Shade of the Twilight

Chapters

1. The Warlords fears
2. The Gathering
3. The Citadel

1. The Warlords fears

"My Lord, trouble at the border, large amount of timber wolves, changelings and draconics, need help."

~General Lightning Hammer

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rainbow Dash asked herself, "the war is over, the last time a Timberwolf was seen in Ponyville was 18 years ago."

She looked out of one of the great windows in her room, down to the brave soldiers wich were training for their first operation in an non-friendly area. She remembered the time when she belonged to this bunch of ponies, a long time ago.

*knock* *knock*

"Come in" Rainbow Dash answered.

"Rainbow Dash, we are in serious trouble" Fluttershy, Rainbow Dashs leader of secret operations forgot about all the formalities, "We are detecting strong attacks against our southern border and we don't have enough soldiers in the northern fortress to send some there."

"Fluttershy, calm down. The last thing we need is an excited spy." Rainbow Dash said to the nervous assassin.

"My profession is not beeing a spy, you know that, but you also know that i'm right, So, what is taking you so long sending out more troops?" Fluttershy asked.

"That's simple, these troops you can see down there in the courtyard won't stand at the frontline. They will go on a special mission to find the responsible one behind these attacks and i'm going with them." Rainbow declared.

Fluttershy was shocked, did Rainbow Dash forget about the dangers? The risk that she might not come back?

"You can't be serious Rainbow Dash, you just can't"

"I am, more than ever before, if i don't go, these soldiers won't be successful. Please leave now Fluttershy, i need to think."

"Well, if you wish so i won't be able to stop you. See you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash felt bad, she rejected her first and best friend of her childhood.

I need to sleep, maybe i can handle things better when i rested enough.

2. The Gathering

It was a beautiful day in the land of Equestria. The birds were singing, the people were living and the soldiers were guarding Ponyville and the surrounding area. Rainbow Dash was very confident that she would find a way to apology to Fluttershy for the talk last day.

"Rainbow Dash" Fluttershy said.

"Whoa, Fluttershy. Why do you keep sneaking into my room? There are these things called "doors". Why don't you knock at them?" Rainbow Dash asked with resignation.

"Yes, but it takes you so long to get ready and i need to talk to you. You know that i said you can't go alone?

"Yes i do"

"Great, because you won't go alone."

"What are you talking about?"

"I sent letters to our old friends, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. We will follow you on your mission to ensure that you will survive it."

"Wait, we? You are coming, too?"

"Yes, of course. I finished all the work i had to do here so nothing will be unfinished and i'm sure that you will need my abilities on your mission." Fluttershy explained.

"Well, since i'm not able to stop you i'll have to be fine with that. Just let me get my armor and my sword and then, we let's go."

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash while she was putting on her armor. She was by far one of the strongest ponies Fluttershy ever met in her life. Rainbow Dash was so strong that she was able to lift her sword Titandash with only one hand, taking into account that the sword was almost twice as long as Rainbow Dash herself and nearly as wide as her head. The sword and the armor were made up of dark steel and were decorated with the outlines of Rainbow Dashs Cutiemark.

"Okay, Fluttershy. i'm ready. I see, you already brought your own sword too...shouldn't it be locked in my own vault?"

"Well, it was. But to speed up things i took it by myself, if you are ok with that?"

"Of course i am." Rainbow Dash couldn't stop laughing. "I wish i could see the faces of the guards when they recognize that the sword is missing."

"Hey look, Applejack. HEY Applejack, over here!" Fluttershy shouted.

"Howdy guys, ahm ready but what in tarnation is this adventure about?" Applejack asked her friends.

"We want to find the responsible one behind the attacks" Rainbow Dash answered.

"And i thought that your axe would be a great help" Fluttershy explained.

Applejack looked to the axe she was holding in her hooves and stroked the shining blade with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yes," Applejack whispered "My baby WILL be a great help."

"Applejack, what's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

But Applejack was absent, her face just a cruel mask of happiness and pain.

"Hey, Applejack i'm talking to you! And where is Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash shouted at AJ.

"Oh, what? Snap, not again. Oh and Pinkie will meet us at the northern defense line."

"Do you still have problems with your aggression?" Rainbow Dash asked caring?

"Nah, not mah aggression, the pictures... ya know what i'm talkin about, ya'll were there too." AJ replied.

"Yes" Rainbow Dash said "I remember...you have to forget about these days, they are gone."

"But what if ahm doin this..."

Suddenly the walls were crushing down and a group of Timberwolves and Changelings came into the corridor.

"HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET IN?" Rainbow Dash shouted over the noise of soldiers fighting with Timberwolves and changeling warrios.

"I don't know," AJ replied "but they won't stay FOR LONG!"

And with these words, AJ began to chop down the Timberwolves one by one. Her giant axe "Applebucker" slipped through her enemys like they were made of butter. At the same time, Fluttershy was flashing between the changelings, slicing them into pieces with her curved sword "Butterfly". And now, also Rainbow Dash began to strike their foes down systematically. Her mighty sword was like a tornado of deadly steel while she was dancing the dance of death between her enemys.

"AJ, TAKE CARE, BEHIND YOU" Rainbow Dash shouted.

But Applejack had already noticed the closer comming Timberwolf. The Timberwolf was big, even for these creatures. Applejack took her axe with both hooves and crushed the enormous creature with one mighty strike. She even destroyed the floor around her enemy with this attack.

And just after this short fight, Rainbow Dash had to face the leader of the Changelings camouflaged as a huge, black stallion in a dark steelarmor with a vicious looking sword and dark green eyes. The leader raised his left hand and a mysterious, green glow spread from it and filled the entire corridor, so bright that Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack

lost their consciousness.

3. The Citadel

* * * * *

Rainbow woke up and found herself in a dull, round room. Only a window on the other side of the room provided a slight ray of light, just enough to orientate. Actually she was surprised not to be locked in the dungeons but in a tower, like a higher-class-prisoner. Right at this moment, the door opened and the huge Changeling, who led the attack on the castle, entered the room. Surprisingly he wasn't guarded by his soldiers but completely on his own.

"Well," Rainbow thought "i wouldn't get out of here anyway."

"You're awake, that's good. Well, at least for yourself." The Changeling had a very deep and calm voice, completely different from all the other Changelings Rainbow had to fight in the past.

"How are you?" He asked politely, like they were on an official meeting.

"I'm fine, thanks. But, at the moment, the health of my companions means much more to me." Rainbow said with care in her voice.

"Oh, they are fine, don't worry. If you cooperate with me, you'll be able to see them faster than you may believe. So, my question is: What are your plans, if you get free?"

"My plans? Defending my home, of course."

"That's an honorable aim and if you let me explain my intentions with your kingdom you'll be able to provide the best defense for it that you could imagine."

"And your intentions are...?"

"Freedom, under the condition that both sides will stop attacking each other."

Rainbow was paralyzed. Did this Changeling just suggest freedom? FREEDOM? Though he was a Changeling, Rainbow felt that his offer was serious. But how would her choice look like and more important, what would her friends, no, even the whole kingdom think of her decision?

"Where is the hitch?" Rainbow asked.

"The hitch is that you have to decide fast because i'm doing this without the knowledge of my queen."

That was another surprise but for some reason Rainbow trusted his voice. And than she smelled a very familiar smell. The smell of a flower that made ponies vulnerable against mental treachery.

"I didn't know that the "Perfidae" also grows in these lands." Rainbow asked with a menacing undertone in her voice.

"Oh, you discovered the smell, well than let's talk clearly. You will explain your kingdom that it'll be ruled ba the Changelings from now on but it will stay an independent part of the Changeling-Empire."

"Independent, but under the rule of the Changelings? Are you kidding me? You should be happy that I'm not tearing you into pieces at the moment."

"Well, if you think this way...GET HER!"

From one moment to the other, the room filled with hidden guards which quickly took Rainbow as prisoner and brought her down into the dungeons, through long corridors and downward lots of stairscases.

"Where are you bringing me?" Rainbow asked.

"To the arena." was the harsh answer.

"Of course it has to be an arena..."

"But at first we are bringing you to the "Doctor". He will prepare you for the fights."

"The...Doctor?"

"Yes, maybe, he has a real name but he won't let us know."

"When will i meet my friends?" Rainbow asked.

the guard smiled when he said "Soon enough, trust me."

Finally, they arrived at a dark and rusty iron door covered with viscious, rusty spikes. Suddenly the door opened and Rainbow saw a strange looking stallion in a pink suit who was leaning on a walking stick.

"Welcome, Miss Rrainbow, it's such a delight to finally meet you. Now, come in, come in, take a seat. If you keep calm, it won't hurrt that much, presumable..." said the doctor with a strange, creepy voice, accentuating and rolling the R in every word.

The guards were forcing Rainbow to a chair in the middle of the room. They were holding her while the doctor took a long, metallic hook from a table at the other side of the room. He came back to Rainbow and then, with an unbelieveable fast move, he stabbed the hook into Rainbows left eye, pulled it out and then replaced it with a mechanical, red glowing eye. During this whole act, Rainbow fell unconscious and the last thing she remembered was the terrifying pain from the metallic hook.

Rainbow woke up and the first