> The Dragon And the Reaper
>  by Silver_Charmer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One
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                                                      Humble Beginnings & Unexpected Happenings
Disclaimer: we do not own MLP:FIM that belongs to Hasbro
Now enjoy: 
Sunzue once said, the art of war is a vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death. the road either to safety, or to ruin.

A pegasus colt of advanced height trotted down the streets of the village he had called 'home' for all his life. This 'village', much more of a large city, was an eyesore to anyone who didn't live within its ramshackle walls of poorly maintained stockades and crude looking watchtowers, and houses of similar destitute. Pealing paper, which had long since lost its original color, covered their walls, and severely blackened glass windows adorned what houses that had them, many cracked or broken. The two story houses stood packed so close to each other, that only the most desperate of urchins could fit within their gaps. Most of the old wooden doors had at least a plank missing or their hinges fallen, or broken, off, forcing the residence to prop them up against homemade frames, or merely forgo the door for a mere tarp for coverage. Many of these perished homes bore severely withered thatch roofing, while others just barely held onto rotting shingles. The ghoulish figure of the colt tread upon the street, that being merely loose cobbles and packed dirt. 
The people who resided with the confines of this rotblister of a place mirrored image of their home; ragged, torn clothing clinging to their matted, filthy coats and manes. Like many of the homes, the villagers had a downtrodden look about them. Outrageous taxes and rising prices of even the simplest of necessities were only a few of the contributors to their destitute.
The white coated foal cast his magenta eyes to a flag pole, expecting to see the normal, oppressive eight pointed star. The golden idol had seemingly stared down upon the citizens with a choking gaze for as long as it had been there, which had been shortly after the foal was born. To the colt's surprise, however, he was not met with the oddly hypnotizing symbol at all. Upon the flagpoles, fine red banners lined with a black trim hung from their new mount, swaying lightly in the breeze. The new banners were adorned with a silhouetted profile of what seemed to be a fanged unicorn with a curved horn, with the tip of the horn fading into the red background. 
This was definitely got his attention, the youngling had never seen a flag like this, nor a flag in such a good condition before. He cursed as he realized it had took him this long to notice the difference, but merely excused it with the fact that he was rarely able to get out of that damned torture chamber called an orphanage...
The gangly pegasus walked further into town to investigate, earning harsh glares and sometimes even harsher shoves from almost everypony he walked past. To these trespasses, the young colt returned in kind with a cold fury and a twisted gleam of menace in his dulling eyes. No matter it being a normal occurrence, The young colt never lost his hate for villagers and townsfolk, it festering like a tainted flame, burning with the heat of a hundred fevers. Despite the strength of his hate, another emotion had long ago wormed its way into his heart, and clung to the mass of hatred like a parasite. The gaunt foal had felt the tugging of its icy grasp slowly pulling towards his navel every time his hatred surfaced. For all of his thought and wonder, the foal could not figure out what it was, the unending gnawing of uncertainty scratching at the back of his mind was insufferable. The desolate colt was at a loss to what such an insufferable illness had befallen him. Was it Typhus?Could it be a wretched mire leech? No amount of speculation could give him a definite answer, until finally, he overheard some classes in the orphanage, from which he had been banned from, about emotions and what they could cause. The feeling that had haunted his thoughts for so long, that had always whispered in the back of his mind, was fear. 
Fear from the life he had been cursed with.
Fear for his tormentors.
Fear for his death.
This revelation had struck the pegasus like a bolt of lightning. Fear had taken root and had blossomed into a twisted and gnarled flower.  His wolf like appearance had helped him greatly in masking his newly discovered fear with a much stronger emotion, Hatred. Hatred for those who were so eager to brand him a daemon because of the orphan mother and her incessant gossip. As far back as he could remember, the colt had been hated by the public and openly discriminated against with near wild fervor. It was his birth that had damned him. The day he was brought to this world was the day many had left, courtesy of a massive daemon. One that had taken the form of a massive alabaster wolf, covered in green runes. It had emerged from the vast and twisted forest that was referred to as the great Everfree in a unbridled rampage.
The beast had cleaved a mighty path out of the Everfree in its rage filled flight. The great white canine had entered into open land for the first time in millennium with a vengeful gleam in his three emerald eyes, Each shining with an uncontrollable storm of animosity and utter hatred. Its trident gaze fell upon the first vestige of civilization that had been able to prosper off of the Everfree in years, however, the greed and foolishness of the denizens had brought upon them great calamity. Shining Glory, the once great city, had fallen in a single night of the greater daemon's attention. Many ponies had lost loved ones, homes, businesses, and their hero in that attack. Most of the older generation could never let go of their sorrow, the emptiness of what they lost could only be filled with hate. Hate for themselves, hate for one another, hate for the Daemon of the Bloody Fang. But once a certain pegasus colt was left on the doorstep of the orphanage, one that bore the telltale markings of daemonic influence, all of the animosity for each other was transfixed unto the unfortunate soul.
The near corpselike colt proceeded further to the center of the village, as the crowds thickened, food carts and stalls started to appear, not that they held anything of quality, much less quantity. One could feel the oppressive feeling of hatred that carried throughout the air. The source of such a overwhelming hatred stemmed from many, if not all, of the villagers who could see the malnourished form of the object of their spite. Though his current condition was of a small satisfaction to the residence of Tarnished Glory, an appropriate title for the of the former city, It would never satisfy their lust for vengeance. Sadly for them however, no physical action could be taken against him, the lord of Tarnished Glory had decreed that the colt would not be harmed severely by any of the towns residence. This decree was baffling to many who could not bring themselves to think in a different direction besides animosity. The true reason behind this law was to further the power of Lord Crull, Tarnished Glory's highest of lords. Crull, having a cruel and ambitious nature, knew how true weapons of might were made. No matter the skill of the smith, nor the quality of the metal, could match his method. No, Crull knew that the mightiest of weapons were not of metal and timber, of blades and runes, but of flesh and blood. True weapons born, forged by the unrelenting inferno of hatred and unwavering suffering, by endless neglect and the deepest ravines of despair. Only the strong could pass the gauntlet to reach their true purpose as a weapon, as a tool. To serve the powerful and noble as a tool, to be used, to subdue and slaughter their enemies. And when their purpose had come to an end, or their risk had outweighed their return to their masters, to be cast aside and left to rot, no one to remember them. 
The canine like colt continued on towards the Old District, where most of the remaining building of Tarnished Glory still stood, even if just barely. By the time he set his hooves upon the cobbles of the Old District, a rock was thrown past his head, landing with a loud clack as it hit the old cobbles of the street. Everything seemed to come to a stop as all of the townspeople glared at the black maned pariah with disgust at such a vile presence. Like a tide, the mass of bodies distanced themselves from the pegasus, and a large circle separated  the ghoulish colt and the townsponies. Fiery hate shone in the glares of every single denizen, stabbing forth from their Glorian eyes. 
The foal tried to move past them, to ease that niggling feeling that began to scratch its way to the forefront of his mind, but the crowd did not part upon the colt's advancement. Instead, the hate filled townsponies took to grabbing hold of anything they could within hooves or psychic reach. Stones, sticks, scrap planks, and whatever manner of blunt instruments were brought to bear. The bony colt came to a halt, realization striking him as the incessant parasite began to flail wildly in his heart. He was surrounded by almost twenty villagers, some just simple peasant farmers selling grain or craftsponies of the inner district, some even hailing from a more vengful sect of the Glorian guardsponies. The very same who had been ordered to keep the peace had taken to the prospect of causing the damned 'thing' a bout of pain. The cold eyes of the colt widened slightly, his pedigree unable to hide his fear, even for just that moment, before turning back to the baleful gleam of icy hate. The same look that had become synonymous with the young pegasus. 
Even at the prospect of losing their occupation, the Glorian Guards, armored in worn leather clothing, their right shoulder adorned with a bronze pauldron emblazoned with a jagged wheel baring eight gnarled points,  would easily take the chance to exact vengeance upon the three eyed daemon wolf that took so much away from them. The crowd that surrounded the seemingly feeble pony threw hexes and ailments upon the hated pariah, brandishing their temporary weaponry to instill as much fear in the colt before their sever brand of 'justice' would commence. 
"Daemon spawn!" One particularly large villager hefting a pick axe sneered as he approached menacingly, "We are finally gonna return all the pain you caused, us all those years ago." The stallion seethed anger through his dull brown eyes, a look that was mirrored by every other pony there. The colt held his ground, the icy tendrils of fear grasp at his heart, but not allowing it to take hold, he fed the flames of rage inside his soul. If one where to look closely, one would be able to see the ardent fire in the canine pony's eyes. Eyes that held only rage and left no room for mercy.
As a paragon of fierce defiance, The nameless colt readied himself for the attack, expecting nothing less than the beating of his life. Taking a threatening stance towards the mob, the colt crouched his forelegs, spreading them apart, spreading his gaunt wings to an impressive length and baring a mouth full of fangs as he let loose a low growl. Intentional or not the growl brought a clear reaction from the crowd, Some of the weaker willed mares and stallions began to back up or outright run away in fear. While other, more stouthearted ponies took it as their final proof to see the ire of the village as the monster they knew it to be.
"See, How could this really be a pony? No, This thing is the damned wolf in disguise weakened by its battle with Shining Halo!" One of the guards shouted over the crowd, trying to bring out more fervor at the mention of the towns hero, the one who defeated the Three Eyed Wolf at the cost of her own life, alone with many others. A chorus of approval emanated from the crowd as the remaining twelve ponies started to shout and wave their weapons. Numerous threats and curses where hurled at the town pariah, and it was clear now that the remaining ponies would not back down.
Seeing this, the colt could no longer think intimidation as his salvation, pushing back the ever growing feeling of fear and drowning it with a baleful flame of rage that would impress dragons were they present. The colt looked for an exit strategy from the ring of angry bodies but found none. Holding fast, he steeled himself for the coming storm.
""Lets finish Shining Halo's work! Let us free ourselves of this evil!" The same guard boomed over the crowds jeers while pointing his rusty mace at the colt while hovering in the air on rust colored wings. The rest of the crowd took to the 'inspirational' words of the guard like parasprites to food. With one final cry of animosity the assembled mob charged forward.
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Upon a hill overlooking the scene four figures stood under a great oak in one of the royal gardens, watching the scene unfurl. One appeared to be a sleek looking politician or merchant, a stallion that possessed a short dull blond mane that was sleeked back with a stubby purple horn sticking out of it. His greedy eyes shared the color of his mane, which slightly clashed with his dull purple coat that seemed to almost glisten in a silkily way. Over said coat of fur lied extravagant silk clothing inlaid with gold and ivory to show his obvious economic advantage over the populace. 
Two of the other figures stood out from the rest of the town completely. Both pegasus were adorned in full suits of dark steel scaled armor, Which entailed a helm of sleek design that seemed to be angular in design with the metal tailing back, sporting a metal fin at the top of the helm and a visor covering the lower face of the two figures and shrouding their eyes in darkness. The shoulder pauldrons seemed to be smooth and aerodynamic like the rest of the armor and barred protrusions that formed razor fins. The chest plate held a gold crystal in the center of it, with the metal in a pattern flowing away from the center of the chest. With the leg greaves following the same flowing scaled pattern as the rest of the armor. They both stood with an air of conference and reserve becoming of true warriors, But the one they flanked was far more impressive. Resting upon the shoulders of both pegesi, A slender lance well exceeding the height of the wielders sat, crafted from the same metal from their armor, they held a deadly edge that could pierce even the toughest of armor at high speeds. On the butt of each lance, a thin tassel of long ruby red hair flowed.
At the front of the group, listening closely to the procession below, stood a stallion of superior muscle mass that held an air of superiority. The charcoal gray stallion was like no other, with an angular jawline traced by deep black facial hair. his muzzle was sharp and broad, and not a trace of fat was present on his face. His blood ruby eyes seemed to ooze power, literally forming wisps of purple arcane energy from the corners of his eyes, the most definitive quality of the stallion's eyes where that the sclera was not the average white, but a dark emerald green. He stood a good head taller then most tall stallions with his obsidian mane flowing back in a magical breeze that only affected him. His oddly curved horn signified him as a unicorn, it matched the color of his coat at the base, but faded into a blood red, getting deeper in color the closer it was to the end. Providing armor to his muzzle, a thin dark steel crown was placed atop his head, with only the front part not being hidden by his flowing mane.
His attire composed of scaled plates of dark steel covering his neck and chest with a blood ruby centered on his chest, with shoulder pauldrons of angular dark steel plates jutting outwards on either side. connected to his intricate shoulder guards was a thick dragon skin cape in the shade of deep red, which was lined with a Snow Ursa's fur on the edge of the flowing red cape. While not in full armor like the two pegesi obviously under his command, his greaves provided plenty of protection with their thick and angular plates going all the way up to his upper joints.
"Ah, there he is my lord," The extravagantly dressed unicorn said will giddily gesturing towards the assailed colt below. "My... 'social experiment'" The purple unicorn chuckled darkly. "Ah and looks like we've stumbled across one of his little 'test' I've implemented upon him." The blond unicorn continued with a high pitched voice worthy of the most arrogant of nobility.
The armored unicorn raised a thick eyebrow at what his new pawn had said. 'Is this the weapon he spoke of?' The charcoal curved horned stallion thought before releasing a growl. Turning his head to glare at the sleazy unicorn. “Didn’t you state you had made a law to protect this child, Can you not even keep your own rabble in check, Crull?” The larger stallion said in a gravelly voice, making his disapproval evident.
The unicorn of the name Crull began to fumble a bit with his words before regaining his composure, which only seemed to garner more disapproval from the muscular unicorn next to him. " M-my lord, I am full aware of my own actions." The richly dressed stallion stated nervously before gaining back his usual arrogant tone. "I made the law to not inflict permanent physical harm on the foal, and I most definitely wouldn't have let this happen without having my own hoof to play in it." Crull stated with a sinister grin etched across his rounded snout.
The armored unicorn grunted before looking back at the spectacle below, staring intently down upon the pegasus colt as he was charged by the angry mob of twelve ponies intent on causing only pain and suffering for the 'Daemon'. "Let us see what this 'daemon' truly has to offer me, Crull." He uttered, awaiting for the battle to unravel.
"Yes, lord Sombra." was all the other unicorn said before turning his gaze upon the battle. 'You better not disappoint me, brat!'
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Within the alleys of the Old Quarter's tall stone buildings, many criminals and lowlifes had taken refuge in the dark passageways as a home and way to travel throughout the city. Some parts of the inner alleys had been made into actual thriving communities of thugs and shifty merchants and fencers. From assassins to bodyguards, from alchemist to smiths, all forms of shady business thrived within the alleyways and higher sewers of Tarnished Glory. 
With the dally hustle of scum flowing through the alleyways subsiding, some of the small stands of illegal wares began to close immediately, the owners not wanting to leave their profits to be stolen by the lingerers. Some of the more intimidating individuals still remained open for business, but not many stands remained as the rest had packed up and left for the day, returning to whatever hovel they dwelled. 
Within the shrouded corridors of the inner city started to still and go quiet, A cloaked figure stepped out from the wall and started making towards one of the remaining stalls that held an unusually plentiful amount of fresh food. At the sight of the shadowy figure approaching his stall, the lanky, but well muscled pegasus mare grinned sensually at the cloaked figure now in front of her.
"So," The dark blue mare purred slightly within her speech. " Did you get the job done, handsome?" She said while narrowing her gleaming gold eyes and licking her lips, obviously in an attempt to seduce her visitor.
From the cloaked figure a young, but still slightly masculine voice replied. "You know, many might think your rather... athletic, form to be unappealing, maybe you should do something about that before trying to dabble in such practices?" The shaggy maned mare narrowed her eyes menacingly at her least favorite of contacts, knowing full well what he was insinuating.
Giving a low growl of irritation, the mare slammed a hoof down onto the rickety boards of her stall. "Listen here you little runt, I am your goddamn lifeline here. I'm the one with the food here, and I'm the one in control. Now wouldn't a smart little lad like you hold his forked tongue when speaking with the only thing keeping him alive in the city?" She questioned poisonously, completely dropping the seductive act.
Hearing his temporary employer insinuating her own threat made the cloaked figure think twice. Sighing, the younger pony reached into his cloak and produced a small package and dropped it on the stall. Not wasting any time, the rugged looking mare retrieved a dagger from the sash across her chest and slashed swiftly across the top part of the package in a sudden burst of speed. Inspecting the fine black powder within it with a calculated sniff she looked back up with a sultry grin of satisfaction.
"Looks like you get to eat tonight kid." She chuckled out before obtaining multiple small bags and carefully pouring the ominous black power evenly into each one, not even giving the cloaked pony another glace as she had moved on to a far more important mater. Stepping forward to the section of the food cart holding various dried meats, a clawed appendage emerged from the brown cloak and retrieved a large amount of preserved venison from the cart and putting it in a small sack, then returning it the inside of his cloak. Seeing his purpose here was done, the cloaked pony turned away and began walking towards the way out of the alleys and into the streets.
Traversing the darkened alleys way nothing difficult to the young stallion as he seemed to move with a sense of direction through the winding passageways. through his ragged hood two catlike emerald eyes gazed at the shrouded path ahead of him as he scanned for any activity. Right when he thought he was clear to leave the embrace of the shadows to move across the alley, A dark blur shot past him, nearly blowing his hood off his head. Pinning himself back on the wall the cloaked pony hid for a moment, waiting for the eventual follow up. 		
As predicted, two cloaked figures blurred past the pony's vision in hot pursuit of the other figure before they all rounded a winding corner, delving deeper into the intricate web of alleys of the Old Quarter. The pony sighed in relief before moving onward to the streets. 
Within the two months of the emerald eyed pony had lived in the cities inner alleys, He had learnt that such occurrences as high speed chases like the one he almost ran into were quite common, and one had to learn not to intervene unless one wanted  to make an enemy. Pushing such thoughts back from his mind the young pony continued on his path. After a few more minutes of swift travel, The cloaked pony had reached an exit to the gloomy passages of the alleyways. Stopping at the illuminated entrance to the open streets, the cloaked figure took a cautious look out at his surroundings.
Looking out at the city streets, the brown cloaked figure observed as the streets were unusually clear and much of the common traffic was gone.  Before the emerald eyed pony could question the sudden absence of ponies, a cry of multiple angry voices emanated down the road. Curious as to why such violent sounds of aggression where coming from. the pony clad in brown swiftly moved towards the sound of confrontation.
Rounding the corner, The hooded figure came to a halt at the sight of an entire crowd of townsfolk and even a few of the guards armed with all manor of improvised weaponry charging a feral and underfed looking pegasus. The look in the gaunt pegasus' eyes shone with a cold gleam of fury, the emotion seemed to fill his very soul like a crashing wave. But as the hooded pony stared on, he saw a slight fault in the rage filled eyes, within a split second the cold fury returned with a look of feral determination. However, the hooded pony had seen that look, that glimmer in the eyes of many ponds of water and screens of glass before, despair, pain, and loneliness.
'His eyes, they're like mine... But, he hides it in darkness, in rage.' The thought was lost on him as he saw the confrontation commence into battle. Two slitted pupils watched the horribly one sided brawl with sympathy and slight pain. They watched as the gawky pariah chomp down on a pegasus mares snout,and to the mysterious newcomers surprise, a copious amount of crimson sprung forth from the wound as the colts teeth tore through the unfortunate mares muzzle. A scream of pain followed as the beige mare fell to the ground as the rage filled colt threw her to the ground, turning her sky blue mane into a light shade of crimson as her own blood began to pool below her. She looked up in terror to see the harsh magenta eyes of her would-be victim before those same gold eyes rolled back as she fell unconscious.
The sickly colt turned and bore his bloodied fangs at his next assailant, only to be met with a hoof. The crack of the hit could be heard blocks away, and the pony seemingly plastered to the wall cringed at the strike, knowing all to well the pain of an earth pony hoof. But again the brown clad pony  was met with surprise as he saw the earth pony's smirk turned into a pained yelp as he was pulled into the air, hoof clutched in the starved colts jaws, and was pulled to the ground with his combatant.
'Huh,' The shadowy observer thought with a slight smile. 'He used the momentum of the attack to drag that pony down with him, serves the idiot right to shove his hoof into a mouth full of fangs like that...Wait, fangs? Curious indeed,'
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'Kill.' It was just one singular whisper, a hallow rasp at the back of his mind, And for one moment, he felt his fear blossom. He forced his rage full force into the forefront of his mind, dashing away that fear and letting loose a feral howl of baleful hate. hearing this some of the charging ponies faltered, while others only seemed to be spurred onward by the display. The first of his enemies reached him, a dull purple pegasus flying at an impressive speed with her hooves outstretched for a charge.
The pale white colt swiftly dodged her reckless charge and went to the next assailant. Another pegasus mare, this one landing before throwing a punch at her believed bane of existence. Instead of the satisfying dull ache of a punch, the unbearable pain of rended flesh bloomed upon her muzzle as the wolfish colt bit into her upper snout. Her gold eyes widened in surprise as the met dull pink ones filled with hate. The blue maned mare let out a bloodcurdling scream before loosing control of her legs, dropping uselessly to the ground. She looked at the colt standing before her, her blood covering his monstrous fangs and dripping down his now stained muzzle. The whole image coupled with her pain brought her to a level of fear she never thought existed, so she did the only reasonable thing, and fainted.
The black hair of the scorned colt shot back with the rest of his body when a large hoof of brown fur and bulging muscle slammed into his open maw. Even through the pain the canine pegasus clenched his jaw and bit down, using his momentum to pull the heavy weight of his attacker tumbling down with him in a heap of limbs and fur.
In an instant, the rest of the mob pounced, pinning the colt to the ground and retrieving their comrade. two earth ponies held onto each of his upper and lower legs, while a burnt orange unicorn mare held his slender neck down with a yellow aura of telekinesis. The burly stallion who had just had his hoof torn to shreds got up on his good hooves and stumbled forwards while assertively growling. "No one touch him! I'm going to beat my fill first." Approaching the struggling foal, the white maned stallion narrowed his crimson eyes at his new prey. The stallion merely winched in pain when he put his damaged right hoof down, the reared back his good hoof and smashed it down upon the colts left rear leg, electing a sharp SNAP, and a stifled scream of pain.
The jagged bone stuck out of the young hide with blood dripping off its point, the stallion then turned around and reared up his hind legs over the colt, then brutally brought them crashing down on the white pegasus's rib cage, earning another cry of pain that followed a series of cracks. The brown hulk of a stallion turned to see the pariah coughing up blood, wheezing for breath from his wounds and restraints. He gave one last look before walking away, satisfied with the damage he had caused. "Go ahead, have at him." The stallion paused before chuckling and limping away. "He's easy to break."
The assembled rabble cheered at the display of brutality unto the monster that had plagued their city, their lives. The unicorn who had been using telekinesis let loose a bone chilling grin before summoning up her magical affinity, and in an instant, all of her anger and fear set ablaze her magical aura holding down the white colt below her. The bright yellow magic turned to a mass of blazing orange flames that licked and stabbed at the fur and flesh of the gaunt pony on the ground, electing another gurgled scream from said colt. That's all it took to urge the other ponies to lunge forwards at the writhing pariah with weapons ready.
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Further away stood the unmoving figures of three armored stallions accompanied by a finely dressed fourth pony. Said fourth pony had a nervous look plastered over his sweat laden face. He had made a promise to his lord that he had made the ultimate weapon, yet it had been able to barely best one of the wretches. 'How DARE that insolent fool show this much weakness at a time like this, damn him!' The purple unicorn shifted his gaze over at the stoic stallion who had not betrayed a single emotion thus far.
A few paces away, the dark king was thinking something completely opposite from his new pawn's frantic internal ranting. With a slight narrowing of his eyes the ornately armored stallion analyzed the situation presented to him. "Only eight years old and he can incapacitate a full grown pegasus mare with a single blow, And those fangs... it looks as if he could hold up his... reputation, quite well." Droned out a strong bass of a voice, and with it came a slight glare of barely concealed contempt. "Why do you squirm and fluster Crull? You obviously have something to say... but is it to me, or perhaps another?" A quirked eyebrow presented itself on the dark visage of the stallion known as Sombra, and it was quite clear to his new associate that he wanted an answer, but all Crull could do in his current state was flounder with his words and make a fool of himself.
The dark unicorn made his final decision concerning the well being of his new and, quite useless pawn, and made his move with a cold gleam in his ruby eyes. Turning his contemptuous gaze from the self indulgent unicorn, the dark king gave a terse command  to his guards before traversing down the cobbled road, into the town square. The two pegisi swiftly took to the skies with powerful beats of their feathered wings. Seeing he had to choice, Crull hurried along at the heels of Sombra.
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Crimson Gleam and Fatal Feather had been inducted into the Crystal Legion at an extremely young age. Both lived in the same village when it was raided by bandits, and both had lost their families and friends, leaving them with only each other. They had to fight their brutish captors in a desperate gambit to escape lives of slavery and anguish. They had to brave the northern wilderness as a frigid winter set in, barely coming out of the ordeal alive.
Their ordeal ended months later when they stumbled upon a Legion patrol, begging to be saved from starvation and cold. 
(WARNING, END OF EDIT, CONTINUATION MAY LEAD TO CRINGE)
capital building he saw a large mass of soldiers in steel scaled plate armor with black coats and curved sabers on their sides and tall halberd on their shoulders, on closer inspection he could see they were holding those strange flags in the town earlier.
At the front of the lines was a muscular smoke grey unicorn with gravity defying black mane that looked like fire. He had green eyes and a red horn that faded into black the closer you got to the base of it, it was ad normal in size compared to regular unicorns.
He was clothed in a red velvet cape with a snow leopard fur collar and he wore a much more regal and intricate form of the soldier’s armor.
This strange unicorn was talking to lord Crull, the baron of our estate. A certain colt personally hated him more than most ponies here.
He's an evil tyrant that embraces slavery and pony trafficking. He also loves to come to the orphanage and kicks us to the ground and toy with us for nothing more than amusement.
Crull was a dark purple unicorn with dark gold short mane and yellow eyes. And he's always wearing that sadistic grin on his face, if anypony were to be as corrupt as him they'd be dead by now by the drug lords and slave traders he constantly ripped off. But since he's so far up in political terms that every pony kisses up to him and fears his power. His cutie mark was a ball and chain with a bag of bits next to it. If that doesn't scream corrupt then what would.
Phantom continued to observed this strange unicorn and Crull When I saw the baron lean down and kneel to the ground before the evil looking unicorn and sign a parchment roll. 
Right there he knew what was going on, he was handing the estates land and ponies over to this fanged unicorn!
The pale colt felt a slight rage at this. He just betrayed his own country! And if there’s one thing I hate more than Crull himself, it’s the lack of loyalty here in this grim forsaken place.
Loyalty is one of the few things that he admired about some ponies. And this dirt bag was forsaking all of them for personal gain!!
Phantom felt a surge of anger flow through him, he wanted nothing more than to break of that stunted horn. But he knew he stood no chance against those guards. So he was about to leave to the orphanage when one of those guards grabbed his black tail and dragged him to the smoke colored unicorn and Crull.

"And as you can see I am now fully committed to your black crusade Er- my lord. Crull said while bowing to his new master.

"Lord Sombra, I found this foal ease dropping on you.” said the Guard Sergeant.

"Hmmm," Sombra looked at me curiously as if he was going to put the starved colt in his slave chambers.

"Who is this little one Crull." Sombra said in an icy venom of a voice.

“You, Daemon child, state your name at once." Said Crull to the ad normally tall colt with all the malice in his black heart.

Phantom glared daggers at Crull,"I don't know, no pony ever told me." he grumbled at Crull.

"Eh Crull, why did you call this boy a daemon child, and why does he not have a name?" Sombra said with a gleam in his eyes.

“Because he IS a daemon ch-" I wouldn't let him finish.

“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU CRULL!!!!!! YOU’RE THE ON THAT TURNED ME INTO A DAEMON!!!"

"Ha don't make me laugh brat! I’d bet you’d die from hunger before you'd even get to me.” Crull Said in a amused tone smirking at the colt who was trying desperately to get away from the guard.

"Let's find out shall we hmm?" Sombra slithered out from his forked tongue in a gleeful voice. At the prospect of violence, the malicious unicorn couldn't help but smile. To see death right before his very hooves was like the moment before a grand feast, the anticipation for blood was growing restless within the dark stallion. It had been far too long sense he had sated his thirst for the worlds richest of wines, blood of the living. " Let him go Pawn!"

As soon as the guard loosened his jaw the  shot forward at Crull with suprising speeds that seemed impossible to even phantom himself. He hit the short horn with all of his might. Crull was completely caught off guard and for that was rewarded with a broken horn courteously of the pegasus colt in front of him.

A strained scream of utter pain was all Crull could get out as Phantom grabbed his horn off the cold stone ground and stabbed it right I between the corrupted unicorns eyes ending his miserable grim's forsaken life. But Phantom wasn't done. he felt this … this voice, this primal feeling in the back of his dark mind to do more. 
Phantom then yanked the horn out of his skull and stabbed it down on his right hoof, it felt likehis body was doing all of this without his minds orders, like he was being possessed and then he saw it, What they all assume to have been Crull's soul being sucked out of his body and into the dark purple horn in the unstable colts foreleg as it started to glow the rose color identical to his bloodshot  eyes. 
In a bright flash of light the horn was now a smaller, shorter version of itself sticking out right above Phantom’s front right hoof as if it was a part of his body.

All the while, Sombra looked on with mad glee apparent across all his features, grinning ear to ear while baring his fangs, while the crowds that gathered around looked on at the town pariah with a mixture of awe and horror. 

Phantom felt himself slowly slipping out of consensus. He fell to the groun\d as his senses started to shut down, the last thing he heard was the darker unicorns voice.
"I see much use in you colt, yes Indeed, from this day forth you with become my acolyte, and you shall be known as Phantom Reaper." Sombra said while Phantoms world faded into black.




I am Draco the last Unikronogon from a tribe in the Everfree forest, I ran away from the carnage that was brought about by an army I still know nothing of. 
I went north, the only way I thought was safe, well that and my mother told me to go north to some place I can’t remember what she said. So a walked and walked in tell I felt like dying right then and there, but as fate and luck may have it, I found a large village, but that’s were his luck ran out. The village itself looked, well… bad. 
It was rundown and dirty, and it also looked like it needed a major fix up. The flag made it looked like it was a daemon worshiping cult. It was an eight pointed star all rusted and filthy.
“Who would ever want that as their emblem to be that thing?” Draco thought to himself. 
But he didn’t care, he had found civilization! He was saved, or so he thought. He was treated with contempt and disgust. He lived on the streets; he had to steal and lie to survive. Falling into a pit of despair and hate... 

Hate, for everypony in this god forsaken village.

But even though he stole his way through life, he did have (to a certain degree) a sense of honor, every time he stole from a stall he would put an i.o.u. in the place of the item.
One day he was doing one such act of thievery he saw all the flags where replaced with a strange red and black flag with a black profile of a unicorn with a large horn. 
As he entered the town square, he saw a large mass of solders in strange armor and wielding strange weapons and the same flags as the ones around town. As he looked closer he saw a muscular smoke grey unicorn with gravity defying black mane that looked like fire. He had green eyes and a red horn that faded into black the closer you got to the base of it, It was ad normal in size compared to regular unicorns.
He was standing over a colt that looked to be my height but about two maybe three years younger than him with black shoulder length mane with red lines going down through it he was lanky and ad normally tall with a bone white coat and really large wings for his age, he had deep rose colored eyes and long straight tail 
The younger colt had a purple unicorn’s horn grasped in between his teeth, and before him was the lord baron Crull, dead as stone with a hole in between his eyes, he lay in a pool of his own blood.
Draco watched in fascination as the sickly looking colt brought the horn down on his right foreleg. 
The horn now imbedded in the pony’s foreleg started to glow the same color of his eyes as the dead body of lord Crull started to emit a glow, that glow was quickly sucked in the horn in the colts foreleg and in a blinding flash, the horn was sticking the right way out of the colts foreleg, it looked like he was born with it their other than the purple color.
All the while this “Sombra” looked at the colt with a mad scientist look in his eyes as he ordered his guards to collect the colt.
He looked at Draco for a second and told his guards to remove him from the area.
When the guards yanked on Draco’s cloak, it flew off to reveal a unicorn colt with black dragon wings and dark scales growing up his legs and cyan eyes with slit pupils. He had a brown coat with a red horn and a really dark turquoise with crimson going through it. 
Sombra seeing a chance for another prize commanded his Guard to take Draco as well as the pegasus to the chariots.
Draco tried to resist but was swiftly knocked out by one of the guards and put him in the armored chariots with the starved pegasus. While in the chariots back to the crystal empire, Draco shifted in and out of conciseness while Phantom Reaper was out cold due to the soul consumption and normal starvation.
When they arrived at the destination they were put in a lavish room filled with fine furniture and a fire place with one table and two beds with red velvet covers. 
They were put in separate beds and locked in the stone room where they would reside for the next four years, training, studying, and bonding like blood brothers.
They will be my greatest warriors, said Sombra looking in his crystal ball observing the two sleep their first night in their new home.






Hey people jbm533 here as lead author and LunarRing( Silver_Tongue) as co-author, this is our first fic and it’s going to be a wild ride everyone. Constructive criticism is much appreciated.
> Chapter Two 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Confusion& Memories 
Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult task.
~Isaac Watts 
Draco awoke to a warm bed and a well rested body; this was confusing to Draco since the last time he ever felt this feeling was… back home...
At the thought of his home village, Draco shot up out of the bed he was in and looked around.
What he saw confused him even more. It was a large stone room with a iron reinforced oak door, a small table with two chairs all master crafted to its finest quality all placed in front of a medium sized fireplace with a carved stone bust of Sombra. 
Draco was cut short by his observation of the room by ragged breathing from across the room. There in a second bed identical to his own, was the tall colt that he saw at the town.
Then he realized the pegasus colt wasn’t in the best shape of his life, he looked like a skeleton for a second or two. Draco carefully walked towards the mysterious Pegasus in hopes of getting a better look at him.
He looked worse than he first thought; he looked like he was almost all skin and bones with large bruises & cuts all over his body. On a even closer inspection their was a short purple horn sticking out above his right hoof.
“My god.” That was all he could utter under the shock of seeing this colt like this. “How is he even alive” said Draco aloud.
As if on cue, the tall colt’s eyes shot open to reveal a pair of deep rose colored eyes filled with shock, misery, and fear.
The ghoulish looking pegasus looked over at Draco, fearing for another beating and
with fear evident in the younger colt’s eyes, he jumped out of his bed and lashed out in pure fear and fury throwing a punch with his newly acquired horn. The blow connected to the strange dragon pony’s jaw and sent him stumbling back a few steps.
“What the hell..., how can this sack of bones throw a punch that hard?!” Draco thought to himself. Then he looked at the foreleg of the colt that hoofed him in the jaw with, it had a faint aura of the deep rose of the colts eyes around his right foreleg. It seemed similar to the aura that surrounds a unicorn’s horn before they cast a spell.
“What the hell, How can he use magic?!” Draco thought to himself, beginning to worry about the situation he found himself in.
“I’m not gonna take your shit anymore, I’m tired of the beatings and the pain.’ said the white pegasus trying to fight the exhaustion brought about by using his new power.
“What the hell are you talking about, I don’t even you!” Draco exclaimed, “So why the hell would I try and hurt you!”
“STOP FUCKING LYING, I won’t be pushed around anymore! Never again shall I be the weaker one.” Said the boney colt, anger apparent across his features as he shot forward with his magical enhanced hoof. Draco barely had the time to dodge the hate filled attack, and when the white pegasus hit the ground where Draco used to be, it made a small crater in the solid stone floor.
Draco’s eyes widened in fear at this. “What the hell is making this colt so strong?!” Draco thought to himself through dodging magic enhanced hoof attacks. Then it hit him (Metaphorically), this colt was using whatever kind of power he acquired when he took that bastard Crull’s magical force!
Draco watched as the skeletal pegasus magic aura around his right hoof begin to fade leading to him to start slumping over onto the floor breathing heavily. 
“This is my chance!” Thought Draco as he rushed forward and tackled the sickly colt with all he had. They were sent tumbling towards the door and they grappled on the ground. Obviously Draco won out and pinned the rose eyed colt to the ground and stared directly into his fearful pain filled eyes.
“Why,” the colt started weakly but got louder as he spoke, “WHY DOES EVREYPONY ALWAYS WANT TO HURT ME!!!” Yelled the bone white pegasus between sharp breathes as he tried to break free from Draco’s grasp, but lead to no avail.
“I’m not gonna hurt you as long as you calm the fuck down!!” exclaimed Draco trying to calm the pegasus down.
“Why should I trust you? You’ll just try to make me bleed for your amusement like everypony else!” He said with a pain filled voice.
“Because from what I can see from your appearance, I’m like you.” Draco continued, “I’ve lived the life of fear! Brought to this world unknowing as to why everypony hates the unknown and the abnormal. I too was forged by hatred from those god forsaken pony in that blasphemous village!” 
The younger colt calmed a bit at hearing that somepony had experienced a measure of the pain he had to go through his entire life. But then he remembered that the other foals would try and trick him to let his guard down to hurt him.
“I don’t believe you, no one is that kind to me, it’s impossible!” said the bone white pegasus believing the lies told to him by the orphan mother. "That’s what the other foals and the orphan mother said.” he sadly mumbled 

Draco looked at the tall frail colt before him. “Is he serious, does he really believe that?" the draconic pony thought to himself. 
“Do you really believe that? You’ve just lived under the assumption that nopony could ever love and be kind to you?” Said Draco in a shocked tone. “Do you really believe that you would never make friends, find a family and get your life on track?”
“If you really were in the same situation as me, you wouldn’t be so optimistic.” Phantom whispered in an agitated tone. “Why is he even bothering to talk to me, I should be bleeding by now.” Thought the taller colt.
“Well why don’t you tell me about your situation and well go from their?” said the Dragon pony in a calm voice trying to coax the other colt into calming down.
“Wha-, you… you would let me talk to you? Said a shocked voice, obviously not expecting the kindness this colt was treating him with. “And you would listen?” 
“Well of course, There’s no point in asking if I’m not gonna listen.” Said the dark brown draconic colt. "But first I guess I should get off of you right?" 
Draco got off of the pegasus and helped him up, they looked at each other for a full minute before Draco started to speak. “Why don’t we sit down at that table over there?” He said in a calm voice.
As they sat down, they were both unsure of what to say. Neither one of them ever had any "friendly" social interactions before.
“So, W-what’s your name?’’ asked the ghoulish looking pony.
“Oh, I’m Draco, Draco Zmaragdus.” He said in a friendly tone, ”What’s your name.”
A look of uncertainty was brought upon his face as he knew he couldn’t answer Draco’s question. But as he was about to say that he didn’t know, a voice in the back of his head whispered two words to him that seemed to… fit!
“Phantom, Phantom Reaper.” He said with a sure look in his eye. ”I-I’m sorry I punched you earlier.” The newly named pegasus said with an apologetic tone.
“Hey don’t worry about it; I’m sure we can both look pretty frightening eh? Draco said with a chuckle as he flashed his fangs. “I mean you look like a walking skeleton, no offense, and I look like a bat-dragon-pony-abomination-thing. Or so I’m told hehe.”
Phantom smiled at this, he had never been insulted in a jokingly way. It was quiet funny to him actually. Then his smile disappeared when Draco asked his next question.
“So what’s your story Phantom?” He said in a curious tone. Not knowing that he had struck a soft spot of Phantom’s.
With a sigh the pegasus began to respond. “Well it’s not a story for the faint hearted mind you." But, I digress... I was told that my mother died because of my birth and my father left me at an orphanage saying in the note he left on the doorstep said I was a bastard child and whoever I touch would be cursed and I should be raised in a living hell hole for who I killed.”
“The orphan mother was such a stupid bitch, that she heeded these words and made my father’s wishes a reality.” While growing up in that hell hole of an orphan home, I was always treated with disgust and distain.” My fellow orphans where instructed to take turns hitting and beating on me.” And calling me names like dæmon or monster when I did nothing wrong.”
“Most of time, I was locked up in the cellar and playing with spider webs and dust bunny’s when I wasn’t out begging for food in town.” But because of that I am able to navigate in the dark extremely well.”
“So, if I had anything to show from living there, it’s that.” Phantom completed his story. “And there’s no point in telling you the rest because you know the rest.” He said as he looked back towards Draco
Draco throughout the story had conflicting emotions about the whole ordeal, between sorrow for the young colt’s torture, to the shock and anger towards the orphan mother and the other orphan’s.
“Damn, I’m almost sorry for ask’n, but it’s good to let these things out every once and a while.” Said the brown draconic colt looking straight into the pony’s eyes for further effect on his apology.
“I-its fine, your right though, It does feel good to talk about it.” Phantom said while looking into the fire. “Could you tell me about your own past? I’d like to get to know you better.” He said to Draco unsure if that was the right thing to say to somepony you just met.
“Well I guess I do owe you that much, seeing you just did tell me a lot about you.” Draco said rubbing the back of his neck.
“Well all of it actually.” Phantom accidently blurted out then smiling sheepishly.
“Really, All of it?!” Draco said in a slightly angry voice from hearing this.
“Well if I told you all of it, I’d be repeating myself A LOT.” Said Phantom slightly ashamed for telling his new friend that.
Draco sighed at this a little disgusted by the treatment given to the six year old. If it wasn’t safe to say that he was glad that he was away from that place, it was now.
“It’s alright Phantom.” The scaly unicorn said now knowing how much that his new younger friend had to go through his entire life. At least he had his parents in tell he was Phantom’s age, But this colt had to deal with his father blaming him for his mother’s death and condemning him to this horrid fate.
Noticing that Draco was just staring off into space, he decided to wave a hoof in front of his face to snap Draco out of his thoughts.
“Oh, sorry Phantom… I just got a little lost in thought that’s all.” He said a little angered of his own behavior in front of his first new friend.
“As I was saying.” Draco continued to Phantom. “I guess I owe you as story, and a big one at that.” 
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"I came from a small but powerful citadel like village deep in the Everfree forest called Ryudo where my race lived. We called ourselves the dragon blessed due to our appearance and connection to the draconic spirt. We lived in peace with the forest and each other for many centuries but four years ago that was all destroyed and I alone am the lone surviver of that. massacre...".
“We were a relatively young race most of us were too stubborn to follow a leader, but eventually my father Draconus Ryudo, A tall Unikronogon with a dark red coat and a black mane with gold streaks running through it, a long braded tail and average sized wings with dark gold and black scales on his forelegs. He had yellow eyes and a few war scars on his body. He is the chieftain of our city state was able to unite the clans and made a mighty army, said to rival the griffon kingdom in strength to number ratio. Draco stated the last part in a boastful tone. “And with the help of our dragon brethren in the Everfree, we were able to conquer the entire Everfree forest in about five years from the clutches of the Griffon Empire and the Celestial knights that have plagued us for years.”
“Anyway, my father was a good leader and a great warrior with good tactical prowess, but…” Draco trailed of for a moment. “He was a horrible husband and father, he always beat my mother and he pushed me, my brother, and sister too hard in the arts of killing.” He had plans for each of us.
“My eldest brother Dracolus, a well-built Unikronogon with a crimson coat and a short cut chestnut brown mane and a long tail with coffee colored lines in it.” His wings where large, He had dark orang scales that matched his eyes.” He was supposed to be his houscarl and second in command for his amazing brawn and charisma,”
“ My older sister Dracona, a short (for them) Unikronogon with a dark purple coat and a pine tree green mane with red eyes and scales with average  sized wings.” She was supposed to be his court wizard and Brigadier General for her amazing mastery in magic and outstanding I.Q.”
“And I was supposed to be his dragon trainer and master of the pack for the non-sapient dragons sense I had a ancient ability to communicate with animals.” Said Draco thinking back. “I think I was the only one to have that ability sense Azourgould, the founder of the Clan of Hunt, but were getting off topic.” Said Draco looking back at an intrigued Phantom. 
“As I was saying, my father was cruel and cold, but the village needed him to lead them so i tolerated his behavior towards me and my siblings.” He did mold us into what he desired though; he made use strong and dependable in our respected fields.” Draco said.
“He got his uses out of use and he exalted us to very high spots in the Dradric Court. “Life was not bad, nor was it good; it was a boring routine with work, train, study, eat sleep.” Draco droned, bored at the very thought of it.
“But life changed on that day, my thirteenth birthday.” Draco said with a hint of sadness in his voice. “The day everything went to hell.”
Flashback four years ago 
Draco sat in his dragon cave meditating with the pack of dragons he was training, “These will be my finest pack yet.” Draco thought to himself while looking over the three dragon pups before him. 
The first dragon, Felious was a green wind dragon with two straight horns jutting out in front of his head, with triangle shaped snout plate going up to his eyes and the turning a tenth of the size to cover the rest of the body, with golden eyes and golden short curled claws and a long tail with two gold colored scale blade running along the length of it. he had massive wings with small horns on the jointed parts of them. He had a kite shield shaped breast plate and spiked shoulder plates made all of his scale, powerful hind legs for taking off on a moment’s notice.
The second dragon, Electrose, was a tall blue lighting dragon with white streaks going through the blue scales; he had a myriad of horns all over his body. With four spiky lightning bolt shaped horns on his head angled back from his front his body set was more ridged and sharp than the wind dragon next to him as was his scales, he had a spine horns sticking out of is back going to the end of his tail with long narrow wings meant for speed and agility. His scales were like sharp threads going along his entire body all pushed back for speed. He was the fasted of the pack without a doubt, but was not the most gifted endurance; he had long lightning bolt shaped white claws and fangs with a forked tongue like all lightning dragons do
The third, Dionma, was the smallest but most agile of the group, she was a purple poison dragon with black cloud shaped blotches on her scales she had two medium sized curled horns on her head, she had small diamond shaped scales that had little poison barring spikes in the middle, she had long fangs and curved wings for slow but steady flight so when flying over the battle field she can blow a large amount of poison gas evenly above her enemys. She had red eyes and matching curved claws. 
She was by far the hardest to tame, seeing her kind are so rare there aren’t any notes on taming them, “In tell now.” Draco thought to himself proud of his work. 
He was interrupted by a voice behind him “Lord Draco, Lord Draconus wishes an audience with you in the garrison at once! Said the guard, panting a little from flying so fast to the dragon cave.
“Alright what’s the emergency?” Draco questioned the guard. “My dragons aren’t ready to go to battle yet so if that’s the case then I have no need to go.” He said a little annoyed by his father’s war lust.
“That’s just it.” Said the guard. “An army marches against us! And were going to need your dragons, we’ve counted about ten thousand Strange wolf pony hybrid things marching on us not counting their war machines!”
Draco eyes widened at this “WHAT ten thousand! are you certain iv never heard of an army of such a caliber before! And wolf ponies? I’ve never heard of them before.” Draco said in an astounded voice.
“Yes my lord, please we must hurry to the village with fervor.” Said the guard motioning for Draco and his dragons to follow.
“But they’re too young to fight yet I just got her first nest of eggs, they need more time to mature.” Said a distraught Draco.
“We have no choice Lord Draco, they must fight or were doomed! Argued the guard trying to get him to follow>
Draco paused for a moment and looked at his pack of dragon and the closed his eyes and entered there minds to tell them what must be done
Mind link
Felious, Dionma, and Electrose all looked at Draco like he had grown a second head
“So the time has come already, Alright I will fight with you Draco, for all you have done for me I think I owe you my life.” Stated Felious bravely accepting his fate whatever it may be.
“Ha stop trying to be so cool Felious; I’ll go to if he’s going I can’t let him out do me. Said Electrose loud as ever even when facing a life threatening challenge.
“I will kill them in mass with my poisons, if it means keeping you three safe.“ Said Dionma.
Draco was surprised with their maturity and willingness to fight for him. “Are you sure? You don’t have to do this.” Draco said worried about his students.
“I will not idly sit back and watch my master and his brethren fight and die without doing something about it Draco.” Felious said. “No matter the cost.”
“I agree with him, I wont sit back and watch these things kill your brethren.” Said Dionma in a certain voice.
“Hmm small chance of success, no certain reward or outcome, and high possibility of death. Well… what are we waiting for?” Said Electrose.
Draco sighed and smirked at his student’s bravery. “Well then if you are sure you want to do this, lets go.
Break mind link
The guard watched as Draco just sat there with his eyes closed, as did his dragons. “What is he doing!” thought the guard. “We need to go now!”
Just as he finished that thought Draco and the dragon’s eyes shot open and Draco spoke. “Let’s go.”
As they flew towards the village the guard briefed Draco on the situation, it was pretty bad, an unknown army of ten thousand wolfpony hybrids with seventy five timber wolf titans and five thousand griffon mercenaries barring five hundred of their trademark airships mounted with Ballista’s, Catapults, and Harpoons. All against five hundred Unikronogon’s and seven full grow dragons of each base element wind, fire, water, lightning, earth, wood, and sand. And one hundred of the Buffalo that were patrolling the area and decided to follow the army and came to aid us seeing were allies, and Draco and his dragons.
“Seventy five Timber Wolf Titans that would require all the timber wolves in the Everfree!” Draco exclaimed not believing somepony would use this much for against his kin.
“I know I can’t believe it either but we’ll have to fight them nonetheless, they’re threatening our home and people and I will fight to the end to stop them.” Said the guard with a determined look in his eyes. 
Draco nodded in agreement and looked forward to see the villages twenty five feet high, two feet thick European style triangular walls were in sight with the massive foot thick Everfree oak doors with iron beams thinking its defense open up for them to run though and get to the Garrison at the right corner of the village.
They ran past the small amount of stone houses and the statues of past heroes and warriors made of obsidian and gold, and arrived at the village Garrison, although it was more like a small keep attached to the right corner tower of the wall. 
Draco told his dragons to stay put until he came back. And the two went inside to find a large table with his father Draconus and his two elder siblings looking over a map with two other clan heads, the Buffalo chieftain, and Draconus’s advisors.
They were auguring over what tactics they should use against their foes and how to us them.
“With all due respect Thunderhooves.” Said Rezeldu the clan head of the Sword. “I think that tactic will be ineffective in the wooded areas; there simply isn’t enough room to do that maneuver.
“Well then what do you porpoise?” I don’t see you making any suggestions.” Said the Chieftain of the Buffalo not liking the situation one bit.
“How about we use the old castle south of here as our first line of defense, And when it crumbles to the point where we can’t use it we fall back to our second line of defense. The lonely mountain keep, Helms Deep, which we found a few years back but never put it to use. This is where we will hold out until reinforcements from Equestria and the Dragnor mountains arrive, and if all else fails we will fall back here and fight them to the last!” said Dracona trying to save her people from certain doom that was this new nameless army.
“That might work Dracona, we will commence with occupying these strategic points right away.” Commanded Draconus. “Is there anything else that needs to be said? No, then this meeting is adjourned.
Seeing that they were done talking the guard spoke up. “My Lords, I have brought Lord Draco to you, per your request.” Said the guard while saluting.
“Thank you Captain Bhalif, you are dismissed and will be briefed shortly by Colonel Brawn.” Said Draco’s father.
“Yes my lord.” Said the Captain before leaving to scramble his solders for occupation of the midnight castle.
Draco sat at the table with his family and waited for his father to start telling him what his role is to play in this conflict.
“Draco,” his father started. “How capable is your current dragon pack? And do you think you can lead them to battle at helms deep?” But before Draco could respond, Draconus put up his hoof signaling for silence. “I know that you care deeply for this pack, and that they are too young to fight yet,” He stated. “That’s why they will be used to kill the vermin safely by flying high and doing poison drops and dropping derbies on the enemy masses once they’re in the mountain curve.”
Draco thought for a moment and spoke. “Personally I think they are more than capable of this task, they are the best pack I’ve had the honor of teaching. They’re like children to me and I’m only thirteen.” Draco said honestly. “And I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Dracona and Dracolus smiled at this and his father nodded in approval at his son’s early maturity. “Well then, little brother.” Said Dracona. “You better get them to Helms Deep as soon as possible and get that poison dragon to start filling barrels with that vapor of hers to use against the enemy, she is one of the most important aspects in my strategies and is a key role in victory.”
“Go Draco.” Said Dracolus. “I trust you to get this done and help save us all, all our fates are riding on that dragon of yours.” He stated while saluting, which Draco returned and began to leave.
“See you at the front son.” Draconus said while leaving to the armory.

> Chapter Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                          Confusion& Memories
Part two
You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
“I will see you on the front son” His father said with a monotone voice. “Dracolus, Dracona!” He barked. “Let us prepare for this crisis.”
The two Unikronogon’s snapped into a crisp salute and fell in behind him to the royal armory. As they left the room Draco scowled at his siblings.
“Fucking bootlicks.” He thought to himself angered by how his father has almost total control over his brother and sister. Draco sighed. He trotted over to the window of the war room and looked over at the pack of dragons outside.
Felious sat majestically on a bolder, cleaning his claws with a mild flame with a bored expression on his face, a few feet away Dionma lay on the ground sleeping with little puffy clouds of poison smoke puffing in and out of her nostrils killing the grass around her head. Draco face hoofed. “She’s already asleep?” And finally Electrose was up in the sky’s flying around with amazing agility breaking up clouds and catching the occasional unfortunate bird in his jagged maw. “Energetic as always.” Draco chuckled to himself.
Draco begun to think about the grave battles that lie ahead. “Are they really ready for this?…Am I really ready for this?” Draco never had time to think about this subject, but now that he thought about it, he began to imagine all the death and bloodshed of the enemy and of his kinsmen. As he started to panic, something touched his shoulder and a warm feeling ran through his veins and he felt a calming bliss in his mind. 
A feminine voice spoke to him. “You will do fine my child, as will they; you have little to worry about, Draco.”
Draco turned to see an averaged height dark purple coated, turquoise scaled, golden eyed, long dark green mane’d Unikronogon mare with a warm expression on her face as she looked down at Draco.
Realizing who it was, Draco gave an embrace to the figure before him. “Mother, how are you?” Draco said glad to see the one person in this village that actually stands up to his father besides himself. She had never liked his warmongering ethics and how his brother and sister followed them so willingly.
“What are you doing here, I thought you hated being in the war room?” the reason for this question was simple. She hated war, violence, and unnecessary bloodshed. She always did prefer the diplomatic approach. She could turn any meeting and trading embassy into a tax rather than a trade, she could turn anything in her favor that had to do with foreign affairs. But she lacked the social skills necessary to have an active social life, and in turn, made her seclude herself from many and focus on her alchemy research and her enchanting, it is her specialty after all. In less it has something to do with a meeting or her family.
“Well.” She hummed in her angelic tone. “I caught wind that my ‘husband’ has dispatched you and your companions to the front lines despite all my efforts to make him reconsider his decision, But alas he was determined that you and your new pack will be a key aspect in this war.” She said with an angered look in her eyes. “And sense your father is not giving any ground in his decision, I will instead of fighting him, prepare you for what is to come.” Her gaze hardened as she looked her very flesh and blood in the eyes.
Draco thought for a moment on what his mother said and opened his mouth to say something but Dracaena cut him off. “I want to give you some things for you while you’re out there.” She said as her horn acquired a yellow aura to it and in a flash she was gone.
Draco sat patiently waiting for his mother to return with the items she spoke of wondering what she was going to give him, only to be interrupted by a yellow flash of light revealing his mother’s form as well as a chest next to her on the ground.
“Draco, this was supposed to be for you when you reached adulthood, but seeing you are going to need it sooner than that, I give you my very own soulstone.” She said while opening the chest at her side and levitating it up to her son to take
He was fascinated by the deep red stone about the size of one of his eyes flouting in front of him, it had an unnatural shine to it. As if it had never been touched by dust sense its creation. “I have put a part of my soul in it already to ensure that if I die, my soul will be collected and I will be able to watch over you when I am gone.” She said in a sincere tone showing some distress as well. “Even when I pass away, I will still guide you through this. From your darkest hours and your finest, I will grant you my skills in the silver tongue and advise you on your path of life. And no matter what, you will never be alone.” She finished with a slight smile.
Draco was grateful of the honor just bestrode upon him, But then he realized what this meant, a passing of a soulstone. “Mother. Draco said in a disheartened tone. “You speak as if you are going to die soon, do you think that you will not survive this crisis?”
Dracaena sighed and looked at her son with a myriad of emotions running through her mind. “Draco, I have been sent an image of what is to come. Not only will I die… but everyone else as well.” She said with downcast eyes. 
This hit Draco in the gut like a stone. Knowing that every one of his friends, all of his family were going to die because of some strange enemy with unknown motives. He felt a sudden rage overcoming his despair. Why? Why was this happening to him, to his people? It was unfair, unjust, and just evil. Why would this happen to us?
His musings where cut off again by his mother’s voice. “But you will survive.” and then her horn started to glow and his vision started to blur. “I will make sure of it!” This was the last thing he heard before his world went black.
Flashback end.
“And then I woke up at that accursed place finding that I was only about nine years old instead of thirteen and in my bag where three dragon eggs, one blue and yellow, one green and gold, one black and purple, and my mother’s soulstone.” Draco finished his tale and looked into the fireplace using a fire poker to spur on the flames.
Phantom looked at the scaled pony with a mixture of sorrow and wonder for all he had learnt about the now again thirteen year old colt. “Wow.” That was all he could say with all the thoughts running through his mind.
Draco suddenly got out of his chair and trotted towards his bag that lay by his bed and brought it back to the fire. Opened it and placed three eggs on the fire as gently as he could. ”Goodnight my children.” He then looked over to Phantom and began to speak. “We should get some sleep so we can be prepared for what this place might be, and I can tell you’re exhausted as it is.” Then he trotted over to his bed and got under the covers, enjoying the luxurious feeling of the red fabric. It was official; red was his new favorite color.
Phantom saw this as a sign and went to his own bed and flopped down on it. Relaxing at the feel of the fabrics touch. Then he heard Draco say his name.
“Phantom?”
“Yah?”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Right back at you.”
  
> Chapter Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

            
A malevolent cloud of shadow listened and observed the two colts though his crystal ball and wondered just how fortunate he was to stumble upon the two of them. By all rights if he were able to develop them in the arts of killing, no one, not even the famed sisters of Equestria would be able to stand against him.
In addition to the two foals, He had also found the remnants of the crystal rebellion and sent out ten times more than needed to subdue them, so that they would succumb to fear and surrender. In turn acquiring more slaves as well as the fortress they resided in.
Everything was going his way today, and it seems that it would stay that way for a very long while.
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As Draco pulled the silkily red sheets off of him and looked around the room to check the surroundings again. His eyes scanned the room until his eyes reached the bone white coated pony and remembered the story he told the night before. He got up and walked to the fire and noticed that it died a little while ago, seeing that there were a few embers left in the fire place. “Where is the fire wood?” sighed Draco. He kept walking around the room to looking for the fire wood until he heard a quiet voice call out. “Morning… Draco. Do you know when we get breakfast?”
“I don’t know but do you know where the fire wood is I need to start the fire again.” Draco said in a slightly stressed tone.
“Um no I’m sorry Draco.” Phantom apologized as he got out of his bed. “So Draco what do you do think they will do use now?!” he asked
“I wish I knew my friend.” Draco said as he started to walk to the door but as he was about to open it as it busted opened and a tall muscular onyx colored pony came through with a stern face and started to talk to use.
“Draco Rydou and Phantom Reaper please follow me!” shouted the pony –most likely talking in the royal voice-
“Hey mister mind if you introduce yourself before I do what you want me to do and second I think that you should tell us more about what is going on!… also do you know where the fire wood is?” asked Draco
The onyx colored unicorn stared at the scaly dragon pony for a moment before allowing a response. “Well, I do owe you at least an introduction. My name is Comet Blast and I’m in charge of T.G.P.O. but you will be calling me by the title of Sir Blast because I’m your teacher to improve your talents. Also I’m taking you to the mess hall.” soon after mess hall was uttered the sickly Pegasus ran over to the older unicorn in rapt attention.
“So when are we going?” asked Phantom eagerly awaiting some sort of food that he had been deprived of for so long.
“Now!” Sir Blast said as he turned and started to walk away. As the three equines traversed the large stone halls they passed many closed wooden doors alike there own before making a sharp turn into a grand hallway that truly was grand. Giant stone archways a hundred meters high mounted with massive crystal chandeliers lit with a fiery yellow light, to the left the hallway went on for what looked like a hundred meters before being met by a door of magnificent size, going from the floor to the bottom of the grand stone arch. It was made of massive planks of enchanted dark wood  with giant iron supports and encrested with a large red and black crystal in the middle of the door that pulsated with a light respectful to its origin color. All along that hall was many gateways leading away from the main hall to other sections of the structure. to their right was another door of lesser size and ornament than the other, but still a grand thirty feet tall and lay open to reveal large columns of granite and rows of wooden tables lined with many shapes of beings to far away to recognize. The two colts had a look of awe plastered on there face, especially for the sickly foal who could have never even imagined such things could be of such a size! as they looked around they saw that they where not on the only level of this room, there where rows and rows of balcony's showing some of each floor before it was hidden from view
.Once Sir Blast thought he had given the two a long enough time for the two to gawk he bumped the two and inclined his head towards the smaller door to the right and started to walk. Draco tugged on the slightly taller yet younger colts tail to get his attention, something at which their supposed teacher failed at. "Come on Phantom, we've got plenty of time later to explore this place if you want, but for now lets get some food." Draco said in a quiet voice. Phantom looked at him for a moment before he nodded ferociously at the promise of food and happily followed as Draco sighed and ran to catch up and followed them to the mess hall and was seated at an empty part of a table.
Now that they were closer the figures that were two far way to recognize where now clearly visible, many of them where earth ponies with the occasional pegasus, or sometimes an even rarer unicorn. they all had the same armor as the soldiers back in the town with their seemingly traditional halberd leaning next to the on the table. on closer inspection the armor of the earth ponies was fairly basic and very thick, and the helmets had no plum on them. except for a select few who had a metal fin pointed forwards as a sign of superiority, as well as the bronze trim on their armor. 
The pegasi however had a far more thin variant of their earth pony counterparts, it seemed to be more sleek and aerodynamic with their metal fins atop the helms arching backwards opposed to the earth pony officers. It seemed to a darker shade of gray than the rest of the others armor, adorned with bladed plates and wickedly clawed horseshoes. Some of the older looking pegasi had red wavy trim to their armor and the metal fins were replaced by a long red plum that was sleeked back so it wouldn't fray during flight.
The few unicorns that were present were a sight to behold among the rest of the soldiers present, their armor was not as thick as the earth pony soldiers and not as thin as the pegasi troops, it was ornate with runes bound into the armor to aid in magics, and encrested with many stones to store or an outlet to magical essence. the armor itself was much more darker than the armor of the pegasi and shone with gleam of malice. built into the armor were purple robes and hoods trimmed with golden silk in the shape of magical runes. their armor seemed to have channels of what seemed to be their magic nature, some had red and orange rivers of fire, some had blue for water, some had a gray and silver for wind, some had a brown for earth, so on and so forth, and unlike the earth ponies, they wielded staffs attuned to their field of magic. and only one unicorn was present in the mess hall that seemed to be above all others. He had the same armor as all the other unicorns, but he had no helmet under his hood, instead was a ornate crown of dark steel and black crystal. with a red gem encased in a bone crest on the crown. along with that, his robes where not the usual dark purple, but a dark crimson with tainted gold trim. his magical channels where all crimson and black, with the gems seemingly encasing swirling masses of blood. but at the distance that's all that could be revealed.
As Draco finished surveying the room he was served a platter of food.  His white companion was served a platter of vegetables and some fruits and he himself was served a platter of rare cooked steak. Which he was glad to see form the hunger of not eating for Luna knows how long! As he happily grabbed it and sat down next to a surprisingly still Phantom eyeing his plate suspiciously. “So Phantom are you liking your meal?” 
The somehow taller foal huffed and turned towards his new friend with his front hooves crossed “Well now that you mention it, no I’m not. I would prefer a meal that has meat with it!” Phantom nagged prodding his food experimentally as if he was trying to see if it was alive or not
As Draco chuckled a bit and handed him his meal and took his plate. “I’ll have yours and you’ll have mine eh?” Draco said with a warm smile, but in the back of his mind the dragon hybrid was curious as to why his newly magical companion eat flesh if his species where supposedly herbivorous.
Phantom looked dumbfounded for a moment before shaking his head a bit. “Thanks Draco…” the younger foal said in a upbeat tone. As they ate there swapped meals. Sir Blast, who was sitting across from the two foals, got up from the wooden bench and started to walk towards the massive doors of the mess hall. As he left Draco looked at Phantom for a moment and wondered if he noticed how strange it was on how much that sir Blast knew about them.
“Don’t you think it was weird that he knew our names even though we haven’t even told anyone but each other ?” Draco asked with a skeptical voice not liking the speciousness of it all.
“I guess that it’s a little weird” phantom said in a halfhearted way digging into his newly acquired food as a few watched as a naturally born herbivore pass up his food for cooked meat.
“I’m not liking this at all," Draco whispered to the ravenous pony next to him. "Just go along with a bit so we can get more information about this situation.” Explained Draco wondering what he got himself into as he finished off some broccoli and reached for a peace.
“Okay Draco whatever you say, but I’m a bit lost here though.”  Phantom whispered unsure of what he was supposed to do now that he was fully aware of the situation they were in.
“After we finish with our meal well go look around okay?” Draco whispered back. Phantom nodded in agreement liking the idea of not wandering the halls without somepony else with him. After they finished their meals they head back to their room on Draco’s order he need to check on something. When Draco opened the door and walked in he could hear the sound of fire crackling and he sighed in relief to hear the fire was started up again but a quick chill went down his back and ran to the fireplace. “U-um Draco are you alright you seem jittery? Is something wrong with the fireplace?” Phantom asked confused by the behavior of the dragon pony.
When Draco look into the fire place and saw that the eggs were still there. “Nothing’s wrong… just checking on something.” Draco said his eyes lingering on the fireplace before looking back at Phantom.
“Well come over here there are notes on our beds.” Phantom picked up his note and skimmed it. “Most likely they say the same thing so let me tell you what it says.” Phantom paused for a moment and then continued . “Our uniform is in the closet and we have free time at the moment but in about…. 45 minutes it will end and somepony will come and get us.” Phantom explained.
“Well let’s check out those uniforms.” Draco mumbled as he walked to the closet. When he opened it he was greeted by two rich purple cloaks with a red velvet trimming. As Draco look at the broader one that was most likely was his and gave the longer more slender one to Phantom, both were amazed by the beauty of the cloak. After they put on Draco mumbled to himself “I might like this uniform.” 
“Hmm Draco?” Phantom asked in a low tone as he was putting on the cloak himself.
“Oh nothing really just saying that I’m going to like this uniform.” Draco replied
“Me to…. I guess I wound have picked better colors though.” Phantom replied in a joking manner but still having a serious tone. “So we still have free time let’s go walk around…?” As Phantom said that he noticed a symbol on both of his and Draco’s cloak it was a golden shield with green writing on it saying T.G.P.O. “ Those letters again what do the mean?” Phantom thought out loud when he asked.
“It really doesn't matter lets go check this place out.” Draco sighed as he was walking out the door. 
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Sir Blast walked through the stone doors to the throne room. “My lord your soon to be exalted pupils are getting their uniforms and have started to learn the insides of the castle.” 
“Good. That is good Comet. NOW LEAVE ME AND START THEIR TRAINING YOU MISERABLE CUR!!!”  boomed a malicious voice clearly annoyed by something. Comet bowed and left in a hurry, but as he was about to close the door he heard “AND YOU BETTER TRAIN THEM RIGHT, I DON'T WANT THEM TO DIE WHEN I START THEIR PERSONAL LESSONS!!!”
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After walking around the enormous keep for about 35 minutes, which they didn't even get to the second floor the headed back to their room were Sir Blast was waiting. “Greetings Sir Blast, are you to be our escort?” Draco asked in a very sarcastic way.
“You will not talk to me in that tone of voice youngling!” Comet replied in a rude and irritated tone. And slightly angry at the uncouthness of the dragon hybrid.
Phantom squirmed under the stare before voicing his question. “U-um a-are you going to take us... to the place said by the note o-or not Sir Blast?”
“Yes now follow me you whelp’s.” Comet snapped at them as he started to walk down the hall, slightly fuming at the fact that he was yelled at by his unholiness not an hour ago.