Fractured Darkness

Fractured Darkness
Chapter 9: The Incident

By: Major Frostwing

-6 Years later-

"Sir The recruits are nearly ready for their test." Far Sight said with a salute I only continued to watch them as they went through their drills.

"The dragons were a little slow in adapting this training." I said before looking back at my Commanders. Each rose to a position of power in my army by their deeds and skill. Each was of the main races including the changelings. Mythril my greatest student. Far Sight a successful experiment. Gravel of the diamond dogs who became alpha of his squad and is my greatest demolitions expert under my charge. Cloak of the changelings my single best infiltrator. Zera of the zebras the greatest alchemist I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and the leader of the medical corps. Strong Hoof of the minotaurs and the leader of the hit and break squad. Diamond Scale. Who has yet to pass her final test but had proved herself time and time again to have what was necessary to be a commander. I looked to each one with pride. "Diamond. Do you think they are ready for their final test?" I asked as she looked down at her fellow recruits before sighing.

"In terms of raw power we could take anything you throw at us... But. Magically we don't have the skill yet." I thought over her assessment before looking to my generals. Each one nodded their agreement to Diamonds assessment.

"Estimated time?" I asked as she sighed.

"Too long sir. A few have it down pat but others struggle with the most simple of spells." I let out my own sigh trying to think over what I could do to speed this process up.

"Diamond return to your recruits and run them through their magical drills." I ordered as she gave me a salute taking flight down to her fellow recruits.

"Sir if I may." Strong Hoof said stepping forward. I looked to him motioning for him to continue. "Dragons are inherently stubborn maybe you should be rougher with them in regards to the magical training." He had a point but that point came with a flaw.

"If I forced the training to much it will be ineffective. Just as I trained all of you. You need that shove to get the magic to channel and then we have to take a slower pace in order to fine tune it. If we rush it and don't focus on fine tuning the magical energies will tear their bodies apart. Only ponies have magic running through them since birth. The rest of you your bodies are used to ambient magic but not raw magic running through your bodies. The fact that the experiment with Far Sight even succeeded as it did shows it is possible but needs to be handled delicately. Gravel had to have the bones in his hands completely replaced because the raw magic reduced them to powder. That is proof that rushing is extremely dangerous." I said as Strong Hoof bowed his head.

"My apologies sir."

"No no you had the right idea but magic is a fickle bitch. To much pressure and it goes critical." I turned away from them looking down at the dragon recruits. Something felt wrong as if a rock sat in my gut and I couldn't figure out why.

"Sir what should we do?" Mythril asked as I continued to watch the dragons my mind not knowing peace due to that feeling of dread that sat in my stomach.

"Contact Royal Blue. I want an update immediately." I turned away from the recruits walking towards the command tent. "Meet him in person Mythril and bring a small squad from the other battalions. Blend in and report back as soon as possible. And go armed to the teeth." I ordered as I continued to walk.

"Sir? Armed?" Mythril asked confused as I only continued to walk.

"Just a bad feeling Mythril. Now do as I have ordered of you." Was I being paranoid? Yes. Did I care? No. Something I could not describe was eating away at my mind. Paranoia can save lives.

"At once sir." Mythril channeled her magic sending out a recall for her selected squad just as I entered my tent.

-Canterlot-

I sat at my desk going over the information I had gathered over the last few years. Something had the Princesses on edge but I had yet to figure out what. And that simple fact has only served to infuriate me to no end. I couldn't suppress the sigh running a hand through my mane. and that's when a flash of light in front of me ignited startling me slightly. A note landed on my desk and I scrambled for it reading over it carefully before getting up from my seat magicking all of my work into my storage space. The note told me that a small squad was to be arriving in Canterlot Station within the hour. I was to meet with them and show them around the city all while giving them my report on the happening of Canterlot. Over the past six years I had compiled quite the stockpile of information with the happening in the noble houses and the council as well. Hopefully it will be enough to put Jon at ease but knowing him it will only make him even more paranoid.

I stepped out of my office passing by the help that basically ran my home affairs. They bowed to me and greeted me which I was kind enough to respond to. In my own paranoia I had run background checks on all of the servants to make sure none of them would betray me. I still don't trust them. Something was shifting in Equestria and with the one man truly capable of crushing whatever dared attack us gone I was on edge.

"Sir what has you in such a fit if I may be so bold as to ask." I jumped slightly turning to the head butler of my estate. A stallion by the name of White Glove. I did not like White Glove since he constantly wanted to know what I was up to. Due to my training under Jon when it came to information gathering I knew a info digger when I saw one. And White Glove was an info digger. Whenever I told him it was none of his business he would just say he was looking out for me on my father's behalf.

"It is nothing White Glove return to your duties." I said continuing my brisk walk towards the front door.

"Sir. My duty is to make sure your itinerary is planned and up to date. You have several meetings today that simply must be attended and dealt with." I pinched the bridge of my snout as I walked.

"Listen to me very carefully White Glove. I have other arrangements that take priority over the meetings they will have to be rescheduled. This is not up for debate." I said with a bit of heat in my voice. I heard White Glove sigh before a sound caught my attention. I knew that sound very well. A soft metallic click that most people would have associated with the sounds of our heels on the marble floors but to me. A trained soldier. That sound might as well have been sounded off through a megaphone. I stopped mid step closing my eyes. "White Glove... That is not a wise move." I threatened as I felt my armor slink up my back in order to protect me.

"Sir I must ask that you reconsider. The Council will not be delaying any further... Not when the plan is already in motion." White Glove said as he pressed the pistol into my back. "Now I suggest you cooperate. Your execution will go more smoothly if you do so." I took a deep breath letting it out slowly. "The guard will be here shortly to help 'Escort' you." I reached deep into my mana pool seizing the connection to my armor.

"That's very interesting White Glove. What plan does the council have for Equestria?" I asked as I moved my mana about my body primed and ready to be unleashed.

"Nothing a traitor like yourself deserves to know." He jammed the pistol into the small of my back. "Now move." He ordered. This was my moment to strike.

I unleashed my magic knocking White Glove back with a small shield burst as my armor activated encasing me in it's protective shell. I turned on White Glove as he got back to his feet disoriented only for me to charge forward seizing his pistol in my grip. I yanked him off his feet before delivering a solid punch straight to his muzzle. I felt the bones break under the force putting him down on his ass. I quickly did an assessment of my surroundings. Several things ran through my mind as I began to think. White Glove was a spy for the Council. The guard were almost to the front door. I have limited cover. Need to contact Mythril and her squad. And with that quick assessment I had a plan.

I grabbed White Glove moving him to a closet using my magic to bound and gag him. I reached into my magical storage removing a magic inhibitor ring and put it on his horn. I can interrogate him later. Next I pulled a crystal out of my storage. It was an angry red ruby. "Mythril immediate assistance at my home. I have been found out. Prepare for a fight. Thirty guards from what I can see. Hurry." After my message was said I crushed the gem sending the magical burst straight to Mythril. Hopefully she will get here in time. I turned my attention to the door when a knock came and I was quick with my magic securing myself to the ceiling so I could get the jump on them.

I waited as the door was opened slowly an assault rifle barrel pushing the door open. "Be careful boys. This is one of the freaks That traitor made. I want no surprises." I aimed my magic towards the door and when it was opened fully I fired a blast of pure magic into the chest plate of the guard knocking him back into his comrades. I threw up a shield on the front door disappearing deeper into the mansion. I took a few crystals from my storage setting them to proximity range matrices so they would detonate when someone passed them. I was on a time limit before they broke down that shield and I did the best thing I could come up with. Hide in plain sight.

I quickly went up to an old suit of armor moving it into my storage before taking up position on the small podium becoming ridged as I waited. I felt the shield shatter under the onslaught. I kept a cool head keeping a spell to allow me to reach into my storage and remove my rifle so I could attack as soon as it was possible. I felt the first detonation as one of my traps went off. I was hoping that, that trap took out even a third of the force coming for me. A second explosion and my hopes were dwindling. The final explosion and I heard the soldiers yelling.

"HUNT THAT DAMN TRAITOR DOWN! I WANT HIS HEAD!" I heard their leader yell out. I closed my eyes taking one last deep breath holding it. I opened my eyes as I saw a few of the soldiers run past. A few stopped to look him over but they were quick to move on but one... One looked a little to close and I saw his eyes widen and he opened his mouth to yell. I moved quickly seizing him by the throat with the unyielding force of a vice. I heard him gag quietly not loud enough to alert anyone but I wasn't taking any chances. I moved the man close putting an arm around his neck before putting him into a sleeper hold. Within seconds the man was out cold. I didn't want to kill him these fools were only following orders. Bad orders but orders none the less.

"SIR! I FOUND HIM!" a soldier yelled as I looked up. A rifle aimed at me. I was quick to raise my hostage as a shield. "HE HAS FLOWERS!" More and more soldiers poured out of the hallways each aiming their weapons at me.

"SURRENDER! OR DIE!" I kept quiet pulling the sidearm off of the hostage aiming it forward at their leader. "THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" That's when I felt it. A ghost over a breeze of air. I couldn't help but smile under my helmet.

"I think not gentlemen." I took a shot at the leader hitting him in the shoulder the others were startled that a single enemy would even dare fight a force this strong. That's when they began to fall one by one under an unrelenting volume of fire. The entire fight took less than ten seconds. I released my hostage looking at the carnage around me. "Mythril. Thank you for coming as soon as you could." A slight shimmer in the air and six forms came out of the magical camouflage.

"Explain Blue. What happened." Mythril ordered as I gave her a salute.

"Turns out my head butler was a spy for the council and according to him something even worse is on it's way. I do not know what but I have a lot of evidence to completely destroy the council. But there is something else there. I do not know what." I reported as Mythril hummed in thought.

"We are pulling you out. Nothing else we can do." I couldn't repress my sigh.

"Affirmative sir." We were about to teleport out when a large explosion knocked us about. We were all quick to see what was happening only to see a section of Canterlot Castle was burning. "Oh my Celestia." I whispered as a second explosion rocked the castle.

"New orders. We are going to the Castle. Main priority is to protect the Princesses. MOVE!" We all loaded up with ammo and our heaviest weaponry and charged for the castle. Our magical camouflage activated as soon as we moved out of the building.

-Canterlot Castle-

I sat in Day Court. A rather slow day but I could feel dread in the air. Something was coming and it was going to take us by storm. I looked down at my guards only to catch one looking at me out of the corner of his eye. The second I noticed he adverted his eyes. Normally I would attest it to infatuation but that look in his eyes spoke of something worse. I calmly continued to stare at him before turning my eyes to the others in the room. One of the guards raised his hand to his ear listening to something. I reached up to adjust my main but in reality I was turning my own earbud on. The uncomfortable thing was always tuned to the guard frequency. but when I only heard silence something didn't sit right with me. I moved my hand down resting it on the arm rest of my throne flicking my eyes to the guard as he continued to have his hand against his ear.

I was about to raise a question to the guard when an explosion rocked the castle. My guards were quick to arms to protect me except those two guards I had been keeping an eye on. one drew his side arm firing upon my guards. I launched a spell slamming him against the wall with enough force to instantly kill him. I turned my attention to that guard who was on his earbud only to see him press a switch he was holding. The room exploded.

When I finally got around to my senses I felt something bound around my along with what felt like arctic ice wrapped around my horn. "Ah so good to see the Princess alive and well. Hope you liked our... gift." A male voice said to me as I tried to channel my magic only for pain to course through me. "Now now Princess that's just being foolish. That is DZ Cord you have wrapped around your horn. I hear trying to cast magic through it is particularly painful." The man knelt down seizing me by my mane. "You have something we want Princess so I suggest you co-operate."

I grit my teeth staring down into the hood of my captor. "What the hell are your demands?" I asked trying to keep my emotions in check. "Is it the vault you are after?" I asked hoping that wasn't what they wanted. The man only laughed.

"We don't want your pitiful trinkets. No no no. We want something only you can offer. We want your nightmare." I felt my blood turn to ice as the words left his mouth. "HURRY UP WITH THE TELEPORTATION! WE ARE ON A SCHEDULE AFTER ALL!" The man yelled dropping my head to the cold floor. "AND KEEP THOSE GUARDS PINNED!" The man ordered. Another explosion rocked the castle but this time it was from the hallway leading to the throne room.

"SIR! They are using rockets against us." A soldier said saluting to the man.

"Activate the other bombs." The man said before turning towards me. I could see his smile as he turned his head towards a window. I followed his eyes to see what he was looking at. Luna's tower. I saw it being engulfed in fire as it exploded. I was speechless as I watched more and more of the castle simply explode.

"Sir we are pushing them back. The guard are scrambli-" The soldier's report was cut off as his head simply exploded. His body collapsed under it's own weight.

"SNIPER!" A soldier yelled throwing a shield up over the windows only for a round to rip through the marble walls to kill another.

"IS THE TELEPORTATION READY!?" The man demanded as the floor began to glow a menacing red.

"READY SIR!" A mage said throwing a shield over the walls.

"HOSTILES CLOSING IN! THEY AIN'T ROYAL GUARD!" I turned my eyes to the hallway to see Two soldiers in pitch black armor charging for the group. They weren't with these terrorists simple because their armor didn't match the terrorists. They raised their weapons letting loose a stream of automatic weapons fire.

A shield was raised at the doors stopping the hail of spell bullets.

"Finally something I can fight." A voice behind me said as I saw a blade flash before my eyes.

"Keep the retreat covered. And destroy the teleportation circle when we get through." The man demanded as a few of the terrorists lifted me in their magic. I tried in vain to escape my bonds as I was moved closer and closer to the teleportation circle. And I felt something I hadn't felt in years. Fear. Without warning the world around me vanished.

"Royal. Shatter Stack." I ordered as I saw him nod his helmet. He slung his rifle aiming his hands at the shield gripping the shield it self with his magic before shattering it. I used my own magic to throw up a barrier for us to take cover behind. We both used the cover to fire upon these attackers.

"Problem Mythril. They are taking the Princess into that spell circle. It's most likely a teleportation we have to hurry." Royal said into our comm unit.

"We have to push up." I moved my magic moving the shield forward as we began to advance against the terrorists. Their firing ceased as I heard something running up on us. I quickly raised the shield up to stop whoever was running at us. I turned forward raising my rifle only to see a single man slice right through my shield. The man was quick cutting through my rifle and aiming to take my head off only for Royal to shoot him with his own rifle.

"Oh ho ho! This is going to be fun." The man said wiping off the spot the spell bullet had hit only to reveal the armor was completely unharmed.

"You got a plan for this Mythril?" Royal asked as I reached into my storage pulling out my own blade.

"Eliminate the target. Save the Princess." I said coldly as I charge the man swinging with all of my might only for him to guard against my strike.

"Oh come on I know you got more than that." He shoved me off straight kicking me right in the pelvis. "COME ON I WANT SOME FUN!" The man raised his sword only for Royal to block his strike with his own sword.

Royal swung with the hilt hitting the man in the face knocking him back. "Running out of time Mythril." Royal said as I got to my feet. I saw Celestia being carried towards the portal and at that moment I decided my plan.

"Keep him pinned. The Princess is priority." I quickly channeled a spell to teleport only for a flash of light to appear before me. In that instant I felt liquid explode against my visor.

"Now now can't have you doing that." The man said below me. I felt my magic die in an instant and my body felt as if it was bathed in pure ice. I looked down to see his blade sitting in my chest. The man yanked the blade out raising his blade high. I instinctively raised my arm to guard myself but the blade cut right through my right arm. I couldn't even scream as the blade continued cutting deep into my chest plate. I crumpled to the ground my vision going hazy. I vaguely saw Royal fighting with the man before that damned man retreated. I felt Royal lift me up and say something to me. He was yelling so loudly. Damn can't a girl just catch a small nap. It sounded wonderful right now... A nap is just what I need.