away from life. ~~~~                      The following morning had Twilight woken up as every other day. She started to pack some of her gear in order to go on an expedition set out by the princess herself. With the information gotten from the broken Astral had Celestia been wanting to send her most prized pupil out to White Tails. All of it was in an attempt to find just what was going there.         It was a letter that the mulberry unicorn got during her breakfast and needed some time in order to actually truly understand what the royal princess wanted from her. The letter itself ended with a warning that if she went too far into the woods, escape would be near impossible.         The message was an ominous one. But still one that the unicorn needed to heed. Whether she wanted it or not. After her breakfast had been eaten and the gear packed, Twilight would have left the library alone for what it was. She would have gone to the woods of White Tails in the hope to figure out what exactly was happening inside of them. What kind of terror was ready there.         She left her assistant in the building and even in charge of it during her absence. But the baby dragon only had the desire to just take a walk around town to clear his mind on matters he had himself. While the both of them walked right into the sunrise, their mindsets were totally different but their feelings were the same. ~~~~                      After her hike had the unicorn managed to reach the woods of White Tails. She was busy setting up her tent. Twilight had both intended and estimated to at least spend one night in the place. The distance between Ponyville and the woods was just too great in order to do what she wanted to do in just one day. Which meant that she had to stay near that cursed forest. A thing she rather didn’t do at all. Though if it would have helped her, she had to do it.         So with everything nice and tidy as she desired it to be did Twilight turn her head over to the fog covered woods. The woods where she simply began to stare over. It was difficult for her to even understand, let alone comprehend, that those woods could cause such massive and devastating fright attacks within anypony. The sights that she saw were mesmerizing. Never did they seem frightening in her eyes. Though just looking at the wonderful formation of the fog wouldn't be able to help her out whatsoever. She needed to do the unthinkable in the matter to get answers. The fact was that Twilight had to go in head first.         The unicorn did a couple of steps forward in order to get a better view on the small land road that she had chosen to travel down into the woods. “So this is where all the rumors about you started, isn't it?” she mumbled to herself. Her head lowered itself and the eyes kept themselves focused upon the tree tops.         With a deep and confident sigh that left through her mouth had Twilight Sparkle made the decision to just go for it and enter the place. Step by step she was brought closer towards the treeline before she was consumed by it. All that was left to be seen from her was her tail before that also disappeared into the fog. She was, on her own inside of the place of horrors.         “Well, this isn't all too bad,” the mare spoke up to herself. Twilight kept following the road as close as she could. “Just some rather thick fog, that’s all.” It was thick without a doubt. Just a couple of hooves could she see in front of her. After that was there just that massive, white wall. A wall that stretched itself all the way around her, closing her in like it was some kind of trap set out for her.         Yet she couldn't help it but to see figures moving through the white wall. Figures that looked like nopony else other than Rarity herself. Though all she caught were the purple mane. “R-Rarity!? Rarity!” the unicorn shouted out to the figure. The urge to leave the path did came to her. But her mind said that she shouldn't leave the path. No matter what, she had to stay on it.         Just like that had the elusive mare been gone. Gone just as mysteriously as she came. Twilight tried to see the purple mane time and time again, but she never caught them again inside of her fields of view. Something that was a true shame for herself. She was that close to finding her friend again and she blew it.         But little did she know that the Rarity she happened to see, was in fact a being named a false shepherd that had morphed itself into Rarity’s previous form of life. A being that was made to lurk unsuspecting ponies right to where the queen desired them to be. The same kind of creature who got Astral when he had given up. Twilight shook her head a couple of times before she called out for the unicorn one last time. She waited eagerly for a response of any kind. One that would never come though. A thing that came setting in as cold ice for her mind.         It was yet another defeat for the marvelous element of magic. She closed her eyes for a moment in order to regain her thoughts. Seconds turned into minutes while she kept on standing inside of the fog. The fog would have done it’s work beautiful as always. Because one of Twilight’s biggest frights was about to become a shocking and terrifying reality.         In the moment that the unicorn had her eyes closed, she could hear the very hoofsteps of a pony she knew all too well. The powerful steps were made by somepony a couple times bigger than her. A being who had carried her through most of her life. “P-Princess?” Twilight dared to speak up just before the sounds of the hooves stopped.         The mulberry unicorn turned herself around and opened her eyes to look at the sight as it laid out before her. Within the fog could the pointy branches of the trees could be seen, but before her stood the imposing royal figure with the wings spread out. Her only visible eye was something that struck terror into Twilight’s to begin with. An eye that was wasn't filled with any form of anger or disgust, but with complete disappointment for something she hadn't even the slightest idea of. “W-What happened, princess?” the mare managed to speak before she released a deep gulp.         Celestia kept on looking at her pupil with that disappointed and sorrowful look. She shook her head towards the unicorn. “You have failed me, Twilight Sparkle. You have failed me on aspects I have lost so many students on. I thought that you, of all the ponies in the land, would be capable of fulfilling the task I had given upon you. But it seems my feelings were wrong. I’m sorry to announce this to you Twilight, but you’re no longer my student,” the princess spoke to her.         Each of those words hit the heart of Twilight like a sledgehammer looking for something to destroy. Each word was powerful enough to shatter a piece of her heart and the tears sprung right into the unicorn her eyes. She had failed the one pony she had looked up more than her own parents and brother. There was nothing she could do except to do that what she never did. Which was to just run away from her troubles. Twilight galloped like the wind before it would be too late.         With the tears that ran down her cheeks, the silent sobbing was something that evoked a lot of powerful emotions inside of the mare. Emotions she had never felt before or at least not in a long time. And that was the feeling of nothing else but pure and utter shame. Twilight felt herself ashamed for her pathetic acts of what? What had she done wrong? ~~~~                      It was a simple thought that caused her to come to a standstill near her camp. The princess never told her just what in the name of the land she had ever done wrong and that caused her to become more and more curious. The unicorn cleared her tears from her face and had one look over the fog covered woods as a whole and the ropes were tied together.         “Impossible,” she spoke up. “Completely impossible!” The more she placed her mind behind the matter, the more she realized that she had fallen victim to the terrors of White Tails. “Oh goodness me, this is, this is not good,” said Twilight to herself. She charged up her horn in order to scan her body for any potential interference from other magical sources.         Seconds of scanning would have turned over into mere minutes. The mare waited for the results of the results from the test. But being as impatient as she was, Twilight had summoned an arcane chart of a near incomplete test and looked over it with the greatest set of eyes. Because something on that very chart was not how it was supposed to be. Something on it, was actually right off of it. “Everything is normal, except the brain activity! It, it looks like it was in a sleeping state but I was clearly awake wasn't I? This, this data has to go to the princesses right at once, no question.”         Yet the time had progressed into the night and the best that Twilight could do at the moment was to look for an inn or something and write her letter to the princess with her findings. As much as she wanted to investigate the place more, she had nothing in her magical arsenal that would actually be able to just protect her from the state of mind. ~~~~                      Back in Ponyville laid Spike on the couch with a book before his eyes. A small story that had sparked his imagination in order to sail to worlds as he imagined them. It was a welcome change of pace from the facts as they had played out before him. Because he had done something in the absence of Twilight. Something he would have never thought about doing whatsoever. He had let things go.         To be a bit more specific: Rarity.         Spike would have traveled to the nearest lake that laid by Ponyville during the afternoon. His eyes just stared over the calm waters for what seemed to be hours. Hours of just thinking about the unicorn he fell in love with once he had seen her for the first time. His fingers formed themselves into a fist and he started to whisper inside of it. Words of love and futures that would never come were spoken inside of it and the tears had grown below his very eyes. And then the moment was just there.         The wind picked up from behind him, carrying the waters away from the beach and Spike give a last kiss inside of the fist. “Goodbye, my beauty queen,” he whispered to himself before the fist was opened again. In the palm of his purple scaled hand there burned a small fire. A little fire that was filled with his words and memories of the unicorn seamstress.         Spike closed his eyes for a moment before he simply let go of the flame, for it to be carried with the wind to places far away and perhaps better times in the future. He had officially let go of his beloved crush in the dragonian style. Something he never had desired to do, not at his age.         It was rough for him without a doubt. Though the facts as they were presented for him were harder to deny. It was without a doubt the best thing he could have done for her. But there was one memory that he would always cherish inside of his mind. One memory of the mare that was never allowed to be released inside of the little flame. The memory that would stick with him, was the one of the moment he first saw her during the preparation for the summer sun celebration.         The book was laid aside and the baby dragon just started to walk over to the bathroom in order to prepare himself to go to bed. Whether it would be a good night’s rest or a night filled with nothing but nightmares, he couldn't and wouldn't dare to tell himself.         All he could do was to lay inside of his basket and curl up before closing the eyes. Which was exactly the thing that he did. If there was any way to make a difference on the matter as it had played out, he would have taken it without a doubt. But the situation as it was and nothing could be changed. A fact that he knew that all too well. ~~~~                      Twilight had found herself an inn where she could stay for the night. She found herself in one of the few private rooms while writing a letter to the princess. The arcane chart of her brain's activity laid next to her. She hoped that it would reveal some kind of explanation to what was going on deep inside of the woods of White Tails and its mysterious source.         Her violet rimmed eyes looked over the letter for one last time before she rolled it up with a deep exhale. With one last charge was it sent away to the royal herself. All that Twilight could do from that moment onward was to just stay put and return to the library at first light of the new day. The mulberry unicorn laid her head on the pillow while her body could be found on the mattress. Soon enough had she too gone back to the realm of dreams.         The natural sounds of the inn slowly died down while the evening passed by. The night entered which went accompanied with nothing but silence. A pleasant silence for Twilight but one that also haunted her to her very soul for some reason. It was because of the silence, that she was brought back to the moment she thought to have seen Rarity. It would be a moment she would never speak about with Spike unless it would be really needed. White Tails wasn’t what it seemed to be, not anymore at least. Something laid indeed lurking within the borders, but what?         Twilight kept on sleeping for the rest of the night. Though the time outside simply kept on going forward. It was heading to the next morning with a speed like every other night. ~~~~                      In the castle of Canterlot was Celestia reading the letter over and over as her eyes also kept looking at the chart that was provided. She had never seen such magical powers in any matter she was involved with. It was even something new for her and that always meant the worst of things. The princess of the sun had not a single clue what she could do with the situation, except to run a few more tests on the shattered mind of Astral. She wanted to see what his condition really was. Yet she feared the worst if such loads of magic would be given to the delicate brain by an outside source.         “You caught me between two fires of Tartarus, my faithful student. There is little that I know and can possibly do in this case when it comes down to it,” mumbled Celestia to herself. The alicorn stood up and just started to walk through her chambers with a frown on her face. Countless thoughts ran through her mind, yet none could filed as a spark of brilliance.         She needed some fresh air in order to clean her mind on the matter and perhaps get a couple of new insights on how everything worked. Thus she did the only thing her mind could think off and she spread her wings in order to take off for a long flight over the land and its mighty cities. ~~~~                      While the celestial princess soared over the woods of Everfree, from the balcony of her tower had Nightmare Rarity almost a front row seat at the play of light in the skies. She grinned towards it like a devil. “Oh how easy it is going to be to just blast you out of the skies right now and take your place. But I shall contain myself for a change, Celestia, just for you and this once,” she spoke in a sickening giggle. The head was shaken a couple of times. The power that was surging through the body of the Nightmare was something she could barely contain herself. Though she just loved it with every single fiber of her body. The raw power that went through her managed to tingle every bit of her body.         The queen turned herself around and left the balcony for what it was. The mare would have made the descend from the tower. She had a place to go where she hoped to find the right tools for the job that would be at hoof. With a calm pace would Nightmare Rarity have gone down the staircase before she found herself right inside of her throne room.         Her cat-like eyes looked over the darkened room to the very place just behind the throne. She glanced towards the banner of the ancient unicorns. Nightmare Rarity stepped towards it before her horn charged itself up and levitated the thing up to reveal a doorway. A doorway that would be leading her straight into the mythical library of Starswirl the Bearded. The very place where she had learned how to use and control her powers originally within.         Of course it was a huge gamble for her to see if there would be anything useful left. Literally anything could be stored inside of that place. The queen could be sitting on a ticking time bomb and not even realizing the terrible facts as they were laid out before her. But not that it truly was a problem for her to begin with. The mare was more interest in the what other books about fear there possibly would be hidden inside of the walls.         Though most importantly for her was just how she would be giving Ponyville the biggest scare of its entire existence. How would she announce her presence to the wretched little town without physically showing herself? That was the question she wanted to have answered in every possibly way. An answer of which she knew it laid within the hidden library.         “None of you disturb me unless the prisoners are getting away, am I clear?” she spoke over to Fright and Blood who stood at the end of the staircase. The two of them nodded to her words. They then just disappeared once again into the shadows. They would just slither away like snakes and go on with their daily duties. They didn't even question just what she was going to do inside of the place. It wasn’t much of their concern. At least not that they showed of it.         Both of the shadow stallions had turned themselves over into the clouds of shadow and were simply hovering through the courtyard of the dark crystal domain where they kept an eye on all the other events that were going on. Yet they couldn't help it but to fall back inside of their own scheming nature to throw over their current queen and become kings themselves. Though with the powers she had gotten, that would prove to be much more of a problem so they could only drop their thoughts and do as they were told.         Fright kept a close eye on almost every other force that was hidden inside the shadows created by the walls of the domain before his ‘eyes’ turned themselves up towards the skies. More specifically, they turned towards the very moon. A grin formed itself on his face, one that  was just this gap in his fibers. “A thousand years on top of there and not being able to succeed. Yet here you are, among us. My queen,” where the words that the force mumbled to himself before his eyes lowered themselves and he turned himself back around.         Only to see the four savages to come right at him with a hungry look in their eyes.