The streets were quiet, lit only by the soft glow of streetlights and the occasional chirp of crickets. Most ponies were either tucked in bed or working late, leaving the night blissfully private.

Two unicorns walked side by side down the cobblestone path. One was a dashing alabaster stallion with glowing golden eyes, an ebony mane, and a regal crimson robe that screamed "noble." He had a bit of stubble and a chunk missing from his ear, probably from an "incident" he'd never talk about. His companion was a pale azure unicorn with a fancy golden mane, wearing a crisp white shirt and brown waistcoat. His right eye was hidden behind a golden prophetic device, while a morion helmet with a white feather perched on his head like a bad fashion choice.

Together, they looked like they just stepped out of a “dashing hero” catalog, if such a thing existed.

"Ah, another perfect night under the goddesses' watchful gaze, wouldn't you agree, Goldiethine?" Evergore mused, breathing in the cool night air with exaggerated serenity.

Goldiethine shot him a side-eye, eyebrow raised. "Yeah, sure, but no need for fancy titles, my friend. You wanna ditch the formalities for this little stroll, or what?"

Evergore gave a small, apologetic chuckle. "Fair enough. But, uh, what I want to discuss is... well, it’s a bit personal, not business."

Goldiethine's gaze sharpened. "If this is about mi hunting habits, don’t even try. I ain't giving up my hunts, not for you, old buddy."

Evergore rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh please, not interested in your hunting. I’m talking about something far more fun—joining you on one of your little adventures, maybe?"

Goldiethine frowned, suspicious. "Wait, you, join me? On a hunt? What’s your angle?"

Evergore shrugged casually. "Well, that depends. I need help with a D.M.U. that's causing trouble in a nearby town. And I’ve got some shiny new weapons that need testing. Thought you’d be perfect for both."

Goldiethine’s eyes lit up, his excitement barely contained. "A D.M.U.? And you’re just telling me this now?!"

"Naturally," Evergore grinned wickedly. "I just need you to lead my ponies on the mission. They’ll test the weapons, gather data, and you... well, you get to unleash chaos on the D.M.U. like the good old days."

Goldiethine's smile matched Evergore’s, almost maniacal. "Ah, just like the old days. Let’s do it!"

Shadowstrike adjusted his glasses, the rustling of his purple robes a soft accompaniment to the eerie silence of the dirt trail. The cold air and distant sounds of nature kept the mood tense, making the trees feel more like a suffocating corridor than a peaceful path. He glanced at Starrise, nose buried in a spellbook, her purple robes gleaming in the dim light. On the other side, Frostbite, clad in heavy steel armor, had been oddly quiet ever since they’d gotten intel on the D.M.U. in Timberlake.

"Hey, Frostbite, you okay?" Shadowstrike asked. "You're kind of... zoning out there."

Frostbite didn't answer. Starrise frowned and nudged him. "Frostbite, you're scaring me. You've been acting off since we left the guard station. You sure you're up for this?"

He sighed heavily, his armor clanking. "I've fought D.M.U.s before. They’re vicious, but stupid. Power in magic, zero in brains." He looked off into the distance, his expression growing troubled. "But this one? They’re... smarter."

Starrise tilted her head. "So why are you acting so weird?"

Frostbite’s gaze hardened. "The ones who still had their wits about them... they were the dangerous ones. This D.M.U. has enough sense to not just slaughter the town right away. I don’t know if that's better or worse."

Before Shadowstrike could say more, Nightglider swooped down, looking tired but composed. "I’ve scouted the town. The victim’s near the outskirts. Most ponies are in the center, covered in some kind of blackness. They’re all frozen, sir."

Frostbite took a deep breath, steeling himself. "We’ll check the body first. Starrise, look for mind-altering spells. Nightstrike, figure out what kind of dark magic we're dealing with. Nightglider, you’re on crowd control. If things go sideways, you keep those ponies safe."

They all nodded, ready to get moving. Dust kicked up as they headed toward the town, the sound of hooves clinking on the cobblestone growing louder. The forest thinned, revealing a town shrouded in ominous dark clouds, the lake eerily still behind it.

Frostbite scanned the sky, noting the clusters of clouds gathering—one near the outskirts, another toward the center of town. "Where exactly did you say the body was?" he asked Nightglider, his voice laced with caution.

"Under the nearest patch of clouds," Nightglider replied, sounding uneasy. "But I swear those clouds weren't there before."

Shadowstrike pulled out an ancient tome, flipping through its blackened pages. His hoof stopped on a particularly disturbing illustration. "Skyward Tethering," he muttered. "Similar to the ones used during the Battle for the Pegasus Pinnacle. Starrise, I’m sure you’ve got the technical details on this, huh?"

Starrise raised an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Shadowstrike grinned. "You know, because you're the magical genius and all."

Starrise squinted at the swirling tar-like magic in the storm clouds, her horn flickering with fire. "Tempest Cloudbind, but this is... new. It's like someone dipped dark magic in molasses," she muttered, frustration creeping into her voice. "But hey, I got this."

With a flick of her horn, a bright ball of light shot into the sky, disappearing into the ominous clouds. The team waited, awkwardly. Nightglider tilted her head. "So... is something supposed to happen?"

Before Starrise could answer, the clouds exploded in flames and black lightning, turning pure white once more. "Well, that was... slower than I expected," Starrise said, shoulders sagging.

Frostbite grunted, eyeing the chaos. "Someone's been messing with powerful spells," he muttered, war hammer in hand. "This isn’t typical."

Nightglider zipped past them, checking the area for more trouble. "I got the skies, you deal with the tar," she chirped, swooping around like a hyperactive hawk.

Starrise’s horn flared again as she cast a detection spell. "Something familiar, a sleep spell... but there’s another I can’t quite place." She furrowed her brow. "It’s weird."

Shadowstrike flipped through his tome. "It’s a command spell," he said with a grimace, eyeing the tar dripping from the pegasus. "And it’s nasty. It’s got some weird autonomy."

"Yeah," Starrise replied, her voice tight. "How does D.M.U. even know about command spells? They're classified."

"Probably a disgruntled guard," Shadowstrike shrugged, "or a very motivated bookworm."

Before Starrise could respond, the tar began consuming the pegasus at an alarming rate. Starrise tossed a flame into the mess, but the fire turned black, disintegrating the creature but leaving behind an eerie cloud of smoke.

"Done. Let’s move," Frostbite said, already heading into town with a sense of urgency.

As they entered the town square, they found dozens of ponies lying unconscious, surrounded by faint flickers of black lightning. "Looks like we’re not done yet," Starrise muttered.

The town square, eerily silent, was surrounded by homes that formed a neat circle. The group moved cautiously, but Frostbite, ever the brute, stomped forward to check on the civilians. Shadowstrike’s eyes flickered nervously. "This feels wrong."

Then, out of nowhere, ropes started moving above them, twisting like serpents. One dropped straight towards Frostbite. He swatted it away, thinking it was just some random mess. But when the ropes split and dropped towards Starrise and Shadowstrike, things got real.

Shadowstrike snapped his book shut, eyes glowing. With a quick chant, he summoned glowing blue swords from the moonlight. They sliced through the ropes with a resounding thunk.

A shadowy creature, now severed in half, writhed on the ground, hissing and crackling like something out of a bad horror movie. Before anyone could react, the creaking of the buildings grew louder. More ropes descended, moving to trap them in a deadly dance.

"Perfect," Starrise said dryly, shifting into a battle stance. "Rope traps and spooky creatures. Just what we needed."

The group braced themselves, knowing they were far from finished.

The night air smelled like fresh wood, and the sounds of water flowing gently in the distance tried to lure me into a false sense of calm. But my mind was set on one thing: getting the hell out of dodge without making a scene.

"Stay here, buddy," I muttered to my small, loyal companion who would probably try to pick a fight with whatever creepy things were out there. "I’m going to the bathroom. Keep watch." Yeah, sure. A bathroom break in a creepy ghost town. I was just trying to make it sound like I had my shit together.

Turning the corner, I headed straight for the town’s exit, conveniently located near the ominous sawmill that looked like something straight out of a horror flick. But hey, if it freaked me out, maybe it would do the same to any lurking threats. Screw it, right? I might be a little desperate, but I wasn’t about to stick around like a sitting duck.

With a deep breath, I summoned my shadowy wings and soared to the ceiling of the sawmill, claws digging in for support. I waited in the darkness, hoping to God I wouldn’t be spotted by whatever was lurking out there. This place was practically a ghost town now, and with all the trees cleared, there was nowhere to hide if a pegasus decided to take a look.

Then, a soft thud. Hoofsteps. Oh great. A dark figure appeared in the window on the second floor, shifting into the shadows. It had bat wings. Bat wings. Was this some kind of changeling hybrid? I was debating if I should just strangle it with my tail when I remembered that there might be more of them, and that probably wasn’t the best plan.

I huddled in the shadows, squinting my eyes to make sure I wasn’t about to be discovered. The bat-winged pony kept scanning the room like it was looking for something—or, more likely, me. It hovered near the window, its yellow eyes piercing the darkness. My tail twitched in anticipation, but I held back. Better not risk it.

Without warning, the pony shot up into the air and flew out of the window, making me lose my grip and crash to the floor with a loud thud. "Ow... son of a—"

I shook my head, trying to clear the stars from my vision, and decided now was probably the best time to book it. I followed the bat pony's lead and flew out the window, hiding behind the clouds like a true pro. Escape: 1, Creepy Bat Pony: 0.

Nightglider glided above Timberlake’s dark streets, tailing a devilish creature that moved with the speed of a Minotaur and the grace of a griffin—basically a nightmare with a dash of athleticism. It darted through the streets, jumping over obstacles and making sharp turns like it had somewhere important to be. But then it slowed, staring at the sawmill like it had just found its favorite hangout spot. Without hesitation, it bolted inside.

Nightglider didn’t hesitate either. She landed silently on the mill’s roof, creeping toward the window. Peering inside, she saw nothing but darkness, illuminated only by the eerie glow of an open door. Slipping in through the window, she scanned the room, expecting some ominous magic or a chilling breeze, but... nada. Odd.

Just as she started to glide above the first floor, her team’s signal flashed through her mind—a call to regroup. Something big was happening. She had no time to waste.

She darted back through the window and found herself narrowly dodging a dark tentacle. "Really? This again?" she muttered, weaving and dodging more attacks, until one clipped her wing, sending her crashing to the ground. Despite the painful landing, she regained her footing and barked orders to her team.

“We need to bounce. Shadowstrike, grab Starrise. I’ll get Frostbite.”

Before Shadowstrike could answer, Frostbite cut in. "No, we’re not running yet. Civilians need us."

The shadows seemed to agree, getting more aggressive by the second. Nightglider rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll evac the civilians. You guys keep these creatures busy. Make sure no one dies on my watch.”

Shadowstrike raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I help with the civilians? I can fly.”

“No,” Nightglider said, shaking her head. “You’re way more useful here. Besides, if any of us go down, you’ll need to hold the line. Stay strong.”

She turned to Starrise, who looked ready to burn the entire town down with her solar flame. “Star, you good for a little light show to cover my escape?”

Starrise’s eyes narrowed. “Do I look like I’m out of energy?” She flared her horn, shouting, “Let the light of Celestia burn the wicked!”

Flames shot out, lighting up the town like it was the middle of the day. The shadows hissed and recoiled like they'd been thrown into a hot oven.

Nightglider wasted no time. “Thanks, Star!” she yelled, zooming toward the civilian shelter.

Meanwhile, Shadowstrike was turning the dark horde into Swiss cheese, ethereal swords flying from the air, slicing through shadows like butter. Starrise kept the heat on, turning shadows into crispy critters with fiery blasts. Frostbite, the icy badass, was darting in and out, freezing the enemy’s weak points with precision strikes.

The shadows, wounded and bruised, slowly retreated, their pride hurt by the team’s relentless assault. For now, they were on the back foot.

I was on a cloud, minding my own business, when a blinding flash of light turned me into a falling comet. My control went out the window, and I crash-landed like a pissed-off meteor, creating a crater and a lot of bad decisions. The pain hit me like a freight train, but somehow, I didn’t break anything. "Son of a—" I groaned, shifting from pain to pure irritation.

Then, I heard it: scratching and hissing. Great. It was him again, stirring up trouble like usual. As much as I’d love to leave him to face whatever disaster he’d created, I couldn't. With a grunt, I shook off the pain, spread my wings, and shot toward the town, my shadowy form blurring with all the grace of a pissed-off phoenix. Time to save his sorry ass.

Author's Note

Hi TrashManic here. Some of you might be wondering, "Hey! Why was this chapter so long?" The answer to that is, I forgot to write the part where they actually go to the town, the part after Evergore and Goldiethine's conversation, until I had already finished this chapter. I didn't want to split it up, so I just kept it as one big chapter. I hope it didn't feel like it was dragging on for too long or feel too jarring considering this is double what I usually write for a chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! More is on the way!

Edit:
I finally found out how to add images! Now I can add my drawings too.