Storm Claw: The Reunification
Dust. Sand. Wind. Only three minor things, in the large vast space of the badlands. Well.... It is not known as the badlands any more. Just another part of a destroyed Equestria...
It had happened all so sudden. And yet, it's hard to explain.
For ponies like the Newest, and possibly most affected Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle... It was hell. Her life torn asunder just one year after becoming an Alicorn. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's rest. She couldn't remember the time when all her friends were together. But, right now, she had to try and focus...
The Lavender mare was slowly making her way down a dirt path. Which surprisingly hinted at having foliage to it. A few small bushes here and there. For a pony her size, they offered no cover. Her gaze turned back to the path. The wings were high, and blowing a good amount if sand and dust into her face. If not for her goggles and face-mask made from her scarf, she might as well suffocate.
There was but one problem. Tied to minor problems.
The alicorn was loosing blood. A lot of it. Each step caused the wounds in her hind legs to open up just a tiny bit more and cause blood to flow through the cuts, bruises, and gashes. Streams of red seem to flow down her hind legs, not a drop of it easing up. And the streams came out too fast for the high winds to clot the gashes and cuts with sand, as the blood flow had a higher pressure--
As technical as Twilight could think about it, it still stung like high heaven. And she could feel its effects on her.
And not only that , she was limping. Her hoof, right forleg, had been snapped in half, like a twig. Worst part was she could not move or feel it.
In lack of better words, the mare was a complete mess. And the reason? The one reason why she was in this condition?
Ponykind was at WAR. A war with enemies that once had technology that Ponies could not fight till Twilight had gotten a gift from a stranger. Books of Quantum Physics, Steel Engineering, Ironworks. Seven centuries of knowledge within a simple 10 books.
This gave Ponies a fighting chance as the full Equestrian force fought back against their enemies... The Gryphon populace. They were strong, fast, fierce, and ambitious. With little room for population growth, they seek to expand... Even if it meant rising from the ashes of pony corpses.
Twilight was barely 28. And she became such an icon in helping her ponies. But they were loosing... Cites, however, had been effortlessly evacuated... But the Equestrian Guard had not done it. Yet this gave the guard more chances to set up battle points in the town and cities that were abandoned.
Twilight suddenly felt herself trip over a rock. And, as rarity would say... "Ugh... DUMB ROCK!"
Twilight's body would not want to move. She couldnt. She had been running on reserves for far too long... And she could not keep herself awake any longer. May she not see the void the next time her eyes would open...
Twilight dis not see. But another did.
In one of the small bushes, a changeling had been hiding. And, wearing special gear that covered the body like a light exo-skeleton on top of changeling chitin armor. It was air tight, and and dust did not get in.
This changeling had been watching Twilight for a few minutes. And once the lavender mare collapsed, the Scout sped so fast to the hive, it was almost a blur.
He entered into a cave, well hidden due to the shape of it, hoe it looked like a dune from one side. But there was a magical barrier that protected the true cave archway entrance. If you d
Simply pushed into the sand that built up, you could slip right through into the cave on the other side.
Once the scout did such, he started to head into the caves. It was mostly quiet... Until the chatter, buzzing, and general noises of a hive started to fill one's ears.
This hive was self sustaining, for it held quite a many things. First, you had the Legendary Changeling Vanguard, known as Calwin Viziguarde. A Vanguard since the times of Chrysalis' mother, he's seen through all he could. Then, the two Goliaths, that were his brothers; Karlos and Carlos Gotrien. But look past them, and the other soldiers, and you would be surprised. In one room could the hive house every female.
In the famous words of "Pony Stark"... Let's do a head count. This Scout-ling loved that phrase...
There was Chrysalis, the Queen and leader of the hive. Her sister, somehow having actually been alive after a fake-death; Nymphamarea. Usually called Niffy.
Then there was the Golden Daughter of Kwila, Chrysalis' most trusted advisor and Mother. The daughter was known as Norma Levia. A cute Princess Changeling-Pony. A Princess hybrid, how about that?
Though, what would be considered odd, was the Draconequus they housed with then. Despite his shy demeanor around others, the foals absolutely loved him, and it was only with their mothers he was not shy with. His name? Well, on record, he was known as "The Sojouner". Though, really, he was "Dana Goupha".
Okay, after revisiting all those facts, the Scoutling suddenly zipped over and buzzed something into Chrysalis' ear. Excusing. Herself, she quickly crossed her hive to find Calwin at the main Foyer.
"Calwin! Come quick, we must rescue somepony"
The Vanguard quickly said some goodbyes to his brothers just as Chrysalis passed him towards the main Tunnel.
"Chrysalis... Exactly who are we to rescue? There had not been a pony around here for... Almost ten years."
Chrysalis nearly came to a halt. But shaking her head, she continued on, looking back at him
"I do not wish to remember that night, Calwin. The Canterlot Attack was out of desperation... Then both you and my sister found me once again."
The Queen then looked forward, and Calwin said nothing further. He had not realized he accidentally crossed into a sensitive subject.
Within mere minutes the two had taken the precaution to suit up, with their own armor that had to be magically summoned. And with that, they were off. It took little time for Chrysalis to get to the point where the drone had described. But upon finding said place, she saw nothing . Just fresh sand dunes.
Calwin, however, did not stop walking. Unlike Chrysalis, he had a more complex mind of thinking. And, a pony admits an aura of current emotions and feelings. He looked around, before feeling a cod tug to his right. A quick dig, and he was greeted by the face if a lavender mare. With a cautious dig, he was able to get her out with any arm, and put her on his back.
Chrysalis had not helped, for, Calwin was known to do any heavy lifting for... Well, lets say, Chrysalis needs a ceremonial priest before she can have a King. And that king was a certain Vanguard, who also was Hybrid of changeling and pony...
It took the duo not more than ten minutes to get back to the hive. Calwin took off ahead, to get his sisters and helped the injured mare. This left Chrysalis to hang back, and hold a hoof to her chest. Her heartbeat getting faster
Niffy spotted her older sister stressing, and she went over to her to figure out why.
"Chrissy? What has you so spoked and tense? You seem like you're on edge"
Chrysalis took a deep breath, and sighed, before looking to Niffy.
"I just saw a ghost, a pony phantom. A mare I did not expect to see. Twilight Sparkle..."