The Failed Siege of The Crystal Empire: Getting Desperate
Crystal Empire Territory, well over 1000 years ago
Final days of the Imperial-Canine War
The sun was setting. Appropriate, Commander Vice thought. It made it easier to see though his binoculars, that was another thing. He looked through them to see the results of his latest volley.
Several black streaks leapt up into the air from his mobile cannon emplacements. They flew in an arcing pattern and trajectory to their target, the Crystal City, last city in the Crystal Empire. He watched closely for the impact. Instead of exploding in the city, turning buildings into craters and blasting those infernal Crystal Ponies off the face of Equestria, the shells bounced harmlessly off the pink, shimmering barrier overhead protecting the city. Commander Vice cursed under his breath, loud enough for his officers nearby to hear him.
"Sir!" his lieutenant spoke up. "Scouts report our artillery-"
"Failed, yes thank you, I can see that fine myself," he interrupted the young dog. He was surrounded by incompetence, he didn't need the binoculars to see that. The Crystal Ponies and their shield could repel any attack but it couldn't last forever. That was the definition of 'siege'; it was a waiting game. Normally, he wouldn't have to worry about getting through the shield; he would just surround the city and starve the inhabitants. Cut them off from outside contact and supplies, harass them and wait it out. Unfortunately, this was not a normal siege.
Commander Vice was on a time limit. He'd dealt with magical barriers and shield before but nothing like this. He'd tried everything; bombardment at close and long-range, battering rams, and even tunneling underneath it. Nothing was working, casualties were mounting and he was getting desperate. Not to mention the fact he was only the third commander of this siege that hadn't made it past that enormous, pink dome. He very much didn't want to end up like the last two.
The Crystal Commander's staff began to vibrate. He looked down at the small rod with the green jewel affixed to the top clipped to his belt. Dogs couldn't harness magic the way ponies could and so the Organization of Independent Canines(OIC) had developed technology to bolster their forces with magic. Magic-resistant armor, staffs designed to store magic and cast spells and other manners of things were part of the Canine's arsenal. For Commander Vice, his staff also worked as a communicating device that linked to his superior.
"Lieutenant!" Vice barked. The young dog shuffled over to him. He was greener than the grass they were standing on.
"Here," Vice said, handing the officer his binoculars. "Message from command, take this and oversee the next barrage."
The soldier gave an awkward salute while grabbing the binoculars as the commander walked away. He stormed through the ranks of dogs nearby, all of them in patchwork crystal armor. It was no secret the Organization was running low on materials, part of the reason they needed this siege to pay off. They needed the Crystal Heart, source of the Crystal Empire's power and crystals if they were to make more. If they were unable to secure it, it's likely the Organization would be unable to sustain its need for crystals.
Vice trudged into his personal tent. He closed the flap, sealing the room so less light shined in. Walking forward into the center, he stabbed his staff into the ground and took a step back. A single light from the side of the tent leaked in, shining on the spot where he had stuck the staff.
The headpiece of the staff rose a further foot off the ground as the green gem in it reacted and began to glow. Commander Vice took the appropriate kneeling position; it was proper to submit one's self before their superior. He focused his eyes on a space on the ground in front of the spear.
A green image appeared in front of him, shining from the gem. The image blurred from a moment and then came into focus. A robed figure turned around and pulled back the hood, revealing a bronze-tan face with a scar underneath the left eye. Slicked-back hair stood atop his head. Though it was a bit odd for a general to have their hair styled in such a way, it was one of the prime characteristics of donkeys, General Carver included.
"Get off the ground, Vice," the figure said in a liquid-y voice. "Report, now."
Vice rose to his feet. He'd seen his commanding officer before, the 'invincible' General Angle A. Cross. It wasn't known exactly why a donkey had chosen to ally with the canines, only that he was a brilliant tactician.
When war for resources broke out between the Crystal Canines and the Crystal Ponies, General Cross had committed his own personal battalion to the OIC. Comprised mostly of donkeys riding domesticated hydras, he had gained fame for defending the Republic of Donkeys against repeated attacks from both foreign entities and ferocious beasts. In the period of time after Discord, known as Post-Disharmony, Cross was well-known for his assault of a mountain stronghold where a group of manticores had held the Humorous Forge. Now, he had spent the last months fighting against the Crystal Ponies and had seen much success. He was everything the OIC needed.
"Give me the report, Vice. Is that shield down or not?"
"No, sir," Vice answered, fighting the urge to salute. "It's stronger than anything we've come up against before. Stronger than the Emerald Village shield."
The donkey put a hoof to his chin. "The shield, what color is it?"
That was an odd question. "Pink, sir. It's a light magenta if my-"
"And how much of the kingdom is it covering?"
Vice answered without hesitation. "All of it, sir."
"The whole kingdom?"
"Yes, sir."
General Cross looked to be thinking. His expression then turned into a silly grin. "Hahahaha..." he chuckled. This action confused Vice more than anything else. "They're using love, Commander."
Love? What the hell did that mean? "Love, sir?"
"Love, commander. Magic is powered by feelings, strong emotions. Defensive barriers and shields are attuned to different emotions and it creates a different color shield. It's no wonder you haven't had any success; love is the strongest magic in existence," Cross explained.
Vice's hopes sank. "So, what do we do, sir? If they're using their strongest magic, it means we cannot defeat them."
"No, commander," Cross said, smiling. "It means they're getting desperate."
