The collapse of the Equestrian principality did not come swiftly. First there was mistrust, then scheming, and then a slew of disasters eroded the bonds of friendship and family, that had for so long held Equestria together. Conflict and strife now rule these lands, and its people know no peace. The old throne still has rulers sat upon it, but those rulers are just ghosts, awaiting deliverance from above; something that many do not believe will ever happen. There are many who cling tightly to the old world, refusing to submit, refusing to believe that their golden era has ended.
Although blamed for the cause of much of this calamity, the noble house of the Moon and the Star fiercely defend their claim to the throne, by right of lineage. So now, as violent conflict erupts across the lands, and as the world is beset upon by nightmarish beasts, the stalwart defenders of the throne relentlessly hold their ground, determined not to give an inch to the many foes of the crown.
The rustling of leaves melded pleasantly with the soft metallic clinks of armoured bodies moving through the forest. Sunstone the Pious had been leading his troop of legionnaires through Whitetail Forest for the better part of a week, with still no signs of the bandit forces that they'd been pursuing. His soldiers were weak and weary from the marching, and it showed on their expressions and in their gait.
The forest opened into a clearing, that the silver rays of midday light came pouring through. The light tune of the songbirds danced through the breeze, greeting the soldiers as they made their way across the clearing. A tiny flock of birds swooped down and landed not too far away from Sunstone. Fondly regarding his avian heralds, Sunstone levitated out some crumbling old rations and tossed them into the air, scattering them before the birds. The march slowed to an amble as the troops wondered at the quaint spectacle of nature. Content with their food the birds began to take flight, flapping their wings as quick as they could.
The soldiers came to a complete standstill. Sunstone gravely stared straight ahead, with his flail held high in the air by telekinesis. They could hear different birds now; crows. Slowly turning about Sunstone surveyed the forest at the edge of the clearing. He looked deep into the lush undergrowth, the tall and pale green grass, natty brambles and solid tree trunks. Just as he was about to lower his flail, he whipped his head back to a large figure cutting a swathe through the forest. More and more appeared around the forests edge, completely surrounding the group. As they came into the clearing the soldiers and Sunstone could make out the heavy set armour, completely covering their entire bodies, and those three wicked looking barbs that were set into the helm of each earth pony.
“Sons of Celestia!” Sunstone shouted, raising his flail and bringing up his shield. “To me, brothers! For the House of the Moon and Star!”
The air was electric and a burning power surged through his body as the juggernauts before them charged into their group! The grass and dirt of the clearing were churned up by the ferocious charge of the juggernauts and each let out a booming cry of battle. The shock and awe were too much for some of the legionnaires. Their arcane bolts went flying wide, mostly exploding into the forest behind the juggernauts. The bolts that did hit, tore up their armour in flashy blasts of purple light, but left no lasting damage, and did nothing to slow their assault.
Sunstone dared to meet the charge and kicked up the ground behind him, launching himself into the first of the juggernauts. Snapping the flail back and forth, Sunstone caved the head of the first juggernaut with a heavy blow that fractured the helmet in two. The body, propelled by momentum, went careening into Sunstone's shield, where it was knocked aside, and into the ground. Sunstone was sent reeling by the force of the body smashing into him, so much so that he barely had time to react to the second juggernaut ploughing into his side. Wildly swinging his flail at the juggernaut he was able to smash his right foreleg, shattering the bone in two with a heavy crunch. Trio of metal horns drove into Sunstone's side and forced him to the ground, howling in pain. With great strain he shoved the shield up under the juggernaut and forcibly dislodged the metal helmet from his own flesh. As the horns came loose, with a bloody trail following them out, Sunstone bashed his shield into the juggernaut's head thrice, and followed it up with a blow to the throat. The juggernaut fall to the ground, where it writhed, wheezing heavily.
All around him the maelstrom of battle continued. One legionnaire threw up a shield that caught one of the juggernauts right in its path, causing it to roughly smash into it and fall to the ground. Another materialised behind the felled juggernaut and drove his spear right into its gut, twisting it around. Sunstone felt the burning power fade from his body, replaced by weakness and a faint head. The blood was steadily flowing out of his side, from the three puncture wounds. He heard a scream to his immediate right and watched as a legionnaire was sent sprawling to the ground, his torso all twisted up by the blow of the impact. Rallying his troops, Sunstone began to cry out to them.
“Hold your ground, brothers! Stand with me-” Sunstone felt his jerk forward from the force of the blow. He willed his weapons into motion, but they did not move. His flail and shield fell pathetically to the ground, where they refused to budge. A strong dizzy sensation washed over him and he started to fall to his side. His spinning world did not stop when he hit the ground, it kept on rolling and rolling around. Where there should be pain, Sunstone could feel a numbness in his head, coupled with the warm sensation of a liquid running down his head and into his mane.
From this position on the ground he could see the casualties mount. One legionnaire sent to the ground attempted to crawl and drag himself back up again, only for a hoof to be brought down on his head, mashing it into the ground and snapping his lower jaw wide open. Another fell, launching off an arcane missile into the air as a desperate last attempt, or final sign of defiance before the metal armoured hulk gored him with his tusks. Sunstone could hear the songbirds again, over the screams of the dying and the wounded.
Sunstone felt something heavy press down on his bleeding side, and a strong tug that relieved him of his cracked helmet. Looking straight up he could see one of the juggernauts towering over him, its cold, merciless eyes stared down at him from behind the helmet. Sunstone thought, for the briefest of moments that he recognised those eyes, as somebody he knew long before this war ever happened. The flicker of a shadow passed over the juggernaut. He barely had time to react as the pegasus dived straight into him, running him through with her spear and twisting it out of him, all in one motion. She landed a few feet behind him, before his body had even hit the ground.
Completely abandoning Sunstone, the two juggernauts raced up to the pegasus mare who deftly rose up into the air and struck out twice against them. The first blow was bashed aside by the mighty hoof of the juggernaut, and Sunstone feared the raw power of the blow might break the spear. His fears were put aside as the pegasus pressed the attack, pushing herself right up into the juggernaut's face and driving the spear up and through his throat. His companion roared with indignation and lashed out, striking the pegasus' shield, splitting it in two. The shield, having served its purpose was flung aside as the pegasus threw herself at her next opponent, wildly flying up and over the juggernaut, driving the spear into his back with an acrobatic flourish and practised precision. The juggernaut fell to the ground and she swiftly made her away over to Sunstone, abandoning her spear, left impaled in the juggernauts back.
She lifted the confused Sunstone up and tried her hardest to move him to safety, beating her wings as hard as she could she slowly began to drag him back. With the legionnaires long since dead, the surviving juggernauts began to encroach upon the desperate pair. Sunstone began to whisper his prayers and weakly dragged his flail along with him with his diminished arcane power.
With a startled shout, the pegasus flung Sunstone away, moments before a behemoth of metal and muscle ploughed into her, shattering her light body, splitting bones through flesh and crushing her under the incredibly weight of his body. Wearily Sunstone brought himself back on all four hooves. The behemoth that stood before him was stocky and well built, with a hunched stance. The tusks mounted onto its rather flat looking helmet, that had a metallic grille over its maw, were as large as a pony.
Sunstone closed his eyes and began to chant aloud. A shaft of soft light broke through the trees and rained down on him. The armoured buffalo scuffed the ground and lowered itself for a charge. The light erupted into a pillar of bright fire around Sunstone, engulfing him and spreading to his eyes, igniting them into bright white orbs of flame. The buffalo roared and charged towards Sunstone, its deadly metal horns bearing down on him. Levitating up his white-hot flail and swinging it about he charged at the buffalo.
Equestria has been wounded grievously. Its blood marks us all.
Author's Note
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_jI8lmQivA
This is still my favorite intro to a video game yet.
