Tainted Steel and the souls of men

Dream Staider stood at the foothills of the Swamp Skylands. His black armoured chili glinting in the sunlight. The heat scorched the land and made it nearly unbearable for anypony other than a select few to even think of setting hoof into the area, the Changelings were among them. He was to stand watch for the day shift, never to advert his gaze from the horizon as to be the first response for the Hive, nearly sixty leagues behind him.

His breath was steady and rhythmic, his body motionless. His crossbow sat at his side, drawn and ready to fire if needed.

"Dream!" A course voice cut through the air, it's deadly rasp cutting deep into his ears. Dream's ears flicked to meet the source of the voice. "By the elder hive, look at me!" Dream ignored his friend, his duty was more important that talk with friends, at least it was now. "If you don't look at me I'll have to order you."

"The Queen's word it law, you dare oppose her Silk Glide?" Asked Dream without turning his eyes from the wastes that lay in front of him. Silk scoffed as he sat down next to Dream.

"No, but as a friend I need to ask you. Why are you so willing to throw your life away as a sentry for what has happened nearly a fortnight ago." Dream tensed up, his felt something course through the air.

"Silence."

"Dream, please."

"I said be quite! You feel that?" Asked Dream as he turned his head to better hear the noise, he stood up. His crossbow had made it's way into his hands.

"I hear and feel nothing."

"That is what is wrong. Do you feel the energy of the animals?" Asked Dream as he pulled a bolt from his quiver and placed it on the rails. His footfalls were light as he made his way forward.

"No, they're gone. As you should be, come now." Replied Silk as he got to his feet and turned around to begin walking away.

"You go, I've got this, whatever it is." Silk stood there for a second, looking at his friend with tired eyes.

"Dream, drop the act. It's time for us to go, the wastes are not going to change." Dream lowered his crossbow, pulling the bolt off and placing it back in the quiver.

"I guess you're right, it must be nothing." Dream turned and followed Silk, his head hung low. Before he even passed his sitting spot, the heat around them became unbearable. Dream felt the saliva in his mouth dry and dust away. The metal prongs of the crossbow burned his hands, forcing him to drop the weapon. Then as quickly as the heat arrived, it was gone.

"By the old gods, what was that?!" Roared Silk, his voice thundering through the badlands, rolling ever forward. Dream remained still, his knew something else was coming. "Dream, we need to get back and report th-" And like that, Silk's voice was gone, his mouth moved frantically, his fanged maw opening and closing with a single sound escaping it. Dream quickly realized that it not only Silk's voice, but the sound of the world that had vanished. Dream only heard the sound of his heart hammering his chest. He felt the beat in his throat. Then, he heard the lighting, everywhere all around him archs of energy jumped from rock to rock, leaving behind deep burns in the sun baked earth.

Dream and Silk turned back to see if Dream was right after all, and he was. There stood a massive glowing ball. It was huge, from the top of the sky to the ground and just as round. It glowed bright blue with nearly white light coming from the edges of the ball. A few seconds later and the sound of the world returned. With it the sound of the lighting, Dream felt as his head would split open from the intense noise that was coming off the ball. In a flash of red, the ball began to shrink, very defined borders began to form. What was once a massive ball of pure blue light was now turning into a huge door into oblivion. The borders, or rather the frame of the door still sparked blue and white, but the door itself was as black as pitch in the middle of a moonless night.

Dream reach for his crossbow and reloaded the bolt, his kept his aim on the portal/door. With a slight wave of his hand, Silk drew his sword and rolled into a guard stance, slowly approaching the door with his sword at the ready. Without warning, Dream fired his crossbow, blood flew from the blackness.

"What in the Sky was that?" Yelled Silk as he backed up while keeping his eyes on the door. Dream made a motion to cover him as he dropped his crossbow to load it.

"I saw a hand, we have standing orders to attack anything that moves." Replied Dream as he pulled back the mighty fangs of the bow, cocking it into position. He stood up and dropped a bolt into place. Silk turn and looked him in the eye,

"That is only for Celestia's soldiers, you have no clue who in tartarus that was." Before Dream could respond, a blast wave knocked them both to the ground, Dream's bow hitting him in the face.

Dream's head felt like a punching bag, rubbing his head with his hand, he didn't feel any blood, dry or otherwise.

"Slag, you're alive after all." Dream grumbled as he felt Silk's hand pat him on the shoulder.

"What happened?" Dream looked around, the ground where the portal had formed was blackened and smelled of sulfur.

"Well, you got leveled by you're own weapon." Replied Silk as he pull Dream to his feet.

"I meant the portal."

"Well it is no longer there, my guess is who ever made it was either killed by you or they closed it cause their lab rat was shot by a crossbow." Replied Silk as he handed Dream his crossbow, the cord snapped from impact with the ground.

"Right, let's get back and report this to the Queen, she will want to know that there was an attempt."

Chrysalis removed her hand from Dream's head. Her grim face was emotionless but to those who knew her it was a dead give away. She nodded to her guards, the restraints were removed from Dream's arms and legs, his head was unlocked, and he was awoken. He got to his feet, looking around the room in a daze. Chrysalis stood at the base of her throne, the entire hive had filled the massive vaulted room, every centimeter of the floor, walls, and even ceiling were covered in Changeling troops. The entire

"To war..."