Arrival - To Seek the Lost
The screaming; it was always the screaming that got to her, every single time it would loop the voices that tapped into her psyche.
…
Sweetie Belle stood overlooking Canterlot, flames danced throughout its streets as ancient stone began to float in chaotic fashion. Centuries of magecraft engrained in stone; gone in mere moments. Smoke fell like fog while mist billowed upwards; as fire flowed like liquid throughout the endless maze of ancient architecture.
The spirit of chaos had been released; Canterlot had fallen.
She didn't know whether it was that they were separated from the rest of the class; whether it was the smoke getting to them or even if it was the fact that they couldn't sense each others presence in all the chaos.
No, it wasn't that either.
It was the voices, the voices of anguish, the voices of sorrow, the voices of ponies subjected to the influence of chaos. Second by second voices echoed, many laughed like madponies, others writhed in nonexistent pain, others wallowed in pity. All in opposite of what they truly were; all forced to be ignorant of their true nature.
All except them.; all except the three fillies.
And it lingered; for so long it lingered, they stood atop that balcony frozen. Subjected to feeling one of the oldest emotions known to equinekind.
Fear, fear for their friends, fear for their loved ones; but above all fear for themselves.
It drifted in the air chilling their bones to no end, yet they couldn't avert their eyes. They sat there in horror for what seemed like an eternity.
Day and night shifted back and forth as the sun rose; fell, and rose again. And or a moment their minds faced with ponykinds oldest emotion gave he most instinctual and primal of instructions
Run.
“Sweetie... you're shaking.”
The memories faded as the filly found herself staring at the ground. Her breathing had accelerated and she found that her heart had been racing in fear for a moment... Looking to the side she found one of her friends staring straight back at her.
“I'm fine Scoot... Just a little tired that's all.”
“Where's Applebloom.”
She's over there making sure the door's shut
Thunder roared as the three fillies huddled in one corner of an enormous room. Wails and cries pierced through the stone as the three fillies desperately tried to hide themselves from the chaotic world outside.
None of them noticed the stones around them warping as the room began to change it's shape and whereabouts. Old magicks kicked in as the three fillies entered their slumber.
...
Sunlight pierced through the clouds as brightness shone upon the green hills below. Atop one of them a stallion clothed in armor looked over the horizon; gently taking in the breeze that blew past by. Sighing in content the pony brushed aside the dust that covered his armor.
“You seem rather happy.” The voice of a mare sounded from behind.
The stallion, somewhat annoyed for having his moment disturbed turned to the mare; giving her a scowl for disturbing his peace.
“Good morning to you too Skywatch.” The stallion replied in a flat tone.
“I trust you've scouted the area.” He continued.
The mare shook her head before approaching the stallion.
“Not yet ser, I'm rather surprised you wanted us to scout, was this not the place of your birth?”
The stallion focused on the landscape; eyeing the snow capped mountains far beyond. With another sigh he turned to reply to the pegasus,
“I haven't been here in quite a long time Sky; and with all the rumours spreading about; it'd be best to stay careful.”
The pegasus gave a quick nod before slowly taking to the skies.
“I trust you'd remember where the village is! It'd be a shame for a scout to get lost!” he shouted to the mare before taking to his tent.
Skywatch gave a blank stare before giving a light chuckle and taking off.
...
It was near noon by the time the pegasi returned. All looking quite unnerved, Skywatch entered the commanders tent.
“We couldn't fly far, some strange magick prevented us from making any advance, Hastewing's gone mad; took a few others to give him a sleep spell.”
“How is he?”
“He's fine; we put him in the healers tent”
“Magick?”
“Whatever blocked our advance somehow drove him mad ser. The shield began to deteriorate; but not fast enough for us to sit and wait.”
The stallion froze for but a while.
“Gather all the unicorns for advice on this; we advance tomorrow.” He answered, reluctantly turning to walk away.
“Ser, I think it's best we move forward immediately.”
“Out of the question.”
“Ser...”
“Out of the-”
“Silveredge!”
The stallion froze. His eyes widened at at the moniker. The mare quickly realized her potential mistake.
“S-Ser I-”
“It's all right. You were saying..”
“There was smoke somewhere where your hometown ought to be. Do you think it's them?”
The air grew stale the commanders breathing slowly changed.
“We leave now then, send for five of our best; we leave immediately. Tell the rest to move the garrison by sunset, it''s an hours walk from the town.”
Skywatch nodded alerting the said subordinates
..
They had gone on full gallop, the barrier spoken of seemed to have deteriorated in full, leaving slight scorch marks on the grass below. Haste was made as the town was spotted in the horizon. Silveredge's eyes widened before he took off forward.
“Ser!” Skywatch readied to follow before being stopped by another.
“Leave him be...” Another pegasus told her.
Stone littered the ground where the town's wall used to be, Watchtowers near the town lay toppled; as though they'd been cast aside like foal's toys. Rubble and ash lay where the once proud town had one stood. The smell of burning wood permeated the atmosphere. Villagers stumbled from the broken wreck
“By the skies... what could have done this?”
“This isn't a normal attack. Raiders couldn't have done this, I doubt they'd have the knowledge to build siege engines.” One of the seven, a unicorn spoke up.
Silveredge walked towards the remains of the towns main watchtower. Tracing his hooves over the fallen stone. Before surveying his surroundings, Several villagers lay wounded nearby, others unconscious.
“He's right... I doubt any raiders could've mustered this much strength. Not the Calormane either.”
“Why not? They HATE us I'm sure- ”
“They have their own rebellions to deal with and they wouldn't violate the treaty.”
One villager the elder it seemed moved toward Silveredge. His words were faint before he collapsed in exhaustion, The earth pony nodded for most of his answers.
“Any of you who can heal stay behind, tend to the wounded.”
“Save for Magelight she's with me, Skywatch as well.”
Both nodded
“Ser wh-”
“North from here there's an old temple, some would hide there whenever bandits came for the town. A few city guards came from there a few days ago stark raving mad.”
….
The temple he'd spoken of had fallen to disrepair it seemed, Mossy stone littered the grounds. The temple it seemed was carved from the surrounding stone. Silver slowed to a halt as his eyes searched the cliff face,
Silveredge stood at the entrance. Turning his head at one of his approaching troops;
“Have the rest arrived?”
“Yes Ser they've stationed at the old garrison near the town. The wounded villagers were moved there as well.”
“I've sent Magelight into the temple to look for any signs.”
Rain began to fall quickly. Thunder began to crack. As the skies above darkened. Silver looked as the rain began to get stronger.
“Skywatch can y-”
“Not a chance sir, wild weather and all I'd be dead before I get near it.”
“Ser!” a voice echoed through the walls.
Both quickly advanced towards the inner sanctum. Eventually reaching a large door
“Magelight your findings..”
The unicorn gestured towards the cloth that littered one side. Three fillies lay unconscious huddled in one of the corners. Their capes were red with a blue shield in the middle a pony of gold thread stood in the middle of the shield.
“Do you recognize the coat of arms on their capes,”
“No sir. Though red, blue and gold aren't common around these parts.”
“Conclusions can come later, anything else?"
“Well the coat colors aren't common. White in particular. The unicorn one suffers from mana exhaustion.”
Thunder blared once more though much louder. The commander surveying the situation once more addressed both.
“Get the other two, we make for the garrison,”
......
