"Well, cousin, I must say, I am so happy that you came to see me!"
Two hours ago...
Golden Grace, alongside his secretary (Or Dream Charmer, The Lame Horse, if you prefer), were being given the grand tour of the grounds with Scarlet Wake. They'd arrived a few hours ago, and while Golden had his suspicions, thanks to the information that Sombra had provided, the noble had yet to see anything definitive that could confirm the allegations the tyrant had made. Still, if things were as dark here as the information provided implied, it would almost be certain to be hidden.
Still, it was unsettling that they were being shadowed by one of the most enormous earth ponies that Grace had ever seen. The fellow had more muscle in one foreleg than Golden had in his entire body. The pony also had a face, with or without the mark, that would have made King Sombra say, 'That is one intimidating pony right there.' Still, the fact that the pony in question had a deathmark brand on his face made him all the more terrifying.
The deathmark was a practice put into place just a few years ago: Some of the nobility expressed an opinion that, rather than killing them outright, they could repay their debt to society through hard labor. While there'd been a few nobles who had objected, the argument that, since the individuals in question were not executed, their punishment could be revoked if proof of their innocence ever came to light, was able to silence the opposition.
Regardless, even if all the fellow was doing was just walking along silently, the knowledge that a convicted murderer was within a few paces of him worried Golden Grace greatly...
Putting on his best poker face, Golden Grace smiled, then stated, "Well, you know how important it is that the two of us look after one another."
Scarlet Wake looked incredibly sad for a moment, which startled Golden Grace, although he did not let it show on his face. Scarlet was not prone to letting his emotions show...
"Yes," Scarlet said, his expression turning wistful, "It is important that we look out for one another. I had promised your parents that I'd look after you, after all."
That was an old story: Back during the Black Feather War, both Golden's and Scarlet's parents had served as officers in the armed forces. While he did not know the details, Scarlet and his parents were captured during one of the early battles in the war, and were... interrogated for an extended period. While his parents had died, Scarlet had managed to escape from his captors and alerted the main army of the enemy's location. Not long afterwards, Golden's parents had died, although their death was due to an outbreak of cholera (The Black Feathers would often send in agents to befoul water and food supplies during the war). On their deathbeds, Scarlet Wake, but twelve years old at the time, had promised his aunt and uncle that he would keep watch over Golden Grace, who was but six at the time.
For all that Scarlet could be an idiot at times, and an overly ambitious one at that, Golden had to admit that his older cousin had stuck to that promise... which made the fact that Scarlet was a traitor the the crown all the more heartbreaking.
His expression somber, Scarlet said, "We need to talk, cousin, and I know just the place to do so. Step right this way."
-----------------------
"You are certain," the dark force asked, "that I can find a host in there?"
The dark force had chosen to hide in the city's drainage system: Filled with dark tunnels, and rarely entered unless something was clogging the channels, it was the perfect place for it to hide and gather strength while it recovered. Thankfully, unlike some cities, the Crystal Empire's sewer system was only used for the drainage of rainwater, rather than 'waste', sending water out into the fields where it could do the most good.
Winter, chuckling, examined the roiling cloud of darkness, then said, "Oh yes. In your current state, you cannot take control of any pony who has any sort of will to resist right now... but you can still merge yourself with a pony willing to accept your offer of power. That rather narrows your list of possible candidates, but it does not wipe it out completely. There are a few beings that you could choose from, but most of them are in places that are magically protected."
There was an impression of the creature rolling its eyes (Which it currently lacked), then it said, "Obviously, I am aware of that. But you say this individual is hidden only behind mundane defenses?"
Nodding, the windigo's expression turned serious. He stated, "Yes, but you will not have a lot of time. The individual in question will only be available for a short while longer. You'll understand why when you get there. I suggest you hurry: You only have minutes now."
With an audible 'harrumph', the mass of darkness took off. Winter chuckled to himself as she left. While not exactly an expert, the windigo had a lot of experience regarding the possession of a mortal body, and there was one thing he understood perfectly: Unless you took great care in eradicating every trace of the mind of the host when you took over, you were at risk of being influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and personality of whoever you took over.
Had the dark force possessed Luna, it would have acted on Luna's feelings of jealousy towards her sister. Had it possessed Celestia, it would have acted on the feelings of the elder sister's resentment towards her subjects, who required their leader to sacrifice so much, yet did so little to share that burden themselves. Had the dark force possessed King Sombra...
Well, that might have actually mellowed out the already corrupt tyrant somewhat. In all honesty, Sombra was in pretty bad shape right before the end.
Regardless, once the dark force had found a new host, there would be a rather interesting change in its priorities, which would be perfectly in line with Winter's new agenda...
-----------------------------------
"I... I don't understand..."
Sombra's description of Scarlet's Playroom had not done it justice. It was a nightmarishly simple setup: A basic room, large enough to hold dozens of ponies, with a bed in the middle. The room's acoustics worked to amplify the screams of Wake's victim immensely, in addition to making it sound like the sound came from all sides.
It was... horrifying.
The guard's expression made it clear that he was not happy here, and Golden Grace did not need to look back to know that Dream Charmer, in disguise, was clearly horrified as well. Things like this... they weren't supposed to happen in Equestria...
Scarlet Wake sighed, then used a spell to adjust the volume of the young mare's screams, then said, "It's simple, cousin: Back so many years ago, when my parents and I were captured by the Black Feather forces,we were given to the not-so-tender non-mercies of their interrogation squad. Seeing the fate awaiting him, my father used a cyanide capsule he had hidden in a fake tooth to kill himself swiftly: He had very important strategic information in his head, which could not be allowed to fall into enemy talons, after all."
With a theatrical sigh, he continued, "But my mother and I were not so lucky. No quick way out for us. The interrogators, in spite of knowing that we knew nothing ourselves, decided they would start with my mother... and I would be made to watch, and listen, to it all." With a shudder, he admitted, "It was... horrifying. For three long, nightmarish days, they worked on her, and I was powerless to do anything about it."
Golden Grace, still at a loss, asked, "Yet, how can you...?" How could he torture mares for hours at a time like this?
Shrugging, Scarlet Wake admitted, as he walked over to the mare, "It is because I cannot remember her any other way than that: Covered in blood, screaming in agony. I try to recall anything about her, and only that comes to mind... unless I am listening to the sound of another mare's screams." With a shrug, he admitted, "I've tried alternatives: Memory spells to try and restore her in my mind, or remove the trauma I experienced; Hiring mares who looked like her to try impersonating her behavior to trigger those suppressed memories; I once tried hiring a professional actress to sit here and scream for me, none of it worked. The only way I can remember anything about my mother that does not involve her death is if I am listening to another mare in agony. Genuine, honest agony."
There was something sad about that, even if it was horrific and disturbing. "Cousin," Golden Grace said, working very hard to maintain his composure, "regardless of the reasons, this is wrong."
"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?!"
His expression filled with rage, Scarlet Wake was transformed, and for a moment, his face was as terrifying as Sombra's own. Where was once before a calm, cool, collected noble was now a snarling beast. Yet as quickly as it was there, it was gone, the only sign that it had been there was that Scarlet's mane was now slightly disheveled. His tone once again normal, he said, "Of course I know that. That is why I do it here, in secret, where none save my aide and a few of my guards, like Ironwood here, can see. I know that, even with my noble status, I would doubtless face the axe for all of this."
With a snort of disdain, he continued, "So in order to keep this all a secret, and to be able to obtain new mares as needed, I had to make arrangements with a group of ponies with interests similar to my own." His expression suddenly becoming sorrowful, he admitted, "And now, they've decided to make a demand of me."
That did not sound good. Deeply concerned, Golden Grace asked, "What have they demanded?"
A tear falling from his eye, Scarlet Wake said, "They want me to kill you, cousin. They are about to stage a revolt, and they think that you would stand against them... so they want me to kill you."
...And that was when Golden Grace discovered that he could not move.
---------------------------------
It had been foal's play to infiltrate the noble's estate: Ponies might have to use the door, walk through the hallways and such, but the dark force had no such restrictions. She had simply crept in through a small crack in the outer wall, then had flowed through the manor in the spaces between the walls, the floors, even once through a mouse tunnel, to reach her destination. It was everything that Winter had said it would be: Scarlet Wake had made his home a fortress, physically, but like so many ponies, he had neglected to install magical defenses as well...
Within minutes of her meeting with Winter, the dark force had found the room, exactly as the windigo had described it...
And there she was...
------------------------------------
"Sorry, cousin, but there really was no other choice."
Golden Grace wanted to shout, to scream, to do anything, but he was unable to move: Somehow, somepony had placed a paralysis spell upon him. But who? When? How?
"I am far too deeply entrenched to turn back now," Scarlet Wake continued, openly weeping. "If I were to try and turn against the Circle, I would likely be dead before dawn. Even if I survived, it would do me no good: They could simply reveal the extent of my involvement to the 'good' ponies out there, and I'd either spend what is left of my life on the run, or in a prison cell... if they don't decide to execute me outright. To the world at large, I am worse than any monster..."
--------------------------------------
The cockroach is considered the ultimate survivor in the insect kingdom: It is able to survive, and thrive, in environments where few other lifeforms could. They move faster than any other insect, and can endure extremes of heat and radiation that would be fatal to most any other creature you could name. As repugnant as they may be, they will likely outlive every other creature in existence, on every world where they exist.
If cockroaches are the ultimate survivors, then wasps can only be considered the ultimate monsters: Aggressive, territorial, and absolutely vicious, the various species of wasp employ tactics that few other insects can, things that are the stuff of nightmares...
The Japanese Giant Hornet is known to attack beehives in groups, decimating the bees and dismembering them. The remains, as well as the bee's larva, are transported back to the nest, as meals for both the hornets and their own young. Worse, these hornets are considered the single deadliest animal in Japan, killing more people per year than bears and venomous snakes. Their cousins, the Asian Giant Hornet, also called the Yak-Killer Hornet, possess one of the most horrendously painful stings in the insect kingdom, and is considered as painful as having a red-hot nail being driven into one's leg.
There are multiple families of wasps that paralyze their victims, then lay their eggs within. When the eggs hatch, their larva eat the victim alive from the inside. The victim can often live for several days in this unimaginably painful state before finally, blessedly, the victim will die... and a new batch of these horrors erupt from the victim's corpse.
So, when somepony is given the name Lady Wasp, you have to know that they are not somepony to you would want to be at the mercy of...
---------------------------------------
With no one paying attention to her prey, it was simplicity itself for the dark force to ease into its new host. While her body was weak, due to malnutrition, dehydration, and extended torture, the poor little mare tied to the bed had definite potential...
---------------------------------------
"As touching as all of this is," Dream Charmer said, stepping into view and dropping her disguise, "I'm afraid we need to speed things along. Whatever you say to him now won't make him any less dead when you're done, and we are on something of a timetable here."
With a snort, Scarlet Wake spoke in a tone close to shouting, "Be quiet! You have no place in this, 'Lady Wasp'." These last two words were spoken with such scorn that the air between the two of them should have ignited. If there was an insult intended, either Dream Charmer failed to catch it... or ignored it completely.
Golden Grace could not believe what he was seeing and hearing. He would have sworn that Scarlet Wake and Dream Charmer had never met before, and yet the love of his life was speaking to his cousin with a familiarity that could only be born from a long partnership... although not one that either of them was pleased about.
"Now, now," Dream Charmer said, her tone soothing, but with an undertone of derision, "you have only yourself to blame. If you'd just consulted the Circle before you went all 'assassination happy' this week, you might have been spared this: I would have just smothered your cousin in his sleep, and been done with it. He gave me enough... pleasant evenings that I could have shown him that much mercy." Her expression turning wicked, she said, "But now, you can either kill him right now, and do it quick and painless... or I can paralyze you as well, then make you watch as I slowly torture him to death."
No... Not this. Such horrible words, coming from the mouth of the mare he'd thought was the love of his life. Golden Grace would rather have died than hear this...
His expression haunted, Scarlet Wake said, "No, no, don't. I'll do it, I'll do it... just... give me a moment."
Giggling, Dream Charmer said, "Good boy."
Walking over to his cousin, Scarlet Wake seemed about to say something, when suddenly the mare interrupted, stating, "And if you're thinking of trying to distract me so your dear cousin can escape, you should know that I have excellent hearing, in addition to a spell primed for release that will leave you writhing on the ground, screaming, before you can turn around." Snickering, she added, "And don't count on your little guard to save you: He's paralyzed, until I decide otherwise."
Scarlet Wake seemed to deflate slightly at that. Golden Grace's heart went out to his cousin in that moment: Sick as he might have been, Scar had given serious consideration to turning on this 'Circle', even if it had meant his life. But now? If it meant that one of them died quickly, or both of them died slowly...
Though it took everything he had to do it, Golden Grace was able to whisper two simple words...
"Do... it..."
For a moment, Scarlet Wake looked surprised, then seemed to steel himself. His horn began to glow with magic...
----------------------------
The dark force was shocked to find that the mare she had entered into was still aware of herself. After days of extended torture, Ruby Bright (the mare in question),should not have had anything left within herself... but instead, the crucible of torture had simply purified her, in a manner of speaking. The raw ore of will had been forged into a lance that, had the mare been willing to resist, she'd likely have slain the dark force in a heartbeat.
However, the moment that the opportunity for vengeance was offered, the mare had leapt at the chance, even if it meant that the two would become one...
-----------------------------
Scarlet Wake's horn stopped glowing, and he said, "You know, perhaps the Circle is being a bit hasty." The noble's expression turned sly, and gave a subtle wink to his cousin.
Dream Charmer, her tone very clearly one of irritation, said, "Don't bother trying to talk your way out of this..."
Golden Grace saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He could almost swear that the guard had winked at him...
Turning around slowly, Scar faced Dream, and said, "Just hear me out a moment: From all the information that Midnight Black gave me, my dear cousin has spent years playing the nobility against one another, making sure that no one became too powerful. He's also responsible for the embargo on assassination contracts with the guild, which will be over tomorrow."
With a snort, the mare said, "True enough. Get to the point."
A small smile forming on his face, Scarlet Wake said, "In the new regime we intend to build, we could use that skill... and even in the war to come! There will be more than a few nobles who will be indecisive over which side to join. I doubt that any member of the Circle currently available would be able to sway the more ambivalent nobles to our cause, but Golden Grace could."
"You may have a point there," Dream Charmer said, her expression thoughtful. "While they've counted on me to gull the witless masses into servitude, the nobility would be another matter."
"Exactly," Scarlet Wake said with a chuckle. "Even with the resources available, the Circle will have a fierce battle ahead, especially if Celestia and Luna take the field. However, with Golden Grace's assistance, we could overthrow the emperor in the political arena, without a single drop of blood being spilled."
Her tone petulant, Dream Charmer said, "Awwww, but I like spilling blood!" After a moment, she chuckled, then said, "It is a tempting idea, but I'll have to say no: There's no way he'd agree to it, and even if he did, odds are he'd take over by the end of the week." Giggling now, she added, "And I do not want any competition after the war is over: The Circle has promised me the throne that should have been mine from birth, save for this bad leg. I won't risk having Goldie here screw that up." Dream Charmer's eyes narrowed, then she stated, "Now hurry up and... wait, where did that guard of yours go?"
A pair of massive hooves closed around her horn, and a deep, subterranean bass of a voice said, "Right behind you, nag." Then, with a rought jerk, the guard snapped her horn right off...
Suddenly in control of himself again, Golden Grace almost collapsed, only to be caught by his cousin. Not certain of what to believe, he asked, "How...?" His words were almost completely drowned out by Dream Charmer's screams.
Ironwood grabbed the mare's head, then snapped her neck with a loud crack. With no more ceremony than that, he dropped her corpse at his hooves. Chuckling, the big earth pony said, "Anti-magic, son!" Pulling out a medallion from the inside of his armor, the guard stated, "You would not believe how useful one of these things can be, and we've got one on every guard here."
Golden Grace, still having difficulty in following, asked, "But.. why?"
Scarlet Wake looked a little ashamed of himself as he said, "Because I promised your parents I would look after you... and whatever else I may be, I am a stallion of my word." Turning to the guard, Scarlet Wake said, "Ironwood, go collect Nopony and his family, as well as the Black Book. If you tell Brute Force and Mad Dash that we're in End Game Scenario Three, they'll let you through without argument. Take Golden Grace with you. Once you've collected them, use escape tunnel seven-C: That one will take you as close to the palace as you can get underground without crossing into the Circle's tunnels."
The guard nodded, then said, "Understood."
Finally beginning to catch up, Golden asked, "You're not coming?"
Staring down at the corpse of Dream Charmer, his expression unreadable, Scarlet Wake said, "Like I said, I have no place on the other side. I am a monster." A small smile creeped across his face as he said, "But you know the funny thing about monsters? Sometimes, they eat other, more terrible monsters. The Circle will likely be sending their worst to wipe me off the map before I can give any information to the Emperor. You'll be taking with you a record of everything that I know about the Circle, as well as a great deal of information he should find useful. Make sure the emperor gets it."
Nodding, Golden Grace said, "Right. And cousin..." The younger noble cleared his throat, then said, "Thank you."
The two embraced, and Golden Grace left, following Ironwood.
---------------------------------
Scarlet Wake stood over the corpse of Dream Charmer, staring down at what was once the Circle's most dangerous agent and most deadly assassin, now little more than a pile of cooling meat. With a sigh, he said, "You can show yourself, now. We're alone."
The mare's body burst into flames, destroying the bed and the bindings that once held her. After a moment, the flames died, and was simply a mare again. Her expression unreadable, she asked, "When did you know?"
Rolling his eyes, Scarlet Wake said, "I don't have any actual magical defenses on my manor, but I do have a system in place for detecting intruders, especially magical ones."
"Hmph." The mare did not look impressed. "We've spent the last three days wanting to kill you, but right now, we doubt we have enough strength in us to do much more than slap you. Still..."
A blur of movement later, Scarlet Wake was flying across the room. He hit the wall hard enough that he could feel ribs crack. "...We have a pretty good slap," the mare said with a chuckle.
Rising, in spite of the pain it caused him, he said, "If you want to kill me, go ahead. I'm as good as dead now, anyways. Just... give everypony else time to leave..."
A small smile playing across her face, the mare said, "As you wish." The mare's body began to grow, and change. Her legs began to lengthen, as did her neck and torso, her mane and tail lengthening and becoming more lustrous as well. After a few seconds, a horn sprouted from her forehead, and a pair of wings emerged from her back. Within moments, the earth pony had become an alicorn...
Her body now wreathed in flames, the alicorn said, "Any last words?"
Scarlet Wake chuckled, then said, "A monster dies, a good pony lives. A fair trade. Do it."