Carnage. To find a meaning to that word you would have to go to the most devastated areas of the world. But not here, all you had to do was look out of a window and carnage was everywhere.
The armies had clashed outside Erlincolts borders, the ground was already soaked red and black with dead. The different colours of magic and otherworldly abilities flying back and forth through the air. Erlincolt wasn't faring much better, several guards and militia were lying unmoving on the ground. Many more lay injured.
“Valder! You and Luna go and reinforce the outer guard! I have a feeling Erlincolt won't be free of the chaos forces advances!” Celestia shouts.
“Princess! We should really stick together!” Valder replies.
“If you two are as powerful as I sense you to be then you do fine on your own!”
“Celestia I...” Luna starts to say.
“Go! You may be Luna but my sister is out there!” Celestia points to the battle. “I'll be fine, don't worry!” Celestia then runs off with several of her guards following close behind.
“Father! We should go.”
Valder nods to Luna after watching Celestia round a corner and disappear. The battle rages out on the fields but both of them pay it no attention as militia stop and stare as two alicorns run past them.
**** **** ****
The ground was stained with blood and black scars. Lord Frost stood on his command dais smiling over the carnage and death his army was dealing. Soon the princesses would be dead and another land will join the glorious embrace of chaos. Frost thought for a moment and scowled as he looked towards the town, he should have heard something by now. It was simple attack the town and kill everypony in it, even the weak bat creatures could pull something like that off. It didn't help that he lost his top assassin, no matter how he hated him he always got his target; but this time something had gone wrong.
“My lord, I have a report from the town!”
Lord Frost turns quickly to find a creature that looked more like a mixture of a pony and a lizard.
“Jezziar, I didn't think you lowered yourself to being a messenger.” Frost stated.
“I was the only one that had the competence to get to you under these circumstances.”
“Indeed. What message do you bring?” Frost asks turning back to the battle.
“The attacking force met an obstacle. Princess Celestia is in the town.”
Frost felt a twinge of surprise but quickly suppressed it.
“Celestia is cut off from the army then?”
“She does have some of her royal guard with her and the town militia...But that is not the biggest news sir.” Jezziar explains.
“Then out with it!”
“It seems there are reports of two more alicorns in the town as well, one resembles Celestia but is a stallion and the other bares a striking resemblance to Princess Luna.”
Lord Frost stands quiet for several minutes, the expression on his face not that of fear or shock but more of understanding.
“That would explain why it's taking so long to capture the town.”
“Yes sir, between Celestia and these two others our forces are out matched.”
“Jezziar bring my carriage up, I will see to these new ponies myself.”
“Do you think that's wise sir? We have no information on their capabilities.”
Frost turns and bucks Jezziar in the chest sending him reeling. “Don't ever question me again! I am afraid of no pony!” Jezziar nods as he rises. “Get my carriage!”
**** **** ****
Valder raises up and kicks two bat creatures in the face sending them sprawling to the floor unmoving. Luna fires beam after beam of magic taking out several creatures flying over the fight.
“Father! There's too many! We have to fall back!”
“They have cut us off Luna! There is no way out!” Valder shouts looking over his shoulder at the increasing tide of black winged creatures. “We have to find other guards and militia! We need to concentrate our defence!”
“Where do we go!?” Luna asks firing magic and taking out two more creatures. “They are endless!”
Valder kicks and fires his own magic destroying and killing the enemy, but Luna was right. The creatures had come out of the towns sewer system as they were heading for the wall. The creatures hesitated at first but attacked when Valder blasted three of their kind. The fight had been going on for almost an hour, several militia had joined to help but only ended up getting killed for their efforts. Valder and Luna were getting tired, the constant tide of enemy crossed with the physical and mental use of all their magic has left them running dry.
It didn't help that both Valder and Luna were covered in what the creatures use for blood. Luna had taken a few cuts to her flank and sides, the pain and blood loss starting to effect her. Valder was not much better having been pierced by an arrow in his upper right shoulder. The battle was a losing fight for them and Valder knew it, the enemy was too numerous. Valder spins as he hears Luna cry out. Valder sees Luna do down amongst a group of flying creatures they were poised for the killing blow.
“Luna! No!” Valders horn erupts in a blast of magical energy, blasting back the hoard of creatures around him. The enemy lacking the knowledge of alicorn spells back off hesitant to see what Valder will do next. “Luna! Speak to me!” Valder shouts, running to Luna's side.
“Father, I'm ok. I just need to rest.” Luna replies unable to stand.
“No Luna! Don't rest! We need to get out of here, find the others.”
“Father! We can't win this! Just except that!”
“Never! As long as your alive and so am I, I'll never give up! I came into your mind to save you and be damned to hell and back I will save you! Even if it kills me!” Valder states lifting Luna up with his magic.
“Father you can't hold me and fight at the same time, you have to choose!”
“No! I refuse to leave you!” Valder throws up his head and shouts. “Darkside! I will kill you for this! You will suffer at my hoof if me or my daughter dies! I swear to you that!”
The winged creatures close in for the kill, their weapons raised in readiness for the killing blow. Valder closes his eyes as he charges up one final spell.
“Stop!”
Valder looks around for this new voice. Valders eyes settle on a black carriage, it was adorned with runes and symbols Valder did not recognise.
A figure clad in black armour steps out of the carriage, it's horn visible on it's head.
“All chaos forces are to back off!” The figure says. The winged creatures shrink back forming a circle around Valder and this new unicorn. “So? Princess Celestia has a new alicorn in her ranks.” The unicorn looks down and spots Luna. The unicorns expression changes to that of confusion as he looks back to the battlefield behind him. As he turns back a smile is plastered over his face. “Oh Princess Luna? But your not are you? You don't have that certain aura. I suspect you are but a shadow, a reflection of the real one fighting out there.” The unicorn gestures to the fighting on the hills. “So tell me, who and what are you?”
Valder positions himself between the unicorn and Luna. “I am Valder and you already know that I am an alicorn, so let's just skip it!”
The unicorns face displays a small tinge of shock, then just softens as the unicorn laughs.
“This might be fun for once! Better than just mowing down helpless ponies that can't even hold a blade.” The unicorns face suddenly lights up as though he just remembered something. “Pardon me where are my manners? I should introduce myself. My name is Lord frost, and I will be your death today.” Lord Frost flashes a grin.
Valder uses his magic and lifts up a fallen sword. “Not if I have anything to say about it!” Valder growls.
“Please! You are injured and can barely stand, also judging by your magic you are almost burnt out. Why don't you just lay down and I'll make it quick.”
Valder starts to laugh. Frost just looks on in confusion. “Lay down, are you really that desperate for a win or are you just naïve?” Valder asks.
“You dare call me naïve!? I will see to it that you are hung from the highest post for all to see!” Frost shouts, right before flaring his horn. However, what spell he had brewing was interrupted as several blasts ruptured amongst his army, flinging and killing his troops in every direction. “What!?” Frost shouts looking around.
“Ah Frost! You finally grace us with your presence!” Both Valder and Frost look up and see Celestia hovering with several guards at her side. “I thought of you as too much of a coward to show your face.”
“Celestia, it is also nice to see you again. But I’m afraid my time is short and my master is so adamant that I destroy this pathetic little town.” Frost turns back to his carriage. “So I’ll leave you in the capable claws of my forces.” Lord Frost bows and steps into his carriage, before Celestia can hit the carriage with an attack, Lord Frosts army attacks.
Celestia and her guards dodge the first set of attacks, missiles of magic and wooden arrows shoot towards the princess and her protection. Celestia dives down and fires beam after beam into the hoard of winged creatures. Celestia looks down and sees two of her guards casting a shield over Valder and her downed duplicate sister.
Valder looks up and sighs as the guards maintain the magic shield. Valder drops the sword from his magic and walks over to Luna, when he kneels beside her Luna looks up to him.
“I'm sorry father.”
“What for?”
“I should be better than this, Frost was right, I am but a shadow of the real Luna.”
Valder nuzzles Luna's neck. “You are the real Luna.” Valder looks around. “I just think it's this place! It's not letting us use our full power, probably Darksides doing.” Valder looks back to Luna. “But I promise you daughter, we will get out of this.”
“Father, please don't make promises that you can't keep.” Luna replies.
“It's a promise I can keep Luna, for I will die before you do, I can promise you that.”
Luna was going to respond when Celestia flies through the shield and lands in front of Valder.
“It seems I came at the right time, Frost is a powerful unicorn.” Celestia says.
“You know him?” Valder asks, standing back up.
“I do but that is a story for another time, we must get you to safety.”
“I want to fight.” Valder states.
“In your condition it would be best not to.” Celestia turns to one of the unicorns. “Guard Gleam, do you still have some potions left?”
The unicorn turns around, without focusing off the shield. “I have your highness.” The guard replies.
“Please, may I have two?” Celestia asks.
“Of course princess.” The guard lifts two potions out of a hidden pouch in his armour, Valder looks closely and sees they are actually two vials.
Celestia takes the two vials and thanks the guard, she then walks over to Valder and Luna holding the two vials out to them in her magic.
“These vials are healing potions, they should help you recover enough to walk.”
Valder takes the vials in his magic, noting how weak he truly was. “Thank you princess.” Valder floats one vial over to Luna, holding it when she drinks.
When Luna has finished Valder drinks from his own vial, the taste was bad but then anything good for you will always taste bad. Valder feels the potion working already as energy comes back to his body, Luna was already getting up beside him.
“I never realised how quickly those potions work, it's been awhile.” Luna says, flexing her wings. Valder follows suit opening and closing his own. “Father? What do we do now?”
“I don't know we are still weak Luna, our magic is too low to fight but we can help in other ways.”
“Like what?”
“Like getting ponies out of town, before it burns.” Valder says. Celestia raises an eyebrow.
“And how do you know the town will burn?” Celestia asks.
“Isn't it obvious princess? That Frost unicorn will not let this town survive. I can see already that your guards and what's left of the militia is pushing the chaos forces back. When he sees the battle here is lost, he will have no more reason not to bring out the big weapons. I'm actually quite surprised he hasn't used them already.” Valder answers.
“Then if that's what he'll do, we must stop him!” Celestia says. “But first we must find my sister.”
Luna cringes. “I-Is that a good idea? I mean what will your sister say about me?”
Celestia leans forward slightly. “You will tell her the truth.”
Valder nods. “Fine, but we must evacuate this town, the ponies here can't die needlessly.”
Celestia nods, then turns around to Guard Gleam and whispers into his ear. The magic shield drops, Valder and Luna flinch but relax as there are no more enemies in the vicinity. Celestia’s guards with the help of the town militia have completely run the enemy back. Valder, Luna and Celestia started to walk back to the main town hall, only to turn back when aloud horn was heard over the sound of the battle.
All three alicorns turn back and look at the hill were the enemy army was encamped, several large black objects were being hauled to the hill top. When the objects reached the top they all turned and faced the town. Valder frowned, looking to Luna and Celestia, he notices they too have the same expression.
“So he is going to do it?” Luna asks, not averting her gaze.
“Seems like this town just became forfeit.” Celestia states.
Valder starts to run back into the centre of town, Celestia and Luna not far behind.
“Father, how long do you think we have?”
“I don't know Luna, but we must get everypony out that we can.”
The three alicorns don't look back as several large thumps echoed from the hill.