Shadow Flame (The War of Azgaren)

Shadow Flame

(The War of Azgaren)

Chapter 1: The fall of a King and the Rise of Darkness

The Sounds of war rang out throughout the land, the noise of swords clashing, spells flying, and the screaming of ponies in pain. The King was running through the woods swiftly, the gleaming battle axe on his back was reflecting the hellish dark red sky back at its horrid self.

"How, How could all of this happen so fast…. the planet…..my Queen, I'm sorry there was nothing I could do. I...I'm all but powerless against this foe, even this ancient weapon…all but powerless…."

"Hahahaaa…." A female voice of dark power laughed.

"So you've followed me here have you?"

"Why yes…I couldn't have you just taking the axe, you know it's the one thing that could even scratch me."

"I will fight you if I have to, no matter how dark and twisted you are, you are my daughter and I believe it is through me that this horrible atrocity happened to you. Your sister is pure she is inclined to the throne! Look at yourself you will never be able to rule this planet peacefully!"

"Peacefulness means nothing to me "Father"! I am going to rule this planet through fear,power, and war!"

The king took the axe off his back and raised it high into the air with one arm, powerful orange magic started swirling around it into a vortex. It then shot a beam high into the air, lighting the dark night. It seemed to stretch on into the heavens.

"Listen now Ponies of Azgaren Darkness is going to set over this land. But do not lose hope for this planet will one day again return to the peaceful place it once was. Never give up, your king loves every one of you and the true princess and heir to the throne still lives. She will return I swear it! When she does look to her for guidance follow her every command unwillingly and through you and her this planet will be saved! Never give up the fight! Now my Ponies….FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING YOU LOVE!!!!!"

The kings voice rang throughout the entire planet, inspiring all able warriors to fight the darkness and madness surrounding the planet and giving an extra boost to the ones that already were.

The king now clutched the axe with two hooves looking onto his daughter the Princess of darkness. she was the ringleader of all this fighting.

"I must protect my people and if that means that I have to attempt to strike down my own flesh and blood so be it!"

The princess looked at the axe and smiled

"Well I don't think you need to worry about that, you should be more worried for your own life old man!"

As she said this two tendrils of dark energy erupted from her shoulders and went flying towards the king. He was able to cut one out of the way but the other straightening out to the point of a spear and pierced his left shoulder.

"Argh!" shouted the king in pain as he lifted the axe and cut the tendril, as soon as the tendril was severed it disintegrated into the air. He took an offensive stance and charged the princess clearing the distance between them almost instantly, he swung at her head. The axe cut through the air making a fast swishing sound, then crashed into the ground. he missed.

"Too slow old man!" said the princess mockingly

"What?, UGH!!-"

The king looked down to see a dark point sticking through his chest. He fell to his knees still gripping the axe, he turned to see his daughter standing there with an evil grin on her face.

"No..No I won't let you destroy my planet, I WONT!"

The king forced himself up squeezed the axe tightly and started swinging viciously at his daughter. She dodged all of the blows with ease. She teleported away from him and grew 5 tendrils out of her back all instantly formed a horrifically sharp point.

"Surrender the axe old man, you've been bested."

"You will have to pray it from my cold dead hooves monster!" shouted the king.

"Fine then!" the princess lunged towards the king with the 5 points forward, the king swung into them in an attempt to parry, but the tendrils opened and the axe swung clear through and hit into the ground. The 5 points then quickly reformed and all pierced his chest.

"AARRRGHHHUGH! No……" cried the king in pain. The tendrils started fading into the air.

"Never you will NEVER have this axe!" He raised the axe again with one arm, it started glowing a faint orange color.

"Only the true savior of this planet may wield this axe, their heart and mind must be pure. Let me hope that they, unlike me can be strong enough to stand against corruption."

The king slammed the Axe into large stump,

"Let only ponies true to the cause here. That is my final wish Eclipse..Please for me…make it come true! I give you what is left of my power!"

A haze of black and orange magic started forming around the king and the axe.

"……….so be it………." Whispered a distant shadowy voice

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" shouted the princess as she rushed towards the axe.

A magical force immediately expelled her, knocking her into the air. The axe was now glowing with a faint orange barrier around it. It started flashing and emitting pulses of power that knocked the princess back every time it released energy.

"AGHH, You damned fool!, I will claim what is mine in time to come!" shouted the princess as she flew from the forest.

"Thank you old friend, for making my final wish come to life."

"…I'm not your friend, I do what I wish for whom I want. You realize that what you have done here to the forest will make it nearly impossible for anypony to enter and they will most likely die trying to get to the axe."

"I know" the king coughed and blood shot from his mouth.

"That will also keep the evil ones away from it, and I'm sure the one true hero will be able to retrieve it and save this world."

The king coughed again and fell onto his back, looking up at the dark red sky through the thickly overgrown woods, his eyes started to close as he said,

"Sacred…. I Believe in you, Eclipse told me a long time ago that our planet would be plunged into terror and that you along with a hero of great power from across the stars will together be able to vanquish the dark and return our planet to peace one day."

He clasped a green amulet that he'd been wearing around his neck, on it was a nordic Rune and the letters S.W inlaid with gold.
"Sacred....I love yo...."

The kings eyes closed and as they did the axe began arcing beams power in all directions corrupting everything around it. The trees of the forest grew quickly spitting out wild razor sharp vines, sharp enough to cut a pony to the bone instantly. The ground itself was being corrupted the grass turning a faint dark red color, the once beautiful forest was now a place of terror and corruption.

Even the dead body of the king was taken by the corruption, darkness swirling around and entering it.

"Hmmm a risky option but an effective one…." Said the shadowy distant voice.

The kings body rose, the hole in his chest still bleeding. The blood shining from the light given off by the moon. His eyes now glowing with a vicious red stare, he was taken by the darkness and completely under its control.
He couldn't leave the forest though for it was too thick and if he got too far away from the axe he would fall and be lifeless once again.

"Now we wait" said the shadowy voice

"RRRAAAAAAGGHHHHH" screamed the voice of the newly risen king shooting red dots of blood into the distance.

"NO! The king has fallen and we are ferociously outnumbered retreat!!!" Shouted soldiers from the battlefield surrounding the forest.

"Chase them! Leave no survivors!" Screamed the princess.

As she said this hordes of Ponies wearing dark armor with glowing dark purple manes yelled and charged forward and started obliterating the kings army.

"What are these things?!, they look just like our friends but…but evil! " shouted one of the warriors on the battlefield.

"I'm not sure but their destroying everything, run! They each have the strength of 5 stallions and the skill to match!" Yelled one of the kings infantry .

"Retreat we have no choice! Run to the hills!"

The army of darkness chased what remained of the kings army far from the forest and even farther from the castle where the new princess Ruled over the planet through fear, murder, deception, and war. She sat calmly on her throne as her army of darkness ravaged the land, killing anypony that opposed her.

"Ha father, you were wrong. Look at me now! I'm in control and the whole planet obeys my every command!"

A small band of warriors were hidden, waiting to fight back the darkness each one having special abilities or powers that allowed them to live this long, all they are waiting for is the one true princess to return.