Dark Ages

A week later, Pinkie Pie was directed in the cold realm of the Yakyakistan, to talk with the head of the Glacial Horns and to agree on the day of the attack.
The journey had been long and tortuous: Nova troops on the border, major snowstorms and wild animals.
The time was just really changed.
Once arrived for her second time at the gates of the Yakyakistan's kingdom, Pinkie Pie came in and went to work to find someone called Gorghonan Halfhorn .
Fortunately, the Nova's troops in Yakyakistan were very few, and go unnoticed was not a problem, because the Yaks always helped anyone from the rebellion.

"Hey, you, come here!" Said a yak with a grizzled beard and a half horn, from inside a small hut. Perhaps Pinkie was on the right track.

The yak took her into the hut, small and cozy with the fire lit and crackling, and with groceries on the table freshly made.

"Gorghonan expecting you ." Said the yak with a booming voice, "Glad all right you are."
Pinkie nodded to say " thank you", smiling.
"... of few words you are, I see. But you to Gorghonan can talk ."
Pinkie showed the scar she had on her throat, and made him realize that she was mute .
"... Gorghonan sorry, really ."

Pinkie made other gestures, but Goghonan didn't understand what they meant, and then the mare was forced to have to write down what she wanted to say .
The first thing she asked was where the others members of the Glacial Horns were. Gorghonan answered that they were out to intimidate the few local troops of Nova, so that none of Equestria would not bother further the Yakyakistan .
Then, Pinkie asked when all of them would meet to discuss the attack to the Crystal Empire, and Gorghonan replied that, at dinner time, everyone would meet.
So, there were still three abundant hours before the Glacial Horns had reunited.

Meanwhile, in Equestria, Black Nova had recovered, and had just given one of her speeches to encourage her people.
Thanks to a new serum of Ingenium Demens, whoever had taken it would have delayed the effects of crystallization of at least three weeks, a good news for the sick ones.
But Nova knew it was not enough than a placebo.

" People seem heartened, my lady ." said a guard, smiling.
" They seems ," said Black Nova, corrugated and visibly unhappy, " but in their hearts are sadder than before ."
" Only if she thinks so, my lady. The more you're convinced of this, the more people will understand it, and then it will be troubles for us ."
" The problem is that we are already in troubles, my friend. Crystallization will not stop, and we are not find a cure ."
" The ultimate remedy of Ingenium, however, has worked wonders, if I may say."
" You can, you can ."

The guard remained silent, while his queen took off her heavyweight crown from the head, a crown made of iron, pure ebony and dragon teeth.
The teeth of a dragon really dearly to her.
A ray of light entered into the room and, looking up to the sky, the two saw the clouds thin out, and let in the sun.
But Nova, suddenly, brought clouds, leaden and abounding with water.

" Why you continue to obscure the sun, my lady ? Celestia has been missing for years, now. "
" She is, but not her memory ."

Nova removed, in the meantime, her armor, as she stared at the clouds, and a veil of melancholy passed in front of her.
For a moment, she thought back to her past, when for the first time she met Celestia, and then felt what she felt then.
The great alicorn intimidated her at the beginning, but not that much.
And for a moment, she remembered her friends.
For a moment.

" My lady? Are she feels good ?" the guard asked worriedly, seeing his queen sobbing.

But Nova knew that it was no longer her past. That was the past to someone else, a powerful princess, more than her teacher, but unable to use such gift.
After she dried some tears, she recomposed herself, and gave orders to the guard to never speak of what he had seen.

" You got it, Flash ?"
" As always, Nova. Now and forever ."

" Graadton!" Shouted one yak of the Glacial Horns in his language, that meant " cheers !"
" Zhator Yakasy !" shouted Gorghonan, followed in chorus from others.

The lair of the Glacial Horns, not so secret and hidden, it was filled for the annual honor of their king, who died years before, and at Rutherford, his son the current King of the Yakyakistan.
Pinkie sat beside Gorghonan, and she also had a bit left go, after years, and she was eating some yakyakistans sweets along with delicious local beer.

" Yak shut up !" said, standing up, Gorghonan to the others, " Pony friend must speak !"
Pinkie simply looked him, with her eyelids lowered.
"... I relates what pony want to say !"

Pinkie began to write on a piece of paper what Applejack had asked her to report.
After a few minutes, Gorghonan read the message.

" Pony Applejack want yaks to conquer the Crystal Empire in three days, and agreed to give us weapons and taxes! Yak duty only take down enemy forces. Now who ready to go ?"

The present yaks were silent, looking at each other.

" Horns of Olevir with you, pony friend !" Shouted one, in the middle of the crowd, and so all the others, one after the other.
The only thing now was to wait and prepare.

On the day the attack, Nova received an urgent message from one of its best suppliers of weapons, Liquefied Gear, owner of 'Reformation Industry Prison of Tartarus (or RIPT) .

" Nova,
A prisoner has made a mess here!
Come now !
L.G. "

Nova rushed headlong, escorted by his guards, to the Tartarus.
The huge structure, built over a course of molten lava, was reduced badly .
Who or whatever had done this had to be an animal, a giant.
Or ... someone with a great magical power.
Once she had hits the ground of steel, a robot guard of the RIPT escorted the queen to Liquefied Gear.
Now Nova remembered why she didn't want to see the new owner of that place of pain.
A earth pony burned all over his body, with a ridiculous wig in black and red stripes.

"Nova !" cried joyful Liquefied, " Thanks to the Ancestor, you arrived ."
" What happened ?" Asked Nova slightly worried.
" Well ... it's hard to explain ... but one of my prisoners has escaped ."
" What !?"

The scream of Nova echoed around the Tartarus, and an halo of darkness descended in the scorching structure, obscuring even the light of the lava.

" If you made escape who I think who is, I swear on my wings that I trow you into the lava !"
" No no! The special surveillance has not escaped !"

Nova breathed a sigh of relief, and the halo of darkness retreated.
Liquefied explained that the mysterious prisoner had to be into the depth, in some cell or even a whole abandoned and forgotten complex, not recorded or yet mentioned before the conversion of the Tartarus.
Certainly, the queen could not understand who could possibly be in the depths of Tartarus, or who was so capable of destroying an auger extraction heavy tons and at least ten meters high.

" Anyway, how are she ?" asked quietly Nova.
" Who ?" asked in response, distracted, Liquefied, " Oh, yeah... you know... we have strong problems to make her eat and drink, but otherwise it's always there."
"... put her down, then try to make her eat, let at the cost to give her liquid food ."
" Put her down ? But it is almost impossible to put down an alic- "

Nova soothed a magic ray, straight against Liquefied before he could even finish the sentence.
The prisoners, in their cells located around the main factory, began to laugh and shout for joy, and urged Nova to finish him .
The robotic guards, however, get on the alert and mobilized.
Liquefied, however, had gave them orders to not attack, and silence the prisoners.

" Next time I do what your brother did ." said through clenched teeth Nova, a few centimeters from the muzzle of Liquefied.
" Sorry sorry sorry ! I was distracted !" said fast and terrified Liquefied conjuring Nova.
" Great. Now I have to..."

A letter from Opal Splinter appeared in front of Nova.
The letter said that the Crystal Empire was taken by the yaks and resistance, and that the losses were several .
The fury of Nova shook the Tartarus itself, while her scream almost blew the eardrums of all the presents .

Five hours earlier ...

The Yak had reached the Hoofs of Steel, who were stationed in the vicinity of the snowy Crystal Empire .
Pinkie reached Applejack, and waved "mission accomplished."
Finally, the two resistance groups could know each other .
Gorghonan said he was pleased to have meet Applejack, and the same was true for the mare.

" Yak ready to fight. Yak ready to die for the conquest of shiny Empire ." said in his deep, raspy voice Gorghonan.
" No one will die today, my friend ." said safe and heartening Applejack , " Today we officially begin the war against Black Nova ."
" Again ..." commented acid Iràscor.
" Shut up for a good time ." He said from above a cloud Rainbow Dash.

Again, Applejack re-explain the plan.

The changeling would have entered, disguised, inside the walls around the empire, and would have killed the guards who guarded the entrance, supported by the impending storm.
Meanwhile, the Hoofs and the yaks would take place outside the walls, ready to enter.
The Pegasi, instead, had to assault the possible airborne hazards.

So, once finished the summary, the assault began.
Iràscor and another thirty Changeling took the form of ponies, and mingled with travelers who were entering the city.
Once inside, they took refuge in the alleys of the city, and changed their aspect again .
The storm began on time, and so they went suddenly on the walls, killing the guards.
Once done, they gave the signal, and the rest of the resistance began the attack.
The yaks screamed like furies, and the other ponies of the Hoofs of Steel extracted their weapons, ready to fight.
Once inside, the real battle began.
The yaks struck with their heavy hammers and their hard hooves the soldiers of Nova, while the pony of Applejack impaled and struck with their swords and their clubs.
Suddenly, from above, they heard a lot of whistles. To make those, were the archers of Opal Splinter, with her in the forefront.
Many were taken by the arrows, and had to fight as best they could.
Then, the Pegasi and the changeling of the resistance attacked the archers.
The battle was now on two levels, and in both cases were real carnage.
Gradually, the resistance began to have the upper hoof, until the enemy troops retreated towards the inside quarters of the Empire, to the Crystal Tower.

" It is ours !" Shouted victorious and prancing Applejack, " We won !"
" Yak continue !" Shouted Gorhonan.

Applejack went against the head of the Glacial Horns, saying that the agreements were not those, but the big yak said that plans had changed.

" Yak offered to take the Crystal Empire, not small neighborhood ."
" But there are civilians ahead !"
" Then petty shiny civilians feel yak fury , if interfere !"

The yak moved Applejack giving her a strong shove, causing her to fall to the hoofs of Pinkie.
Then, the yaks took to charge, as they destroyed chariots and set fire to homes.
Applejack told everyone that it was better to follow the yaks and try to limit the damage of those barbarians.
Towards the center of the Empire, Opal Splinter and the remaining soldiers had built barricades for try to stop the advance of the resistance.

" It's alright, Opal, it's all right ." said to herself, stretched, Opal Splinter, trying to calm down, " Okay. Uh... soldiers, we must defend the Empire at any cost. W-we... we will not allow them conquer or kill us ."

The worried and not at all sure tone of Opal made only worsen the situation among the troops of the Empire.
Shortly after, the yaks destroyed the barricades and attacked the few remaining army of the Empire, who tried to resist as best he could .
The archers resumed their flight, and re-bombarded at their best the yaks, while the latter made shield with the corpses of fallen enemies.
Between a charge and another, the yaks managed to make their annoying enemies precipitate and end up their life.
Only one was not founded, Opal.

" Where shiny pegasus !?" yelled furious Gorghonan.

For make come out Opal, Gorghonan gave orders to some of his companions to set fire the neighboring houses, although there were civilians or not.
Those yaks seemed excited to do it.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie rushed in front of the yak, telling him to stop, and that now they had actually won and conquered most of what had been decided, but the yak kept saying he wanted the head of General Nova.
Then, Applejack slapped Gorghonan, and the latter took his hammer, ready to face Applejack and the other two, but didn't notice that Opal was upon him, with the bow drawn and ready to strike.
When the yak lifted up on his hind legs, Opal shot the arrow, which killed him instantly.
All yaks, then, tried to pull down the Pegasus, who was running away to the south, when a huge green beam struck her full, causing her to fall a little more distant from there .
Once arrived, they found the changelings, who were holding Opal, with Iràscor observing the other members of the resistance.
One of the Yaks began to move others at shoving, and went in front of Opal.

"You killed Gorghonan, winged ponies ." said coldly and with a deep anger in the body, " Now Olevir turns you into normal pony !"

The yak broke both wings of Opal, stomping them with all of his body weight, and making her cry out in pain.
The yak said she had to die, but Applejack said she didn't want to kill her, and that she could be a message to Nova.
So, after a long debate, they decided to let go Opal .
Outside the city, the poor general wrote a letter to Nova, informing her of the event .
Instead, inside the city, everyone began to pile and burn the dead, while the body of Gorghonan would return in Yakyakistan to be cremated with the proper funeral ceremony .
Appeljack was not, however, happy with what had happened.
She had underestimated the stubbornness and the thirst for war of the yaks, and this had brought more harm than good.
But Pinkie placed herself near her friend, as if trying to comfort her and not make her feel sadder .
At last, was a win, right?