Chaos, that's all it was. When the first round hit, there was only chaos. Ponies that huddled together in shelters built to protect them, died together when the shelters collapsed. Families killed off because somepony got a bloodied lip. Valder ground his teeth together, another family just got burned before he could reach them.
“BUCK YOU FROST! BUCK YOU TO TARTARUS! I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!” Valder screams, his voice causing several ponies around him to halt.
“Valder!”
Valder turns to see Celestia trotting up to him.
“You must show composure, the others will not falter if you stay strong.”
“How can I stay strong!? What is the point of this!? This is senseless slaughter! All for what!? Because you sent him limping home!?” Valder fires a beam of magic and destroys an incoming round. “I will see that evil wretch burn for this!”
Celestia calmly places a hoof on Valders shoulder. “You must help clear the town, that is our goal Valder. Your Luna needs help two streets over, go to her.”
“what about you?” Valder asks, finally calming.
“Me and my guards can handle here, go.”
Valder bows his head before sprinting off. Another round smashes a building nearby, Celestia wheels around and starts shouting orders.
“Save the towns ponies! Forget the buildings! The town is lost!” Several guards nearby drop water buckets and fan off into the houses. Celestia turns her gaze towards the hill and the black cannons. “Valder is right! Frost, you will burn for this.”
Lord Frost stood on the hill top, he smile for all the world to see.
“Do you see now princess!? Your little rebellion is over, you will die here and it will be my greatest legacy!” Frost shouts towards the town, following it with a laugh that could freeze hearts.
Frost turns away and walks to his command table, he glances over several maps before one of his subordinates approaches him.
“My lord!” The creature says, bowing to one knee.
Frost looks up at the creature who dares to disrupt him, he demeanour changes as he sees it is one of his own 'chosen'.
“What is it?” Frost growls.
“You have a message for you in the 'tent'!” The creature gestures to the large tent behind itself. “It is from the general.”
Frost winces. He may be evil but General Darkside is something different entirely. Darkside wasn't just evil, he WAS evil, evil in it's purist form. Lord Frost had met General Darkside on several occasions, not one had been a positive experience.
“Very well, I will go see what the General wants.” Frost replies, heading down and approaching the tent.
Frost walks in and lowers his head as a magical projection of General Darkside's face hovers a foot off the ground. The projection just stares at him.
“General Darkside, I am honoured by your message.”
“Can it Frosty! You hate me and I hate you, live with it!” Darkside replies. “I didn't want to message you but Emperor Discord deemed it necessary!” Darkside pauses. “You are ordered to withdraw!”
Lord Frost looks up from his position. “Come again?”
“Emperor Discord has ordered the withdrawal of your forces, they are to merge with Lord Fractures forces near Cliff Town.” The boredom in Darkside's voice was all to plain. “I don't want any of your excuses this time! You know what will happen if you disobey this order, and it won't be a slight trip to the mines again!”
Frost quivers. “I understand general.”
“I'm sure you do.” The projection shimmers. “I have informed Lord Fracture of your arrival, don't be late!” The image of General Darkside fades out, the general chuckling as his image disappears.
“Bucker! If he wasn't my superior I would kill him!” Lord Frost shouts, stomping out of the tent. Many of his weaker demons back away and cower under his rage. “Ordering me to leave! I'm winning!” Though much to his anger he had to obey. Turning to a larger minion Frost points to it. “You! Order the general retreat, Emperor Discord has need of us elsewhere!” The minion salutes and runs off leaving Frost to brood. “Bucking General Darkside!”
Valder bucks his hind legs crushing another demon, sweeping around he knocks another down leaving it to the spear of a guard standing next to him.
“The demons seem to be thinning out sir!” The guard states, thrusting his spear into another bat creature.
“I don't care! They all die!” Valder shouts blasting three apart with his magic. “This town will not be destroyed!”
The guard nods as he thrusts and stabs his spear in all directions. Valder looks up and spots Celestia taking out the air based creatures, her magic use was precise and calculated, it was no wonder Celestia would become Equestrias ruler with Luna. Valder was brought out of his thoughts as Luna came into his vision, but it was not HIS Luna.
Valder watches as a mass army of royal guard and night guard charge through Erlincolt, after another ten minutes the battle was over. Valder looked to the hill and could see that the large cannons were gone and most of Frost's army was retreating.
“Did...we...win?” Valder looks down and spots a short militia mare standing near him, the mare was only half his size in height yet was covered in black blood. “Sir?” Valder snaps out of his trance as the mare looks up to him. “Have...we saved...Erlincolt?” Valder looks back to the hill then back to the mare.
“For now, who knows when they will return.” Valder sees the mare nod and drop her sword.
“But at least for now, we have hope.” The militia mare bows a farewell and trots off to be with her surviving companions.
Valder watches her go and thinks about her words. So much death and destruction yet the ponies here still have hope for the future. Smiling Valder turns as Celestia drops down before him.
“You fought well for one of our kind. It's a shame I have to do this!”
Valder jumps in surprise as a magical field envelopes his body, in anger he glares at Celestia.
“What is the meaning of this!?” Valder shouts.
“You are an anomaly Valder, so is your daughter. I cannot have two anomalies running around in times of war. You have many questions to answer and I believe this is the only way to get them.” Celestia nods to her guards and Valder is tethered to two unicorns who move to take him away. “I'm sorry but it must be done.”
“Sorry, that's funny coming from you! In my time you sat alone for over a thousand years! But then again I can see why, turning on your allies must be natural for you!” Celestia puts up a hoof and the unicorns stop.
“What do you mean I sat alone?” Celestia asks, walking up to Valders magical prison.
“You betray Luna. You betray your own sister! Granted she does something horrible, but instead of helping her you banish her! Straight to her birthright, without a goodbye or even a sorry!” Valder shouts. “You then spend the next thousand years ruling over Equestria by yourself. And it eats at you!”
“Who are you?” Celestia asks, her face squinting in confusion. “You are an alicorn yet you act like a common pony, you are most perplexing.”
“Just because I have wings and a horn doesn't make me any more important than the ponies around me! When you royal types figure that out then give me a call!” Valder spits, turning his back on Celestia.
“Don't you turn your back on me!” Celestia says bristling with anger.
“I don't answer to you princess, just buck off and leave me be!” Valder replies without turning.
“What is going on here?” Valder turns to see Luna but more importantly it wasn't his Luna. “Sister, who is this?”
“Luna this is Valder, he helped save Erlincolt.” Celestia answers.
“Then why is he trapped in a magic bubble? He isn't dangerous is he?”
“He is powerful but no, he is not dangerous.”
“Says you! Let me out and I might just forget this!” Valder states, thumping a hoof on the magic barrier.
“Father!” Valder looks behind him as his Luna runs up to the magic bubble. “Why are you trapped in there?”
“My daughter, it seems the princess has had another idea about our temporary alliance. I am not to be trusted and I am to be locked up.”
“I said no such thing, do not twist my words!” Celestia shouts. Valder's Luna walks around the bubble only to come face to face with herself.
“You are me!” Celestia's Luna states as her eyes shrink to pin pricks. “H-how is this possible?”
“They are from the future if their story is to be believed, one thousand years in fact.” Celestia says in a monotone voice.
“The future? Then were is my flowing mane? Has something happened to Equestria?”
“Equestria is fine.” Valder replies. “But you are not.”
“What do you mean?” Celestia's Luna asks, walking up to Valders bubble.
Valder sighs. “You see Princess Luna we are in....”
Valder and his Luna are suddenly enveloped in a bright light and torn away from Erlincolt. They both crash to a stony floor as the light fades, Valder rubs his head and checks on Luna before looking forward and seeing Darkside standing over him.
“You...” Valder says with a snarl.
“Me.” Darkside replies with a grin. “I'm sorry I had to pull you out like that, had I have known you would blab to the princesses like that then I would have brought you out sooner.”
“Why would it matter?” Valder ask, standing to his hooves.
“What?” Darksides asks, with a bored tone.
“I asked! Why would it matter? It's a memory, it has already happened!” Valder sees Darksides smile drop from his face. “It's not is it?” Valder asks as a realisation hit's him.
Darkside turns away. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“Yes you do! These trips your sending us on, these games. Their more than just games ain't they?” Valder steps towards Darkside. “Their real!”
Darkside whirls around black and red flames coming out his eyes. “HOW CAN THEY BE REAL! THEY ARE IN HER HEAD!” Darkside's eyes return to their normal red colour as he coughs. “Sorry about that, I just can't seem to control it sometimes.”
“So why do I get the feeling that these games mean more to you than just getting our bodies.” Luna says. “And where's my tormentor?”
“My dear nightmare has retired for the evening, she trusts me you know, which is quite funny when I think about it.” Darkside crosses over to the mirror. “Now, I have chosen another wonderful time in your little life princess one that you will find quite enjoyable.” Darkside touches the mirror and it shimmers to reveal a forest, a forest both Valder and Luna recognise.
“The Everfree?” Valder asks. “Why here?”
“This is where your next trip will take place, this memory takes place five months after Erlincolt. You and your sister Luna have driven Emperor discords force back from the outer edges of Equestria. At this time I foalishly believed we could still win against you, and I sent two of my final best commanders against you. There are many battles between our forces before you meet me but this is the last time you face leaders of their quality.” Darkside steps away from the mirror and allows Luna and Valder to approach it. “One little piece of advice, don't stray too far from each other. You have no disguises now as my magic no longer works after Erlincolt, I cannot influence your memories only allow you into them.”
“Then we can refuse if you have no magic.” Luna states.
“I said in the memories, out here my magic is still better.” Darkside ignites his horn to prove a point. One blast of magic later Valder and Luna are pushed into the mirror. “Toddles my friends, safe landings!”
The portal closes and Valder falls through the air, however being an alicorn he had wings. Opening his wings Valder saves himself and glides gently to the ground, looking around Valder panics as he finds Luna is nowhere to be found. Running into the nearest bushes Valder calls for Luna, when he finds her she is lying prone on the ground and surrounded by six guards. All night guard.
“Why is the princess out here?” One asks, it's voice a growl.
“I don't know, Princess Luna was back at camp....should we take this one there?” The second guards says, turning to a more armoured night guard. “Sir?”
The more armoured guard nods. “Yes, the princess would want to see her.”
Valder watched as the guards lifted up Luna and carried her away, Valder hits himself on the head. Why didn't he save Luna? Why didn't he fight them off? All these questions run through his head, yet the only one that concerned him was how he was going to get Luna back. And without hurting any guards.