KillerWoW - Um... Lol ok.

xel101 - Lol should I give her a black cape too?

Ponified Bacon Boss - Unless... she doesn't need it anymore... Also; pot-A-to, pot-ah-to.

PyraohXBlaze - You'll just have to read on and find out ;)

CreeperTamer20 - Ah. Maybe it is just you. :P

DragonLovingBrony - Yes... it most certainly is.

PontiacBandit - Wow... I don't even know what to say besides 'thank you'. Thank you for your praise, and your honest criticisms.

Hunter Shorette - Who, me? Couldn't be. :3 Hmm... she might, but then again, she might fall for another pony... or nopony at all...

Lone The Dark Hearted Wolf - Lol. Hmm... you just might have gotten part of that right... but you'll have to read the chapter to find out what. ;)

ShadowfireAngel - Read and find out. :D

TurnupGrain43 - Well... not every mare... Lol.

SgtVanilla - Thank you. :D

shadows being - Yup. And who says she's weakened? :P

PBJFanFiction - Hmm... but would that really be a good idea? Who knows what destroying it would do...

Lord of darkness the 1st - Don't speak too soon, we don't know what may happen...

centaurus2 - That I am. ;) Maybe you'll find out if your theory is correct later on.

Kyguy - Are we though?

coldshadow92 - Here's hoping that trend keeps up for another 101 chapters!

UnknownHero55 - Eeyup

AntiVillian1 - Who says she needs the orb anymore?

Mikalzilla - Bad kitty, no catnip!

Arkraiththeepicbrony - Unless that's what she wanted to happen...

Nostalgia Cop - Possible scene is possible

DragonLord RyuKizoku - Does any cultist ever have a sane reason for the things they do?

A/N - Howdy everypony! I hope no one got hit too hard by the snowstorms. I got hit pretty hard yesterday, and our power has been going out off and on until just recently. So, sorry for the late update; I didn't want to be on my computer with it doing that. Also, I want to apologize to you all, but I broke a promise that I made to you all some time ago; This chapter contains something of a rape scene. Even though it's short and not exactly graphic, it still qualifies. I'm sorry if this upsets anyone, but I felt that pushing past my own moral barriers was necessary for me to grow as a writer. As I said, it's relatively short, and hopefully it won't be enough to upset anyone who may be sensitive to that kind of thing, but it's there. As always, don't forget to follow/favorite, review, and most importantly; enjoy!

WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of torture and mild rape. Reader discretion is advised.

I couldn't believe my eyes; The Mare in the Moon was standing there before us, a smug grin on her face. "That's right; I've returned from my near-death existence, and this time, there will be no escape for you." I tried to move my arm to draw Falathiel, but my body suddenly wouldn't respond to me. "I wouldn't bother if I were you; the magical bonds created by the artifact are nearly unbreakable. And I intend to use that to my advantage… by making you both suffer." I could see Twilight beside me, and while I couldn't see Isabel; the sounds of her struggling somewhere behind me were plain enough to hear.

I watched helplessly as the dark Alicorn calmly walked up to Twilight. "So, little meddler; should I start with you, or should I make you watch as I send the human to Tartarus?" Twilight averted her eyes, unable to move her head. "I'm afraid I need an answer, otherwise I'll just have to decide for myself. And being an Alicorn… I can take a long time to make up my mind."

Twilight slowly lifted into the air, and Nightmare Moon moved closer. "Well, what shall it be? Do you have an answer, or shall I have some fun with you while I decide?" My purple marefriend was flipped up in the air until she was vertical, exposing her chest and belly to the wicked mare before her. "Very well. I suppose I'll simply toy with you a bit while I make up your mind for you."

My eyes widened in fear as Nightmare Moon's head dipped down, aligning her long, sharp horn with my marefriend's chest. "No! Do what you want to me, but leave her alone!" I called out, struggling against my invisible bonds.

The dark mare turned her attention to me. "I wasn't speaking to you, whelp. But don't worry, I'll get to you soon enough; I still owe you for the sword you put in my chest."

She lowered her head back down and moved forward, pressing the tip of her horn against Twilight's breast, my captive marefriend screaming as she nudged further forward, drawing a bead of crimson from Twilight's flesh. I growled and struggled harder against the bonds as tears began to fall from Twilight's purple eyes. I sent my mind out to Falathiel, but I could not feel her presence; I could however, feel her vibrating against my hip, trying to escape the bonds that the artifact had undoubtedly placed around her.

I looked on in horror while I continued to struggle as nearly two centimeters of the wicked Alicorn's horn disappeared into my marefriend's flesh, the poor, tortured mare screaming the entire time.

Suddenly, Nightmare Moon stopped her advance and removed her horn, the tip dripping with crimson fluid. "Would you like a taste of your precious mare, human?"

I struggled harder as I realized what she meant, but it was no use; I couldn't even feel my connection to my magic. The Mare in the Moon calmly trotted over to me and dipped her head down once again. Her horn lit, and I felt my jaw being pried apart by her magic.

Twilight's screams died down to quiet sobs as more of her blood leaked from the wound in her chest, running down her front in a single line of red that dripped onto the floor. My attention was forced back to the despicable mare in front of me as I felt her horn enter my mouth, and tasted Twilight's metallic blood as she forced it closed again, withdrawing the invading horn slowly and tilting her head so that the tip dragged across my tongue, slathering it with Twilight's precious lifeblood and forcing the rest to be wiped off by my lips, which were firmly held closed by her magic. Nightmare Moon let out a wicked laugh as she reveled in our suffering.

I had no choice but to either swallow or allow the metallic-tasting blood to sit in my mouth. I chose the former option, a burning rage like I'd never felt before welling up in my chest as I felt the warm, crimson fluid trickle down my throat, Twilight's quiet, pained sobs resonating through my soul as I struggled again against my invisible bonds.

Nightmare Moon laughed sadistically. "Oh, don't worry your pathetic little head, human; I have far more… entertaining things planned for the two of you before I send you to the afterlife." She trotted nonchalantly over to Twilight. "You know… I'm curious now; just what does the blood of an Element Bearer taste like?" I looked on helplessly as she leaned forward, her head dipping down towards the hole in my marefriend's chest.

Suddenly, she stopped and brought her head up, looking Twilight in the eye. "On second though… why taste what has been sullied by your fur when I can take it straight from the source?" Before her words had even fully registered with me, she moved her head forward, aligning her mouth with Twilight's neck, fangs exposed.

Twilight screamed again as the wicked Alicorn bit down, sinking her sharp fangs into my poor marefriend's tender flesh. I listened helplessly as she moaned over her captive's sobs, quiet slurping noises reaching my ears as she drank my marefriend's blood like a vampire.

I growled deep in my chest as I felt my rage consuming me, a growl that gave even the triumphant Nightmare Moon pause. She stopped her vampiric actions and looked to me as I struggled harder than I ever had before, every muscle in my body screaming as I pushed them past their limits, determined to break free and make this horrible mare pay for her crimes. I hardly paid any mind to the fact that my armor was no longer covering me.

An evil smile crossed her face as she trotted over to me, looking me up and down as my flesh bulged from the efforts I was making to escape. "What's the matter? Don't like that I was drawing fluids from your precious marefriend's neck?" I felt her hoof press against my groin through my pants. "Well, I could always make her watch while I draw on some fluids of yours. What do you say? Is that a better arrangement?" Her horn lit again and her magic began its work, the zipper of my pants sliding down and the flap opening.

A moment later, I felt her free my length from the cloth that had shielded it. Her eyes widened for a split-second as she took in the sight. "Oh, my. I may have to do more than I planned with a stallionhood this impressive…"

Twilight looked to me with an apologetic look as our captor's head dipped down, and she looked away from me the best her invisible bindings would allow as I felt the warm wetness of Nightmare Moon's mouth wrap around my head and slide down my shaft. I groaned as my mind rebelled against the pleasure it brought me, and the vile mare moaned around me, her head sliding back up after hilting my semi-hardened member. She began to slowly repeat the motion, bringing more abject pleasure to me.

"Hey! Bats-for-brains!" All of our attentions were drawn to the source of the voice; a familiar green mare, poised to buck the artifact off of its pedestal. "Leave my friend alone!" Before the dark Alicorn could react, Spring Leaf's hooves shot forward, striking the artifact and sending it flying across the room, seemingly in slow motion, to smash against the wall and shatter.

I felt as the magical restraints locking my every muscle in place drop, and all that had been lost was restored to me. Nightmare Moon looked to back to me, and I saw the terror in her eyes in the instant before my mailed fist connected with her jaw, my rage-fueled strength, augmented by the enchantments in the armor sending her careening through the air to smash against the far wall.

I heard the sickening crunch of snapping bone and an agonized shriek as she impacted the hard stone, her body falling limply to the floor, where she lay for a moment before trying to rise, her right wing bent at strange angles in several places. I growled deep in my chest as I marched over to where she lay, the fear returning to her eyes as she looked up and saw my approach.

She tried to scramble away from me, but the twin impacts had left her dazed and injured, making the attempt clumsy and futile. "N-no! Stay away from me!"

"How the mighty have fallen." I reached the formerly triumphant mare and stomped an armored boot down on her neck, grabbing her long horn near the base and wrenching it back. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break it off and use it to gouge out your icy, black heart!" I snarled viciously.

Her eyes widened as her fear grew into terror. "No! Please! I-I would die of you broke my horn!"

I growled and bent it back further, the boot on her neck holding her head in place as I applied more pressure. "That's better than what you deserve, now try again!"

She looked around the room, eyes laden with fear and desperation as they darted about in search of some unknown salvation. Finally, her eyes locked with mine. "I don't have a reason! All I can do is beg you not to kill me." She looked away, turning her gaze to the ground in defeat. "I will submit to any judgment you can pass upon me, but please… don't kill me."

I growled at her words, but my grip lessened on her horn slightly. "If you can't tell me why I shouldn't kill you, then at least tell me why I should grant you the mercy you beg for when my own pleas for Twilight fell on deaf ears."

A glimmer of some unnamed emotion flashed through her eyes. "Because… you are better than me; I was born knowing only hatred and anger, but you know of compassion and kindness. So, show me that compassion now, that I may learn from your example."

I suddenly felt a shift inside of my mind. "Be wary Bearer, I can't tell if she's being sincere or not."

I gave her a mental nod. "I can't either, but I'm going to assume she's not. I'm also curious about this shift in her demeanor." I turned my attention back to Nightmare Moon. "If I spare your life, you're going to face trial at the hooves of Celestia and Luna; you know this, right?"

She shook her head as best she could with her horn in my grip. "Please… do not take me to them… the fate they would bestow on me would be worse than death!" There was a subtle shift in her gaze, but I couldn't name what it was. "I would do anything to avoid their wrath… I… I would even give myself to you… willingly."

My eyes went wide with shock and confusion at that proclamation. "You can't be serious. You'd really rather let me have my way with you than face judgment from those two?" I was truly baffled by her cowed and terrified demeanor.

She nodded slightly. "Yes. It would be a far better fate than being once again banished to the moon, or trapped in stone."

A thought occurred to me in that moment. "If you're so desperate to live and avoid their judgment, why not simply attack me and escape?" I had hoped that if nothing else, this would give me some insight into her strange behavior.

I could see the defiance in her eyes as she regarded me. "Would that I could, human, but I can't. I recognize the armor you wear; your gauntlet blocks my magic, and your strength keeps me pinned to the ground. And even if I did attack you, my wing is shattered, so I can't escape anyway."

It began to click with me. "I see. Then the only reason you're pleading with me is because you know that you're truly helpless right now… and if I wanted, I could end you with a flick of my wrist."

She growled and bucked her head in my grip, stopping quickly when I retightened my grip on her horn. "It is not something I admit lightly, but yes… I am at your mercy."

Keeping my boot on her neck, but shifting so as not to apply any more pressure, I leaned closer to her. "And why, out of all the things you could have done, would you offer yourself to me like that?"

The mare, who had been defiant only moments before, sighed and looked away, defeat once again etched across her face. "Because my own body is all that I have, aside from those who would wish to see me return to power. Besides, I have watched you, and I know what kind of lover you are; it's easy to see that you would not have harmed me if you'd accepted my offer… in fact, I would venture that you would have ensured that I enjoyed the experience as well."

My gaze flitted across her face, searching for any sign of dishonesty or deceit. Finding none, I decided to be candid with her as well. "You're right; but I wouldn't simply force myself on you, it's not in my nature to simply take what I want from someone else, especially if I would harm them in the process." She scowled lightly as my words rung true with what she had done herself since her creation. "That being said, I have a very good reason for not doing something like that… something about me that you probably don't know."

She gave me a puzzled look. "What do you mean? What could be so terrible that it would alter your behavior in such a way?"

I shook my head. "It's personal. Besides, even if I told you, it wouldn't have the same impact as seeing it for yourself."

Just then, I heard Twilight groan behind me. "Blake, you should get over here; I don't know anything about pony anatomy, but I'm guessing that she shouldn't be leaking this red stuff still." Isabel sounded worried.

I looked back to her momentarily, having almost forgotten about my injured marefriend in my own rage at the demoness in my grasp. Falathiel flew from her sheath of her own accord and pressed herself lightly against the cowed Alicorn's neck. "Go, Bearer; I will ensure she stays put." I gave her a mental nod and rose, releasing my captive's horn as I turned. "Listen, and listen well, wench! If you so much as twitch, I will cleave your head from your shoulders before you can even blink!" It had been some time since I'd last heard the sentient blade use the technique of vibrating her own blade to produce her voice audibly.

I heard Nightmare Moon gulp behind me as I quickly made my way to Twilight, kneeling down and assessing the damage. The puncture wound in her chest was slowly seeping blood, but didn't seem to have caused any life-threatening injuries as far as I could see, even with my aurasight. The twin holes in her neck were another story, however; They were leaking blood more rapidly, leaving a small pool beneath her neck and head.

I dismissed my left gauntlet and placed my hand over the holes, sending healing magic into the damaged flesh. "Shh… it'll be ok Twilight. You're going to be just fine."

As the magic flowed, her eyes slowly opened. "I… I know she will Blake…"

The voice coming from the purple mare didn't belong to her, but I almost instantly recognized it. "Aerith… what's happening? Why are you controlling Twilight like this?"

Twilight's head shook weakly. "Not controlling her… protecting her… from what Nightmare Moon was doing to her. I knew something bad was going to happen, so I hypnotized her and borrowed her body to shield her from it. She's still aware of what's happening, but when she takes back over… this will all seem like a bad dream to her."

I smiled warmly and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Aerith; I'd be lying if I said I thought she'd handle something like that well."

Her wounds finished knitting themselves back together thanks to what little magic I had left in me, and when I pulled my hand back to inspect the damage, I suddenly felt very drained, nearly losing my balance and falling to the floor as I suddenly became light-headed.

Suddenly, I felt a pulse of magic behind me, and heard a clanging sound. I looked behind me to see Nightmare Moon rising to her hooves, and I heard Falathiel's mental grunts as she tried to free herself from the wall that Nightmare Moon had imbedded her blade into. "I will not be so easily cowed, cur!" Her horn lit with magic, and my eyes went wide; with as tired as I was from the events of the day, I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop or dodge the attack. "Now die!"

Just as it looked like she was going to loose whatever magic she had stored in her horn, something smacked against her helmet; a small, clear piece of crystal, glittering in the torchlight. "You leave Blake alone!" I knew the ghostly filly's voice immediately.

Nightmare Moon growled and looked in her direction. "You dare?! You are a creature of the night, little spirit! And I control the night, therefore I control-" Her eyes widened as I watched a flash of silver fly above her head; Falathiel. All eyes fell to the black, spiraled spike that fell through the air in front of her face, with time seeming to slow down as it tumbled and spun. "No… NOOO!" She shrieked.

She scrabbled at her own severed horn, attempting to pick it up with her armored hooves, but it was no use; I watched as before my very eyes, the Mare in the Moon began to wither, seeming to age at an advanced rate. Her movements became stilted and clumsy, and her gaze turned to me with a pleading, horrified expression as her flesh began to dry up and dissolve, falling from the bone as dust. She reached out a hoof to me, silently pleading for me to help her, but I knew there was nothing I could do to stop her grisly demise. A moment later, her armor and dried up skeleton, all that was left of the once formidable mare, toppled to the floor and turned to dust, the armor pieces clanging off of the stone floor.

My eyes were fixed on the remains in disbelief; all that remained of the once proud and dangerous Nightmare Moon was a scattered pile of dust, and the faintly glinting, bluish pieces of her armor. "I'm sorry, Bearer, I had to act quickly to stop her from harming you."

I nodded gratefully to her. "It's alright, Fal; you did what you had to do, and you saved our lives." I looked back to the powdery remains of the Mare in the Moon. "I just wish she hadn't forced you to do that; I really was willing to try to help her…"

I gently reached down and picked up her helmet, which seemed to have been unaffected by her demise, as had the rest of her armor. I was about to stand up with it in hand, when I noticed something else; there, poking out of the pile of dust that had been her skull, was a glint of deep blue.

Reaching down again, I gently brushed away some of the fine powder, and revealed what I had already guessed to be there; her severed horn. Gingerly, I picked up the tapered piece of enchanted bone, and cleaned the dust from it. Turning it over, I inspected the base of it, which had been so cleanly severed, that it almost appeared to have been done by some sort of professional taking their time rather than an act of desperation by an ancient, sentient blade.

I heard soft hoof falls next to me as I examined the last remaining piece of Nightmare Moon. "Does this mean…?"

I turned to the goo pony and nodded. "Yes, Isabel; Nightmare Moon is no more. Your people no longer have to work for the cult worshiping her, because they'll never be able to bring her back now."

The translucent, pink pony sighed. "Thank goodness. I just hope they'll listen to me; many of my kind were all too eager to buy into their promises, and they may not be so easy to convince."

There was a groan behind us, and we turned in unison to see Twilight sitting up, rubbing her head with a hoof. "Wha… what happened?" She asked weakly, this time in her own voice.

I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. "A lot happened, Twilight. For now though, I'm just glad to see that you're alright."

She wrapped her hooves around my neck and hugged me back. "I'm glad you're ok too, Blake." We pulled back from the hug after a moment, and my eyes shifted to her neck and chest, glad that my healing magic hadn't left any scarring that would remind her of what had just happened here. The purple mare didn't seem to notice the shift in my gaze, as her own was fixed on the remains of Nightmare Moon. "Is she really…?"

With a heavy sigh, I gave her a nod. "She is. Apparently, her horn was the source of whatever was keeping her bound to this plane, and when Falathiel severed it, well… at least she didn't have to suffer for long."

Twilight nodded slowly. "I… I understand." She looked around the room more. "But, where's that crystal orb that was here?"

I pointed to the shattered remains of the orb, and she followed my pointing finger for a moment before hopping down and trotting over to what was left of the artifact that had somehow given new form to the Mare in the Moon.

"With… with Nightmare Moon gone, how will we ever find out what that orb was supposed to do?" I turned at the sound of Isabel's voice to see her examining the dust pile that had once been Nightmare Moon.

Before I could think of anything to say to her, Twilight spoke up. "I think I may be able to help with that still." I turned back to her, and found her levitating a chunk of the crystal about the size of a baseball in her magic. "There should still be some residual magic imbedded in the material, and if we can get this home quickly enough, I should be able to get a reading on that magic."

I looked to the jagged chunk of crystal for a moment. "How much time?"

She shook her head. "Not much. I'll need to use the teleportation spell to make sure I get back in time."

With a glance back to the remains of Nightmare Moon, I nodded to her. "Go on ahead, there are still a few things I need to do before I come home."

My studious marefriend gave me a concerned look. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

A feminine chuckle resonated throughout the room as Spring Leaf manifested off to our left. "Of course he'll be ok! He's gonna be under my watch after all." She smirked confidently at Twilight. "So don't you worry that brainy head of yours, he'll be coming back home in one piece soon enough." I decided not to correct her on her misinterpretation of 'ok'.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the remark, but didn't comment on it. "Thank you for helping him." With that, her horn lit, and she disappeared in a flash of light.

I turned back to Isabel when she was gone. "What will you do now?"

She sighed, and pawed at the ground. "I need to speak to my people and tell them about what happened here. But, I'm not sure I can do it alone; I may need your help."

I nodded. "I understand. I've still got one matter to take care of deeper in the Everfree, so if you'd like, feel free to wait for me back at my house while I take care of that, and then we can go from there." She nodded, and we left the ruined castle together, along with Spring Leaf and Ruby.

We parted ways when we reached the entrance, with the gelatinous mare turning towards Ponyville while I turned to head deeper into the forest. There was no turning back now, the next stop was Sunny Town.