Luna strode towards the throne room of her castle; the alicorn had once again taken on her true form for the meeting to come. She had yet to reveal her brilliance to Equestria and in particular her sister, as she still required time to prepare for her plans to come to fruition. Here, however, away from the prying eyes of the public, she allowed a chosen few to gaze upon her new, glorious form. Upon her darker, sleeker form, she now wore several pieces of light blue armor fitted perfectly to her regal frame; her hooves along with her chest were adorned in light plate, the chest plate bearing the symbol of Selene upon it, and upon her head rested an open plate helmet.
Her presence inspired loyalty in her followers, just as it will inspire fear in her enemies.
With a brush of her magic, the double doors to the throne room flew open before her, revealing several lines of black furred unicorns. The Blackguard, who had silently waited at attention, bowed in unison to the arrival of their princess. One hundred and eighty strong, they were the most powerful and dangerous force in Equestria, possibly the entire world, and she commanded their absolute loyalty. Luna allowed a small smile to cross her features before she spoke simply, "Rise."
The Blackguard rose to meet their leader's gaze. "We await your command, Princess," a mare in the front row spoke.
"I am no longer princess, my faithful guard. Nor is Selene merely a kingdom sheltered within the embrace of Equestria." Luna paused for a long moment as she smiled again in anticipation of what she was about to announce. "Tonight marks the beginning of a new era! Tonight we cast off the identity of Equestria's silent protector and assume the role of conqueror! Tonight is the first night of the Selene Empire!"
"Empress!" One hundred and eighty voices responded in unison.
"Our first step is clear. Equestria surrounds us on all sides. For the glory of Selene, Equestria must fall." Empress Luna's expression fell to a scowl a she spoke of her sister's kingdom. "Your empress has devised a plan to take the weak-willed foals who blindly follow her sister by force, and you, my Blackguard, shall serve as my greatest weapon. Tonight, you shall all begin training in the technique of your empress. This new power shall be the end of Celestia, and in you, shall be the end of Equestria! Then, the world will come to bow to the banner of the Selene Empire!" Luna again paused again, her eyes scanning the ranks before she concluded her meeting. "Rest for now; your training will begin shortly. Dismissed."
"Yes, Empress!" Again the resounding response came in unison. The assembled Blackguard's horns lit with an almost imperceptible black glow before they each teleported back to their barracks.
Once the room was empty, Empress Luna strode to her throne, resting herself upon the luxurious seat before she drew her magic into her horn to perform the summoning spell. Moments later, in a white flash, two of her Blackguard stood before her; their momentary confusion giving way to the fierce loyalty and training as they silently came to attention and awaited their empress's orders.
"Specter, Nightshade," the empress began. "As you know, war will soon be upon us. The Blackguard are strong, the strongest force in Selene or Equestria, but you will require direct leadership to remain successful in the ever-changing landscape of an open battlefield." The two unicorns nodded, waiting patiently for their empress to continue. "The two of you are special, even among my most powerful force. I am certain you do not need to be told why."
"Because of our cutie marks, Empress," Nightshade said simply.
"Because of our special talent," Specter added.
Before she answered, Luna's horn ignited, as did Specter and Nightshade's bodies. The magic-tinged black ink that covered them hoof to horn suddenly melted away, revealing their natural brown coats. Their flanks appeared to be blank at a glance, but under the glow of Luna's aura, their marks, a camouflage pattern, were barely visible against their fur. "Your special talents are the very magics at the core of the Blackguard's order; you are the only ponies alive to whom stealth magic is an innate ability. Your ability to shroud your magic rivals, and may in fact surpass that of my own and my sister's. This markes the two of you the most powerful of all your order."
The two unicorns nodded again, silently calling the enchanted ink back upon themselves, at once returning to their sheer black appearances.
"Now that the time for action is upon us, your superior talents make you my most important followers. From this moment, I hereby appoint you the commanders of the Blackguard order, as well as my personal guard. Now prepare yourselves; you two shall receive special training in advance of the coming battle."
"Yes, Empress," the two new commanders responded, saluting her before they vanished. Empress Luna grinned; in truth their mastery of stealth magic easily exceeded her own, perhaps even Starswirl's. Were it not for her connection to their magic, she doubted even she would be able to perceive their magic use.
The empress's thoughts turned towards the future. Her plans were coming together perfectly, and with the confusion caused by the griffons, nopony suspected anything about what was coming. My weapons are sharp and soon shall be ready to strike. Very soon now, the sun shall set for the final time, and the moon shall rise forever...!