Warhammer Equestria-Wrath of The Blood God

Chapters

Twenty Years Later
The Disciples of Khorne
The Coming Storm
The Horde of Chaos
From Fields of White to Fields of Red
The War Maiden, Lady Emelyn
Honor To The End
Legacy
The Black Knight of Everfree
In loving memory (short chapter)

Twenty Years Later

Twenty years ago the vile Stonehoof tribe lead by King Dain invaded the peaceful land of Equestria in hopes of conquering the kingdom and enslaving its people, in the name of the evil daemon prince of desire; Slaanesh and their dark quest would have succeeded if not for the brave efforts of the knight Valiant Charge who came to be later known as The Iron Wolf, the conflict lasted for almost an entire year with Sir Valiant leading the way along with Princess Twilight and the elements of harmony. The most bloodiest of all those battles took place in the Crystal Empire where King Dain had hoped to steal the Crystal Heart and corrupt it with his evil magic but his plans were thwarted when Valiant and his comrades faced him in an all out battle that would decide the fate of Equestria and during that battle Valiant was chosen as the seventh element of harmony; The element of courage.

With his new found power, Sir Valiant and his friends struck down the evil king thus ending the war and a new era of peace had begun with the kingdoms of Equestria United and stronger than ever.

"The end." Princess Twilight closed the book when she saw two foals sleeping soundly in their beds. The first was her daughter Moonlight who was a unicorn like she was and then there was her twin brother Vanguard who was a Pegasus pony like his father Prince Flash Sentry, both were children that Twilight was proud to have as she kissed them good night while waiting at the door was her husband who smiled happily at his new family.

"Mom?" Vanguard was barely awake when he surprised her.

"What is it sweetie?"

"You think I could meet him one day?"

"Of course." Twilight smiled warmly at her son while he drifted back to sleep and in his hand was a wooden sword which was carved by Valiant himself as a gift for his first birthday.

"Good night my dears." The princess whispered before dimming the lights as she and Flash headed off to bed.

Meanwhile

Valiant had chosen to live in the old castle of the two sisters and rebuilt it as the headquarters for the iron wolves. The castle had been refortified with a stone bridge and gate as the only passage in and out while the walls were given watch towers on each side and finally there was the main gate to the castle now replaced with the hardest steel forged by the griffons. The old hero started out his mornings by training a young squire he had taken on as an apprentice.

"Upper! Lower! Middle!!"

The young one in question was none other than Sir Valiants son; Maximus Cavalier who had always dreamed of being a hero like his father was and one day become leader of the iron wolves, the young colt showed great potential as a swordsman and a rider when his cutie mark appeared in the shape of a jousting lance but was nothing compared to the legend his father had become.

"HA!"

A wooden sword tapped Maxes shoulder after failing to block another of his father's swift attacks and the young squire sulked in defeat but like always his father would ruffle his mane and smile rather than pointlessly yell and lecture him for being a novice, Valiant loved his son and supported his choice to become a knight while his adopted daughter Claire chose to become a map maker and a renowned explorer who was on par with the famous Daring Do who had retired from archaeology years ago. Emelyn had invited her father; Lord Mason Stone to live with them so that she may help take care of him better and because he wanted to be close to his grandchildren.

"Ho ho! Well done my boy!" A grey elderly unicorn with a bushy moustache applauded the young squire as he walked up using a cane. Maximus smiled as he ran up to greet his grandfather while Valiant bowed his head in respect.

"My lord."

"I believe that title now falls to you my boy." The old unicorn chuckled to his son in law.

"Nonsense. I can never forget the man who took me into his home and asked for my service." Valiant responded humbly at his father in law when his wife walked in to the courtyard with a lunch tray for the four of them as the first rays of the sun began to creep over the treetops and the view that followed was breathtaking. A strong breeze flew through the trees as they began to rustle and sway, while a flock of small birds flew from the branches to gather food for their little ones while a few insects began buzzing around the nearby flowers the enjoyment was unfortunately cut short when a frantic guard came rushing towards the family.

"My lord! A letter from the princess of friendship!" He bowed presenting the scroll with the royal seal.

"Twilight?" As Valiant read the letter a look of concern creeped onto his face before nodding to Emelyn and her father who quickly returned to the fortress along with her son. The fort was soon in an uproar as troops began arming themselves while a small handful of wolf riders prepared their mounts in the stables, Valiant had returned to his private quarters to retrieve his old armor and his enchanted sword Blood Bringer. For a while, he stared into his reflection in the breastplate and began to remember the events that transpired twenty years ago; His arrival in ponyville, the battles he and his friends fought together and the many brave soldiers who gave their lives to bring peace to the kingdom.

"Guess it's time again. Eh Blood Bringer?" The knight spoke to his blade as the runes began to glow in response. Piece by piece, Valiant strapped on his armor with some minor difficulty since it had been two decades the last time he wore it yet when he looked in the mirror he barely recognized himself.

"You always did looks good in that." Emelyn was waiting at the entrance when she saw him back in his old armor and smiled happily.

"I don't recall it being so snug though."

"Well you have put on some weight." Emelyn giggled to herself when she suddenly felt a tight grip on her flank as her husband pulled her in close with a devilish smile.

"You're one to talk miss bell bottom."

She squealed as he tightened his grip before sharing a kiss as they headed out the door to find Maximus in his squires outfit. Being the doting mother she is, Emelyn fixed up his shirt and hair while he fussed out of embarrassment as a few of the servants watched and could not help but giggle.

"Mom what's going on?" He asked while she fixed up his hair.

"We're headed to see Princess Twilight so you need to look presentable."

"We're going to see the princess?" Hearing that surprised Max since he had not been to ponyville in a long time and wondered why the princess would want to summon his whole family and so urgently. A small party of wolf riders awaited at the gates with Valiants loyal wolf Fenrir at the head of the pack and despite his old age the old wolf was as imposing as he was twenty years ago and dressed in his old battle armor as he awaited his old master along with his only cubs; Sköll who had belonged to his son and Hati who belonged to his daughter.

"So dad what's this all about?"

"It seems the princess received some news that require my attention. Hopefully it's nothing and your sister Claire will be waiting for us."

"Big sis is gonna be there?!? awesome!"

When he was little, Maximus would always stick to his sister wherever they went and she would sometimes tuck him in after a story but when she left he felt a little disappointed that he could not come with her, seeing her would be the highlight of his visit. The riders were soon off to ponyville as servants bid farewell to the family until they were clear out of sight.

Ponyville

Much had changed in the town of ponyville since the war. The stone wall which had protected the town still stood with guards patrolling every section and the new militia safeguarded the citizens and helped to uphold the laws of the town, the militia was lead by their new captain; Big Macintosh who lived with his wife Fluttershy and their daughter Flower. Big Mac proposed to Fluttershy a month after the war ended, it was hilarious when she squealed yes and the red stallion fell to the ground like a ton of bricks with a goofy smile. It wasn't long until their daughter Flower was born after Princess Twilight had the twins.

Flower was a Pegasus like her mother and had her father's eyes followed by her mothers coat, her mane was orange while her coat was bright yellow and she had a cutie mark in the shape of a sunflower showing her love and knowledge of plants. The young Pegasus was working in the local flower shop when she heard the horns of the riders followed by the ringing of the town bell and pretty soon the whole town was in a frenzy as they rushed to the gate.

"SIR VALIANT!! Sir valiant the iron wolf approaches!!"

The militia formed lines as the gates fanned open and held up their weapons in salute when Valiant rode in waving to the crowd. Though the war was long over the townsfolk had not forgotten one of their great heroes who risked his life to save Equestria and began dropping flower petals from above the gate.

"Welcome back my lord!"

"Hail to you Sir Valiant!"

Among the militia were former members of the iron wolves who had retired to live a more simple life after the war ended mad at the head was Big Mac and his family coming to greet their old friends, while they were catching up Max looked around to find a large number of ponies that new his parents and was even more surprised when a filly approached him with a bouquet.

"Hello max!" She greeted him in a sweet voice but noticed he was a bit confused. The colt leaned in closer to get a better look as she began to blush then it hit him.

"Flower?" Maximus used to hang out with Flower before he moved away and had not seen her since that time but when he recognized her Flower broke out in a happy smile and gave him his present.

"These are for you."

"Honeysuckle! My favorite!" Max excitedly took the first petal and munched it down with satisfaction while his friend smiled.

"Aww how cute!" A male voice called out when Rainbow Dash and Soarin arrived along with their son Wind Slash who was another of maxes old childhood friends and would often tease him about his relationship with Flower whenever they were together.

"The two lovers reunited once again." Like his mother, Slash had a rainbow styled mane which was rough looking and trimmed short. He was also very competitive and often challenged Max to outrageous games but the time for catching up would have to wait.

"Come on kids, we're heading to the castle."

Twilights Castle

The Elements of Harmony along with Discord had gathered in the map room to discuss recent news. Twilight revealed that over the past several months there had been a series of raids going on at the northern border, countless settlements were reduced to ashes and its citizens killed yet what seemed strange was that there was no sign of looting or abducting of the villagers and to make matters worse was that the marauders did not hesitate to killing women and helpless infants. Emperor Shining Armor sent several scouting parties to hunt them down but with no success and decided to seek help from his little sister as well as his old friend.

"From what we could gather, the marauders are carving a path along the border so there next target will be here at the forest above Galloping Gorge. Valiant, we need you and your riders to intercept them before they reach that city but we don't know how many we're up against."

"You can count on me Twilight. The Iron Wolves stand ready."

"Hold on what about us?!?" Rainbow Dash sounded angry when Twilight gave the job to him instead of letting them handle it.

"Princess Celestia ordered us to do nothing until we know who or what we're up against."

"Fine..." Rainbow kicked her feet up while she pouted as the council came to a close. Valiant told his family the news and that he was assigned the task of investigating the ongoing raids which left Emelyn a little worried.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It'll be fine dear, I just do some scouting, round up a few thugs and I'll be back before you know it and besides you forget there's someone here with us."

Emelyn didn't understand at first until her daughter Claire popped up right behind him with a big smile. The two gave a loud scream as they hugged while Max hid his face now turning pink. Claire had grown up to be a seasoned explorer like her father and had her mothers carefree nature, she was happy to see her parents again and even more happy to see her little brother as she pulled him in for a snuggle.

"MAXIE!!"

"Eh heh...hi sis." Max said with a blush and though every part of him was screaming for him to escape he missed his sisters hugs and snuggles ever since she left. While the rest of his family were catching up, Valiant and his riders rode out to galloping gorge as they followed the trail of destruction left by the marauders and each village seemed worse than the last and as they neared their destination they found that the forest had been burned and a strange mist blanketed the area.

"My lord this mist doesn't feel natural."

"I agree. Be ready."

The riders dismounted and proceeded into the misty forest after finding a set of footprints. They ventured deeper and deeper into the mist and could see nothing but the shadows of dead trees and the feint glow of the sun piercing the mist.

"There! Up ahead!!" A soldier pointed to a horned figure in the mist, at first they thought it was a Minotaur but upon closer inspection it was revealed to be a yak which they assumed was a traveler from the north.

"Are you alright there sir?" Valiant called out to the mysterious figure thinking he might be heard yet the stranger said nothing.

"Sir?" He called out once more and when the figure stood a small portion of the mist revealed him to be adorned in blood red armor and wielding a giant axe, soon more and more began to appear out of the mist like ghosts and before Valiant and his men knew it they realized they had walked into a trap. The men were starting to panic as the marauders drew closer when Valiant struck the first one down in one blow.

"To me sons of Sigmar! FOR THE EMPIRE!!" He cried out as he lead a charge straight through them while cutting down as many as he could but his men were easily overpowered and he soon found himself surrounded and was struck from behind by a mace. As his vision began to blur, Valiant could do nothing but helplessly watch as his men were slaughtered one by one when out of the mist came a centaur like creature covered with spikes and carrying a massive hammer.

"You....." That was the last thing Valiant spoke as everything faded to black.

End.

The Disciples of Khorne

Two days had passed since Twilight sent the Iron Wolves to track down the ones responsible for the recent raids going on in the north yet she had received no report and was starting to get worried along with the rest of her friends. Flash decided to send out another party to investigate and would be leading the group himself despite his wife's concern for his safety, a handful of the ponyville militia gathered at the gates and prepared to move out when the watch tower spotted a solitary wolf riding in alone. It was Fenrir.

"OPEN THE GATES!!"

The large wolf collapsed from exhaustion once he entered the town, the poor creature was covered in dirt and twigs from traveling nonstop and had lost some parts of his armor but what was most troubling was that his master was nowhere to be seen. Fluttershy was first on the scene with a bottle of water for him to drink while she checked for any major injuries, fortunately she only found minor cuts and scrapes along with a sprained paw.

"He's gonna be okay." The mare said aloud much to the relief of her friends while she prepped a first aid kit.

"Good. But I wanna know how the poor fella got this way!" Applejack helped Fenrir to drink while Fluttershy tended to his paw, the farm mare did all she could to comfort the large wolf as he whimpered in pain until Fluttershy finished up his cast. The crowd who had gathered were quickly dispersed and ordered to go back to their normal routines while the princess and village council did some investigating back at the castle where Fluttershy learned of the ambush and the abduction of Valiant which did not sit well with the others.

"THOSE CREEPS ARE GONNA PAY!!" Rainbow Dash pounded her fist in anger and immediately declared that they should go after them at once but the problem was that they had no trail to follow or any other clues as to where they were headed.

"Fenrir says there's more!" Fluttershy and the others listened intently when the yellow Pegasus gasped followed by a look of fright appearing on her face.

"He says the marauders had a symbol on their armor."

"What kind of symbol?" Twilight inquired when Fluttershy grabbed a piece of parchment and began drawing a star with eight points.

"The star of chaos...." The princess whispered in dread after she remembered seeing that star twenty years ago, the wolf then told Fluttershy that the marauders captured Valiant and dragged him off into the mist, that was the last time Fenrir saw his master alive, there was much debating as to what these marauders were after since they had not sent any ransom demands or loot any of the villages they had passed so the one question that remained was why they took Valiant in the first place.

While the council was taking place, Maximus and his sister were in the guest room having tea but the young colt was unable to sit still and had tried to listen in on the council several times but was blocked by either the guards or a magic ward that the princess had placed due to a need to increase security, his sister had enough of his shenanigans and forced him to sit with her in the castle library; His least favorite place to be.

"Did you have to bring me here?"

"Don't be such a baby. Books are good for you."

Claire plopped on the nearest seat she could find after grabbing a book from the shelf while her brother just looked around twiddling his fingers then out of sheer boredom he grabbed a red book on the shelf next to him when to his surprise he found himself holding "Ancient Myths", the book had many interesting tales with some relating to Equestrias first emperor; Sigmar and the classic tale of The Two Sisters and as he read further he stumbled upon a more darker story of the book with its chapter marked with the star of chaos.

"The Blood God." Maximus read aloud before flipping the page as he began to take an interest in the story.

Of the many gods of chaos that thrive in the void none are more bloodthirsty than Khorne; The God of blood and war. His cruelty was legendary throughout the universe as was his thirst for slaughter, in ancient times the chaos God had chosen his two champions Crom The Conquerer and Archaon to reek havoc on the mortal realm and in one fell swoop the empire was brought to its knees yet the more dangerous one was Archaon for he carried a sword enchanted by Khorne himself and was given the task of gathering enough power in the blade to open the void. During a great battle, Archaon was struck down by the emperor and his sword was taken. When he held the sword, the emperor could feel the terrible power it possessed and demanded that it be hidden where no one could find it, the location of the blade was passed down to his most trusted advisors in fear of Crom or his descendants returning for the sword to fulfill their masters mission.

Before Max could read any further, a large explosion shook the castle and knocked over an inkwell onto the page he was reading while his sister spilled her tea all over her shirt. The siblings rushed out to find the castle staff running towards a room filled with smoke followed by a Pegasus wearing goggles and his face blackened by the explosion.

"How on earth did that happen?!?" He yelled out loud while removing his goggles, the room in which the explosion had occurred was the Royal tinkers meaning the Pegasus was an inventor of sorts and his name was Socket Wrench. He had been taken on as an apprentice of the Flim Flam brothers and had shown acceptional talent though his inventions had a tendency to explode whenever they didn't work and today marked the third explosion in a week, while he began dusting himself off Socket noticed Princess Twilight and her husband standing before him with stern looks on their faces.

"Princess Twilight! Hey how's it going?" He asked sheepishly while she tapped her finger with a raised eyebrow.

"Socket. We are in the middle of an important meeting so there had better be a good reason for this!"

"T-there is! I was working on the new steam engine model." Socket showed the royal couple the mentioned device which was now blown to pieces along with the rest of the lab.

"We thought we worked out ALL the kinks heh...You okay in there Windy?"

A mare with dark brown hair stepped out of the smoke while dusting herself off. Her name was Windy Apple, she was the daughter of Applejack and Caramel and like Socket Wrench she had a love for inventing especially for new tools to help make work easier on the farm for her family. Applejack broke through the crowd of friends to check for any injuries and was getting a little fussy.

"Oh sugarcube are you alright?!?" The farm mare asked while looking her daughter over for any unseen injuries.

"I'm fine mama!" She complained as her mother dusted her off. The two inventors went back into the lab to find that an apple core had somehow gotten into the fuel line this jamming the engine and causing the explosion, Socket sheepishly grinned as he shrugged his shoulders before Windy bashed him over the head and began lecturing him about eating in their workspace and a debate was started. Socket failed to see the problem about eating and working at the same time while Windy tried to use their recently failed invention as a demonstration. You could say they were like a husband and wife arguing over dinner.

Meanwhile

Deep in the frozen wastes of the north, a massive army had gathered before a pass through the mountains and had taken shelter from a blizzard. Their leaders tent was large and lit by four braziers with two guards at the entrance, as the winds howled over the camp a feint scream could be heard followed by the sound of a cracking whip.

"Enough!" A large centaur like demon commanded as his minion ceased the whipping.

"Truly, your will is like iron....Valiant Charge."

Valiant was strung up by his wrists and had been put through severe tortures, they had beaten him, starved him and even proceeded to probe his mind using black magic yet still he resisted them and the one responsible for his torment was none other than Lord Tirek who had been transformed by the dark powers of chaos. His horses body had now been morphed into an almost dragon like appearance and his skin was hard as stone, his body had now been covered in spikes but his eyes remained as red as ever.

"Spare me your flattery Tirek...." He glared at the monster even as his head hung low from lack of strength while Tirek chuckled at his plight. The centaur proceeded to grab him by the hair so that he may look him in the eye.

"Where is it?" He growled at his prisoner who refused to answer and gave an amused grin at his captor.

"You're gonna have to be more specific, what is "it" exactly?-OOF!!" Valiants reply was met with a firm punch to his gut that knocked the wind out of him as Tirek grew more furious.

"The sword!! WHEERE!! IS IT?!?"

Steam shot out of the centaurs nostrils as he grew more impatient. The beating lasted for hours until Tirek had enough and ordered Valiant to be thrown back into his cell on the far side of the camp once his injuries had been treated and by the next day the torture resumed, Tirek did everything he could to make him talk but Valiant refused to yield and even laughed at his attempts to break him until the demon lord finally had enough.

"RRRAAGH!! Let's see how stubborn you are when I cut off your arms! Hold him down!!"

Two guards forced Valiant to his knees as his arms were stretched out, Tirek held a massive blade in his hand and began to lick his lips in anticipation as he took aim of his swing but just as the sword neared its target a frightening voice startled him and the men.

"TIREK!! What are you doing?!?" A chaos warrior who was larger than the others marched forward with his helmet at his side. Tirek trembled in fear and was even dropping to his knees, begging for forgiveness and after closer inspection Valiant could not believe who was staring at him.

"Crom the Conquerer...."

"Ah. You know me."

"I know of you. You're supposed to be dead."

Crom laughed after hearing this claim but it was true. He was supposed to have died centuries ago yet there he was as youthful as ever but what troubled Valiant most was the ominous feeling he gave off and the smell of blood that could be detected on him.

"True. It has been nearly three thousand years since anyone in Equestria has seen my face but by the grace of mighty Khorne I retained my youth so long as I prove useful, such powers could be yours Iron Wolf. You are of the Umbrum are you not?"

"SILENCE!!"

Valiant knew of the Umbrum and the suffering they caused his father and the crystal empire before he was born and despised being associated with them yet no matter how much he denied it Crom was right; he was one of them but the warlord had only just begun to toy with the captured hero when he revealed his sword Blood Bringer to him.

"You!" He called one of his lieutenants before handing the sword over with an evil smirk.

"Take this blade and return it to Valiants family, let them know he's alive....for now."

End.

The Coming Storm

When news of Valiants capture had spread throughout the kingdom, there was mass panic. The princesses ordered scouts to search every part of the land hoping to find a clue but none had been successful and while the search continued more ill news came to Equestria. The minotaurs who had been bested during the war against the Stonehoof tribe were now under the command of their new warboss Gor Gutz, his campaign began when he struck the desert town of Appleoosa and proceeded to burn it to the ground proclaiming that the rest of the kingdom would meet the same end and that the heads of the four princesses would be his personal trophies yet to consider their invasion and the rising forces of chaos a coincidence was not likely.

Prince Blueblood of Canterlot who was now married and taking his duties more seriously had arranged a war council to discuss this rising threat and how they should deal with it but like always the nobles considered this a minor problem and that the Appleoosans loosing their home was just plain old misfortune. The prince didn't seem to agree.

"Have we made sure ALL the refugees were given food and shelter?"

"Yes my prince, as you instructed but the cost of this action is astronomical."

"That's not my concern."

Blueblood had changed since the first war and had grown to become a respected member of the royal family, with his influence and status as a prince he was able to change much in Canterlot and made sure things were equal for all its citizens no matter their social status and had even weeded out a few corrupted officials in the royal court. Celestia and Luna could not be prouder of their nephew and looked forward to the day when he ascended the throne. After the council was finished, the prince returned to his royal chambers where a certain blue unicorn mare was reading up on the latest illusion spells for her next performance.

"Hello Trixie."

"Oh! My prince I didn't see you."

Trixie had met Blueblood during a performance at his birthday party ten years ago and had become quite smitten with him, the prince invited her to stay at the castle as his guest where he continued to court her despite the objections of his peers and eventually he married her and had one child; his son Prince Charming. Charming was much like his father in his youth, arrogant, pigheaded and a bit of a poor mannered stallion around the ladies but had some amount of discipline when he chose to join the ranks of the royal guard yet all his fellow cadets seemed to talk about was Maximus and the personal training he received from his own father.

The prince failed to see what the big deal was since he was of royalty while this other squire was the son of a mere lord of a backwater town like ponyville and decided to talk to his father about it.

"Father?"

"I'm here son, sit." Blueblood was busy signing the daily paperwork with a warm cup of coffee next to him and from the look of things he had been at it for hours. His eyes were a little baggy and his mane was a complete mess followed by the fact that several empty sugar packs were on the floor next to his desk.

"I'm just about to take a break. What is it?"

"Can you tell me what's so special about this Iron Wolf character? He's a mere commoner who rose up the ranks is he not?"

Blueblood smiled for a short moment as he walked towards the window that overlooked the city and began staring up at the sky nostalgically.

"I thought the same thing until I saw him." Blueblood began to tell his son of the days when he and Valiant would fight side by side during the first war and how he witnessed his friend prove his valor time and again even when the odds were against them. Charming so father then walked over to his old armor still scarred from battle yet still shining brightly as if it were fresh out of the forge.

"PRINCE BLUEBLOOD!!" A royal guard came bursting into the room with a scroll held tight in his grip, it looked like he had just been through hell as the sweat began to drip from his armor.

"An urgent report! This is from Lady Emelyn!"

"Valiants wife?"

When Blueblood read the message he found the news disturbing.

Maximus and his sister were practicing their riding skills in the courtyard with a few other troops when they noticed a stranger dressed in blood red armor riding up the road. The soldiers who were posted at the bridge charged him but were cut down instantly yet the armored giant didn't give a single reaction and continued his path towards the castle as a feeling of dread began to overtake everyone.

"Hey sis...I can't move!"

"Me neither. It's this guy, just staring at him scares me."

"Children. Get behind me!" Emelyn ordered the two children as they quickly dismounted while their mother prepared for an attack but when to her surprise the warrior held up Blood Bringer; her husbands sword and spoke in a deep eerie voice.

"A message from Lord Tirek." The men were startled to hear that name since Tirek had been imprisoned for many years thanks to princess Twilight and her friends. The messenger told them that unless one of them gives up the location of Archaons sword, Valiant would be executed in three days and as the messenger left he dropped the mystic blade to the ground and stepped over it like a piece of garbage clearly attempting to aggravate one of them into attacking but the fear in them was too much to handle.

"There's more news sire."

"Of course there is. What is your report?"

"It's the minotaurs my prince!! They've crossed into our borders!!" Bluebloods face went pale after hearing this news and began to listen intently to the details.

Gor Gutz and his clan had moved passed the border guards near Appleoosa and burned down the outlying settlements while pillaging what resources they needed. The clan had stopped near the mountain pass leading into the lands of Canterlot for a feast after bringing down another scouting party.

"Da boyz are all fed up boss!!" A minotaur addressed the warboss who had been feasting on an underdone piece of meat.

"Good! Dem ponies is in for a good stompin! This'll be the best fight of der miserable lives!"

"Just make sure it's the last." Crom appeared from the shadows with his personal guards to greet Gor Gutz who was not happy in the slightest to see him.

"Aye don't take orders from you yak!"

"Now now Gor Gutz don't get so agitated. We've held up our deal, you wanted a kingdom to wage war on? Here it is, you wanted to face the four princesses and claim their heads? They're all yours."

"Ya left one part out! The one who took down dem last bunch of chaos boyz!

"Ah yes, Sir Valiant The Iron Wolf. We still have...need of him."

The warboss growled in anger after hearing another one of Croms excuses but had decided to hold off on killing him for the time being; until they were done with Canterlot.

"Well when we'z finished up dem ponies I better get a good fight out of that wolf boy!!"

"And you shall. Til next we meet." Crom gave a qui bow of the head as he departed the camp when one of Gor Gutz's lieutenants marched up looking outraged.

"Hey boss! Why is we talkin wid dem yaks instead of fighten em?!?" The lieutenant scratched his head with an axe as he followed his warboss through the camp site.

"Cuz deyz is weak! Not enough of a challenge for da boyz. If dey were strong like us then dey wouldn't need our help!! Once we're done wid these ponies we'll come back for dem and besides deyz got the REAL prize I'm after." Gor Gutz rose to the top of a small hill and as he raised his axe the troops were driven into a blood crazed frenzy and began charging up the pass with great haste.

"WAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

End.

The Horde of Chaos

Two days had passed since the Minotaur invasion was thwarted by Valiants children yet the fame seemed to be more heaped upon his son rather than his daughter and with that fame came complications, one of such complications were the numerous young fillies seeking a relationship with him and all from higher to lower class. The day started when Max was chased down the street by another group of girls on his way to sugarcube corner to meet up with his friends, it was like a nightmare for the young colt as he dodged one mob only to run into another.

The next group finally had him cornered in an alleyway and were slowly closing in with a somewhat psychotic look in their eyes.

“Well. I'm dead.” Maximus thought to himself with a nervous gulp when out of nowhere a Pegasus mare swooped him up to safety while the others cried out demanding that she bring him back.

“Honestly. I still can't leave you alone for five minutes can't I?”

“That voice...Crystal?” Max looked up to see none other than Crystal Spark; his old foalsitter from his childhood. Crystals father was none other than the legendary General Thunderbolt who helped lead the assault on Manehattan against the caribou, when Crystal was younger she’d always volunteer to look after Max whenever his parents weren't around and treated him as if he were her little brother and would always play with him every time they were together but as soon as he was old enough for training her visits became less frequent. Max however kept in touch by sending her letters each day that told her of how his day went, how he made new friends and especially the event where he was personally chosen by his father to become his personal squire.

Once clear of the mob, the two snuck their way into sugarcube corner where they were greeted by a familiar face.

“Hello hello~!” Pinkie enthusiastically shouted as she hopped to the counter to greet the two customers as the young colt removed his helmet to reveal he was not a unicorn but an earth pony with a grey coat, black mane and a pair of bright silver eyes that almost seemed to hypnotize you as you stared into the. The customers who had seen this were amazed but could not believe that this young earth pony was the son of The Iron Wolf.

“MAX!! You got big!!” The pink mare said as she squeezed his cheeks to the point where he looked like a fish before offering them a window seat and a complimentary plate of cupcakes served up by her daughter Cream Cheese Pie.

“Hey max! Long time no see!”

“Hey cream. How ya been?”

The two friends hugged each other much to the outrage of the fans waiting outside when Creams father called for her in the kitchen.

“Oops! Dad needs me. Bye!”

“Bye!” Max waved to his friend when he notice Crystal giving him a smug grin with her chin resting on her hands. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was thinking and he quickly began to stammer his words.

“Wait you think she...and I? Ohh no no no! W-we’re just friends!” He frantically waved his hands at her trying to dismiss the idea of him and Cream as a couple.

“Suuure you are~.” Crystal teased as his cheeks began to turn pink.

“We are!!!” Max raised his voice while his former foalsitter laughed before calming him down.

“I'm only teasing Max but tell me….do you have a special somepony~?” She asked while taking a sip of tea but for a moment Max said nothing and stared at his reflection in the tea cup and gave a rather cold answer.

“I don't have time for such nonsense…”

“Max!”

“We're at war now Crystal. The enemy is coming, the people need a champion! And with my father missing I have to fulfill that role so sorry if I have no time for romance but now is just not the time!”

Although he was right, Crystal was disappointed with his attitude towards love, for a while they just sat there enjoying each other's company when another customer came into the shop.

“Hi Ruby!”

“Hello miss pie!”

Ruby was the daughter of the famous fashion designer Rarity and Spike the dragon who was also a veteran of the previous war, she got her name because of her eyes that were red as a Ruby and like her mother she had a love for fashion but preferred to model clothes rather than make them and was on her way to becoming a famous fashion model. By all appearances she seemed Equestrian with her mane and body had it not been for her eyes which appeared to belong to a dragon.

“What'll it be?” Pinkie asked while wiping off her hands.

“Oh just a blueberry muffin please.”

As Ruby was handed her order she had taken notice of the small crowd fillies gathered at the window and then noticed the shining helmet next to the young colt, it didn't take long to put two and two together to figure out he was a knight but before she could approach him a guard from Twilights castle marched into the shop requesting him to go see the princess on an urgent matter. The young knight fashioned on his helmet before riding off toward the castle as a few of the townsfolk called out his name in praise.

Later

Prince Flash Sentry stood before the map of Equestria and was reviewing the movements of the enemy, so far they had stuck to raiding outlying villages and farms where they were out of the main armies reach and thanks to the recent attack on the minotaurs their numbers were reduced by a great deal and to top it all off Celestia and the other princesses agreed that the troops should remain on standby while waiting for the enemy's next move.

“My prince. You requested to see me?”

“Please call me Flash. Not used to being addressed as Prince.”

“Just following protocol.”

Max relaxed his body before joining the prince for some tea on the balcony. Flash was glad to see Valiants son had stepped up to lead the iron wolves in his absence but what troubled him was the fact that he was still far too young to be engaged in warfare and during a friendly chat Flash told Maximus of how he and his father once fought in a duel that ended in a draw and before that of how he saved Twilight during the battle at Griffonstone.

“You know max...you look just like him.” Flash said aloud catching him off guard

“Really? But..I'm not a unicorn.” He pointed out to the prince who laughed in response before explaining.

“What I mean is: You have his spirit. Your dad was able to turn the odds in our favor during the war no matter how bad things got….he'd be proud of you.”

Maximus did nothing but smile, thinking the prince was right. Flash then proceeded to ask why max did not carry his father's sword knowing it should be rightfully his, Max explained that he had given the sword to his sister until the day Valiant would bestow it upon him as he was promised when he was little and though it seemed ridiculous the young colt also had his father's sense of honor and felt it would not be fair if he had denied his father's promise.

Meanwhile

Back at the mountain pass the armies of chaos were preparing to march into Equestria lead by Crom and a mysterious dark rider astride a giant hellhound.

“My lord. We are ready to move out.” A foot soldier knelt before his two masters before being dismissed as the dark rider raised a sinister looking claymore that signaled for the war horns to blow. With each stomp, the very snow on the mountains began tumbling down hill as the sound of their march beat like a giant drum.

The army was estimated to be a hundred-thousand strong, each warrior lusting for the blood of their enemies and as Crom watched he grinned in anticipation of the coming slaughter his army would bring.

“Blood for the blood God….”

End.

From Fields of White to Fields of Red

It was a bright, beautiful morning in The Crystal Empire as Emperor Shining Armor surveyed his kingdom high atop the tallest balcony in the palace. Down below the streets of the city were full of life and laughter while the palace was quiet and peaceful minus the sounds of his only daughter Flurry Heart running towards him to be carried.

“Daddy!”

“Hey there's my little princess!!” Shining plucked her off the ground and carried her back inside to find his wife Cadence waiting for him to join in on their morning breakfast. The family sat down in the Royal dining room together while attending to their royal duties at the same time with Cadence overseeing the daily paperwork while her husband tended to the new recruits of the Empires expanding army, Flurry Heart was taking lessons in etiquette and other lessons in being a princess including learning to use her magic which was unusually strong for a filly her age.

“So honey. Anything happen today?” Cadence broke the silence with a simple question to her daughter who seemed a little apprehensive about answering.

“Well...I sneezed and turned teacher into a squirrel…”

Shining stifled a giggle when he heard that news and got a scolding look from his wife until he explained that her aunt Twilight had done something similar to her parents and some of the staff at Celestia's school for gifted unicorns when she first enrolled there, Flurry heart broke out in a laugh along with her mother and for a while things seemed peaceful until there came a frantic knocking at the door.

“MY EMPEROR!!” A scout who had just come in from what looked like a blizzard knelt before the emperor looking terrified. From the look of his armor, the young emperor could tell this scout had narrowly escaped a fierce battle.

“Calm down soldier! What happened?” He asked in a calm manner which seemed to allow the scout to catch his breath.

It was a day like any other, A small scout team was sent to traverse the mountain passes for any unusual activities as well as find any travelers who were stranded or injured but as the day grew long the mountain atmosphere suddenly changed. The wind had suddenly died down and a strange stomping noise began echoing around the area.

"What's that noise?"

"Sounds like marching...."

The scouts were beginning to grow worried as the marching grew louder when from a short distance they spotted a massive army of warriors clad in red armor while their leaders was pure black. He rode atop a demonic hellhound large enough to swallow a foal in one bite with sharp claws and jagged teeth to back it up but what was most intimidating was his sword, the blade seemed to give off an aura of pure terror as the black rider slowly approached the unlucky squad standing before him.

"You're in my way...." His voice was ghostly and metallic thanks to his helm yet the men were more focused on his eyes which seemed to burn like the fires of Tartarus itself.

"H-HALT! In the name of the emperor!!" The squad captain shouted but was met with no response as the rider drew closer.

"I saild HALT!!"

This time the rider dismounted before slowly turning towards the frightened group and without hesitation he began cutting them down one by one until only two were left, the battle was quick and bloody. The bodies of their fallen comrades laid on the icy cold path all butchered beyond recognition with the blade drenched in their blood, the black rider then addressed the two survivors and ordered them to tell the emperor that war was coming to the empire and as the scouts ran for their lives the rider turned to one of his archers asking.

"How many men does it take to deliver a message?" He asked in a sinister manner as the archer drew back his bow.

"One..."

The last thing the scout heard was the sound of his friend screaming as the arrow struck him in the back before arriving at the palace, when Shining learned of this he grew furious and demanded the city be put on lockdown and the protective barrier reactivated as troops began flooding the city streets while making sure all civilians were off the streets.

Shining Armor was in his quarters to retrieve his old armor and the mighty Warhammer; Ghal Maraz. The emperor could still hardly believe that such a weapon was in his possession ever since he joined the Royal guard. Shining Armor remembered when he first chose the hammer when he was still a recruit and all the times it had saved his life whenever he was out on a mission and now it served as a symbol of his title as emperor. By noon, the entire army was assembled before the crystal gates and at the head was Shining Armor mounted on a wolf with snowy white fur clad in golden armor and as they prepared to move out he gave a quick speech as was tradition for any leader of an army.

"Men! All my life I have lived by a code and the code is simple: Honor your leaders, love your families and defend your kingdom!!"

The men gave a rousing cheer as the emperor donned his helmet before raising his Warhammer to signal the gatekeepers.

"Men of the empire!! MOVE OUT!!"

The army marched onto the frozen wastes just beyond the safety of the barrier and all the while Shining Armor could not take his eyes off his wife and daughter as they waved him off with a smile and a kiss along with the citizens of the empire who had come to wish their loved ones luck in the upcoming battle but Shining couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a random invasion yet despite all that he still had to fulfill his role as ruler and protector of the empire. By the time they had reached the mountains, all could see the army of marauders in battle formation with their leader at the center and he was everything the scout had described him as; A dark armored knight with an aura of fear and bloodlust that seemed to silence the very air around him.

"Men. You stay put....I wanna have a talk with this rider."

"Is that wise my lord?"

"No...it isn't." Shining rode ahead as the rider met him halfway across the field and something seemed strangely familiar about him but the emperor could not figure out what. Both riders met face to face as the wind died down and could sense the tension between the two, as shining armor looked at his foe he caught a glimpse of what looked like some kind of branding mark on his chest before noticing his blood red eyes that seemed to send a chill up his spine as if he were staring down a wild beast.

"Speak your terms." The rider started the negotiations as he turned away from Shining to look at his army.

"Very well. Lead this army off the field, go back to wherever land you came from and perhaps in time we can negotiate some form of trade-!"

"We didn't come here for gold. We came here to see this kingdom burn."

That statement alone made Shining armors blood boil as he gripped Ghal Maraz tight in his hand.

"I have heard your terms so now you will hear mine. Surrender the crystal empire and I swear by Khorne that your people will be spared....for the time being." The rider and his men chuckled at the joke while the emperor took a deep breath to calm himself.

"The last thing I wanna do is give up my kingdom for a bunch of savages!!"

"So be it....you'll find I have a mighty appetite for battle today."

"!!! What did you say?" Shining armor asked when the rider rode back to his army and began ordering them into battle formations. Shining did the same and assembled a line of halberdiers followed by battle mages and marksman on the front lines while the cavalry took position on a nearby hill, the enemy consisted mostly of infantry but all were five times larger than the equestrian soldiers and were heavily armored. The first wave was sent charging down the center line where Shining ordered the musketeers to open fire, though a great many of the enemy troops were taken down the marauders began smashing through the center line before Shining Armor rode in with his elite guards and began smashing them left and right with his hammer.

On the left flank, the soldiers had engaged in close range combat and were able to hold the line but for each marauder that fell he took at least three soldiers with him and to make matters worse the enemy had hidden artillery along a cliff line just above the battlefield that began to bombard the imperial troops. Shining quickly ordered his men to fall back towards the hills when he noticed the leader of the enemy army standing above a large number of corpses that were all cleaved into pieces.

"Prepare yourself emperor...."

Shining removed his helmet before charging at his opponent and a fierce duel broke out amongst the battlefield. Both riders were evenly matched in strength and reaction time as they began racing each other across the field, trying to dismount one another before coming to a stop on flat ground at the center of the field.

"RAAAAGGGHHH!!"

"HAAAAAAA!!!"

In one last charge, both riders were knocked off their mounts and were forced to fight on foot but when Shining noticed the helmet of the rider had been knocked off in the last blow nothing could prepare him for what came next.

"No....it...it can't be!!!" The emperor froze when he saw the face of Valiant staring right back at him, the men had also witnessed this and were shocked as well but before they could do anything Valiant went on the offensive with a fierce two handed swing that sent Shining Armor staggering back but in the thick of the fight he noticed the mark on his chest was beginning to glow and instantly figured out that he had been brainwashed by the enemy.

"VALIANT!!" Shining called out to him while staying on the defensive but each blow from Valiants swing drained his stamina bit buy bit as the assault continued.

"Valiant it's me!! Shining armor!!" The two warriors locked weapons with neither side giving an inch as Shining continued to try and snap him out of it.

"I'm your friend!!!"

"YOU ARE MY ENEMY!!" Valiant was able to get a clean cut on Shinings left arm before getting slammed back with his hammer. As Valiant charged in for another attack, a wall of ice suddenly entrapped him thanks to a few battle mages who had come to the emperors aid while the soldiers quickly took him off the field.

"My emperor we must fall back!!"

"What?!? No! We can't leave Valiant!!"

"But sire if you fall who will protect your wife and daughter?!?"

Though it seemed like a low blow, the soldier had a point. Shining couldn't bare the thought of leaving his wife and child to the hands of the enemy but at the same time he couldn't just abandon his friend to his fate.

"MY LORD?!?"

".....order the retreat!"

Shining and his men quickly abandoned the field and all around they could see the snow drenched in the blood of both their comrades and the enemy while Valiant shouted in a bloodcurdling roar that roused the marauders into a frenzy while the imperial army continued to run towards the safety of the barrier.

Later

Crom and Tirek soon arrived to see the carnage of the battle and were impressed by how effective Valiant was in using the troops as well as him forcing the emperor into retreating, this however was only the beginning. With the news of the enemy successfully invading the empire, the other kingdoms of Equestria began to assemble their armies and began making plans to march against the armies of chaos.

War had come to Equestria once again.

End.

Author's Note

Due to the recent news of the next season, Flurry heart has been added to the story and edited into the first one.

The War Maiden, Lady Emelyn

Emelyn sat alone as she had her morning tea while enjoying the beautiful sunrise that followed but she could not bring herself to enjoy the view since today was the twentieth anniversary of when she and Valiant married. The mares sadness grew even deeper when she saw the photo of the day their son Maximus was born and could remember every detail as though it were yesterday.

Valiant was in the waiting area with his daughter Claire and had been pacing back and forth while his face was covered in sweat yet it had barely been five minuets since he brought his wife in to the maternity ward after their arrival.

"You okay daddy?" Claire asked after she closed her coloring book.

"I'm fine Claire! Just go back to coloring!" Valiant answered frantically as his sweating increased, Claire could easily tell he was lying but decided not to press the matter further knowing more stress was the last thing he needed when one of the nurses came walking up with a smile, bringing the good news of Emelyn giving birth to a healthy baby colt.

As they entered the room, Claire could see her new little brother safely wrapped up and held in her mothers arms while her father hesitantly approached the sleeping infant as if he were afraid.

"Don't be shy dear he won't bite." Emelyn joked while handing over their son to her husband, at first Valiant grew nervous as the baby roused from his sleep to see the stallion holding him before breaking into a delightful gurgle as he squirmed around while trying to reach out to his father's nose.

"Hey there little guy!" Valiant cooed while nuzzling his newborn son before showing him to Claire who gave a big smile that made the baby squeal even more.

"So what's his name?"

"I was thinking...Maximus."

Her reminiscing was cut short when she received a message from canterlot requesting that she attend the next war council and being the wife of a military commander she was bound by duty to oblige knowing the officers in the fortress along with her children could handle the daily affairs as well as keep an eye out for enemy activity. She had dressed herself in battle armor that had been forged by her husband as a gift when he called her his "War Maiden".

By the time she arrived in Canterlot, Emelyn was surrounded by a swarm of bachelor nobles holding flowers and chocolates for her but each gesture was coldly refused as she made her way towards the castles main entrance yet the stallions still persisted in trying to woo her.

"Please Lady Emelyn all I ask is one dinner."

"As I've stated before: I'm married!" She said as her patience was starting to grow thin with each passing second.

"Oh please! How can you still consider that traitor to be your husband?"

WHAM!!

The nobles last remark was met by an iron clad fist that sent him smashing into a wall as the mares eyes burned with fury.

"My husband is no traitor! And I'll have words with any who say otherwise and furthermore don't think I don't know what you're up to you filthy pigs!" Emelyn knew instantly that they only wanted her for the position she carried as second in command of The Iron Wolves along with being a wealthy baroness with connections to the royal family but unlike most mares of nobility she stayed true to her marriage to Valiant and would not do anything to disgrace it.

"Now get out of my sight...ALL OF YOU!" The maiden spoke with such rage that all seemed to freeze at the sound of her voice before quickly dispersing whilst trampling over the gifts they had brought for her. As she entered the castle, Emelyn apologized to the princesses for being late but Celestia and her sister had overheard the commotion outside and assured her she was not at fault before finally proceeding to the war council and as expected much of the kingdom was in disarray since the discovery of Valiants betrayal, bandits had been seen terrorizing the countryside while rebel noble factions began to mobilize their armies in hopes to overthrow Canterlot and The Elements of Harmony but Emelyn had a counter plan already in action.

Far to the west a small fief belonging to one of the rebel nobles had come under siege by a small army lead by Emelyns daughter Claire, the attack was brief and the battle even more so. The noble in question was brought before her trembling in fear while her brother rounded up the remaining enemy troops.

"Sister. They've all agreed to surrender and have offered to share vital intelligence involving the rest of the rebels."

"After you've threatened them, I take it?" Claire smirked at her younger brother who simply gave a devilish grin before rejoining his company, the siblings proceeded to wipe out the rebel factions in the empire and helping the ponies who suffered thanks to the foolish actions of their rulers while to the east a group of bandits found themselves at the mercy of the war maiden and her magic.

"You gotta be kidding, one mare thinks she can take us?" One of the bandits smirked as he thought about ravaging the beautiful body of the mare hidden beneath the armor until the earth beneath him suddenly began to rise.

"You fools seem to have forgotten who I am. Let me remind you!" With a wave of her hand, Emelyn summoned a massive stalagmite that scattered the group before a lightning storm appeared out of nowhere and began blasting them to bits.

"I am the wife of Sir Valiant The Iron Wolf! The War Maiden, Lady Emelyn!"

The force of Emelyns magic scorched the very earth and sky as she decimated the entire group in just one blow, those who survived groveled at her feet as though she were a goddes and begged for their lives to be spared. Over the course of just three days, the iron wolves had brought down every rebel and bandit group in the kingdom which allowed the council to focus their efforts on stomping the horde of chaos and if possible rescue Valiant but despite her success the war maiden could not bring herself to smile or celebrate with her friends and family for her heart was broken.

As she laid alone in her bed, her eyes gazed upon a picture of her and her husband whom she missed dearly and cried out only one name as tears flooded her eyes.

"Valiant....."

End.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait guys!

Honor To The End

The horde of chaos marched across another scorched battlefield lead by their commander Valiant Charge. Once a hero of Equestria, now a slave to the dark powers he once fought against and with each battle that came the powers of Crom and his followers grew stronger and Equestrias future grew darker but what the enemy failed to realize is that despite being able to take over his body Crom had failed to overtake the warriors soul and had been secretly fighting him daily for control, leaving him slightly weak but not enough for his men to notice.

While Crom did his best to keep signs of his fatigue hidden a certain draconequs had secretly been skulking around the enemy camp to gather Intel on their movements and battle plans. Discord had been very careful to avoid the various guards dotting the campsite when he heard the familiar scream of his friend followed by a strange light show in Croms tent, the warlord had been pouring massive amounts of dark magic into Valiants body after he had it chained up which seemed to confuse Discord until.

"CROM!! I swear when I break free I'm gonna rip your heart out and feed it to Tirek!!"

For a moment, Discord saw a glimpse of his old friend but knew he could not risk trying to rescue him without being caught and reluctantly he returned to Canterlot to deliver his report.

"What?!?"

"It's true, some part of Valiant is still fighting against Croms control."

The council was relieved to hear some good news but the problem remained that Valiant was still under the influence of the enemy and with no way of countering the dark magic now running through his body it seemed hopeless until Twilight remembered a certain spell that might be able to tip the balance in their favor.

"Spike? Send a letter to Starlight Glimmer, tell her she needs to come right away."

"On it!"

After a few quick scribbles, Spike sent the letter to Starlight posthaste while the rest of the council wondered what Twilights plan was. When Starlight arrived she was quickly escorted to the council room confused to what was going on until Twilight finally divulged her plan to the princess.

"You want me to do what?!?" Starlight shouted in outrage when she heard Twilights plan; Twilight had requested for Starlight to use the spell she cast to rob her entire village of their cutie marks in hopes of using it against the curse put on Valiant but Starlight had refused and a tense argument began between the two of them. Starlight had every right to object to Twilights plan after remembering how she used the spell to enslave an entire village then trying to brainwash the elements of harmony into her way of thinking and the events that followed made it even worse.

"Starlight. I understand your hesitation but if we don't do something soon I fear that Valiant may be under Croms influence forever."

Starlight understood the situation the were facing but could still not bring herself to cast the spell again and stood silent before the council members when a changeling flew into the room to deliver a secret message to Celestia.

"I see..." The princess whispered as the changeling bowed before departing.

"Twilight I must speak with you in private."

The council was quickly adjourned after Twilight and Celestia left, The princesses retreated to a more secluded part of the castle in order to avoid any unwanted ears. Twilight learned that during the council a small group was sent behind enemy lines for a rescue mission to retrieve Valiant, their leader was Thunderbolt Sentinel. Discord had given the group every detail relating to the camp including the time of shifts between guard posts and patrols along with the least crowded areas of the camp.

"Move!" Thunderbolt whispered as they crept through the shadows while a separate group dispatched the lookouts, it wasn't long until they had reached the tent that held Valiant but saw it wasn't going to be easy. Crom had placed several hell hounds and magic wards to repel and would be rescuers or thwart any attempts of escape, it seemed like a good plan had it not been for the abilities of a certain Draconequs who poofed up a large steak to distract the hounds while using his chaos magic to dispel the wards.

"We have about a minuet."

"Understood." Thunderbolt snuck into the tent to find his friend hanging from prison shackles followed by the signs of torture and starvation, the sight alone infuriated him and was afraid he came too late until he heard a faint groan escape Valiant who was too weak to even lift his head.

"Valiant! Hang on I'll get you down!" Thunderbolt quickly cut the chains as his friends body flopped to the ground. Valiants body had become so bruised and beaten that he was already half dead with just enough strength to breath.

"Thunderbolt...."

"Yeah, I'm here old friend." Thunderbolt offered him some water which he chugged down eagerly before sputtering at the last drop and as Valiant felt some of his strength returning he urged the group to leave at once.

"You...you need to go!

"Not without you." Thunderbolt carried Valiant on his back when he heard the signal from the lookout.

"Thunderbolt you don't understand! He knows you're here, he sees what I see!-GAAH!!"

Valiant cried out in agony as the brand on his chest began to glow and his body transformed back into its pique condition but his eyes burned with an evil glow that sent chills down Thunderbolts spine. Discord was brought in along with the other changelings as a band of marauders marched in along with Tirek who seemed to grin in delight at his captives.

"Don't you hate it when somepony gives away the surprise?" He joked as he walked up toward the angered changeling who seemed shocked at his demonized form.

"Tirek....what have you done to yourself?"

"Oh this? It's just the price one pays for serving the powers of chaos. Such power could be yours if you wish it I mean look what it's done for your friend."

Thunderbolt looked at Valiant which seem to make his anger rise as he demanded Tirek to release him.

"Let him go."

"Oh I'm afraid I can't do that my master has plans for him."

"You a servant? You've really hit rock bottom."

The demon centaur growled in anger before his master stepped into the room, all stood at attention while Tirek bowed in respect as he made way for Crom who continued to stare at the prisoners as he asked Tirek a question.

"Tirek? How did these vermin enter my camp?"

"They must have slipped past our sentries my lord."

"Is that so?" Without warning, Crom slammed Tirek to the ground in anger before holding him up by the throat, the centaur flailed and gagged from the force of his masters grip as Crom looked him in the eye with disdain.

"I find your lack of competence disturbing." Crom said before finally releasing him. The group was dragged to a stone circle where a bunch of marauders had gathered and in its was a sword and shield meaning this was some sort of arena and Thunderbolts men were the entertainment.

"Throw him in!"

Thunderbolt was tossed into the circle as the marauders laughed and realizing their was no other choice he grabbed the sword and shield ready to face his opponent until.

"No..." The changeling stood in disbelief when Valiant stepped into the ring armed with a claymore shaped in the form of a serpents tongue and his only piece of armor was a single gauntlet on his right hand.

"I'll make you a deal little bug. If you can defeat him you're all free to go."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Hm hm. You can't."

Thunderbolt was suddenly ambushed by a swing of Valiants sword that narrowly missed his stomach as the duel kicked off to a ferocious start. Valiant swung with full force, still trapped in his hypnotized with the marauders cheering wildly yet Thunderbolt refused to raise his sword even once.

"Valiant! If any part of you is left in there, please hear me!" He cried out as another blow sent him staggering back before tossing his own sword out of the ring.

"You can't let these monsters win! Not after everything we sacrificed!"

"RAAGH!!"

Valiants next swing cleaved Thunders shield in two before a surge of pain ran through his arm as he was booted to the ground. Crom and Tirek watched in anticipation as Valiant prepared to deliver the final blow yet Thunderbolt rose to his feet again without fear.

"I know you don't want to do this Valiant. You are a knight of Equestria, a hero but most of all you're my friend." In that moment Valaint hesitated when Crom felt his spell beginning to weaken.

"Thun...der!" Valiant spoke in a strained voice as he struggled to lower his sword.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!!" Tirek yelled furiously as the unicorn turned around with eyes full of rage. The demon centaur stepped back as he watched Valiant come towards him step by step and in a desperate move Crom poured more of his dark magic into the mark on Valiants chest giving him almost instant control yet the unicorn still continued to defy him.

"You're stronger than he is Valiant! Fight!" Thunder urged his friend as he watched him struggle against Crom but the overwhelming power proved too much for him to handle and using what strength he had left, Valiant did the only thing he could to save his friend and pierced his heart with his own sword.

"NO!!" Thunder could not believe what he had just witnessed, in order to save his friend and redeem his honor Valiant took his own life and freed himself of the dark powers that enslaved him. Using the heat of the moment, Discord gathered the changelings along Valiants body and with a snap of his fingers they vanished without a trace but for Crom and Tirek this was no defeat as the Chaos Lord raised the sword stained with Valiants blood with a triumphant cry.

"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!

Canterlot

Twilight was with Starlight and Celestia when Discord poofed into the room with the others. When Twilight saw they had returned with Valiant she quickly urged Starlight to cast her spell before noticing the heartbroken look on their faces.

"Discord what's wrong?"

"Twilight I...I'm sorry, we were too late..." The draconequs sunk his head in shame as he stepped aside to reveal the body of the fallen hero and in that moment Twilight and Celestia fell into despair as Thunderbolt knelt humbly before them with tears in his eyes.

"Your majesties. I return....with a fallen hero."

Celestia simply placed a hand on Thunders shoulder and nodded in approval before kissing Valiants cold hands and placing them upon his chest.

"We must inform the people." She said in a calm distinguished manner but could not hide the sadness behind her gaze.

As the sun rose the next day, all of Canterlot was in mourning as the city streets were filled with its citizens who had received the tragic news of Valiants death, in the center laid the body of the hero himself dressed in his armor atop a funeral pyre and his family standing next to him. Emelyn looked at the lifeless body of her husband with sadness while holding his hand one last time as Celestia gave a speech to her people.

"Great is the kingdom that has its champion and even greater when that champion is loved by his people be they noble or peasant, earth pony, unicorn or Pegasus and today we honor such a champion. Sir Valiant was called many things....a warrior, a hero and a friend...a husband and a father and even when all hope seemed lost he forged onward with courage stronger than anything we could imagine so I ask you: Was his sacrifice in vain?" Celestia was moved when many of the citizens cried out in anger over Valiants death as they begged for a new lord to lead the iron wolves and Emelyn could think of know better successor than her only son.

"Maximus." She called for him as she held her families sword before him but Maximus did not feel he was ready and thought Claire would be a better successor.

"You can do it little brother." She said with a confident smile followed by the rallying cry of the people.

"Lead us against the demons Maximus!"

Before he knew it, Maximus heard the ponies of Equestria chanting his name. With an approving nod from his mother, Maximus raised Blood Bringer high into the air to give a powerful warcry.

"FOR EQUESTRIA! FOR EQUESTRIA AND THE EMPIRE!!" The soldiers raised their weapons in salute as the city thundered with the renewed spirits of the citizens who echoed the young lord.

FOR EQUESTRIA!

FOR THE EMPIRE!!

End.

Author's Note

And the long awaited update has arrived.

Legacy

A week had passed since Valiant was laid to rest and while the rest of the kingdom seemed to move on one young stallion sat by his window overlooking the green ocean that was the Everfree Forest and in his hand was the fallen knights sword Blood Bringer.

When news of his father's death reached his ears the young lord was heartbroken as was his sister and above all his mother who wished to be left alone to grieve for her beloved but despite this tragic loss the war against Crom and his followers continued as more troops were recruited into the Royal and Lunar guards along with the Iron Wolves who now looked to their new leader; Maximus for guidance.

"My lord. The troops are ready." A soldier marched into the room to remind Max of his morning training and as they walked through the hall the young colt began to recall a memory from his childhood.

Years Ago

It was a dark and stormy night. A young colt had been wandering the halls while crying his eyes out as the thunder and lightning crashed outside the walls of the castle when a stallion came running up the hall and plucked him straight off the floor for a big hug.

"Maximus!" Valiant sighed with relief as he held his son close before seeing the frightened look in his eyes.

"What're you doing up so late?"

The young colt explained that he went to use the bathroom as the storm rolled in then quickly got lost after running from the sound of the thunder. Being the caring father that he is, Valiant carried his son back to the bedroom where he found Emelyn and his daughter who had also been worried, on that night the whole family slept in one room to keep each other company and as the young colt drifted to sleep his father tucked him in saying.

"There's no need to be scared son. I'm here and I always will be."

By the time they reached the end of the hall, Maximus could hear the sound of the troops shouting in unison as they practiced their weapon drills before an officer shouted for his men to stand at attention to greet their new commander.

"As you were gentlemen." Maximus spoke in a distinguished manner showing the proper etiquette when inspecting the troops. As the day went on, the young stallion noticed that a stable was open and he had recognized it all too well since it was the one that housed his father's most trusted companion; Fenrir who was laying next to his masters old saddled with his ears drooped down as he wrapped his tail around it when Max came in to comfort him.

"Hey there old boy." He spoke while gently petting the canines head before receiving a lick to his arm.

As their tradition dictates, Fenrir was freed from service shortly after his masters death but the old wolf refused to leave yet he would not accept anyone for his new rider which seemed understandable since he and Valiant fought alongside each other for many years.

"I know. I miss him to." Maximus said as he placed his hand on his father's saddle when another memory came back to him.

Everfree Forest

Max and his father had gone on a hunting trip in the Everfree Forest to gather meat for the wolves with Fenrir acting as their tracker, this would be the first adventure the young colt had outside the castle which made him very excited especially since he was with his father.

"So dad what're we hunting?"

"We are going after some swamp boars. They've been giving the apple family farm some troubles as of late."

"Cool!"

The trio made their way deep into the forest where Fenrir had found a fresh mud hole the boars dug up to wallow in followed by a set of tracks leading into a dense part of the forest. Knowing the situation could get dangerous, both Max and Valiant readied their arrows in case one of the beasts were lurking nearby while Fenrir lead the way as he sniffed out the trail.

Rrr... The wolf growled as his fur began to stand on end when Valaint spotted a large boar gorging himself on some vegetation along with a few smaller ones.

"Good work boy." Valiant whispered before leading his son to a more closer position.

Maximus was both amazed and horrified at the sight of the large beast. It's bristled fur seemed to shine like gold in the sunlight that peeked through the treetops along with its large tusks that ripped up the soil like a shovel with ease.

"Alright son. You get the first shot." Valiant moved aside to give his son a clear shot at the beast and as Maximus drew back his bow his heart began to race and his breathing grew rapid. He had never killed another living creature before and was beginning to have second thoughts until he felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Just take a deep breath and relax." Valiant said calmly with a confidant smile towards his son. Maximus did as he was told and sure enough, his nerves began to settle down allowing him to take aim once more.

"Now exhale and release."

The young colt fired his shot and made a direct hit on the boars heart as it began to thrash around with a loud shriek that made the others scatter.

"I got him!" Maximus was overjoyed after seeing the beast fall but the task was not yet over. As they neared the beast, they could see it was barely breathing and the tip of the arrow had pierced through the other side and when Max saw this his father handed him his hunting knife and told him with a firm gaze.

"Finish what you started."

Though he seemed cruel, Valiant was teaching his son one of the most hardest lessons: Taking the life of another. Maximus looked at the poor beast with pity and after much difficulty he slowly pushed the blade into the boars chest as it struggled for a brief moment before passing as the blade was shoved all the way to the hilt. When the task was done, Valiant said a quick prayer for the beast before hauling it off back to the castle.

Above the stable were the very tusks of the boar Maximus shot all those years ago, seeing the trophy made the young lord smile for a moment as he left Fenrir to be alone. He went to the castles garden where stood a single tombstone marked with a pair of swords crossed over followed by the symbol of the iron wolves, the grave had been covered by some vines and moss which made it look ancient as Max cleaned off some of it before stepping back a bit to read the writing on the stone.

Here lies Valiant Charge; The Iron Wolf
Strong in life, fearless in death.

A single tear fell from Maximus's eye as he clenched his fist saying.

"I will make you proud father. I promise..."

Having paid his respects, the young lord bowed before his father's grave and departed for training.

End.

The Black Knight of Everfree

News of the minotaurs invasion force had spread throughout the land quickly as citizens around the outlying farms and villages began evacuating towards ponyville and Canterlot while Prince Blueblood and Prince Flash began to organize a defense. Using the knowledge of his homeland, Flash had arranged a series of bunkers on the hilltops armed with musketeers and a few steam tanks as support while Blueblood arranged a series of barricades along the road to Canterlot with elite members of the Royal guard standing watch while the ponyville militia armed themselves and made preparations for the oncoming siege.

Among the militia men was Big Macintosh who was retrieving his old war gear from the attic, as he looked at his old armor he began to fear the worst. Another war meant more death and suffering and worst of all he'd be pulled away from his family again especially his wife and daughter.

"Big Mac?" Fluttershy peeked in to see her husband holding his old sword along with their daughter Flower who was looking worried after hearing that the militia was called to take up arms against the invading army.

"Daddy do you have to go?"

"I'm sorry pumpkin." The red stallion hugged his child close followed by his wife who proceeded to hand him his blade with a gentle smile that warmed his heart.

"Come back safe okay?" Fluttershy spoke so gently that her husbands worries suddenly left him and could only smile back as he held her and Flower closer.

"I'll be back, I promise."

By noon the entire town was up in arms, ready to fight and die for their kingdom. All was quiet as a light breeze blew in from the west and with it came the first war cries of the enemy army followed by the beating of their war drums, the defenders were beginning to sweat after seeing the size of the army and had estimated them to be ten thousand strong.

"Steady men!" Flash was on the front lines along with his son Vanguard who would be experiencing his first battle. The princes hands were trembling out of fear since he had not experienced real combat and the atmosphere felt more tense than he anticipated as the minotaurs drew closer with each step, Flash ordered the cannons to fire a warning shot which halted their enemies advance. It wasn't long until Gor Gutz stepped forward to see what he was up against and simply laughed at the pitiful excuse of a wall that stood before him.

Princess Twilight stepped forward in her battle armor which made the men stare in awe as if she were a Valkyrie descended from the heavens. A stern expression was upon her face and her hair had been tied back so it would not blind her during battle, she stood atop the main gate to greet her adversary as was proper conduct for a princess in battle.

"Are you the leader of these soldiers?"

"Aye! Dat'd be me!" He boasted while his men gave a short cheer.

"Then I should warn you. You're in Equestrian lands! Lead this army off this field and I promise no harm will come to you!!"

The warboss laughed at Twilights threat as did the rest of his men before he vanished into their ranks and before they knew it the village was bombarded by catapults and arrows falling like rain.

"RETURN FIRE!!" Officers of each squadron rallied their men into a counterattack as the fighting grew more fierce with each second, minotaurs began storming the wall with siege ladders and grappling hooks while another began ramming the gate with a shielded battering ram. Atop the wall were Princess Twilight and the elements of harmony doing their best to keep their troops from being overrun while Big Mac lead a small brigade to put out the fires in town. The fighting was fierce and lasted for hours with the war band unable to breach the walls and were forced into a temporary retreat but the cost was great, much of the royal guards who were stationed there had been either killed or wounded along with the militia.

Prince Vanguard had survived the battle but had seen much suffering and looked at the numerous bodies of the fallen when he heard the worried voice of his mother calling out to him.

"VANGUARD!!"

"Mother?" The prince just stood there as his mother dropped her helmet to hug him and sigh with relief to find him unharmed but his armor had been stained with so much blood she could not be too sure, Fluttershy was relieved to find her husband unharmed as well but the same could not be said for the other mares who had come to find their husbands slain on the battlefield and soon enough their morale began to weaken.

"This is a nightmare..."

"We need sir valiant now more than ever...."

The men had already grown weary from the first day but what could they do? The enemy had surrounded them on all sides and had destroyed much of their town; it was like the first war all over again.

"Prince Flash. The enemy is massing for another attack." A soldier reported looking grim. Flash acknowledged this and nodded before rejoining the front lines when he heard the sound of the enemy war horns, the next sound however came from a beast large enough to smash the entire town to rubble.

"A squiggoth...." Flash had remembered seeing such a beast during the battle of Griffonstone only this one was twice as large and twice as deadly with a small armed host mounted on its back. With one shout the squiggoth marched forward with Gor Gutz at the lead but as they neared the wall another horn call was sounded from deep within the everfree forest followed by the familiar howling of wolves and warriors as a the wind suddenly picked up and like a great flood a number of six thousand wolf riders came charging out in gleaming armor and at the head was a young black knight carrying a halberd with a crimson red cape flowing in the wind as he charged forward. When Twilight saw this she noticed that Valiants daughter; Claire was riding next to him then realized who was leading the charge.

"Maximus?!?"

"Valiants son?!? It can't be!!" Flash said in disbelief until he got a second look then realized she was right, when his men heard the news they all rushed to the wall to see the young knight and his wolf riding hard into battle and felt a strong sense of pride as they began cheering loudly while continuing to watch the children of the iron wolf cut down scores of the enemy ranks as they charged straight for the squiggoth.

"Maximus! Take your men to the right!" Claire quickly ordered after seeing a gap in the enemy formation.

"On it! MEN! FOLLOW ME!!" The riders split into two groups and began flanking the enemy while the rest continued to press the attack from the wall and throughout the battle all eyes were on Claire and Maximus. The siblings began their assault by slicing the beasts legs to limit its mobility before going straight for its head, Claire used her magic to create a wall of spikes that scattered the enemy while her brother closed in cutting down any Minotaur foolish enough to stand in the way of him and his wolf Sköll.

"I'm Maximus Cavalier son of Valiant Charge! Any who dare invade my homeland shall be resigned to an early grave!!" The young colt shouted as he brought down another foe before thrusting his halberd right between the Squiggoths eyes, the beast roared in agony as it reared up before falling on the spikes and creating a blinding dust cloud. The men on the wall gave a great cheer while Gor Gutz and his band were starting to loose morale which made the warboss even more furious than before when they began retreating.

"QUIT RUNNIN YA BUNCH A GITS!! DAKKA DAKKA DAAKKAA!!!" Gor Gutz shouted in anger as he impaled one of his own men with a spear. Their fear of their leader overpowered their fear of dying and so the enemy forces pushed on again only to meet the lances and swords of the wolf riders who were using the dust cloud as cover and began a series of hit and run attacks from all sides that slowly picked apart their troops section by section, Gor Gutz watched as the chaos continued and in one furious bellow he began insulting the riders and began calling them cowards too afraid to fight on foot in hopes of getting them to face him one on one. Only one took the bait.

"So it's a fight you want eh? Then I'm your man!" Maximus rode out of the dust cloud and dismounted his wolf to meet the warboss on even ground. Gor Gutz stood ten feet tall and carried a vicious spiked club and crude sword while Max had only his halberd, at first the Minotaur laughed at the puny warrior challenging him and even offered to give him the first blow. That was a mistake.

WHAM!!

Despite his young age, Max was able to deliver a skull shattering punch that knocked out a few of the warbosses teeth and sent him spinning towards the ground. The crowd gasped in amazement while his sister watched carefully in case any of the enemy soldiers tried to interfere and as Gor Gutz rose up he stared into the eyes of the knight and saw that they looked like the eyes of a beast going for a kill.

"When I was fourteen, my sister and I went exploring in the forest of trottingham with our father and came across a group of bandits who had been giving the locals trouble. We attempted to sneak past them but they caught us and we were forced to fight and at the end of that battle one of the surviving bandits attempted to stab my father in the back....I killed him with my own two hands."

Max readied his weapon as he continued his story while the battle came to an immediate halt. Both sides had gathered to witness the duel as Gor Gutz prepared to fight.

"Since then I dedicated my life to perfecting my skills so that I too could protect my loved ones. Compared to those thugs....YOU ARE NOTHING!!" In one stroke, the warboss was sent staggering back before he was assaulted by a relentless barrage of attacks as the soldiers from both sides began cheering.

"YOU CAN TAKE EM BOSS!!"

"STAY STRONG MAXIMUS!!"

Sparks flew as both weapons clashed against each other until Maximus disarmed Gor Gutz of his club leaving only his sword, the large minotaur proceeded to relentlessly pound against his opponent and forced him to his knees, Claire was starting to grow worried as she watched her little brother struggle and with one last blow his halberd was split in half which left him wide open or so it appeared.

"NOW I GOTCHA YA LITTLE-!!"

SCHLIK!!

In one quick movement, Max had shoved the broken piece of the wooden shaft into the warbosses chest. The whole army was stunned as they watched their leader stagger back to see his heart impaled by a little piece of wood but he knew that wasn't what killed him and looked at the young colt with anger.

"If you couldn't beat me then there's no way you could beat my father." That was the last thing the young colt spoke before Gor Gutz fell to the ground dead in a pool of his own blood.

With their leader defeated, the minotaurs were soon put to route and driven off Equestria and a great celebration was held. To commemorate Maxes bravery against the warboss Princess Twilight held a private ceremony in her castle with all her friends an family gathered including Emelyn who was relieved to hear her son had survived after worrying a great deal back at the fortress.

"Maximus, please kneel." The princess humbly asked as he did what he was told, she the took up her old sword Dragon Tooth and in a distinct voice she made this proclamation.

"Maximus Cavalier. You have displayed bravery far above and beyond the call of duty, your father would be proud. So it is with great honor that I bestow upon you the title of Black Knight." With two taps on his shoulders the princess had named her new champion while the others became stunned with excitement.

"Arise Sir Maximus. The Black Knight of Everfree!"

And like that, Emelyns youngest child had achieved the first step in his dream to becoming a hero like his father.

Meanwhile

News of the minotaurs defeat soon reached Tireks ears and the demon was beginning to grow impatient now that their plans to weaken Equestria were foiled and by a young earth pony no less but in his frustration he came up with a brilliant idea. Tirek ordered Valiant to be brought to him at once with the now weakened unicorn thinking he was going through another torture session, instead he was facing something far worse. A chaos priest had begun chanting in a mystic tongue while another held up a branding iron with the star of chaos and as Tirek exposed Valiants chest he grinned telling him one last thing.

"You're going to help us whelp! Whether you want to..."

"No!"

"Or not."

Valiant struggled to get loose as the brand drew closer and with one firm push the star was burned into his flesh and a dark force began to take over him.

"NO!! NOOOOO!!!!"

End.

In loving memory (short chapter)

The last will and testament of the deceased; Valiant Charge.

In the event of my death, all my worldly possessions shall pass to my family.

My beloved Emelyn, I wish for you to know that the past few years of my life with you have been the greatest and that I will cherish each memory forevermore, you were the first to show me any love or kindness in this world and have always stood by me through good times and bad, my only regret is that I leave you to watch our children grow alone.

My daughter Claire, though you were not of my blood you welcomed me with open arms and for that I will always be grateful and you were the best daughter a man like me could ask for and I pray that someday you will have a child that you can be proud of.

My dear son. You once said that you wanted to be a great warrior like me but I'm afraid that is impossible for you are destined for great things and I know you will surpass my legacy and when that day comes know that I will be and always have been proud of you, dark days are coming to Equestria but so long as the kingdom has champions like you and the rest of our family to protect it, it shall never fall.

To my brethren in the Iron Wolves. I have only two requests, the first that you continue to help the kingdom and its people, though I am no longer able to lead you my strength lives on in each and every one of you. Through many trials and hardships, we created something greater than an army; A family, the second is to help guide my son for he too will face many hardships as a young lord but I know that he will lead you as well as I did.

In death and beyond, I will cherish our time together.

Valiant.