Crimson Night

“That's quite a story...I wish we could have been closer to at least give you our support...” Armor said when Twilight finished her tale. He had asked the Guard to give the others rooms in the miniature palace they were in.

“Let's just hope a Villain doesn't ruin your Wedding with Luna.” Cadence said with a giggle.

“Heh...I don't know about a wedding anytime soon...” Twilight said.

“We're getting off Topic dear...so what does 'Level four to five' Mean?” Shining asked.

“Well...the numbers indicate the threat levels. One is a small amount of Ghouls, two more and three even more. Four is one but with a Lich and so on up to seven...a seven is more Ghouls than three with or without a Lich...saying four to five means it's confirmed four but possibly five.” Twilight explained.

“And you're sure you can handle all of this? I can send some of my ponies to help you.” Shining said.

“No, they would get ripped apart. I've killed Ghouls before and I'm almost as good as the Captain with Moon. And besides, Luna said she estimates we could take a five alone without much difficulty if we're smart about it, which we are.” Twilight said.

“Well...come back here when you complete your assignment. We heard of the Blood thing form other towns and managed to get a few volunteers. I would have done it myself but ponies with powerful blood aren't allowed to. Apparently me being a winged Unicorn does that for me...” Cadence said.

“I did it though and if you need it I would be glad to let you have my donated blood.” Shining said.

“Thanks guys...I should probably go back to my team now, I'm so glad I met you here.” Twilight said.

“Alright, see you in the morning. You want breakfast brought to you?” Cadence asked.

“We'll be gone with the rising of the sun and we have our own provisions.” Twilight said.

“Oh...alright. I was afraid you had changed more than just physically...seeing you look so naturally in such grim attire...but now that we've talked I know you're still the Twilight I know.” Cadence said, nuzzling Twilight.

“Same here, though that helmet is pretty cool, even if it is scary.” Shining said, hugging her as she poked at the helmet slung over her shoulder.

“Yeah it is...good night and goodbye for later.” Twilight said and followed a guard to where her team was dozing in a common room.

“Fuck we can't get any closer...” Vayne said into her earpiece, turns out it really was a level five. There were Nine Ghouls that were larger than the others.

“I've been working on my Silent Mist, I can extend it to another Pony, but that's all.” Twilight said.

“Hm...I want you to take Galio. These ones look like they've fed at least once so they're much stronger than last time. If you can do away with the Lich then go for it. When you attack make sure it's big and distracting. We'll join you once you pop to catch them while their backs are turned. As soon as we get there take the normal formation.” Hecarim said.

“Got it.” the others said. Twilight shrouded herself and Galio in the mist she now called Silent Mist and used her magic to create natural mist so it wasn't just a single patch of mist.

They made their way through the camp, careful not to bump into anything, until they found a tent with the Lich in it.

“Captain, do they normally have tents and maps?” Galio asked through the headset.

“No...why, does this one?” Hecarim asked.

“This one does...maybe they found it like this...but wait...it's making marks...are they Intelligent?” Twilight asked.

“Shit they must be getting smarter...Start the attack.” Hecarim ordered. Twilight unhooked the Scythe and put her visor down as Galio reverted to his true form. Twilight let the mist fade as she and Galio jumped into the air and hovered. Together, they gathered up Dark Magic into a ball. The Lich looked up through the hole in the tent just as Galio gave Twilight full control. She used her Dark Flame spell combined with the Shadow Ball spell to create what can only be described as a big exploding ball of black flames. It disintegrated the tent and a few of the Ghouls.

The remaining five Ghouls had noticed them burst from the tent and begin gathering the magic, which altogether took a total of six seconds, and had prepared for the attack they expected were coming from the front. They didn't even see as crimson spears, bolts and scythe blade alike hacked through them from behind. Twilight and Galio landed, the swift buildup and then discharge of magic had left them panting but otherwise unaffected.

“What's that smell?” Twilight asked when her breathing calmed.

“That's rotting flesh.” Vayne said.

“No...it smells like blood. Fresh blood.” Twilight said.

“Shit everypony get ready!” Hecarim yelled. They all took a defensive stance, waiting. They didn't have to wait long. A horde of Ghouls, easily topping Twenty, charged at them from the forest.

“They're newly made, that's why they smell of Fresh Blood, but with this many we're not safe at all!” Hecarim said.

the first wave consisted of twenty five Ghouls. Galio was standing in front, his stone skin at maximum thickness. It literally looked like stone. He couldn't move, but he could still smash and swipe at the Ghouls. They had moved into an area with an easy choke point, but Vayne had taken a serious stab to the abdomen when one leaped through the air at her. Vlad was currently tending to her with a blood pack and using his Combat Blood to track and eliminate the Ghoul Poison.

Twilight and Hecarim were covering them and making sure none of them got behind Galio. They got a few moments to catch their breath before a slightly smaller wave was upon them. When a large ball of Shadow was sent flying towards them and was narrowly sliced in half by Hecarim, with a shadow encased Soul, they all got just a little bit more worried.

“Lich!” Hecarim yelled as the necromancy wielding Phantasm sent blast after blast at them. Galio had taken a few hits but every time it was about to hit him, he would huddle down and let it his his hard stone skin with as little knock back as possible. The stone armor was cracking though and a few lines of Crimson were coming through. Right before the Lich launched another blast that most likely would have shattered Galio's defenses, a massive bolt flew into his head, taking it clean off. Vayne was back in action.

“Catch!” he called, tossing a blood pack to Galio and one for Twilight and Hecarim to share. “There are only two left.” he said. The Ghouls were a bit more wary now the second Lich had been defeated and Vayne was keeping them at a distance so they had time to be careful with their packs and not spill any.

Galio flexed and was covered in the same shade of orange-yellow as his sub color for a few moments. When it faded his stone skin was repaired. Twilight and Hecarim's minor wounds and scratches had been healed as well as most of their exhaustion. More Ghouls had arrived, as well as another Lich, and they looked about ready to attack.

“I've got an Idea...but it's a big risk...” Vlad said.

“Let's hear it.” Hecarim said.

“I count forty-three Ghouls and a Lich. In our current state, with them now wary of Vayne's range and line of sight, would be extremely difficult for us. I have a spell that is a much more potent version of the normal weakening of the enemies my Combat Blood does. I've spoken of it, my invented Disease, and said it was very situational. I need a large amount of my Combat Blood to do it, and I don't have that amount and I can't create enough in what time I estimate we have. But if I use our remaining two blood packs I can pull it off. I'll aim straight for the Lich so he gets the most of it. It will leave them crippled and mostly unable to attack.” Vlad explained.

“But I've seen you use that, it doesn't have that big a radius to hit all of them...only about half.” Vayne cut in.

“I know if we charge into the forest after them once I hit, we'd be slaughtered...Twilight though can do it quickly and silently. You run away, use your silent mist and take to the air to make it seem like you ran for help. Then I'll use the Plague to stun and weaken them. Then Twilight flushes them out and we finish them.” Vlad continued.

“I'll do it.” Twilight said.

“I can see a million holes in the plan, but for the time being that is the best we can do.” Hecarim said.

“I'll cover you as best I can Twilight.” Vayne said.

“Alright...go.” Hecarim said. Twilight nodded and bolted clear away. As soon as she was out of the area she went with the plan and took to the air.

Twilight had to tell Vlad he makes some really pretty things with that Blood, even though it's kind of creepy, because the practical bomb exploded right on the Lich and spider webbed out in an almost liquid web, catching more than half of them. She dived in with the Shadow Fire spell, landing right at the back lines with a small explosion of shadows. She used a quick illusion spell to make it look like there were ten of her as she charged the horde of Ghouls.

Spooked by the 'army' of Rampaging Vamponies, the Ghouls burst out of the forest and right into Twilight's team. Twilight stayed in the forest clearing the Horde was in to stop any from retreating and soon the only ones left were fighting the rest of her team still.

She was about to charge out and help finish them off, but a strange sound stopped her. It was a slight whistle that she couldn't pinpoint. She looked up and found it's source. If a Dragon were to be turned into a Ghoul, that's what she saw. And it was sending a massive fireball her way. It was too late to save herself but damn it she still tried. She was just about to clear the forest when the fireball impacted the ground and exploded with enough force to cause Twilight's immediate loss of Consciousness.

“Twilight!” the four yelled as they finished off the last Ghoul, only to see something exploding and Twilight flying in the air towards them. Galio shattered his stone armor and leaped into the air. He intercepted her, but the momentum brought them both to the ground.

“Oh fuck!” Hecarim cursed upon seeing her. The armor was twisted and warped around where her front right hoof was mission from the knee down, and also where shrapnel had flayed her right side. Moon was relatively undamaged, embedded into the ground nearby, but Twilight was as far from undamaged as you could get without being decapitated.

“Is that a Wraith?!” Vayne yelled.

“Yes...and a fucking Adult on top of that...” Hecarim growled.