//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Duty and shame 
// by Forestinsider 
//------------------------------//

Charles Forsmith after many years was about to conduct a mission or what he had been told the most important he had even taken.  He found himself inside the heart of a entire empire and tasked with capturing its king and holding him for ransom.  It was easy enough for Forsmith as he easily infiltrated the palace and disguised himself as a nameless slave.  He got a plate of food and walked around the hallways lit up by purple flames.  The guards stared daggers at him which Forsmith was convinced that is they could kill he would be dead a thousand times already.  One came up to him and attempted to trip him over but he managed to dodge the attempt and make eye contact with the guard.  Without missing the beat the guard shouted “The demonstration is that way.  So make yourself useful and go there before I have you killed.”  Forsmith was about to respond with a sarcastic comment but decided that silent was his only ally here.  So he did what he was told and walked through the hallways, following the guards direction and found himself in front of gigantic wooden doors.

The guards there gave the same killings stares and then looked at each other.  The one on Forsmith’s left sighed and whispered “I did it last time”. The other one responded “I know but I had a hard day last night.”

“That’s what you said last time.”

“Are you going to open the door for the useless slave or not?”

“Fine…but you owe me.”

The guard on the left begrudgingly opened the doors to reveal a crowd of well dressed ponies making small talk laughing.  All the while depressed and chained up ponies served the guests drinks and food and slowly walked to get more supplies.  Forsmith took a deep breath and got ready for the second stage of his plan.  He raised his plate and served the other guests and looked around for the king.  He regretted of course that he push the mastermind of the plan Loma Glass what the king looked like.  “Trust me.  You will know him when you see him.”  She said with confidence which was easy to say since there was no risk when making plans.  Executing them however in the middle of a palace full of guards and a bunch of entitled royals was surprisingly much more difficult.  For moments on end he served drinks and food getting irritated as time passed as he target did not present himself until everyone went silent to the sound of a spoon tapping on glass.  All including the slaves turned and faced the tall and grey stallion in his famous red cape as he magically placed the glass down.  In a authoritative voice the well dressed stallion began to address his audience.

“Good evening my loyal subjects.  I am glad all members of the dark council from all over the land was able to come and see our new developments.  Developments which will ensure our victory over our Equestrian enemies down south and ensure our reign for eternity.”

The room was silent and even Forsmith was intrigued by the announcement.
“Our enemies for quite some time have had air superiority with the griffon kingdom on their side and the knights of order giving them the advantage.  It was believed that this will be that was for the rest of the war but I say to you this is a temporary setback.  A setback that will turn into a opportunity once we unleash our new assets onto the world.  My great Air Force has arrived to beat our enemies in the skies.  Behold the umbra legions shall rule the skies.”
The announcer dramatically stood up and raised his hooves up.  Outside the windows were fireworks and then a dozen or so Pegasus in thick armor flew in ceremonial fashion.  Forsmith nearly laughed at the sight.  He chuckled at how slow this Air Force was compared to what he had seen.  What he had flown a long time ago.
From the HMS Invincible Forsmith jumped into his aircraft ready to respond to the threat laid not only to the carrier but to his home nation The British empire.  He got into the cockpit and took a small glance at the other jet where his friend William foster was already ready to go. Forsmith was nearby about to jump out of his jet as this was his first mission.  He had been gruesomely training in Sheffield and now he got his wings.  A soldier on the left of Foster’s and Forsmith’s plane signaled for them to take off.  Both accelerated over the aircraft and soon found themselves flying over the southern Atlantic.  Despite being in the model before Forsmith could not believe that he was flying such a vehicle and how fast he was going.  He screamed “yeah!” Until he learned that everyone was listening.”  Within a few minutes of silence The team encountered another jet from the enemy.  The once who believed that they could pick a fight for Forsmith and foster of all people.  As both saw the Argentinian jet came flying over the ocean Forsmith took the initiative.  Surely the others wouldn’t mind he thought?  He trained for years and this simple enemy jet was no match for the British Royal Air Force.
Remembering how fast his jet could go made Forsmith smiled in a gleam of joy.  Nearly laughing how this dark Air Force wouldn’t even beat his jet on their best day on his worst day.  None of the other party goers and even King Sombra smiled with pride.  There was talk amount the crowd of how Equestria and their light and idealism would be the death of them.  The hard times were over for the dark empires he heard and worse was that the war would come to a close.  Each comment became more absurd than the last.  Once Sombra’s speech was over he got off and went to talk with some of the guests but not before bowing to the heavy cheering and clapping the crowd created.  Smiling more than he did before Forsmith found his opportunity and he was not going to waste it.
He refilled his glasses and cleaned up his bottle and walked up to the tryrant which had caused so much trouble for the people who helped him.  The plan was to to use a magic stopper on King Sombra and take him for hostage and in estrange let all of the slaves go.  Loma glass the poodle dog which had helped Forsmith came up with the plan and it seemed good at first.  But as he made his sets he began to realize how terrible it was.  Even if it worked he thought the guards would stop him and just to let him go after what he has done and will do; that just couldn’t happen. Forsmith knew what Sombra was planning and it could not continue.  Sombra had to be punished.  Sombra had to die.
Instead of pulling out the magic blocker, he pulled out from his pocket a small pocket knife and flipped it open.  He quietly put down the tray and the drinks and began to swirl towards the tyrant.  Just as a guard shouted for him to pick up the tray Forsmith ran towards Sombra and grabbed his neck.  With all his might he forced Sombra to face him and with the knife on his right hand He stabbed Sombra right below his chin.  The taste and smell of blood nearly intoxicated him upon how he had killed a tyrant with his bare hands but his small celebration was interrupted with laughter.  Looking at Sombra He saw that his knife which was once stuck inside Sombra’s chin was pulled out covered in blood.  The laughter grew louder and louder as the wound heal and distracted Forsmith enough to not realize that his only weapon had been impaled on his body.  Desperate he went to choke Sombra with all of his strength but the laughter did not stop.  Instead of fear in the Tyrant’s eyes there was pure hilarity and joy.  Suddenly Forsmith found himself in his jet overwhelmed with the sound of the mad laughter.  
The Argentinian threat had managed to slip through Foster and Forsmith and bombed the HMS invincible.  He saw in a flash the explosion from the ship and all the dead which his recklessness caused.  And then another flash in his mind, the same laughter over a gigantic clouds erupting from a decimation of entire cities.  A mushroom cloud followed by wind more powerful than any Forsmith had seen before.  He had felt the pain of guilt, being burned and blown away by the wind and then the stabbing of his chest.  Unable to take it all he screamed for the laughter to stop but it did not.  While it got louder to plague his mind he began to hear his friends and family shout out his name in anger in rage of what he had done.