Forbidden Magic

by ChaosDragoon

The Precaution

Cadance Walked through the halls of the castle, each step felt like ice on her hooves. She stretched out her wings as she yawned. She walked out onto the balcony to greet the brand new day in the Crystal Empire. Her head cocked to the side as she blinked and quickly retreated back to bed room.

"Shining Armor, Shining Armor wake up," she demanded before he woke up with a snort while clearing his throat.

"What's wrong?" he asked his vision still blurry from being shaken awake.

"Come see, there's something wrong with the kingdom," Cadance said before she ran out. Shining Armor slowly got out of bed. When his hoof hit the floor he quickly retracted it as the cold chill went up his leg. We seriously need to figure out a way to warm this crystal floor. He thought before he got out of bed and walked out to the balcony. He wasn't too worried, the last time she said this: it was because somepony decided to try a new magical spell that resulted in everything being poke dotted for a few days. He placed his front hooves on the railing and looked down at the Crystal Empire that was covered in a thick green gas.

"All I see is gas," he said.

"I know, but it's green!" she protested.

"It's probably nothing, just an experiment gone wrong. Remember the poke dot incident," he reassured her. She sighed.

"You might be right. It's just stressful being in control of this empire," She said

"In this day and age, you have to be suspicious of everything darling," a female voice said with a chuckle. The two turned to see Famine and War standing in the door way.

Shining Armor quickly stood between the two and Cadance and demanded, "Who are you two? How did you get in here?"

"I'm sorry for our intrusion in you empire, however, we've come to see that alicorn behind you," The black alicorn said as he walked in as War and Famine separated and bowed.

"Who are you?" Shining Armor demanded, his horn lighting up. Suddenly a vine crashed from the ceiling and wrapped around his back legs pulling him up. Leaving him dangling in the air.

"Oh my, this one has a lot of energy in him," Famine said as she walked over to him and placed a hoof on his cheek and added, "Not bad looking either. Why not come join me?" she giggled as Shining Armor wiggled away from her grasp.

"Leave him alone!" Cadance yelled her horn glowing before she shot out a beam of magical energy. A black shadow rose up and blocked the magical energy before slithering back to the ground and towards the black alicorn.

"Now, now, we can talk like civilized creatures," he said.

"What do you want?" Cadance said, her horn still glowing and her gaze not leaving Famine.

"Since resurrected, we have a set plan. However, we need to tie lose ends before we embark on our master plan," the black alicorn said.

"So what does that have to do with us?" Cadance asked.

The black alicorn walked towards the balcony behind her and looked down at the green gas and said, "You're kingdom could interfere with our conquest of this world." Cadance looked at him in shock,

"Did you honestly think we would let you take over Equestria?" Shining Armor protested.

"That's why we're here," The black alicorn said as he turned towards her and added, "that's why I have my comrade down there taking care of everypony in the empire" the gas suddenly lifted up and shrunk before forming into a Pegasus. He flew past Cadance and next to War. She quickly looked over the railing to see all the ponies on the ground, none of them moving. She slowly stepped back, tears swelling up in her eyes.

"Can I kill her now?" Pestilence cackled.

"Hey, you've already killed the entire empire, it's my turn!" War argued.

"Come on father, let me have her," Pestilence begged. The black alicorn chuckled

"Let War and Famine have a turn," he said. Pestilence just sighed but then nodded. Cadance was stunned. They were talking about killing her, possibly Shining Armor and yet, the black alicorn treated this like a father would when showing his children the value of sharing.

"I'll take the unicorn, you can have her," Famine said as a rose bud popped out of the ground and opened before the vine unwrapped from Shining Armor's legs. He dropped onto the rose before it quickly closed.

"Shining Armor!" Cadance screamed before she shot magical energy at the rose. It bounced off and hit the ceiling.

War chuckled and said, "Don't worry, you'll soon be with him." he reared back and breathed out flames towards her. She quickly placed a magical bubble around her. The flames slammed into the bubble as her eyes widened. She watched as the ponies made from the flames clawed and gnawed at the bubble, trying to get inside. She continued to strain as the flame ponies continued their onslaught. She felt her energy dissipate before the bubble broke. She screamed as their teeth pierced into her flesh, mouths ripping her wings from their sockets, claws tearing into her eyes. Her screams turned to gurgling as blood filled her lungs. When the flames extinguished, they lifted a chard skeleton in a pool of blood.

The rose bud opened and Shining Armor stood in the middle of it, his coat made of moss, eyes glossed over, and green ooze dripping from the corner of his mouth. Famine walked over to him and stroked his chin as she chuckled, "How are you feeling darling?"

"Fine," he said blindly before adding, "my mistress." Famine just chuckled again before she walked back and the rose bud closed as it and Shining Armor disappeared in a cloud of rose peddles.

"What is your obsession with changing the opposite sex into moss slaves?" War asked.

Famine shrugged and said, "I like to be in control, mind control is the best option." She turned to the black alicorn who was surveying the dead bodies of all the crystal ponies as they sunk into their shadows.

"What was the purpose of coming here, you know as well as I do: even if the Crystal Empire had attacked us on our conquest. We could have killed them instantly. So why Death?" Famine asked.

"It was for the alicorn," Death explained. Famine cocked her head as he continued, "Since our resurrection, I'm sure Celestia feels our presents. I'm sure she's planning a counter attack and to do so, I believe she'll tire to use the four pillars against us."

"Don't talk about them!" Pestilence spat as black saliva was flung to the floor.

"When I killed the changeling queen, I saw into her memories and saw the alicorn," Death said.

"But how is she connected to the pillars?" Famine questioned.

"To summon one of the pillars, she needs a female alicorn," Death explained.

"But her sister is one, she could just use her now," War said. Death shook his head and said, "To summon that pillar, Celestia must use a pure alicorn, one that hasn't been touched by dark magic. Since being turned into Nightmare Moon, she is no longer a candidate."

"What about herself?" War questioned.

"The summoner of the pillars can't use herself as a candidate," Death said.

"Can we go now, I'm bored!" Pestilence yelled. Death just chuckled at his outburst.

"Let's go then, to once again claim this kingdom," Death said as he spread his wings and added, "and bring back our mother."