The Swarm

A entire country. A entire country made into nothing in a single night. This was troublesome indeed. No such act has occurred during the war and all this happened on accounts of a new army showing up. Whatever this was, it needed a explanation and a good one at that. Nightmare called her council of Canterlot, which is of the Mane 6 to the table. Twilight, Spike and Rainbow were already there since Ditzy had delivered the letter to them personally. The doors open as Applejack and Rarity enter the room as well. Applejack never really changed her attire much of a Stetson, plaid orange shirt and jeans with work gloves and boots. The only real difference was a duller shade of color to her attire and she now wore a pendant like Rainbow and Twilight, but hers was of a spider for her power to spread lies within ranks.

Next to her was Rarity who stilled tried to look good with the armor. She had on a simple armor of silver as she was what the soldiers called 'Rarismith'. Her neck was adorned with a gem as well, but it was a simple, pure gold circle for her love of money. She always charged double the normal price to ponies and creatures not loyal to Equestria or allies of such. The two take their seat at the large table as they wait for the final duo to arrive. Not a moment too soon, the final two enter of Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

Unlike the others, Fluttershy was wearing some leather armor she made out of Harry the Bear when he tried to attack her a few days ago and needed to be made a example of. She wasn't as pleasant as she was before as she leans back, propping her feet up on the table as around her neck was a bat symbol for her cruel nature, a perfect talent for a interrogator. Next to her was Pinkie Pie or as she prefers to be called Pinkamena was quite a change from her usual self. For one her hair and tail were not fluff at all, but straight and flat. She wore only casual black clothing of a tanktop and shorts. Her symbol was a bit different as it was a balloon, but with a large crack in it. She had the weird power to predict anything to happen, but also cracked a smile, only when going to make someone else miserable besides her friends. Yes, despite all the change, the six still remain loyal friends of one another and help when they can.

Nightmare nods "I thank thee for coming my fateful council. As we are sure you all are well aware of by now, the region of Canida somehow was wiped out in a single night. That means whatever did this wiped out one hundred and thirty five thousand residents in a single night" she says as they all nod at this. She looks over at Rainbow "And add to account the reports of these 'creatures', it is to assume they caused this. Question is why.... we called thee here for a simple task. Look after the kingdom while we go investigate" Nightmare Moon says as they all look at her wide eyed "What?!"

"No Way!"

"No skin off my armor"

"Whatever"

"That's a pretty reckless idea Princess"

"I do agree with Applejack, why not just send some scouts?"

"Because we wish to see them with our own eyes!" Nightmare yells to get them to quiet down. She sighs "We know that it shall be tough, but we beseech thee to keep the peace that we have worked so hard to obtain, till our return. Plus, if these creatures are as intelligent as the reports say they are, then mayhap they be better suited as our allies in this pathetic war" she explains. That got a evil grin from just about everypony except Pinkamena Pie who just moped there. Out of all the ponies, Fluttershy still shared some kind of peace with Pinkamena as she always brought her to the dungeon to torture traitors to bring a small smile to her face.

Nightmare stood up from her chair as she made her way to the exit of the room "We shall return soon" she says as her wings unfurled and soon she took off into the sky, making her way to Canida, unbeknownst to her of what she will find. As she flew the sky, her mind went through every report she read. Two monsters, taller then others and with skills and armor unlike others, but also of weapons that far surpass their own weaponry, creatures that seem to hail from Tartarus itself, all of these facts rack in her mind as she keeps flying.

Once she arrives, she lands on a hill and uses her power of the night to turn herself invisible as she goes to the town and finds the town that the report talked of. Not a single resident was out or even anything was moving as she walked through the town. Before long the smell hit her of dead flesh as she looked through shatter windows to see the sight of dead residents, all of which seem to of been ripped apart by a swarm of some kind. Nothing was left alive from adult to even the young ones as before long the ground started to shake. She flies up onto a rooftop as she sees a hole emerge in the center of the street and right before her eyes she saw the creatures and the weird instruments they used. She watched them, like a hawk she watched them as they gathered up the bodies and either dropped them down the whole or piled them up. From below more came as they seem to be carrying instruments with fire on the front, yet these creatures were slightly taller and... bulkier.

Before long, those said creatures started to burn the bodies of the dead as if trying to wipe out any sign of them being here. The smoke went up and from there, Nightmare can see that other such flames were going in other towns as well. From the hole, a new creature comes. It was seven feet tall, but in armor of red and black. He wore hardly any armor, yet his feet alone looked like the claws of a lion or dragon just from how big the feet claws were. On it's weird helmet was some kind of glowing symbol as he seems to be giving orders to the others as before long more and more piled out as if a army was attacking. The fact was, they were claiming this town for themselves, a base of sorts, as the troops moved out large bags and stacked them as cover. The creature motions up to where Nightmare is as two weird goggle wearing creatures nod. The door opens as the two come out up top as one says in a rough voice "Secured!" as they pull out longer tubed weapons with some kind of lens on it.

Before a hour had passed, the town had been turned into a outpost as the commanding creature started to head back down into the hole and Nightmare needed to see more, to know more of these creatures. As she made her descent, her nose was hit with a scent most foul as she braved it and went under. As she did so, she saw it was not just a hole, but a tunnel connected to a system and to a very large steel stronghold. The one thing that surprised her was that the bodies were tossed to some weird pale skin creatures that seem to eat them as if they were hounds of this army. She lands on a rock as she simply watches and sees just how many of them there are. What stops her gaze is that she saw one of the monsters from the report, the one in black as he was not made up. He gave orders and followed another being, one who was smaller then him, yet obeyed it like it was the leader.

As she listened, she heard it speak clearly "I want that place under our protection before night time. We need all the power we have to continue our expansion of this world and claim it as our new home" she says. That made Nightmare want to attack for this was HER land, not that creatures. A hiss is heard from the creature in black as the creature nods "If any wish to ally themselves with us, let them. Their knowledge of this world may come in handy in the future.... or take it out of the prisoners, whichever truly works. I must return to my throne now. Try not to kill them before their usefulness has passed" she orders as he nods. She walks to the large gates as two large fifty foot tall creatures stand guard. They push open the gate as she walks through before it closes. Seeing enough Nightmare starts to make her way out, just to escape with this new info as she flies out of there fast.

She couldn't believe it. A new army with weapons that were too advance for their minds to comprehend and with a large network of tunnels they could strike anywhere, anytime! This is a problem, yet.... a opportunity as well. If she could get them to ally with the Moongazers, then attacking the Lightbearers would be a simple task.... plus with that tech, they be unstoppable. Oh she had plans to make.... plans to create.... and plans to use to get this army to their side.