Author's Note

"An alliance with a powerful person is never safe."

• Phaedrus

Chapter 5: A Meeting

The next few hours were critical for any that wanted to live, and for good reason. If this army was responsible for Canida's massive death, then joining them be a good idea. A few of the more neutral groups had already joined their numbers like the Diamond Dogs of the clan called Razorfang, Diamond Dogs that are the best diggers and loyal to strong armies. One of the other problems that came was of fear for a large, black, ink like cloud over the old kingdoms to the south. Many of the villages and towns, watched in shock and fear as armies of Pegasi and Griffins went to charge at the kingdom, donned in the best armor Lightbearers had to take the kingdoms back.

Those assault groups lasted a total of four minutes as large, weird, four tentacled creatures came flying, but held no wings or magic to fly. As the creatures flew around, the pegasi and griffins were snapped in half within their maws, blasted by explosives or torn apart by more of their instruments of war. Despite the sheer number difference, these flying creatures maneuvered faster and more powerful then the flying armies. Before long, the creatures backed off as new creatures came, but these looked more like two tentacle squids as they ram into the flying army, exploding on impact and making them fall to the ocean below. All of that lead up to the fall of the sky army and another show of it's immense might as the kingdom of Equestria started to doubt it's leader.

In truth, Nightmare was unsure of how this will go as well. They were not any creature that the kingdom had to deal with before. They were savage, more savage then any feral tribe, yet a few were more intelligent then any tactical mind they had and had the advantage of war weapons the world had not seen before. Nightmare looks over as she can see a boat come and land near the shores of Equestria as on it was a small team of the creatures. The team consisted of a couple of bulky creatures, both eight feet tall and with large singular tubed shaped weapons alongside some smaller creatures that were the more common soldiers, all with those weird weapons. At the head of the ship was a red and black armor creature with a bow weapon as they made motions.

One of the more common soldiers pointed and said "Board!" as he points to the ship. Nightmare just stands in the castle smugly as not a single pony got on board.... that was until, a few stepped forward. It was mainly those with small families like the alcoholic master Berry Punch who was dressed like a tavern owner in white and green colors and of course her daughter Berry Pinch as they got on the ship. The next notable family was a strong supporter of the kingdom due to it's deep pockets, but still looked after family first. The first member was a young one, a child of pink fur with a silver tiara and in a pink dress as her father, who was in a dark blue suit, brown body and dark brown hair. He had a necktie with a money sign on it as it was Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara.

As they got on board and the others slowly backed away, the ship did not leave. It was under orders to wait till close to nightfall before heading back to their base as who came down, made all of them gasp. Nightmare had descended from her castle as she walked to the boat with no pony walking alongside her, but instead behind her as she was the leader. As she stopped, she looked at the creatures as they held a finger on their instruments as if waiting for a fight, but she walked past them and onto the ship. She looks at Filthy as he holds a weeping Diamond "It'll be alright princess. I did promise that you be safe" he says. Nightmare looked down as she walks past them as she knows of them. Ever since the war started, the Rich family had excelled in trade, but when Applejack took over that made them not as rich or as important. Not to mention with the loss of Mrs. Rich it hit the family hard as well.

As for the Berry family, they are simple drink makers who wanted a new start for her daughter and her. Admirable as it maybe, it would of counted for nothing because of this war. Before long, night started to fall as the boats closed up and turned to leave port as Nightmare sent a letter for Twilight to run the kingdom during her negotiation with the new army. As the boat pulled away, Nightmare simply used her magic and turned the day to night as lights came on the boat, keeping them illuminated as loud buzzing is heard. Up above, the ponies on the boat could see the night sky become a writhing mass of creatures as they flew around, frantic but swarming as they made their way to the mainland, passing over them with ease. As the boats pulled closer to the new army compound, they could see walls, docks, and remains of a battle long since fought as the creatures are still clearing the lands of the old bodies.

The boats docked with ease as the gates opened and each member was changed to a different path. Pony, pegasi, Diamond Dog, unicorn, all were sent through different gates. All except for Nightmare who none could tell what she was. As they look at her, the large gates opened as a shadow loomed over her form. She turns and looks up to see the large black armored creature that towered over her as he lifts a hand and says in his harsh voice "Follow, groundwalker" he says. Nightmare doesn't move... that was until she felt the cold barrel of one of the creature's instruments to her back. The problem here was, she could tear through them with alicorn magic... but that would leave her kingdom as a enemy and what of the others here. She needed to be smart about this, especially with a more powerful army.

As she walked through the gates, she saw the remains of the large war that took place a few hours ago and that they had survivors. Most of the males and stallions were used as diggers as each time a group came out, another was forced or simply went down themselves. The mares and females were subjected to something else that was kept out of sight. As Nightmare crossed the threshold, she looked up and saw a large tower that reached the sky itself. The door was guarded by creatures in armor of black and and helmets of the same as they stood still at the door. The large creature motions and they move as the doors open to show two paths. One was of stairs and the other a large lift like mechanism.

After stepping on the mechanism, it started to go do instead of up as Nightmare moon was met with the familiar sight of the tunnels, but now bigger and more expansive then before. As the lift slowed down, soon it stopped as the two walked towards a pair of large doors that swung open to show a throne room. On the throne sat the creature known as Queen Myrrah, but in something that looked... alive and moving as it wrapped around her like clothing. She looks up as near her were the other two creature generals reported and a Diamond Dog with one eye as he was the leader of the Razor Fang clan. As the two entered Myrrah looks at Nightmare "So you are the fabled leader of the creatures called Equestrians? Not much to look at" she comments.

Nightmare's eyes narrow "We say the same for thee Queen Myrrah. We expected something monstrous, not disgusting" she says. That got a growl from the three generals as Myrrah raises a hand. She stands as she walks down the throne steps and to her.

She stands before Nightmare as she looks up "And yet here you stand in my chambers, as others have before in this world."

"They were simply meek foals"

"And you any better? You come here with a proposition as Wraith Fang has before your arrival" Myrrah says referring to the Diamond Dog leader.

Nightmare simply glares "Do not compare us to these canine creatures. We at least have honor amongst ourselves" she says. Myrrah looks her over as she remains silent as Nightmare continues "We came to beseech thee of a alliance. As thee has noticed, the Lightbearers are not going to surrender easily, especially with all of the world on their side and with destroying the three kingdoms of the Islands, you have made them very desperate. We know we cannot offer much in terms of supply and power, but our knowledge of the world can grant thee a more defined image of our land. Together, your military might and our knowledge of Equestria, they will fall and you will succeed" she says. Normally, Myrrah would of ordered her executed..... if not for the fact that some of the towns had some ground underneath it that they could not dig through, must like the time they thought they could attack Jacinto, to find it's ground impenetrable by usual means.

Myrrah looks at Nightmare as she nods "Perhaps your knowledge will be of use to us. As a sign of good faith, one of my generals will accompany you back to your kingdom, as a emissary of our army" she says. She holds out a hand "For the Locust horde" she says as Nightmare shook her hand. With that, she was allowed to leave as Myrrah looks over at her generals "RAAM. Karn. Get a tunnel under this Equestria kingdom. If asked, we shall push it off as a simple 'transport route' for the soldiers and supplies. In truth, we will set up a strike team to eliminate them for when their usefulness become null." she says as the two nod and leave. She looks at the final one "Skorge. Take your pets and a few soldiers to this place and set up a small base" she says. The creature called Skorge nods and bows as he leaves the Queen to her throne.

Outside, Skorge pulls a chain with one of his pets as he gets on a large creature that is like those creatures from earlier, yet it was larger and more massive. He gets on it as his pet climbs on board. She looked at him "This large creature is certainly faster, and a good fit for my master" she says as her zebra arms wrap around Skorge. Her back had deep scars, but her body seems mostly healed as she holds onto Skorge from behind. Her attire was similar to a bikini, but of metal and chains as the creature takes off to the sky. Oddly enough, the black creatures did not attack them as the one called RAAM seems to order them around, similar to how Skorge is with the large creature.

The land of Equestria should be ready for a partnership of hell, yet of also new leaders to grow.... yet of others to fall as well.