Chapters The sounds of the forest disappeared as the pony drifted off to sleep, catching one last glimpse of the filly that lay next to it, in its mind all was dark until noise began to be audible.
The thick metal door opened with a groan, as the four stallions it took to open it let it go, it swung the rest of the way and eased into a creaking halt, the largest of the stallions being the leader walked ahead, the other two equal in size took hold of their bound prisoner, and the smallest, a pegasus, picked up a chain wich led to a collar that bound together the rest of the chains and the straight jacket that held the prisoner, and then took off and flew while draging the chain ahead of his companions.
The four stallions led their prisoner to the center of the room and began taking off the chains and straight jacket that binded it, they worked at their task as the pegasus began bringing over to them things that looked like plugs all with some rather thick needles protruded from their tips, the two stallions began binding the prisoner with a new straight jacket, one that seemed to fit it tighter, made of a black material instead of the convetional white cloth ones, this had on it a series of metal rims that seemed to be parallel some on the forelegs, some on the chest, and some on the back. mainly along the spine the other two being on the shoulder blades, the only one rim out of place was one above the heart.
The two stallions kept at their tedious task, while without them realizing, their prisoner began to regain consciousness, "Hurry damn it!" shouted the earth stallion to the right, "I don't want to be near this thing when it wakes up!" he finished.
"Oh, because I do!?" spat the earth stallion on the left with sarcasm so thick an answer wasn't even needed, "just hurry up and finish fastening this damn thing!"
A chuckle was heard from above them, "that's some damn good luck for me to be able to fly, now aren't you jealous?"
"Juat hurry up you idiots," shouted the leader, "because if that damned to Tartarus thing wakes up, we're all dead, it'll rip both of your troats out and no matter how high you fly, it'll jump with its forelegs still bound and rip you in half, then it'd come after me, without even giving me a chance to use magic," said the large unicorn as he removed his cap with his magic, "hurry up and plug the beast in."
As the stallion finished his sentence, the prisoner groaned, all four stallions hearts skipped a beat as their faces turned to the prisoner, the two earth stallions hurried up and finished fastening the prisoner, the pegasus flew off to get some large chain with clamps, as the pagasus made it to the prisoner, the unicorn then lifted it to wards the clamps placing the smallest on its neck, the largest on its waist and the other two on its hind hooves.
They all felt with barely enough ease to take a breath, the pegasus then began placing all the plugs with the large knife-like needles where they belonged, the only one missing was the one above the heart, the unicorn now came close to the prisoner levitating that last plug beside himself within his grey magic.
"It would seem thou are awake now lord," said the stallion with thick sarcasm that when he did his little faux bow and swooshed the plug he could have cut it, "please have mercy if it was us, thou humble servants whom have disturbed thou slumber," said the stallion as he raised his head showing a crooked smile so smug he didn't seem to be able to fake his intentions like he did with his voice, "we just wanted to accommodate our lord to his new abode," finished the stallion as he swung his hoof in an arch as he "presented the chamber to the prisoner and when he finished the arch he flung the last plug onto the rim where it belonged on and as soon as the plug clicked on all the cables began to glow a light blue and lights all over the chamber lit up, the walls being shown to be white like the ceiling and the floor being grey concrete.
Pain began to spread from the heart of the prisoner while it groaned not being able to speak just yet due to the numbness on its body.
Slowly the large pony began to wake up in the shielding the Phoenix Bath, the dark flames began to disappear allowing it to see what woke it, the young filly was shaking, the large pony nudged at her and noticed she was sobbing while holding onto her chest.
"DAMMIT HEART!" shouted the large pony as it got up and quickly picked up the young filly and flew up into the night sky, when the pony thought the height was enough it held the filly outwards pointing her at the moon and letting the cold night air surround her, "the pain isn't there Heart, you were just seeing a dream like your mom can!" said the large pony, relaxing now that it felt the filly had stopped sobbing, "that's right Heart, it was only a dream, only that it was a bad dream, MY dream," finished the pony pulling the filly into a hug while allowing her to keep looking at the moon.
"Calm down already?" asked the pony, not really needing an answer since it could fell her tiny frame breathing with lots more ease.
"Yeah, thanks Dad, sorry I meant Mom, or, I, well, I ..." sputtered the filly while realizing the mistake she was often scolded for.
"You know what its fine, call me 'Dad', it'll be better to avoid this confusion, and it'll be better than you not knowing what gender I am," said the pony as 'he?' got no response, "plus you've already got a mom."
"But," said the filly her gaze still fixated on the moon, "I call her Mama for a reason, you said she's nice and beautiful and kind ," the pony only nodded in responce, "but even though you're strong and brave and angry, sometimes you're nice and beautiful and kind too, that's why I also call you 'Mom' and not 'Mama' like her, you're like a mom and dad combined," finished the filly nonchalantly as the pony began to fly down.
"Alright you can call me both but since you've got a mom try to call me 'Dad' more, but you're free to call me either when we're alone, though when we're with other ponies you have to call me what I tell you," he finished as he set her down, she nodded, "we have to keep our stories straight, and its enough that you can't change without help yet."
"Anyway, we might as well get and early start now that we're up, also we need to go get our things since that 'thing' attacked us way back there, we're still someway from Ponyville and we need better hurry."
With that they took off, as they walked the filly, 'Heart' kept her gaze on the tall pony as he led the way, "what is it Heart?" the filly snapped her from her trance, "you've been burning a hole in the back of my head, what did you want to say?"
"It's just."
"Yes," said the pony as he was already used to the filly and her stalling, "go ahead and ask."
"I just hope you won't get mad," the pony didn't reply, only nodded, "what was that dream?"
"Like I said, it was a bad dream, all my dreams are bad, so please remember to avoid going in them if you can, I've warned you before."
"I know Dad, sometimes I can't help it;" the filly went quiet for a while, but eventually decided to try and dig deeper, "but when was that Dad, why'd those ponies hurt you like that?"
The pony stopped and sat in his haunches, "look Heart, there's a lot you don't yet understand, but I'll tell you this much, that was a long ago, before I met you and while I still talked your mom, and after that I didn't see her for a while, that's what hurt me the most, now forget about what those ponies did you me, it didn't even hurt."
As he tried to give her his most reassuring smile she glomped him, easily taking him down since he wasn't standing, "I know, my daddy's the strongest, but I still don't like you getting hurt," with that she walked ahead of him to not face him, knowing he wasn't keen on showing her much affection, eventually he passed her and nudged her mane, she knew she was of the hook, with a light blush she hurried after him.
They eventually made it to the place where they'd been attacked by the Tartarus minotaur, it had leapt at them from who knows where, probably an old summon set to react to anything that walked nearby with a high power level, so the tall pony didn't noticed it until it was too late, it landed flipping their wagon over making it land upside down, so it was some good luck Heart had decided to walk for a bit instead of riding on the pitch black wagon, which was oddly enough made from black marble, a material the tall pony had always fancied.
With little effort the pony flipped the wagon onto its wheels, also crafted from the same material and with one swipe of his wings he cleaned it off, the odd marble brought back to its luster.
"Let's gather our things and be on our way, we still have a couple of days to go before we reach Manehatten and we need the supplies we got you back in Appleloosa so make sure you look for all your things," as he finished she just gave him a nod and began looking around, after a couple trips they'd gathered most of their belongings, he'd finished fast enough given that he had almost no belongings and all that was his it could levitate onto the wagon as soon as he spotted them, the young filly Heart was however having a hard time gathering her things, being that the tall pony wanted her to need almost nothing on their trip he stocked her with lots of things from food to some clothes and lots of toys, she ran back and forth looking for her belongings.
Heart had made some progress on her own before finally giving in to the tall pony's suggestion of being allowed to help so that they could leave faster.
With him levitating the things he could see they were just about done, "is that everything?" asked the pony setting down the last group of items into the wagon.
"I thinks so," said the filly checking over her things, "no wait, I still need to find Dusk," said the filly hopping of the wagon to look around.
"What?" said the tall pony, not knowing what the filly could have meant, "who's 'Dusk'?"
"My baby!" said Heart as she looked frantically for 'Dusk', "the one you gave me back in Appleloosa!" shouted the filly as she ran looking up on threes inside bushes and even under whatever rock she came across, some small tears on the sides of her eyes.
"What baby Heart?" asked the pony, not liking what little he'd gotten out Heart, "I never gave you a baby."
"Yes you did, you got her for me and I've been sleeping with her every night since, she's our first baby how could you forget?" said Heart now with actual tears rolling down her cheeks.
Oh she means that doll I got her, thought the pony to itself, she should have said so... wait what'd she just say?
Please not this nonsense again, thought the pony, "what do you mean our first baby?" said the pony as he walked after Heart, "I've told you to knock it off already," said the pony, a bit of annoyance in its voice, "if I'm letting the whole dad/mom thing slide i'ts one thing, but were nothing like a couple and will never be, I'm just keeping my last promise to your mom, and after this trip I'll find a way to return you to her, let her know it didn't work even though I did as she instructed, and then I'll be gone from both of your lives, so knock it off and get on the damn wagon!" finished the tall pony pointing its hoof towards the cart.
Heart dropped to her haunches, more tears began to form on her eyes, lots more than when she began looking for her doll, they began to drop form her face and onto the ground, at the sight of this the pony lowered its hoof and paid attention to the filly, Heart had now closed her big turquoise eyes which she'd taken after her mother, and had turned her head towards the floor as if to let the tears fall off with more ease, the tall pony then sat down next to her having realized his outburst all too late like it was his custom given his bad temper, he then proceeded to put its fore leg around the small frame of the filly and let her cry it out, as the filly felt him she leaned on him and tried to calm her sobs to small gasps before attempting to talk.
"Are you *gasp* really going to leave me and *gasp* and Mama?" asked the filly, feeling far more sad to loose the pony than the fact that it had screamed at her, "just let me stay with you," pleaded the filly looking back up to the pony, "even if it means never seeing Dusk again just let me stay with you, we need to be together, just please, don't leave me!" Heart was now wailing onto the dark blue coat of the pony softly moving her head from left to right as if she was trying to nuzzle up to him.
"Look," said the pony, slow and steady so Heart would hear him, "last time I saw your mom she said she didn't want to be with me anymore, then she gave me you and said you were to be mine instead of her and made me promise to raise you to be by my side and that if it didn't work then she'd been wrong," said the pony, it's gaze now turned to the moon.
"Then why do you want to give me back?" asked Heart as she waited for the pony to look back at her, "aren't I yours?
Mama even told me so when she new you were coming to see her, she told me you were like a daddy to me and that I had to love you so you'd love me back."
The pony now turned its gaze to the floor still not looking at Heart, "that's the thing Heart, all your mom did was look at me and say 'Cross we can't be together anymore, we're just not meant like we thought, but this child however is more suited to be with someone like you, try raising her and you'll see, otherwise I'm wrong and there'll be neither anypony or anyone meant for you' then she turned around and sent me off using my full name which she never did," finished the pony recalling the echo of the last words he heard 'Farewell Black Cross.'
"But can't we try doing as she said?" asked the filly whom was no longer crying.
"Because you don't even know what you would be asking for Heart, your mother never explained properly, she just fed an idea to you and didn't offer you a choice, so I'll just...
I just don't know Heart, I can't seem to forget your mom, and what's more your a child, basically hers."
"Don't you think Mama loved you so she made me for you?" asked Heart, "I mean she said I'd grow up faster than I should to catch up to you"
"I know kiddo," said the Cross pulling Heart into a hug, "look forget it, our journey hasn't ended, who knows maybe you're right, let's get you your doll so we can get on out way."
Heart just beamed him a smile and returned the hug, "yeah lets look for our baby," she went off and after a while found the doll up a three branch, "Mom I found her!" Heart shouted, "she up there on that branch!"
As Cross got close to where she was he could see the doll and remembered it correctly, he'd gotten it for her in a small stand by the outskirts of Appleloosa, the vendor had a series of round plushies that resembled ponies, the on Heart had liked was a purple alicorn mare that had a darker shade of purple for a mane and had a little silver tiara on.
"Alright I'll get it," said Cross as his mane flowed aside and his horn and the doll began to be covered in his black aura.
"No," Heart interrupted him, "let me try," she pleaded jumping up and down.
"You sure you can handle it?" Cross asked tilting his head.
Heart just nodded fanatically.
"Fine just don't hurt yourself," said Cross allowing his magic to subside and got covered by his mane once more.
Heart brushed her mane down allowing her horn to show, then she concentrated on the doll as her horn began to glow red and so did the doll, slowly she began to lift it, as it lowered towards her, she lost her grip of it and somehow launched it, "Dusk!" she shouted as the doll flew, quickly Cross caught it and levitated it towards Heart, "thank you Mom, but I could have gotten her myself you know," she said as she hugged the doll to her chest.
"Yeah, yeah, let's just go OK?" said Cross as he walked towards the wagon, "we need to head on," he just finished giving Heart a light nudge.
"Yeah, lets!" Heart said with a huge smile as she trotted after Cross.
It'd been a couple hours since they'd set out from the the site of the attack, Heart had tried to walk besides Cross for a while but eventually had to get back on the wagon, and had bagun to play with her toys, Dawn being one of them though she only kept her sitting besides her.
As he hauled the wagon along, Cross was lost in thought, how long was I out for? he asked himself, it was almost dawn when I finished that thing off and now it looks like the sun set barely an hour or so before Heart woke me, it couldn't have been more than a day or two...
How bad were my injuries? as Cross kept on walking he didn't notice Heart calling out to him until it hit him.
As the tree shook Cross brought a hoof to his face, leafs falling around him, slowly he pushed the wagon back enough he could sit on his haunches, behind him he heard Heart hop of the cart and trot towards him.
"Are you ok Dad?" she asked as soon as she had him within reach, "does your head hurt?" she asked as she grabed his face with her hooves and brought it near hers.
"I'm fine," he growled more at the slight pain than to what Heart was doing, "just leave it, it doesn't even hurt anymore," he said trying to put a little resistance to Hearts actions but not really pulling away, but then he realized something as she got close to him.
As she looked at his face to make sure the tree hadn't hurt him much she realized his crimson eyes hadn't looked away from hers, she tried to ignore him but found herself getting more and more flustered, eventually she gave in and took her hooves off his face backed up to see him clearly.
"I-is something wrong dad?" she said as she tried to look him in the eyes, "did I do something I shouldn't have?" she asked as she pulled her hooves right to her body as if she feared she'd annoyed him when she tried to look at his face.
Cross then took her face in his hooves and gave her a quick look, "how long was I out for?" he asked once he'd made sure to look at her from top to bottom, "you look hungry and tired, just how long did I sleep for?"
Heart tried to look away but found that she couldn't, whether it was because she couldn't look away from those entrancing eyes or maybe because if she did he'd just turn her head so she'd face him she did not know but eventually she stopped trying and decided to answer him.
"It's been about, a week" she said almost not making a sound, slowly she began to form a small sheepish smile and play with her hooves, "depending on if I slept for a day or two in the fire, did you want to sleep more?" when she received no answer from him she stopped smiling and looked down at the floor as she hung her arms to her sides.
"Why didn't you wake me up before?" he shouted with a bit more force than needed, "what did you do the whole time?
didn't you get hungry?" he continued having noticed that she looked starved so an answer wasn't needed, "if you look like this over a week of me being on the Phoenix bath that means you got out at some point and barely went back in, why didn't you wake me?"
"I just, I just saw how calm you looked when you were asleep, and thought that it'd be nice if for once I gave you a bit more time to sleep like you do to me," she explained.
Cross shook his head at her response, "Heart you don't need to do that for me, I'm an adult, plus I could sleep for a month using the Phoenix bath and I wouldn't need to wake up to eat, but you got out and I'm guessing you didn't eat much, that's why you should have woken me," he explained to her, trying to sooth his voice, "look how about we stop for a bit to eat, there's gonna be some change in plans so we can take a bit longer, how does that sound?" he asked and saw a smile come back to her face giving him all the answers he needed.
After a bit they'd begun preparations for their meal, Cross had set the wagon aside and unloaded some things for them to use while Heart went off and began gathering some fire wood, when she came back from her third trip he'd gotten out cooking items and a stool for Heart to use when they sat down to eat, slowly he began pulling the items for their meal, some fruits to make some juice, and part of Hearts meal and some herbs and flowers to finish her meal, his on the other hoof, a chicken he'd gotten from some gryphin back in Appleloosa, as he put the bird to start roasting with some of the wood heart had already gathered he went and mashed some of the fruits for their drink of and chopped the rest to put in their plates, he hummed all the while of this process, and not until he'd finished seasoning the herbs and flowers for Heart did he notice her sitting there watching him go about his task.
"Heart," he said looking at her through the corner of his eye, "have you collected enough wood for the fire?
I don't want you complaining that you're cold later," he finished as he got around to serving her the salad and got the drink pitcher.
"Yeah, it's all there by your seat Mom," she answered beaming him a smile, "you were having so much fun you didn't notice," she went past him to the wagon and got the their plates onto her back, "come on lets go eat," she cheerfully said as she went past him.
When they had reached their seats Heart stood still and slowly tried to use her magic to set their plates in front of their respective seats, she lowered them slowly and once she felt herself almost loosing her hold on them she dropped them like she usually did, "still can't do it all the way huh kiddo?" said Cross as he reached his seat, then he noticed that Heart had moved her seat next to his, this also was an action that usually took place whenever they ate, she always found a time to switch her seat to be next to him, I guess I really got distracted if I didn't notice her moving her stool, or gather this much wood he thought to himself as he looked from the stool to the larger pile of wood to his right.
"I think I got closer this time," said Heart snapping him out off thought, "soon right?" she asked, more to herself than to Cross as she sat down.
"You'll get there," said Cross as he sat down and poured both of them a glass of juice, he then proceeded to take the chicken apart and place it on his plate, he then began eating like Heart who was getting her salad out of the way before moving onto her fruits, Cross continued on eating alternate bites from his salad and chicken until he noticed Heart had stopped eating and was looking at his plate, "something wrong?" he asked, already guessing what she might ask.
"Whats that thing you're eating?" she asked, her stare frozen on the chicken, "it smells nice," she said as she looked up to Cross.
"It's meat, a chicken to be precise," he explained, "it's not pony food," he said as he kept eating.
"Then how come you're eating it?" Heart asked as she looked back to her plate, "aren't you a pony too?" she finished as she took a sip of her juice.
"We've been over this," said Cross finishing the rest of the chicken, "I only look like a pony, but I'm not one, I think I only look like one because ponies are the dominating race here," he explained, though she might not understand, "now finish you fruit, we have to get moving," said Cross as he got up.
As soon as Heart got done with her meal they began to put things away, once everything was either on the cart, or beside it waiting to be loaded onto it, Cross got some water to put the fire out but Heart stopped him by pulling on his tail, "Mom?" she asked sheepishly.
"What is it Heart?" said Cross setting the bucket down on the floor next to the fire.
"Before we go can you..." the rest was but a mumble or maybe a squeak, when she saw Cross was only looking at her she took a deep breath and tried again, "b-before we go, could you, if you don't mind that is, couldyoumaybereadmeastory?" she said as she gasped the last part out.
I took Cross at least two tries before he could figure out what she had said, she wants a story he thought to himself, well she's been waiting for me for a couple days so I guess she could use one to get some sleep "sure kiddo," he said while giving Heart the most heart felt smile he could muster.
Just before turning the fire off Cross warmed up some milk for Heart to drink and got on the wagon with her, once she was ready to sleep he gave her her milk, as she slowly began to drink it he laid next to her, and she nuzzled up to him as he thought of a story to tell her.
"Have I told you the story about the two princesses before," he asked.
"Twice I think," she answered as she let out a yawn, " but I want to listen to it again."
"Okay," answered Cross smiling at the sleepy filly that lay next to him, better make it quick he thought, "once upon a ti-" he began but was interrupted.
"NO, I want you to sing it," protested the filly, "and do the voices," she said looking up to him.
Cross let out a breath as he understood what she meant, "okay, here I got then."
Going back to the beginning
A loud boom echoed throughout the Everfree forest, making any bird that hadn't flown away already scatter, with the earsplitting noise a dark blue body was flung above the trees eventually starting to fall past some of them until it crashed against one of them, the pony(?) groaned as it got up.
"DAD! " shouted a young lavander filly as she ran towards the tall dark pony, "are you ok Dad? Are you hurt? You're not hurt anywhere are you? Oh Dear Father please don't be hu-" the filly rambled on until a shinning black hoof came to her lips and stopped her.
"I'm fine," grumbled the tall pony, "and again, I am not your father!"
The filly looked at the ground beneath them, just then did she see the ground had been torn up by the other ponys landing, "I know, sorry," she apologized, "I was just, worried, I guess"
"It's alright," said the tall pony, "now where the hell is he?" it questioned while it looked around for the enemy that had hurled it across the forest, "did you see him when you ran over here?"
"No, right after he hit you I ran after you," said the filly in a barely audible voice, "I failed you again, didn't I?" muttred the filly as she stared at the ground and twiddled her hooves.
"Nah, it's alright," said the tall pony after a bit of silence, "that asshole won't take the time to try and ambush me so we'll see him stumbling his way over here, he just ain't as fast as us."
"You know," said the filly sounding a lot more cheery, "I don't think being flung across the sky quite means that you're fast Dad."
"Still not your dad," said the tall pony as it walked towards the direction of its enemy, "and quit being a smartass, you know what I meant."
"I know Mom, it just came out like that since you were talking like a damn sailor," answered the filly, "I know you're better than that, so you should watch your lenguage."
"I'm not your mom either," snapped the rather androgynous pony, "and as far as lenguage goes you're the one that should watch your mouth, what if your mother heard you?"
"Mama won't mind on me picking up on your habits since they're yours anyway," said the filly, a light smile playing on her lips, she always loved getting the pony to talk about her mother, even if it meant it would tell her it wasn't her parent in any way.
"I'm getting tired of playing games with this guy," snarled the pony, "I'll finish it in one strike, but you'll have to step back, and afterwards I'll have to rest so you'll have to hide somewhere," said the pony looking back at the filly, "no excuses."
"I'll stay close-by though," said the filly trying to sound defiant while her voice was breaking and tears welling up in her eyes.
"Fine," said the pony, magic starting to swell up on its horn and lines depicting a spiderweb spread on the floor around it, at the sight of this the filly ran towards the landing point of the tall pony just to hide bihind a tree while keeping the tall pony within range of sight.
After a while, a rumbling sound could be heard from afar moving towards the pony, in its direction a minotaur from Tartarus was seen, much larger than its average minotaur relatives, and not as consciously active, being that its just a beast bred for attack.
As soon as the T. minotaur was within range of the web the line surrounding both the pony and T. minotuar lit up and the pony chanted, "Scorch the earth, VULCAN WEB! "
The T. minotaur roared in pain as the flames that came from the web-like lines on the floor engulfed it, "From Tartarus or not, this will burn your bones to ashes!" shouted the pony.
The beast roared even louder and threw a punch at the pony, only to evoke a shield of what seemed like flames to come out, and burn it with a further stronger flame, melting the flesh off of it, "Look away," shouted the pony at the filly, fully aware that she was looking its way, the filly did as told, and after a while the flames subsided, and the filly came out slowly to find some ashes spread out over the floor, and the pony with some blisters and bruises, just stood there breathing hard.
"You alright?" asked the pony to the filly, "the flames didn't reach you did they?" it finished.
"No," said the filly, barely audible, her voice begining to crack, "you idiot, what about you?" she asked the pony who just closed its eyes, and began to lay down.
"I'm fine," answered the pony now laying down, "no need to call me an idiot, but now, I gotta rest."
"I'm staying with you, you know that, right?" the filly questioned the pony, tears running down her cheeks.
"Will you be able to handle it?" asked the pony, the filly just nodded, "very well, step back for now and wait for a bit, then work your way into it," as the pony finished the filly did as told and stepped back, then the pony proceeded to close its eyes and concetrate and once more flames engulfed the pony, only that this ones seemed calmer, not even following the direction of the wind, this flames were there with a mind of their own, "alright get in before they turn," said the pony to the filly, who did as she was told, slowly working her way until she reached the pony and laid next to it.
Almost as soon as the filly did as she was told the flames began turning black, looking almost like shadows, but still they burned wich made the filly wince a little, only to begin feeling the power of the flames begining to work their way into her bruises and heal them just like they did to the pony, still she hated the darkness that came with this, Phoenix Bath as the pony called this process, and while the heat didn't even faze her she wimpered feeling scared of the darkness.
"Don't worry," said the pony pulling her up to its stomach, "I'm here like promised."
The filly nuzzled up agaisnt the pony, "I know Dad, together forever," she finished before settling down and slipping of into sleep.
The pony opened its mouth to reply to being called "Dad" again, but it decided against it just to let the filly rest.
"Yeah," it said as it rested its neck against the filly, fully surronding her, "since it all began that day," finally the pony drifted of into sleep letting old memories flow back into its mind.
Prologue: Against this army
Prologue: Against this army
As the sun began to arise, an army approached the large castle that was carved out of black marble, the light that slipped past the mountain didn't reflect off of it.
Slowly but surely the army marched down the hill that led towards their destination, at the front of their forces