Shadows of Drakmord

Outside, the blizzard had finally relented, allowing the devastation to be seen unobstructed. Bodies lay motionless in the streets and columns of smoke rose into the air. All over the empire brief flashes of red and purple light could be seen from the sky, while on the ground, craters and piles of rubble were left in their wake as the Crimson Spec-ops and the Dominions’ Shadows battled it out.

The large group of ponies from the tower galloped through the streets of the empire towards the train station; Twilight and the rest leading them onwards, while Crick and Zie-eel protected them from the air.

Heavy fighting continued around them as they weaved around the fires and debris that covered the streets.

The Crimson spec-ops worked to save as many ponies as they could. Most came to them, willingly and eager; while others were wounded or left discarded by the Shadows after being drained, but as Galendra ordered, the Spec-ops made sure to not leave anypony behind, loading the fallen onto carts and dragging them out of harms’ way.

Even as they fought off the relentless Shadows, they scoured the streets; searching house by house for anyone who hadn’t heeded Galendras’ warning.

As they keep running, the Spec ops would bring other escaping citizens to the fleeing crowd before leaving again to search for more survivors, more and more ponies joined the group heading to the train station until it became less of a crowd and more of a living river, coursing through the streets.

The Spec-ops already had their hooves full with the Shadows repeatedly dive-bombing the crowd and carrying off whomever they could grab, or slinging magic fire-bombs into the clustered group. But they soon realized they had a new danger to contend with as the panic level dramatically increased.

“Everyone calm it down!” one Spec-ops yelled to them from above, popping blue flares to grab their attention “Keep moving in an orderly fashion, and don’t panic! And for crying out loud, stop trampling each other.”

The flood of ponies beneath him responded by doing the complete opposite of what he had just said.

Suddenly, another Spec-ops frantically flew towards the group of stampeding, terrified ponies from the direction they were headed.

“Not this way! There’s too many to-”

He wasn’t allowed to finish before he was engulfed by a swarm of at least forty Shadows headed right for the crowd of tasty bites. The entire crowd skid to a halt, ponies in the rear crashing into the ones in front of them in what would otherwise have been a hilarious “pony domino effect”.

Before they’re set upon like grain to a swarm of locusts, Zie-eel motioned to the remaining spec ops guarding the group. “Ready your Helix-bows!” she told them “Crick, with me!”

“On it!” he confirmed.

What followed next was a display of teamwork combined with raw arcane power that even Rainbow dash would consider “huh, not too shabby there”.

Zie-eel charged up her body in a cone of red flame and shot towards the flock of Shadows, smashing through them much like Rainbow dash had done mere hours before, but with more fire and much more effect. She quickly followed up by unleashing several nova pulses right in the center of the densely packed swarm, melting those closest to the explosion and scattering the rest.

After this, Zie-eel was left almost fully drained, and fell to the ground unable to move, but Crick was by her side in less than a second to cover her. As he raised his bow, he channeled a spell into his next shot. The rest of the archers followed suit, and several bolts trailed by barbed chains were released from each of them, ensnaring the remaining Shadows and tearing them to bloody shreds as they angrily attempted to get free.

Seconds later, the Shadows were nothing but ribbons of flesh and bone being scattered on the breeze, and the ponies were led forward once more.

The train station had become the center of attention ever since Galendra told the ponies to head there, and while most rescue teams were out scouring the city for survivors, nearly two dozen Spec ops had to defend the station from the more daring Shadows as the ponies flocked to them for a way out of the nightmare hole their kingdom had become.

Every other minute or so, another Crimson soldier would get knocked out of the sky or off the rooftops, their comrades rushing over to take their place.

As Twilight and the main group arrived they found several Spec-ops already getting the trains ready to depart.

Once they were inside, Twilight heard a few hurried conversations between the Crimson Spec-ops.

“- are only two trains on standby in the station; I don’t think we’ll be able to fit them all on.”

“Get the stage coaches from the streets, can use those to carry them out once we evacuate as many as we can from here.”

…

“-got a large group held up in the library, need a team to get them out!”

…

“I’m sorry; I can’t help you find your mommy and daddy. Just get on the train and everything will be fine.”

…

“Sir we’ve got a problem! Shadows are moving down the tracks to intercept the trains when they leave!”

“Then get some guards on top of the trains, one on each car, two on the engine and caboose. Make sure they leave safely!”

“The trains will be leaving here in a few minutes, you all get on board.” Crick explained to the Twilight and the rest “Zie-eel and I need to get back in the fight, good luck.”

“Wait!” Twilight tried to stop them “I still have so many questions!”

“I’ll tell you everything when we’re not in the middle of a war-zone, promise.” Zie-eel told her. It was hard to tell through her mask, but

somehow Twilight knew she was sincere. “All you need to know right now is that your world open to ours now, and the Dominion is looking to destroy your entire race. But we’re not like them, and we’ll do all we can to make sure they don’t.”

With that, Crick and Zie-eel took to the sky.

“Don’t worry Twilight,” Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder “you’ll get all the answers you want in due time. But right now we’ve got bigger things to focus on.”

“You’re right, but there’s just so much happening right now; this “Dominion” invading, these Crimson ponies trying to save us… and the Princesses. I can’t believe their actually gone.”

The trains’ whistles blew, its doors opened, and ponies began frantically filling onboard.

“I do believe this is our ride,” Rarity informed them “quickly now.”

Before they got on board the train however, a voice called out to them.

“Well hello there!”

They looked up to see a Shadow in bandages and a tattered black trench coat standing behind them waving the crystal heart.

The ponies around him immediately scattered away.

“You wouldn’t leave without this would you? You see if you-”

Before another word could be said, the Crimson spec-ops had already drawn their helix-bows and opened fire.

The bolts struck him, but instead of turning him to ash like the others, they harmlessly plinked off him, leaving his coat singed.

“Oh for crying out-

“Don’t”

“inter-“

“-rupt me”

“While I’m”

“monologuing!”

Each word was punctuated by a blast of ashes thrown at the Spec-ops firing at him. Each one he hit fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Several more attempted to hack at them with their hyper-talons, but he swiftly dodged their swings and either kicked them into the walls, smashed them into the ceiling, stomped them into the floor so hard it left cracks, or in the case of one special soldier, broke a chair over his head; a crystal chair.

“Anyone ELSE feel like interrupting me?!” he asked after he finished his beat-down.

To the horror of everyone, one stallion on board the train raised his hoof. “Umm, I might.”

“Oh get the f-yay-k out of here, you stupid pr-yay-k!”

His bandages became like snakes as he channeled his power through them; they lashed out, entangling Twilight and her friends and dragged them over.

“Aww man, not again!” Rainbow dash said, indignantly.

“My name is Slash if you’re wondering.” he introduced himself “So here’s the deal. If you want, you can just get on that train and ride off. But could you really leave, knowing that you could have them back?”

He shoved the crystal heart in her face. Through its’ crystalline structure they saw faces, ones that were very familiar, because, though they were distorted, anyone could recognize the Princesses of Equestria if they saw them.

“Princess!” Twilight yelled to the faces in the heart.

“Let’s make this into a game.” Slash suggested “I won’t fly, try to fight, or use magic to harm you in any way. If you can take it from me before I escape with it, it’s yours.” He laid out the rules for them to hear “So how about it Princess Sparklebutt and friends, feeling up for a chase?”

He released them and began to run away from the station.

Twilight shared a quick glance with her friends; Rainbow dash, Applejack, Pinkie pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Cadance and Shining armor joined them as well, even Spike stepped forward. None of them had to think twice before running off in pursuit of the heart.