The Battle

The Battle

The land was desolate. Ravaged by war, no life could be seen. Not the enduring tumbleweed, the survivable lichen. The sky was filled with dark, dead clouds. The wind howled, sounding like a chorus of forgotten souls.

In the center of it all, She stood. Waiting.

Her armies surrounded her, the souls of long dead ponies.

The Saddened. Their shrill calls as they screamed their sorrow across the land.

The Silent. Their dead eyes searching, for anything they could make become. Like them, silent. Dead.

The most frightening were the Shattered. Tall muscular shapes of ponies long forgotten, merged with other shattered spirits to create one ethereal form. They stood, towering over the army, like mountains they stood, watching. Where one would think the mane grew, tall spikes of blackened bone stood. Thick leathery skin replaced hair.

But the most terrifying were the eyes. Massive red orbs, projecting their hatred of everything onto the land and creatures around them. Where they looked, things withered and died.

They all watched their goddess, waiting to show the world their powerful hate.

She looked at her armies, each in turn.

She who was Night turned, slowly opening her black wings. The Saddened screams grew in tempo, becoming more and more frenzied. The Silent, twitching with quiet anticipation, ready to spread their terror.

The Shattered, pounding the ground with their hooves, causing great cracks in the dead ground.

She who was Night smiled, as she saw the sky begin to brighten. She could already see the troops of her sister, gathering on the hillside.

She appeared.

Brighter than the sun, her radiance silenced the Saddened, caused the Silent too look away.

The Shattered looked on.

She who was Day hovered, massive white wings open. Her mane gleamed with the light of a thousand suns, flowing in the wind, light falling upon the ground.

“ Why?” She who was Day asked. “ My sister, why wouldst thou betray us?”
She who was Night laughed, a deep rumble that made the ground shake. “It was thou who betrayest.” She said, “You become revered by our subjects, whilst I was shunned, and spoken about in whispers.”

She who was Night unfurled her wings again, eyes hardening. She lifted into the air with her great wings, looking down upon She who was Day, and screamed.

The Saddened howled, flinging their incorporeal bodies at the enemy.

The Silent charged, cutting down all in their wake with their gaze, causing ponies to flee in terror.

The worst charge of all, was the onslaught of the Shattered. Hulking frames crushed the enemy lines, shattered ranks. All who beheld them were driven mad at the sight. All, save for one.

Sunrise, Pegasus of legend, rode to meet them, his platoon of crusaders behind. They met the assault, bringing morale to the maddened troops. They too, rose from the pits of insanity, and charged.

Spears clashed with claws, swords with teeth.

I can see them…The mighty Sunrise thought, beholding the hellish spectacle. Crawling over each other like beasts of the marsh. When one falls, others devour it, trying to sate their hunger for life. He turned, mid-charge, and saw the Shattered, waiting, eyes filled with hatred.

He rallied his crusaders, and yelled their battle cry.

“ Come forth hated enemy! Let there be an end!”

* * * * * *

She who was Day watched, as her troops were decimated by the hellish onslaught. She turned to face her sister.

“ Come back to me, my sister. We will rule together!” She pleaded.

She who was Night laughed. “ I will not fall to your twisted mockery of lies again Sister.” She spat the word, and flared her black horn. Black magic started to come into being, swirling around Her like mud. Her horn. and eyes flared, shooting the beam of magic directly at Day.

“It is you who have lied.” She that was Day said quietly.

She too flared her horn, a brilliant white light shooting from the tip. She who was Night’s beam of black energy was shattered, and she was thrown back.

She that was Day, eyes aglow, flared her horn more, as a beam of moonlight encased her younger sister.

“ I have always been more powerful.” She said, her voice echoing across the battlefield.

Six stone artifacts spun around her, coming as if from nowhere.

“I banish you!” She who was Day screamed, magic swirling around her like a storm.

The artifacts spun more and more, faster and faster, until they radiated power. A beam of focused light shot from them, streaming upon Nightmare Moon.

She who was Night laughed again.

“The seas may swell, the sun may rise, the moon may fall, but I will return. And then, even you will bow to me.”

The moonlight vanished, taking the goddess with it.

The armies of the night, stopped, seeing their master defeated.

She who was Day, panting turned to see the wake of the battle. Ponies and shades alike, lay strewn on the ground. Groups of ponies huddled together, trying to cope with the horror they had just witnessed.

Her commander, Sunrise, and his crusaders saluted their fallen, opening their wings and bowing. Several living taking up their dead, and flew them to the clouds.

Now to the matter at hand.

“Who will re-join the land of the living?” She who was Day asked them, hoping with Night gone, they would regain their will.

The Saddened cried, their shrieks piercing the air, as they dispersed.

The Silent paused, and slowly marched to She who was Day.

The Shattered looked on, and one by one, they slowly turned away, disappearing into the horizon.

She who was Day sighed, and turned to the Silent.

“Your brethren know not what they do.” She said. She flared her horn, bathing the Silent in her heavenly glow.

When the light receded, several new crusaders stood, white wings replacing spikes, fur replacing skin, and one by one, they began to thank her.

The mighty Sunrise, bowed to his goddess, turned to his crusaders, new recruits and all.

“We are victorious!” He shouted. Crusader and soldier alike shouted with joy.

The war, was finally over.