Conflict of Embers and Soulsby Lord of FliesChaptersIntroductionPrologue: The Lord SoulChapter One: The GeneralChapter Two: The Western Pass, Part One: PreparationsChapter Two: The Western Pass, Part Two: The BattleIntroductionWhen the Inferno Empire fell after the Fire Queen's Death Nova, the five Pony races split from each other and formed their own empires. The Earth Ponies, the mightiest of the Mortal Races, formed the Earth Kingdom with agricultural and industrial strength unmatched by the other three. They are renowned for producing mighty war hammers and heavy armors that are extremely durable and excellently crafted, along with produce that is held to be the most delicious in all the world. The Immortals, the mightiest of their heavy infantry, are reputed to never number less than fifteen thousand warriors. The Unicorns, the most intelligent of the Mortal Races and skilled in the manipulation of magic, created the Empire of Canterlot, an empire of magical might hidden away in the Basalt Valley. Renowned for mighty spells, runes, talismans, amulets, and enchantments, the Unicorns bear an unfortunate curse. For those who are lucky, the overload of their magic results in death. Those that are not lucky are transformed into abominations and either exiled or destroyed by the Heralds, a force of seven thousand and five hundred of the mightiest of the Unicorn battlemages and executioners of magical abominations. The Pegasi, the most agile of the Mortal Races and skilled in the art of flight, utilized their innate cloud manipulation to create a Cloud Hegemony floating high above those that would seek to destroy them. With the ability to control the weather, the Pegasi create mighty tempests and lightning storms to aid them in battle. Pegasi are the most fragile of the Mortal Races, however, their agility allows for swift, graceful strikes in combat. The Spectres, five thousand of the greatest warriors of the Pegasi, are renowned for their dragonslaying ability. The Crystal Ponies, the largest and most robust of the Mortal Races, journeyed into the Far North, simultaneously isolating themselves from the rest of the world and providing them with a climate better suited for them. The occasional expedition force from the Far North proves that they still exist. Due to their unwavering faith, the Crystal Ponies are known for their Chaplains, who are both preacher and warrior-priest. The Alicorns, the mightiest of all five Pony races, disappeared months after the Inferno Empire’s fall, taking their eldritch knowledge and natural unification ability of the Mortal Races with them. The Three Empires of the Earth Ponies, the Unicorns, and the Pegasi at an uneasy peace for two millennia, were reunited by six ponies, two from each race. Hurricane Iscariot, Golden Pansy, Leafed Clover, Twinkling Platinum, Chocolate Puddinghead, and Smart Cookie, these six ponies, the Unifiers, used the Power of Harmony to drive the Windigos into extinction and purge the land of Equestria, ancient homeland of the five Pony races, of the Forces of Chaos. United Equestria, formed in the aftermath of the Great Purge, stood for ten years before it was shaken to its core. However, even the mightiest heroes fall. Hurricane Iscariot, Commander of the Pegasi forces, betrayed Leafed Clover, striking her down as the mare prepared to present her latest combat spell to the United Equestria Military Council. Only Hurricane and Smart Cookie, the first Matriarch of the Apple Clan, were witnesses to this event. Smart Cookie, however, denied witnessing the event three times, before breaking down upon hearing the call of a nearby raven. Hurricane was arrested and found guilty of attempting murder, stripped of his rank, and exiled from United Equestria. Before leaving the country he helped create behind, Hurricane vowed to oppose United Equestria with all his might. Twenty five years have since passed. Without the guidance of Commander Hurricane, United Equestria’s military has weakened and grown content. A new threat is rising, and new heroes must rise to defend United Equestria, or lose everything that the peaceful nation stands for and become subject to the new threat… Author's Note Oh, yes. A new story begins. If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks! Prologue: The Lord Soul33 After Unity (AU) Canterlot, the capital of United Equestria The Slums A pegasus mare walked down a cobblestone road, drawing quick glances or sharp glares of anger from the ponies she passed. The mare, with light grey fur, rose eyes, and white hair and tail, was out of place in the Slums, where the poor of Canterlot resided. Wearing finely tailored clothes, she was a noble. However, even the merchants in the rest of Canterlot could not get their hands on all of the exotic and rare items that some nobles demanded. In the event that a noble wanted to acquire an item that weren’t available through the merchants, they were guaranteed to find it in the Slums, being offered at a high price. But, when a pony has enough money to live among the nobles, price is of little importance. Shaking her head to clear away her thoughts, the mare pushed open the door to a blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith, busily working away at his anvil, snapped his head up to look at his visitor. “Ah,” he said, “a noble!” The pegasus smiled. The blacksmith finished the sword he was working on, and placed the weapon in a bucket of water to cool the red-hot metal. He rushed over and extended a clawed hand. Taking the griffon’s hand, the pegasus said, “Thank you for your kindness.” Having shook hands, the griffon waved a hand dismissively, “‘Tis nothing. My people are raised to respect nobility, be it griffon, pony, or otherwise.” The pegasus nodded. “So,” the griffon prompted, “what brings you here?” “I need ten pieces of Twinkling Titanite, a small bag of Green Titanite Shards, a bag of White Titanite Chunks, and a White Titanite Slab.” The griffon smiled in understanding, “Making a divine weapon, eh?” The pegasus nodded in response. “I have already acquired the embers required to ascend the weapon to divine.” “I see,” the griffon smith said, “I’ll be right back with those materials.” The mare brushed a lock of hair back into place and walked over to the sword that sat in the water bucket. Pulling it out, she inspected the weapon. The blade was straight to start, but curved as to resemble a sickle. “Ah,” she said, recognizing the weapon, “a khopesh.” “Indeed!” The gravelly voice of the griffon smith replied, “A noble ordered that weapon.” “Really?” “Yep. No idea why, but when you’re paid well for your work, who cares?” “True.” The griffon handed the mare a pack, and the mare handed the griffon the sword. Opening the pack, the mare was surprised to see a trio of dragon scales resting on the white titanite slab. “Why are there scales in here?” “They’re in there free of charge. If you’re going to purchase such expensive items, I might as well include some more exotic ones.” The mare nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in such an action. “How much?” “Two platinum pieces.” The mare, having prepared for such a purchase, handed over the two coins. The smith inspected the coins, ensuring that they were genuine. He smiled, and said, “Enjoy your purchase and have a nice day.” “And you as well.” The mare turned to leave the shop and pulled open the door. She froze as a chill ran up her spine, ruffling the feathers of her wings. There was only one pony she knew of that wielded a khopesh-like sword. Her father. She left the shop, feeling dread all the way out of the Slums. **** “Mother! I’m home!” An older pegasus mare rushed over to her daughter and hugged her, “Hailstorm! You’re safe!” Hailstorm smiled, noticing the feeling of dread dissipate, and hugged her mother. “Of course I am. Pansy’s trained me well in the art of the sword. ‘Sides, I don’t go anywhere without a shortsword on me.” Her mother chuckled, “You’re just like your father.” Hailstorm watched the smile fade from the older mare’s face. “Just like him…” Hailstorm sighed, painfully aware of how saddening memories of her father were on her mother. ************ Meanwhile… Village in the Western Deserts “Lord Cyclone!” The white-haired pegasus looked up from his work. “Yes?” “We’ve found something! Something from the Inferno Empire!” Cyclone bolted upright, knocking his chair away from him. The chair broke against the floor. Wings flaring, Cyclone commanded, “Show me.” The smaller figure, a jackalope, nodded in fearful obedience. *** The sound of boots clanking against the stones in the ancient temple alerted the group of jackalopes to the approach of their ruler. Face contorted in anger, fire in his rose eyes, wings flared out behind him, making him appear much larger than he was. Cyclone stared at the jackalopes, who were standing around something. They moved aside to allow the stallion access to the object they were crowded around. A small metal box sat partially obscured by debris. Grabbing the box, the pegasus smiled. “Oh,” he observed, feeling the power emanating from the box, “this is wonderful.” Removing the top of the box, what Cyclone saw made him smile. A brightly glowing crystal rested inside the box. “What is it?” Cyclone looked at the jackalope who asked and responded, “This? This crystal contains a Lord Soul.” “A Lord Soul?” “Something of unimaginable power…” Taking a hold of the crystal, Cyclone tossed the rest of the box away. Crushing the crystal in his hand, the pegasus felt as the power of the Lord Soul wound its way into his body, eventually fusing with his soul. Pain soon erupted in his forehead, causing him to groan in pain and place a hand upon his forehead, falling to his knees. “Lord Cyclone?” The pegasus looked up at the jackalope who asked the question. He smiled, and inquired, noticing an echo in his voice, “Yes?” “Are you alright?” The smile Cyclone wore became wider, more sinister. “Oh, yes. Don’t worry, I am quite fine.” The jackalopes sighed in relief. “And I’ll be even better once I’ve disposed of you fools.” The jackalopes all froze in fear. Screams soon echoed throughout the temple. ************ Meanwhile… ?????? A golden armored figure sat on its knees, praying. Another figure entered the prayer chamber, pushing the door open slowly, out of reverence for the chamber. The figure, clad in silver armor, tilted its armored head down at the golden figure, evidently waiting for it to finish praying. The praying figure rose from its prayer, and turned around, fixing its steel blue gaze on the silver figure. It inquired, a questioning tone in its rich voice, "Yes, knight?" "Captain," the silver knight responded, "the Dark Sun requests your presence. It is a matter of great urgency." The Captain nodded. "Very well, return to your duties." "Yes, Captain." The silver knight left. The Captain frowned. The Dark Sun rarely requested its presence, preferring to be in the company of her Legionaries. Sighing, the Captain pulled on its helmet, picked up its spear and left the prayer chamber, closing the door behind it. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks! Chapter One: The GeneralTwo Years Later… Western Border of United Equestria A unicorn sat in his office, reclining back in his chair, legs propped up on his desk. Being the commander of the guard post, he frowned as he thought about his assignment. “A dead end career in a dead end post,” he sighed. “Oh well, at least I’m not one of those sods that are on the frontlines of war…” “Captain Splash!” Splash shrieked in terror as his lieutenant burst into the office. In his panic, Splash fell back onto the floor. Upon regaining some composure, he barked, “WHAT?!” “General Stormwinds is here to inspect the guard post!” “Right! ...Right!” The lieutenant rolled her eyes, sighing in disappointment. *** Captain Splash, now clad in his full plate armor, noted how well his soldiers stood at attention and in a line. He and his officers stood at attention, as well. A small smile formed on his face. General Stormwinds, an old pegasus stallion clad in full plate armor unlike that Splash had ever seen before. The armor, the color of old gold with bronze trim on the pauldrons, seemed heavy for the pegasus' frame, while his helmet bore a transverse emerald green crest. The general was not wearing his helmet, however, allowing his short* light gold hair to blow a little in the wind. His olive green eyes seemed to be too young for his face. These were surrounded by light blue fur. The general was walking down the line of soldiers, calling for their weapons to be brandished, allowing him to inspect the weapons. After a brief look over of a weapon, Stormwinds handed the weapon back to its owner, making a short comment about the weapon’s state. Staring straight ahead, Splash felt his palms become sweaty as the general neared him. The General would surely find a way to… “Weapon.” Stormwinds had come to the younger captain. Presenting his glaive to the general, Splash felt anxiety wash over him. Looking over the glaive, Stormwinds nodded, and handed back the polearm. “Well,” he said, “everything’s in order. Good job.” “So,” Splash prompted, “is there anything we can improve on?” “Ya’ll need some good ol’ fashioned discipline. That’s what you need.” Splash suddenly found the ground interesting and directed his gaze to the ground. A chuckle drew his attention back to the general. “Anyway,” the general said, “I’m done with my inspection.” “Sir?” Splash was surprised. Inspections usually took much longer than Stormwinds’ inspection. “I could inspect all of the guard outpost, as I normally do. But, since this outpost is on the western border of our country, I inspected your men only.” “Why?” “An inspection of a garrison naturally means that the garrison is unprepared for an enemy attack. I will not have a border outpost be easily captured because I decided to inspect its garrison.” “Oh,” Splash nodded, more out of respect for the general than understanding, “I-I see.” Stormwinds tapped the captain on the shoulder. “Come on,” he said, smiling slightly, “let’s go have some something to eat. I hear that your chef is superb!” Splash nodded, “Yes, yes, she is!” *** While the general and the captain had taken the officers to go have the chef make them some food, the rest of the garrison were ordered to return to their duties. This did not bother most of the soldiers, all of whom understood that the general was not going to stay at the post for very long. However, a few of the soldiers took offense. “How can the general come here and waste our food stocks?! Can he not go and waste some other garrison’s stocks?!” “Easy, sister,” the soldier’s younger sister, sitting at a wooden table, replied, “if General Stormwinds is like any of the other generals, he will not take kindly to those words.” The other mare opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, seeing the wisdom of her sister’s words. She merely nodded in response. “Besides,” continued the younger mare, “he’ll likely leave tomorrow morning.” The older mare nodded, sighing. “Alright, alright.” “Come,” the younger sister said, as she gestured to a chair across the table from her, “sit.” “You’re right,” the older sister agreed, and sat on the chair indicated by her sister. “I do need to sit down.” The younger mare grabbed a rag and a bucket of water and removed her armor, intending to clean it. “There’s just one thing I don’t get.” “What’s that?” “Why would the general come here?” “This is an outpost along the Western Border,” the younger sister replied, not looking up from her armor, “and while General Stormwinds may not be the stallion in charge of this region, that honor is Lord Malachite's, he is the military leader of this region.” “I know that,” the older sister retorted, “but why here? Why this border outpost in particular? What makes this place so special?” The younger sister frowned, pausing her cleaning, “I don’t know, sister. I don’t know.” The sound of metal-shod feet walking across the dirt near them drew both mares’ attention. General Stormwinds, once again fully armored, with the exception of his helmet, was marching toward the wall. He extended his wings and flapped them powerfully to propel himself up to the wall’s top. The mares, watching from their table, knew that the pegasus had been called by one of the wall sentries. *** “Something you wanted, soldier?” The soldier nodded, and pointed down the valley. Stormwinds looked where the soldier pointed, and frowned. “I don’t see anything,” he said, “not in great detail, anyway.” “Oh,” the soldier said, slapping her head, and offered the general a portable telescope. Taking the portable telescope, the general looked again. He made a soft growl. “What is it, sir?” Handing back the portable telescope, Stormwinds replied, “Get the captain. Now.” “Yes, sir!” Zzap! The soldier, being a unicorn, teleported away. Stormwinds frowned, shaking his head. The sharp, pungent smell that hung in the air after a unicorn teleported was one of the few smells that Stormwinds hated. He sighed and looked at the horizon. “It’s come to this. A trial by fire for a lot of these soldiers.” He looked back at the outpost, frowning slightly. He knew full well that the soldiers within the walls were not as well trained as he would have like. He looked away. Zzap! Captain Splash teleported next to the general. “You called, general?” “Yes,” Stormwinds replied, “there’s an enemy force advancing toward us. They’ll reach us in the next six hours.” “I’ll prepare the defenses.” Stormwinds nodded. “Don’t worry, sir,” Splash said, confidently, “my men, while not as well trained as you’d like, are far superior to the enemy in every way. ‘Cept numbers, of course.” “I just hope that their training will be enough for them to get through this upcoming battle… alive.” “As do I, sir, as do I.” *Short being a relative term for this era. “Long hair” generally refers to hair long enough for a mare to sit on it. “Short hair” means roughly shoulder length and longer. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks! Chapter Two: The Western Pass, Part One: PreparationsFive hours had passed since General Stormwinds and Captain Splash became aware of an enemy force advancing through the valley towards the outpost. The garrison, trained enough to be able handle themselves in melee combat, or so both Stormwinds and Splash hoped, were ready for battle. General Stormwinds smiled as he swept his gaze over the assembled soldiers that stood before him. Standing atop the stone wall of the outpost, he could easily see all the soldiers. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking. Smiling, he raised his head and began to speak. “Soldiers! Within the hour, our position will come under attack from an enemy that you have will have likely, at the very least, heard of! They are the Jackalopes!” Murmuring immediately started among the assembled soldiers. “Yes, yes, I know. I know what you are thinking. How can rabbits with antlers be much of a threat? They certainly aren’t as dangerous as, say, a dragon. But do not underestimate these jackalopes! They have the advantage in numbers! But, fear not! We have been trained in the art of war, they have not! We also have the advantage of being in an already fortified position with advanced warning of our foe! If we use the advantages that we have at our disposal, I believe that we can pull off this task and make them turn back and flee! Will you stand with me?!” The soldiers cheered as this speech inspired them. Captain Splash, standing next to the general, said, “However, if we are not at our positions, we will not succeed! Therefore, to your positions!” The soldiers cheered once more, and then dispersed to go to their various positions. Splash, smiling as his subordinates fulfilled their various tasks well, rested a hand on the general’s shoulder. “That was a nice speech, General,” he complimented, “it really inspired them.” Stormwinds replied, cheerfully, “Thanks!” He murmured to himself, “I’m not very good at speeches…” “What was that, General?” Stormwinds waved a hand dismissively. “Come,” he commanded, “we must be ready to lead our army in this upcoming fight.” “Indeed.” ************ “Lord Cyclone!” The white-haired pegasus, towering over even crystal ponies, glanced down at the unicorn and asked, “What?” “The ponies in the outpost have been preparing for us! They knew we were coming!” “It matters not, Arcaeus.” “What do you mean, my lord?” The pegasus snorted. “Even if our soldiers are slaughtered by the defenders, you and I are the mightiest warriors of our nation. We will not fail in this task.” Arcaeus nodded, understanding his lord’s wisdom. “Yes, of course,” he responded, “I understand.” He pulled on his helmet and hefted his great axe up to his shoulder. “Shall I accompany you into battle?” Cyclone shook his head, to Arcaeus’ choler, “Fear not, my loyal Arcaeus. Remain here with the elite guard. I will call for assistance from you if I need it.” Arcaeus looked away, sighing. “As you wish.” Cyclone rested a hand on Arcaeus’ shoulder. “Don’t worry, the battle should go well. I will be leading the second wave.” “Of course, my lord.” ************ “There they are!” One of the wall sentries barked, his voice bringing Stormwinds over. The general barked, “Ballistas! Are you ready?!” “Yes, General!” “Archers?!” “Ready, General!” “Captain! Are your men ready?!” Splash replied, “Ready as they’ll ever be!” The general nodded, picked his helmet up from the ground and pulled it on. Taking his twinblade from one of the soldiers, Stormwinds hefted the weapon up, resting the hilt on his shoulder. This is it… The moment of truth… for all of us. ****** Captain Splash spread a map across the table. He rested two fingers on a circle on the map. “This,” he began, speaking to all of the assembled officers, “is this outpost. Where we are now.” He moved his fingers to a valley. “This hostile force, as you don’t send an army to an border outpost to chat, is coming through the valley. We don’t have as much time as we’d like to have to prepare a defense. Now, anyone have suggestions?” “We could move the ballistas into positions at the western wall,” one of the officers said, “that way, we could thin out their numbers a bit with the ballista bolts.” “The archers also need to be moved into positions with the ballistas, too. That will allow us to continue thinning their numbers,” another officer added. “General, what about you?” Stormwinds looked up at Splash, frowning. “If the jackalopes get past the wall, we’ll need to be ready to fight in melee. Are your soldiers ready for that brutality?” “They’ve been trained as well as they can without special training,” Splash replied, “but since Commander Hurricane was exiled… I fear that the quality of our military’s training has degraded. Severely.” Stormwinds nodded, knowing full well that Hurricane was heavily involved in overseeing the training of new soldiers. “The jackalopes may be barbarians, and even more poorly trained than your soldiers,” Stormwinds cautioned, “but do not underestimate them. They will overrun us with their multitude if they committed themselves to their assault.” Splash frowned, realizing that the older stallion was right. He nodded, once again out of respect for his superior officer, and not from experience. “Now,” Stormwinds continued, “their leader will, most likely, be leading the first wave. Since we don’t know anything about their leader, use the utmost caution you can if you have to engage him.” “Of course, General.” Stormwinds tsked in response, shaking his head. He murmured something derisive under his breath. He shrugged, “Ah, well. That’s all I’ve got for you officers. Let’s get to work, shall we?” All of the officers, Captain Splash included, nodded. ****** Stormwinds chuckled, softly to himself. He paused, and looked to his right and up. A large knight, sitting atop the defensive wall, coated in armor charred black was staring at him. Stormwinds cocked his head to the side. The Black Knight stood, turned away, and walked away. Stormwinds sighed. Splash spoke up, “Something wrong, General?” The general shook his head. “No. Just saw one of those Black Knights that wander Lordran.” “Oh. I see.” Splash knew about the Black Knights, mainly through tales and old legends. He frowned. If one of the Black Knights is here… What does that mean for us? *** A rumbling sound soon reached the ears of the general. He lowered his twinblade from his shoulder and gripped the weapon with his left hand. “They’re very close now… Very, very close…” “Are you sure?” “You’ll hear it… Soon enough.” The captain opened his mouth to reply, when he heard what the general had heard as well. He tightened the grip on his glaive, frowning. His frown slowly morphed into a smile. This was going to be fun. His smile grew bigger. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks! Chapter Two: The Western Pass, Part Two: The BattleThe first wave of jackalopes rushed the defensive wall. Although very thinned by the defenders’ ballistas and archers, enough of their number made it to the wall to begin their attack on the wall. *** “Kick those ladders down!” “Keep them off of the wall!” Officers and sergeants began barking orders to their subordinates, in an attempt to keep control of the wall’s top. Captain Splash had joined his men up on the wall, not wanting to let his men take all of the credit, or so he had convinced himself. He frowned as he drove the blade of his glaive into a jackalope’s head, stopping the warrior from climbing up the ladder. He then kicked the ladder down, slowing the jackalope assault down a little bit. One of the warriors would eventually pick up the ladder and set it back into place. And the next warrior to come up the ladder would soon perish to another soldier’s blade and the ladder would be kicked down again. Or one of the soldiers would take a torch to the ladder and turn it to ashes. Movement at the edge of his vision drew Splash’s attention to a jackalope and one of the archers engaged in a sword duel. The archer, having run out of arrows for her longbow, had drawn her broadsword and engaged one of the nearby jackalopes. The mare blocked a slash from the jackalope and delivered a thrust at the warrior. The warrior dodged to the left, but ended up with a cut across his right cheek, deep enough to draw blood. Splash began jogging toward the pair, holding his glaive with the blade pointed outwards, intending to stab at the jackalope once he was in range of the jackalope. He slowed to a walk and rested the shaft of his glaive on his shoulder as he saw the archer get inside of the jackalope’s swing, grab his sword arm, and run him through with her sword. The jackalope dropped his sword, his body going limp as he died. The archer planted a foot on the jackalope’s body and kicked his lifeless body off of the wall. “Next time,” the mare stated, flicking her broadsword to clean the blood of its blade, “try harder to hit me. Well, obviously, you won’t. But the thought counts. I suppose.” “Excellent work,” Splash complemented, “I’m glad to see that someone payed attention in sword training.” The archer nodded, pulling out a small cloth to finish cleaning her sword. She turned, and looked at her superior, and smiled, slightly. “Now,” Splash said, “who are you?” The archer shrugged. “I’m Shimmering Rose.” Splash nodded. A sound of a horn drew the attention of both Rose and Splash. “The jackalopes,” Rose said, “they’re retreating?” “Only to regroup, likely with the second wave.” Stormwinds had joined the two ponies, blood having been splattered on his armor and twinblade. “That your blood, General?” “No. It’s all jackalope.” He tapped his chestplate, proudly. “Geisteel is very tough, very durable, and light enough for a pegasus to wear a full suit of it.” Splash nodded, looking at the retreating horde. “They’ll be back soon, won’t they?” “Yes, they will.” ************ Cyclone frowned, face hidden by his helmet. The United Equestria outpost had defeated the first wave of his assault. He wondered who was leading the soldiers, as he knew that the quality of United Equestria’s army had severely declined in the last twenty five years. He watched impassively as his plate armored soldiers pushed past the retreating soldiers, who were not as well armored. One soldier, he noticed, was being borne on the shoulder of one the other soldiers, his only major wound being a wound from being run through with a sword. The wound had been bandaged, allowing him to survive the wound. Flicking his left arm out to the side, he ignited his pyromancy flame and smiled. He would use his pyromancy to destroy the gate to the outpost. Then, he would take on the outpost’s commander. Cyclone and his soldiers were close to the outpost. Very, very close. ************ Splash’s eyes went wide as he saw the large pegasus in the center of the advancing jackalopes draw his left hand back and swing it in a throwing motion. “INCOMING!!” Stormwinds looked at Rose and said, “We’ve got to fly up! Up, out of the blast!” Stormwinds and Rose flared their wings and shot up into the sky. Splash cast a defensive shield spell, hoping that the shield would be strong enough to keep him from being incinerated. The fireball connected with the gate, and Splash’s world went black. *** “Damn! There goes our primary advantage!” “Do you think the captain survived, sir?!” “I don’t know! But we’ve got to help our fellow soldiers!” Rose nodded, and both pegasi dove toward their foe. ************ Cyclone chuckled as his soldiers swarmed through the destroyed gate. A flash of gold out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to a pegasus in full plate armor landing in the middle of a group of his soldiers. The plated pegasus rose to full height and began swinging a twinblade, causing chaos in Cyclone’s ranks. Cyclone knew of only one soldier who preferred full plate armor and a twinblade. “General,” Cyclone murmured to himself, smiling faintly. He began walking toward the General, going faster as he neared the General, reaching a full sprint, gripping his greatsword’s hilt with both hands. Roaring, Cyclone swung his greatsword. *** Stormwinds dodged the swing from the roaring pegasus, stabbing another jackalope with his twinblade, killing the warrior. He called out, knowing who the pegasus was, “Hello, Hurricane! How are you?!” “Autumn!” The larger warrior bellowed, “It is good to see you again! This time, I will beat you!” “I’d like to see you try!” Cyclone swung his greatsword, only for Stormwinds to block the swing with a blade of his twinblade. Stormwinds dashed forward, and unleashed a flurry of attacks that cut deep into Hurricane’s dark grey armor. The slashes drew no blood, but the flurry staggered Hurricane, allowing the older stallion to recover from the flurry, leap back, and rush at the younger, but larger stallion. Cyclone dodged the flurry of attacks from the General, and smiled. *** Even after a duel that had taken the better part of an hour, Stormwinds still proved he was the better swordspony. Cyclone snarled, and decided to try a different attack. Stormwinds bolted toward the larger pegasus. Cyclone swung his greatsword again at Stormwinds, but using the flat side of his blade. Stormwinds noticed the blade coming at him, and jumped up out of the way. Or would have, if it weren’t for the fact that the flatter side of the blade made the contact surface much wider. The blade made contact with his torso and sent him flying. The General slammed full force into a wall and slid down the wall. Groaning, he rolled over onto his hands and knees. A shadow covered him and he looked up. It was Cyclone, glaring down at him. “Why, Hurricane? Why would you do something like this, turning against us?” Cyclone snarled, “Because the Council is corrupt, Autumn. They turned a blind eye to my concerns about Clover. You know what happened next.” “Clover still lives… You failed to kill her.” Cyclone tsked. “Guess this time, I’ll have to make sure to kill her.” Stormwinds looked back down, and responded, “You’ll fail.” “Perhaps. Perhaps not. It won’t matter for you, though.” Cyclone hefted his greatsword up and swung it down at the General. Stormwinds closed his eyes and waited for the blade to connect. *** The blade didn’t connect. Cyclone’s eyes went wide as he noticed a black armored knight-like figure, standing in front of Stormwinds, blocking his greatsword with its shield. “General Stormwinds,” it said, addressing the stunned soldier, “can you stand?” Stormwinds stood. The figure nodded, “Good. Now, get your weapon, assemble what’s left of your soldiers, and run!” Stormwinds nodded, and did as he was told. “Run! Run! Get out of here!” The General bolted away. The black knight slapped away Cyclone’s greatsword, and kicked Cyclone in the chest, knocking him over. The knight drove its sword down at the pegasus, only for the pegasus to roll out of the way. “Retreat,” the knight barked, “run away and never return!” “Never!” “You must! Or I will kill you!” Cyclone roared, and gripped his greatsword with both hands and rushed the knight, who smacked away the greatsword, out of Cyclone’s grip, and stabbed the pegasus through the heart. Cyclone collapsed to his knees. The black knight chuckled evilly. “See, that’s what you… Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Cyclone stood, and grabbed the knight by the helmet, and tore its helmet off, revealing a stallion under the armor. The knight recoiled, and glared at the defiant pegasus, orange eyes filled with anger. Ashen hair reached down to his shoulders, showing how old he was. Pale green fur with the telltale grey fur covering scars denoted his experience in war. Cyclone felt one of the knight’s hands clamp around his neck. “I have fought the demons of Izalith! I found my weapon and armor charred black and my hair turned the color of ash because of said demons! My lord is gone and those I served with scattered!” Dropping the black knight’s helmet in an attempt to appease the knight, Cyclone found himself flung through the air by the knight. The knight picked up his helm and pulled it on. Retrieving his fallen weapon, the knight spat, “The next time I face you, I will kill you.” The knight sheathed his weapon, and walked away. “Goodbye, Hurricane,” he said, “may we clash again, or perhaps not.” The demonic-looking helm turned to look at the fallen stallion, “Good luck.” Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
IntroductionWhen the Inferno Empire fell after the Fire Queen's Death Nova, the five Pony races split from each other and formed their own empires. The Earth Ponies, the mightiest of the Mortal Races, formed the Earth Kingdom with agricultural and industrial strength unmatched by the other three. They are renowned for producing mighty war hammers and heavy armors that are extremely durable and excellently crafted, along with produce that is held to be the most delicious in all the world. The Immortals, the mightiest of their heavy infantry, are reputed to never number less than fifteen thousand warriors. The Unicorns, the most intelligent of the Mortal Races and skilled in the manipulation of magic, created the Empire of Canterlot, an empire of magical might hidden away in the Basalt Valley. Renowned for mighty spells, runes, talismans, amulets, and enchantments, the Unicorns bear an unfortunate curse. For those who are lucky, the overload of their magic results in death. Those that are not lucky are transformed into abominations and either exiled or destroyed by the Heralds, a force of seven thousand and five hundred of the mightiest of the Unicorn battlemages and executioners of magical abominations. The Pegasi, the most agile of the Mortal Races and skilled in the art of flight, utilized their innate cloud manipulation to create a Cloud Hegemony floating high above those that would seek to destroy them. With the ability to control the weather, the Pegasi create mighty tempests and lightning storms to aid them in battle. Pegasi are the most fragile of the Mortal Races, however, their agility allows for swift, graceful strikes in combat. The Spectres, five thousand of the greatest warriors of the Pegasi, are renowned for their dragonslaying ability. The Crystal Ponies, the largest and most robust of the Mortal Races, journeyed into the Far North, simultaneously isolating themselves from the rest of the world and providing them with a climate better suited for them. The occasional expedition force from the Far North proves that they still exist. Due to their unwavering faith, the Crystal Ponies are known for their Chaplains, who are both preacher and warrior-priest. The Alicorns, the mightiest of all five Pony races, disappeared months after the Inferno Empire’s fall, taking their eldritch knowledge and natural unification ability of the Mortal Races with them. The Three Empires of the Earth Ponies, the Unicorns, and the Pegasi at an uneasy peace for two millennia, were reunited by six ponies, two from each race. Hurricane Iscariot, Golden Pansy, Leafed Clover, Twinkling Platinum, Chocolate Puddinghead, and Smart Cookie, these six ponies, the Unifiers, used the Power of Harmony to drive the Windigos into extinction and purge the land of Equestria, ancient homeland of the five Pony races, of the Forces of Chaos. United Equestria, formed in the aftermath of the Great Purge, stood for ten years before it was shaken to its core. However, even the mightiest heroes fall. Hurricane Iscariot, Commander of the Pegasi forces, betrayed Leafed Clover, striking her down as the mare prepared to present her latest combat spell to the United Equestria Military Council. Only Hurricane and Smart Cookie, the first Matriarch of the Apple Clan, were witnesses to this event. Smart Cookie, however, denied witnessing the event three times, before breaking down upon hearing the call of a nearby raven. Hurricane was arrested and found guilty of attempting murder, stripped of his rank, and exiled from United Equestria. Before leaving the country he helped create behind, Hurricane vowed to oppose United Equestria with all his might. Twenty five years have since passed. Without the guidance of Commander Hurricane, United Equestria’s military has weakened and grown content. A new threat is rising, and new heroes must rise to defend United Equestria, or lose everything that the peaceful nation stands for and become subject to the new threat… Author's Note Oh, yes. A new story begins. If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
Prologue: The Lord Soul33 After Unity (AU) Canterlot, the capital of United Equestria The Slums A pegasus mare walked down a cobblestone road, drawing quick glances or sharp glares of anger from the ponies she passed. The mare, with light grey fur, rose eyes, and white hair and tail, was out of place in the Slums, where the poor of Canterlot resided. Wearing finely tailored clothes, she was a noble. However, even the merchants in the rest of Canterlot could not get their hands on all of the exotic and rare items that some nobles demanded. In the event that a noble wanted to acquire an item that weren’t available through the merchants, they were guaranteed to find it in the Slums, being offered at a high price. But, when a pony has enough money to live among the nobles, price is of little importance. Shaking her head to clear away her thoughts, the mare pushed open the door to a blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith, busily working away at his anvil, snapped his head up to look at his visitor. “Ah,” he said, “a noble!” The pegasus smiled. The blacksmith finished the sword he was working on, and placed the weapon in a bucket of water to cool the red-hot metal. He rushed over and extended a clawed hand. Taking the griffon’s hand, the pegasus said, “Thank you for your kindness.” Having shook hands, the griffon waved a hand dismissively, “‘Tis nothing. My people are raised to respect nobility, be it griffon, pony, or otherwise.” The pegasus nodded. “So,” the griffon prompted, “what brings you here?” “I need ten pieces of Twinkling Titanite, a small bag of Green Titanite Shards, a bag of White Titanite Chunks, and a White Titanite Slab.” The griffon smiled in understanding, “Making a divine weapon, eh?” The pegasus nodded in response. “I have already acquired the embers required to ascend the weapon to divine.” “I see,” the griffon smith said, “I’ll be right back with those materials.” The mare brushed a lock of hair back into place and walked over to the sword that sat in the water bucket. Pulling it out, she inspected the weapon. The blade was straight to start, but curved as to resemble a sickle. “Ah,” she said, recognizing the weapon, “a khopesh.” “Indeed!” The gravelly voice of the griffon smith replied, “A noble ordered that weapon.” “Really?” “Yep. No idea why, but when you’re paid well for your work, who cares?” “True.” The griffon handed the mare a pack, and the mare handed the griffon the sword. Opening the pack, the mare was surprised to see a trio of dragon scales resting on the white titanite slab. “Why are there scales in here?” “They’re in there free of charge. If you’re going to purchase such expensive items, I might as well include some more exotic ones.” The mare nodded, acknowledging the wisdom in such an action. “How much?” “Two platinum pieces.” The mare, having prepared for such a purchase, handed over the two coins. The smith inspected the coins, ensuring that they were genuine. He smiled, and said, “Enjoy your purchase and have a nice day.” “And you as well.” The mare turned to leave the shop and pulled open the door. She froze as a chill ran up her spine, ruffling the feathers of her wings. There was only one pony she knew of that wielded a khopesh-like sword. Her father. She left the shop, feeling dread all the way out of the Slums. **** “Mother! I’m home!” An older pegasus mare rushed over to her daughter and hugged her, “Hailstorm! You’re safe!” Hailstorm smiled, noticing the feeling of dread dissipate, and hugged her mother. “Of course I am. Pansy’s trained me well in the art of the sword. ‘Sides, I don’t go anywhere without a shortsword on me.” Her mother chuckled, “You’re just like your father.” Hailstorm watched the smile fade from the older mare’s face. “Just like him…” Hailstorm sighed, painfully aware of how saddening memories of her father were on her mother. ************ Meanwhile… Village in the Western Deserts “Lord Cyclone!” The white-haired pegasus looked up from his work. “Yes?” “We’ve found something! Something from the Inferno Empire!” Cyclone bolted upright, knocking his chair away from him. The chair broke against the floor. Wings flaring, Cyclone commanded, “Show me.” The smaller figure, a jackalope, nodded in fearful obedience. *** The sound of boots clanking against the stones in the ancient temple alerted the group of jackalopes to the approach of their ruler. Face contorted in anger, fire in his rose eyes, wings flared out behind him, making him appear much larger than he was. Cyclone stared at the jackalopes, who were standing around something. They moved aside to allow the stallion access to the object they were crowded around. A small metal box sat partially obscured by debris. Grabbing the box, the pegasus smiled. “Oh,” he observed, feeling the power emanating from the box, “this is wonderful.” Removing the top of the box, what Cyclone saw made him smile. A brightly glowing crystal rested inside the box. “What is it?” Cyclone looked at the jackalope who asked and responded, “This? This crystal contains a Lord Soul.” “A Lord Soul?” “Something of unimaginable power…” Taking a hold of the crystal, Cyclone tossed the rest of the box away. Crushing the crystal in his hand, the pegasus felt as the power of the Lord Soul wound its way into his body, eventually fusing with his soul. Pain soon erupted in his forehead, causing him to groan in pain and place a hand upon his forehead, falling to his knees. “Lord Cyclone?” The pegasus looked up at the jackalope who asked the question. He smiled, and inquired, noticing an echo in his voice, “Yes?” “Are you alright?” The smile Cyclone wore became wider, more sinister. “Oh, yes. Don’t worry, I am quite fine.” The jackalopes sighed in relief. “And I’ll be even better once I’ve disposed of you fools.” The jackalopes all froze in fear. Screams soon echoed throughout the temple. ************ Meanwhile… ?????? A golden armored figure sat on its knees, praying. Another figure entered the prayer chamber, pushing the door open slowly, out of reverence for the chamber. The figure, clad in silver armor, tilted its armored head down at the golden figure, evidently waiting for it to finish praying. The praying figure rose from its prayer, and turned around, fixing its steel blue gaze on the silver figure. It inquired, a questioning tone in its rich voice, "Yes, knight?" "Captain," the silver knight responded, "the Dark Sun requests your presence. It is a matter of great urgency." The Captain nodded. "Very well, return to your duties." "Yes, Captain." The silver knight left. The Captain frowned. The Dark Sun rarely requested its presence, preferring to be in the company of her Legionaries. Sighing, the Captain pulled on its helmet, picked up its spear and left the prayer chamber, closing the door behind it. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
Chapter One: The GeneralTwo Years Later… Western Border of United Equestria A unicorn sat in his office, reclining back in his chair, legs propped up on his desk. Being the commander of the guard post, he frowned as he thought about his assignment. “A dead end career in a dead end post,” he sighed. “Oh well, at least I’m not one of those sods that are on the frontlines of war…” “Captain Splash!” Splash shrieked in terror as his lieutenant burst into the office. In his panic, Splash fell back onto the floor. Upon regaining some composure, he barked, “WHAT?!” “General Stormwinds is here to inspect the guard post!” “Right! ...Right!” The lieutenant rolled her eyes, sighing in disappointment. *** Captain Splash, now clad in his full plate armor, noted how well his soldiers stood at attention and in a line. He and his officers stood at attention, as well. A small smile formed on his face. General Stormwinds, an old pegasus stallion clad in full plate armor unlike that Splash had ever seen before. The armor, the color of old gold with bronze trim on the pauldrons, seemed heavy for the pegasus' frame, while his helmet bore a transverse emerald green crest. The general was not wearing his helmet, however, allowing his short* light gold hair to blow a little in the wind. His olive green eyes seemed to be too young for his face. These were surrounded by light blue fur. The general was walking down the line of soldiers, calling for their weapons to be brandished, allowing him to inspect the weapons. After a brief look over of a weapon, Stormwinds handed the weapon back to its owner, making a short comment about the weapon’s state. Staring straight ahead, Splash felt his palms become sweaty as the general neared him. The General would surely find a way to… “Weapon.” Stormwinds had come to the younger captain. Presenting his glaive to the general, Splash felt anxiety wash over him. Looking over the glaive, Stormwinds nodded, and handed back the polearm. “Well,” he said, “everything’s in order. Good job.” “So,” Splash prompted, “is there anything we can improve on?” “Ya’ll need some good ol’ fashioned discipline. That’s what you need.” Splash suddenly found the ground interesting and directed his gaze to the ground. A chuckle drew his attention back to the general. “Anyway,” the general said, “I’m done with my inspection.” “Sir?” Splash was surprised. Inspections usually took much longer than Stormwinds’ inspection. “I could inspect all of the guard outpost, as I normally do. But, since this outpost is on the western border of our country, I inspected your men only.” “Why?” “An inspection of a garrison naturally means that the garrison is unprepared for an enemy attack. I will not have a border outpost be easily captured because I decided to inspect its garrison.” “Oh,” Splash nodded, more out of respect for the general than understanding, “I-I see.” Stormwinds tapped the captain on the shoulder. “Come on,” he said, smiling slightly, “let’s go have some something to eat. I hear that your chef is superb!” Splash nodded, “Yes, yes, she is!” *** While the general and the captain had taken the officers to go have the chef make them some food, the rest of the garrison were ordered to return to their duties. This did not bother most of the soldiers, all of whom understood that the general was not going to stay at the post for very long. However, a few of the soldiers took offense. “How can the general come here and waste our food stocks?! Can he not go and waste some other garrison’s stocks?!” “Easy, sister,” the soldier’s younger sister, sitting at a wooden table, replied, “if General Stormwinds is like any of the other generals, he will not take kindly to those words.” The other mare opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, seeing the wisdom of her sister’s words. She merely nodded in response. “Besides,” continued the younger mare, “he’ll likely leave tomorrow morning.” The older mare nodded, sighing. “Alright, alright.” “Come,” the younger sister said, as she gestured to a chair across the table from her, “sit.” “You’re right,” the older sister agreed, and sat on the chair indicated by her sister. “I do need to sit down.” The younger mare grabbed a rag and a bucket of water and removed her armor, intending to clean it. “There’s just one thing I don’t get.” “What’s that?” “Why would the general come here?” “This is an outpost along the Western Border,” the younger sister replied, not looking up from her armor, “and while General Stormwinds may not be the stallion in charge of this region, that honor is Lord Malachite's, he is the military leader of this region.” “I know that,” the older sister retorted, “but why here? Why this border outpost in particular? What makes this place so special?” The younger sister frowned, pausing her cleaning, “I don’t know, sister. I don’t know.” The sound of metal-shod feet walking across the dirt near them drew both mares’ attention. General Stormwinds, once again fully armored, with the exception of his helmet, was marching toward the wall. He extended his wings and flapped them powerfully to propel himself up to the wall’s top. The mares, watching from their table, knew that the pegasus had been called by one of the wall sentries. *** “Something you wanted, soldier?” The soldier nodded, and pointed down the valley. Stormwinds looked where the soldier pointed, and frowned. “I don’t see anything,” he said, “not in great detail, anyway.” “Oh,” the soldier said, slapping her head, and offered the general a portable telescope. Taking the portable telescope, the general looked again. He made a soft growl. “What is it, sir?” Handing back the portable telescope, Stormwinds replied, “Get the captain. Now.” “Yes, sir!” Zzap! The soldier, being a unicorn, teleported away. Stormwinds frowned, shaking his head. The sharp, pungent smell that hung in the air after a unicorn teleported was one of the few smells that Stormwinds hated. He sighed and looked at the horizon. “It’s come to this. A trial by fire for a lot of these soldiers.” He looked back at the outpost, frowning slightly. He knew full well that the soldiers within the walls were not as well trained as he would have like. He looked away. Zzap! Captain Splash teleported next to the general. “You called, general?” “Yes,” Stormwinds replied, “there’s an enemy force advancing toward us. They’ll reach us in the next six hours.” “I’ll prepare the defenses.” Stormwinds nodded. “Don’t worry, sir,” Splash said, confidently, “my men, while not as well trained as you’d like, are far superior to the enemy in every way. ‘Cept numbers, of course.” “I just hope that their training will be enough for them to get through this upcoming battle… alive.” “As do I, sir, as do I.” *Short being a relative term for this era. “Long hair” generally refers to hair long enough for a mare to sit on it. “Short hair” means roughly shoulder length and longer. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
Chapter Two: The Western Pass, Part One: PreparationsFive hours had passed since General Stormwinds and Captain Splash became aware of an enemy force advancing through the valley towards the outpost. The garrison, trained enough to be able handle themselves in melee combat, or so both Stormwinds and Splash hoped, were ready for battle. General Stormwinds smiled as he swept his gaze over the assembled soldiers that stood before him. Standing atop the stone wall of the outpost, he could easily see all the soldiers. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking. Smiling, he raised his head and began to speak. “Soldiers! Within the hour, our position will come under attack from an enemy that you have will have likely, at the very least, heard of! They are the Jackalopes!” Murmuring immediately started among the assembled soldiers. “Yes, yes, I know. I know what you are thinking. How can rabbits with antlers be much of a threat? They certainly aren’t as dangerous as, say, a dragon. But do not underestimate these jackalopes! They have the advantage in numbers! But, fear not! We have been trained in the art of war, they have not! We also have the advantage of being in an already fortified position with advanced warning of our foe! If we use the advantages that we have at our disposal, I believe that we can pull off this task and make them turn back and flee! Will you stand with me?!” The soldiers cheered as this speech inspired them. Captain Splash, standing next to the general, said, “However, if we are not at our positions, we will not succeed! Therefore, to your positions!” The soldiers cheered once more, and then dispersed to go to their various positions. Splash, smiling as his subordinates fulfilled their various tasks well, rested a hand on the general’s shoulder. “That was a nice speech, General,” he complimented, “it really inspired them.” Stormwinds replied, cheerfully, “Thanks!” He murmured to himself, “I’m not very good at speeches…” “What was that, General?” Stormwinds waved a hand dismissively. “Come,” he commanded, “we must be ready to lead our army in this upcoming fight.” “Indeed.” ************ “Lord Cyclone!” The white-haired pegasus, towering over even crystal ponies, glanced down at the unicorn and asked, “What?” “The ponies in the outpost have been preparing for us! They knew we were coming!” “It matters not, Arcaeus.” “What do you mean, my lord?” The pegasus snorted. “Even if our soldiers are slaughtered by the defenders, you and I are the mightiest warriors of our nation. We will not fail in this task.” Arcaeus nodded, understanding his lord’s wisdom. “Yes, of course,” he responded, “I understand.” He pulled on his helmet and hefted his great axe up to his shoulder. “Shall I accompany you into battle?” Cyclone shook his head, to Arcaeus’ choler, “Fear not, my loyal Arcaeus. Remain here with the elite guard. I will call for assistance from you if I need it.” Arcaeus looked away, sighing. “As you wish.” Cyclone rested a hand on Arcaeus’ shoulder. “Don’t worry, the battle should go well. I will be leading the second wave.” “Of course, my lord.” ************ “There they are!” One of the wall sentries barked, his voice bringing Stormwinds over. The general barked, “Ballistas! Are you ready?!” “Yes, General!” “Archers?!” “Ready, General!” “Captain! Are your men ready?!” Splash replied, “Ready as they’ll ever be!” The general nodded, picked his helmet up from the ground and pulled it on. Taking his twinblade from one of the soldiers, Stormwinds hefted the weapon up, resting the hilt on his shoulder. This is it… The moment of truth… for all of us. ****** Captain Splash spread a map across the table. He rested two fingers on a circle on the map. “This,” he began, speaking to all of the assembled officers, “is this outpost. Where we are now.” He moved his fingers to a valley. “This hostile force, as you don’t send an army to an border outpost to chat, is coming through the valley. We don’t have as much time as we’d like to have to prepare a defense. Now, anyone have suggestions?” “We could move the ballistas into positions at the western wall,” one of the officers said, “that way, we could thin out their numbers a bit with the ballista bolts.” “The archers also need to be moved into positions with the ballistas, too. That will allow us to continue thinning their numbers,” another officer added. “General, what about you?” Stormwinds looked up at Splash, frowning. “If the jackalopes get past the wall, we’ll need to be ready to fight in melee. Are your soldiers ready for that brutality?” “They’ve been trained as well as they can without special training,” Splash replied, “but since Commander Hurricane was exiled… I fear that the quality of our military’s training has degraded. Severely.” Stormwinds nodded, knowing full well that Hurricane was heavily involved in overseeing the training of new soldiers. “The jackalopes may be barbarians, and even more poorly trained than your soldiers,” Stormwinds cautioned, “but do not underestimate them. They will overrun us with their multitude if they committed themselves to their assault.” Splash frowned, realizing that the older stallion was right. He nodded, once again out of respect for his superior officer, and not from experience. “Now,” Stormwinds continued, “their leader will, most likely, be leading the first wave. Since we don’t know anything about their leader, use the utmost caution you can if you have to engage him.” “Of course, General.” Stormwinds tsked in response, shaking his head. He murmured something derisive under his breath. He shrugged, “Ah, well. That’s all I’ve got for you officers. Let’s get to work, shall we?” All of the officers, Captain Splash included, nodded. ****** Stormwinds chuckled, softly to himself. He paused, and looked to his right and up. A large knight, sitting atop the defensive wall, coated in armor charred black was staring at him. Stormwinds cocked his head to the side. The Black Knight stood, turned away, and walked away. Stormwinds sighed. Splash spoke up, “Something wrong, General?” The general shook his head. “No. Just saw one of those Black Knights that wander Lordran.” “Oh. I see.” Splash knew about the Black Knights, mainly through tales and old legends. He frowned. If one of the Black Knights is here… What does that mean for us? *** A rumbling sound soon reached the ears of the general. He lowered his twinblade from his shoulder and gripped the weapon with his left hand. “They’re very close now… Very, very close…” “Are you sure?” “You’ll hear it… Soon enough.” The captain opened his mouth to reply, when he heard what the general had heard as well. He tightened the grip on his glaive, frowning. His frown slowly morphed into a smile. This was going to be fun. His smile grew bigger. Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
Chapter Two: The Western Pass, Part Two: The BattleThe first wave of jackalopes rushed the defensive wall. Although very thinned by the defenders’ ballistas and archers, enough of their number made it to the wall to begin their attack on the wall. *** “Kick those ladders down!” “Keep them off of the wall!” Officers and sergeants began barking orders to their subordinates, in an attempt to keep control of the wall’s top. Captain Splash had joined his men up on the wall, not wanting to let his men take all of the credit, or so he had convinced himself. He frowned as he drove the blade of his glaive into a jackalope’s head, stopping the warrior from climbing up the ladder. He then kicked the ladder down, slowing the jackalope assault down a little bit. One of the warriors would eventually pick up the ladder and set it back into place. And the next warrior to come up the ladder would soon perish to another soldier’s blade and the ladder would be kicked down again. Or one of the soldiers would take a torch to the ladder and turn it to ashes. Movement at the edge of his vision drew Splash’s attention to a jackalope and one of the archers engaged in a sword duel. The archer, having run out of arrows for her longbow, had drawn her broadsword and engaged one of the nearby jackalopes. The mare blocked a slash from the jackalope and delivered a thrust at the warrior. The warrior dodged to the left, but ended up with a cut across his right cheek, deep enough to draw blood. Splash began jogging toward the pair, holding his glaive with the blade pointed outwards, intending to stab at the jackalope once he was in range of the jackalope. He slowed to a walk and rested the shaft of his glaive on his shoulder as he saw the archer get inside of the jackalope’s swing, grab his sword arm, and run him through with her sword. The jackalope dropped his sword, his body going limp as he died. The archer planted a foot on the jackalope’s body and kicked his lifeless body off of the wall. “Next time,” the mare stated, flicking her broadsword to clean the blood of its blade, “try harder to hit me. Well, obviously, you won’t. But the thought counts. I suppose.” “Excellent work,” Splash complemented, “I’m glad to see that someone payed attention in sword training.” The archer nodded, pulling out a small cloth to finish cleaning her sword. She turned, and looked at her superior, and smiled, slightly. “Now,” Splash said, “who are you?” The archer shrugged. “I’m Shimmering Rose.” Splash nodded. A sound of a horn drew the attention of both Rose and Splash. “The jackalopes,” Rose said, “they’re retreating?” “Only to regroup, likely with the second wave.” Stormwinds had joined the two ponies, blood having been splattered on his armor and twinblade. “That your blood, General?” “No. It’s all jackalope.” He tapped his chestplate, proudly. “Geisteel is very tough, very durable, and light enough for a pegasus to wear a full suit of it.” Splash nodded, looking at the retreating horde. “They’ll be back soon, won’t they?” “Yes, they will.” ************ Cyclone frowned, face hidden by his helmet. The United Equestria outpost had defeated the first wave of his assault. He wondered who was leading the soldiers, as he knew that the quality of United Equestria’s army had severely declined in the last twenty five years. He watched impassively as his plate armored soldiers pushed past the retreating soldiers, who were not as well armored. One soldier, he noticed, was being borne on the shoulder of one the other soldiers, his only major wound being a wound from being run through with a sword. The wound had been bandaged, allowing him to survive the wound. Flicking his left arm out to the side, he ignited his pyromancy flame and smiled. He would use his pyromancy to destroy the gate to the outpost. Then, he would take on the outpost’s commander. Cyclone and his soldiers were close to the outpost. Very, very close. ************ Splash’s eyes went wide as he saw the large pegasus in the center of the advancing jackalopes draw his left hand back and swing it in a throwing motion. “INCOMING!!” Stormwinds looked at Rose and said, “We’ve got to fly up! Up, out of the blast!” Stormwinds and Rose flared their wings and shot up into the sky. Splash cast a defensive shield spell, hoping that the shield would be strong enough to keep him from being incinerated. The fireball connected with the gate, and Splash’s world went black. *** “Damn! There goes our primary advantage!” “Do you think the captain survived, sir?!” “I don’t know! But we’ve got to help our fellow soldiers!” Rose nodded, and both pegasi dove toward their foe. ************ Cyclone chuckled as his soldiers swarmed through the destroyed gate. A flash of gold out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to a pegasus in full plate armor landing in the middle of a group of his soldiers. The plated pegasus rose to full height and began swinging a twinblade, causing chaos in Cyclone’s ranks. Cyclone knew of only one soldier who preferred full plate armor and a twinblade. “General,” Cyclone murmured to himself, smiling faintly. He began walking toward the General, going faster as he neared the General, reaching a full sprint, gripping his greatsword’s hilt with both hands. Roaring, Cyclone swung his greatsword. *** Stormwinds dodged the swing from the roaring pegasus, stabbing another jackalope with his twinblade, killing the warrior. He called out, knowing who the pegasus was, “Hello, Hurricane! How are you?!” “Autumn!” The larger warrior bellowed, “It is good to see you again! This time, I will beat you!” “I’d like to see you try!” Cyclone swung his greatsword, only for Stormwinds to block the swing with a blade of his twinblade. Stormwinds dashed forward, and unleashed a flurry of attacks that cut deep into Hurricane’s dark grey armor. The slashes drew no blood, but the flurry staggered Hurricane, allowing the older stallion to recover from the flurry, leap back, and rush at the younger, but larger stallion. Cyclone dodged the flurry of attacks from the General, and smiled. *** Even after a duel that had taken the better part of an hour, Stormwinds still proved he was the better swordspony. Cyclone snarled, and decided to try a different attack. Stormwinds bolted toward the larger pegasus. Cyclone swung his greatsword again at Stormwinds, but using the flat side of his blade. Stormwinds noticed the blade coming at him, and jumped up out of the way. Or would have, if it weren’t for the fact that the flatter side of the blade made the contact surface much wider. The blade made contact with his torso and sent him flying. The General slammed full force into a wall and slid down the wall. Groaning, he rolled over onto his hands and knees. A shadow covered him and he looked up. It was Cyclone, glaring down at him. “Why, Hurricane? Why would you do something like this, turning against us?” Cyclone snarled, “Because the Council is corrupt, Autumn. They turned a blind eye to my concerns about Clover. You know what happened next.” “Clover still lives… You failed to kill her.” Cyclone tsked. “Guess this time, I’ll have to make sure to kill her.” Stormwinds looked back down, and responded, “You’ll fail.” “Perhaps. Perhaps not. It won’t matter for you, though.” Cyclone hefted his greatsword up and swung it down at the General. Stormwinds closed his eyes and waited for the blade to connect. *** The blade didn’t connect. Cyclone’s eyes went wide as he noticed a black armored knight-like figure, standing in front of Stormwinds, blocking his greatsword with its shield. “General Stormwinds,” it said, addressing the stunned soldier, “can you stand?” Stormwinds stood. The figure nodded, “Good. Now, get your weapon, assemble what’s left of your soldiers, and run!” Stormwinds nodded, and did as he was told. “Run! Run! Get out of here!” The General bolted away. The black knight slapped away Cyclone’s greatsword, and kicked Cyclone in the chest, knocking him over. The knight drove its sword down at the pegasus, only for the pegasus to roll out of the way. “Retreat,” the knight barked, “run away and never return!” “Never!” “You must! Or I will kill you!” Cyclone roared, and gripped his greatsword with both hands and rushed the knight, who smacked away the greatsword, out of Cyclone’s grip, and stabbed the pegasus through the heart. Cyclone collapsed to his knees. The black knight chuckled evilly. “See, that’s what you… Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Cyclone stood, and grabbed the knight by the helmet, and tore its helmet off, revealing a stallion under the armor. The knight recoiled, and glared at the defiant pegasus, orange eyes filled with anger. Ashen hair reached down to his shoulders, showing how old he was. Pale green fur with the telltale grey fur covering scars denoted his experience in war. Cyclone felt one of the knight’s hands clamp around his neck. “I have fought the demons of Izalith! I found my weapon and armor charred black and my hair turned the color of ash because of said demons! My lord is gone and those I served with scattered!” Dropping the black knight’s helmet in an attempt to appease the knight, Cyclone found himself flung through the air by the knight. The knight picked up his helm and pulled it on. Retrieving his fallen weapon, the knight spat, “The next time I face you, I will kill you.” The knight sheathed his weapon, and walked away. “Goodbye, Hurricane,” he said, “may we clash again, or perhaps not.” The demonic-looking helm turned to look at the fallen stallion, “Good luck.” Author's Note If you have any suggestions, feedback, concerns, or want to ask me any questions, leave them in the comments below. Thanks!
