//------------------------------// // The Shadow Hooves Midnight Strike // Story: The Equestrian Army // by DE4DLIESTP0NY //------------------------------// It was dusk when Nova Sunshine an Twilight Sparkle got back to Cheval City. While walking towards the castle lots of ponies stared. Anypony who saw was confused at the sight. They thought "What was the most deadly mercenary in Equestria doing with a mere filly, and what could've burned her leg so badly?" The continued to stare as the two ponies walked into the palace courtyard. The royal guards were awestruck as well. Nova could tell by the looks on their faces, but they didn't stare or say anything like the others in town as Nova walked up the long stairs into the palace. Even the princess of the sun herself was puzzled, but she knows that when Nova comes in unannounced, it has to be important. Celestia spoke first. `"Nova Sunshine, my most loyal servant, what in Equestria happened to you!?!" asked Princess Celestia. "It was terrible your majesty," Nova replied "Gallop Town is no more, It was burned to ashes by a mysterious, unknown beast. I had never seen any thing like it. It was a pony shaped being completely covered in bright red flames." Nova continued to explain every last gruesome detail to the princess. When she was finished the Princess couldn't believe her ears. How something so horrible could happen to an entire city with out anypony outside of the disaster knowing. Celestia questioned Nova once more. "Who is the filly that you have brought with you? Is she from Gallop Town?" said Celestia looking curiously at the purple unicorn. "Yes," Nova replied "She is the only survivor of the blaze that i could find. She has great potential to become a powerful spellcaster. I saw it with my own eyes, she cast a field of energy around herself at the very last second when the beast came after her." At first the princess doubted any possibility of this kind of thing happening, but she trusted Nova with her life, and knew that she wouldn't lie about a situation as stunning and horrifying as this one. "I will act on this immediately, in the meantime you should rest and probably see a doctor about your leg," said the Princess. "Thank you Princess Celestia," Nova replied. She turned around and started guiding Twilight Sparkle back into the city. Suddenly the Princess spoke again. `"The path of a mercenary is a dangerous one, and certainly no place for a foal. I thunk it would be best to leave young Twilight here until her magic improves." Nova was slightly disappointed, but she knew it was the right choice. She knew that the young foal my die if she was around her with no way to defend herself. "I agree princess, it's what is best for her," Nova agreed. Princess Celestia cast her own magic on Twilight Sparkle levitating her towards the princess and on her back. "Don't worry Nova, you'll see her again soon. Now go on and rest that leg of yours" Nova nodded, and left the palace, starting for her house. When Nova exited the palace it was night time. She was leaving the courtyard when she noticed a large group of ponies just ahead. She was paranoid, and couldn't help following her instincts to spy on them. She climbed a nearby tree and used her rifle's scope for surveillance. They were a large group of stallions wearing dark purple cloaks. Nova knew who they were; members of a renowned assassin organization known as The Shadow Hooves. Now Nova knew who they were, but why they were here remained a mystery. The assassins walked down the street away from her. She kept watch until they turned left and were no longer in sight. She knew that they were looking for her. They probably weren't going to kill her, but instead they might try to capture and brainwash her. they've encountered her before, and probably think she would become a valuable tool of destruction if on their side. Princess Celestia had already ordered any known member of The Shadow Hooves to be shot on sight, but there were too many of them to take out on her own. There were about thirty of them scattered across the streets and rooftops around the city. Whatever they wanted to do to her, they really, Really, REALLY wanted it done. Nova flew silently out of the tree and over the clouds to remain hidden. She landed a few blocks away at an ordinary house. She knew some ponies who could help, and that they would be here. She tapped her hoof on the door five times. Nopony answered, instead a trap door with a ladder opened to her left. Nova climbed down and shut it behind herself. This was the secret Headquarters of the Equestrian mercenaries. Many of them lived here excluding Nova. She was standing in the main surveillance room. Mares and stallions alike looked through telescopes that peered through fake chimneys on the roof above. Though many mercenaries were in this room, none of them were the ponies that she was looking for. she moved a painting on left wall of the room and pressed a button hidden behind it. This opened a sliding door that completely matched the texture and color of the dark wood walls. When she entered the secret room, the door slid shut immediately behind her to ensure its secrecy and security. It was the HQ's barracks. The room was almost completely deserted because most mercenaries rested during the day, and went on their missions at night. There were only two stallions in the room facing the opposite direction, and they were the ponies that she was looking for. As Nova approached the two mercenaries one of them looked behind himself and turned back informing the other one of Nova's presence. by this time she was standing a foot away from the stallion and was greeted by a unicorn with green mane and tail and a cyan body with bright red eyes. He wore dark purple armor similar to the cloaks of The Shadow Hooves. He was equipped with a KC0-WQH bolt action rifle and a RG-21 high powered pistol. There was an insignia of a bloody dagger on his leg. That stallion's name was Recon Groove. (OC #2) "Hey Nova! What's up?" Said Recon excitedly. "Nothing good Recon, only the terrible," She replied. What's terrible for you could be nightmare-ish for everypony else," said Recon Groove. After this the other stallion turned around. His body was light green with a red and black mane and tail, and dark green eyes. On his leg was a figure that resembled an explosion.Strapped to him was a CF-056 assault rifle and a 7-9. That unicorn's name was Camoflash. (OC #3) "So what terrible thing happened then? " Camoflash asked. Nova re-explained the tragedy at gallop town, the fiery beast ,and about how she rescued Twilight Sparkle. There was a moment of silence as the two stallions stood Completely stunned at what they had just heard. After a while, Camoflash broke the silence. "Did anything else happen?" "Yes," Nova added "The Shadow Hooves are looking for me. right now they're patrolling the streets, waiting to ambush me. That's why I came here. There are too many of them, and i need you both to help me defeat them." "We won't just defeat them," The two mercenaries said in unison."We'll crush their foolish, amateurish, un-tactical, spineless A................" "Let me go, please, noooooooooo!!!!" screamed a mare on the surface. The three ponies rushed in response to the scream, Bursting through the sliding door and dashing up the ladder back to the city above.when they stepped outside the HQ the heard the helpless mare cry out again "Don''t take me, somepony he........" The mare's screams were suddenly silenced, but she yelled loud enough for them to know the general area of where she was. The screams came from the northern part of town. "Nova, you fly up and see whats going on," commanded Recon Groove. Nova spread her wings and soared up high above the dark clouds of the night sky. She used her rifle's scope to see clearly on the ground. she saw a large group of ponies rushing towards the northern end of town. She adjusted her scope so she could see more clearly, and identified the ponies as The Shadow Hooves. Nova also saw the defenseless mare at their mercy. The mare had been hog tied and gagged; completely immobilized. Nova couldn't determine any details about the mare other than that she had a pink body. Three of the assassins were rushing out of town, while the others stayed behind to ensure their escape. Nova dove back down to catch up to Recon and Camoflash, who were also close to the assassins' location. They rushed as fast as they could to rescue the mare, only to be confronted withe The Shadow Hooves defense. They opened fire on the three mercenaries, who took cover behind one of the shops nearby. Camoflash sprayed out cover-fire with his assault rifle while Nova and Recon moved up towards their flank. Recon and Sunshine rolled behind the three assassins hiding behind fruit stands in the middle of the street, swiftly killing the ones on the left and right on their own, and shooting the one in the middle simultaneously. The three mercenaries continued towards their objective. They were dashing through the streets when bullets whizzed by the from above. The assassins reinforced themselves with snipers on the rooftops above. Nova quickly leaped onto the roofs on the left and drew their attention, while Camoflash and Recon Groove went behind the buildings on the right side, Dashing across poles, signs, and even window shutters to reach the rooftop. When they got up there they saw a struggling Nova Sunshine hiding behind a chimney, completely pinned down by sniper fire. Recon looked at one of the assassins. He judged the look on his face, and realized that he had a clean shot on Nova. With lightning speed he pulled out his rifle and held it in one hoof, looked into the scope, and shot the assassin right in his eye. The same bullet struck two other assassins behind him. Now blinded, the assassin turned around in pain, accidentally shooting the one beside him too. They fiercely battled their way to the other side of the rooftops and destroyed all opposition they faced. All that stood before them now were the final three who where fleeing the town. Their only defense was to clumsily fire pistols behind themselves as they ran. The three mercenaries figured that each pony got there own final kill. Nova went first. Flawlessly shooting her rifle through the spine of the pony on the right paralyzing his hind legs. He crawled desperately towards the others trying to keep up until Nova executed him with a final, fatal blow to the head. Camoflash aimed down the sights on his rifle targeting the unicorn on the left. He was lining up his shot when he saw something in his hands, a detonator. Camoflash looked down and saw the bases of buildings they were standing on lined with explosives. Without thinking he lept toward his left and the building that Nova was standing on. In mid-air he unloaded his assault rifle, striking the assassin multiple times in the back and legs. He was barely alive, but was inable to activate the detonator. Camoflash landed safely on the building that Nova was standing on. He turned around and laughed as he recklessly shot his pistol behind him. The three mercenaries then heard the loudest cry of pain anypony could possibly make. The pistol round had traveled 500 meters and hit the unicorn above his head, shattering his horn in to pieces. There was only one pony left, the lead commander. Recon Groove was prepared to take the final shot of the encounter, but the commander was more prepared than his fallen comrades. Recon saw this, and told everypony to fire with every thing that they had when he realized that the assassin was an Alicorn. The leader cast a sphere of magic around him self and the defenseless mare. and it deflected every projectile that came into contact with it. All three ponies were completely out of ammunition. Using his pegasus wings he took off at break-neck speeds taking the mare with him. Nova flapped her wings and prepared to chase after him, but Camoflash held her back, saying "Calm down Nova, he's too powerful us! Think about it, we're completely out of ammo and his magic is strong enough to be compared with Princess Celestia!!!" Nova stopped trying., It was hard for her to watch him get away especially when she started thinking about the poor mare. They all jumped down from the buildings and said goodbye to each other, completely ignoring the civilians that had just watched the battle above, and left the unarmed explosives on the buildings. Recon and Camoflash went back to the mercenary HQ. Nova walked for a few minutes to get to her house. When she reached her house she went in side and bolted her door behind herself. She went up stairs, approached her dresser, and opened the bottom drawer. Inside were hundreds of clips of ammo. She reloaded both of her guns and locked her rifle away. She always slept with her pistol in her holster on her front left leg, and tonight just made her more paranoid. She collapsed on her bed exhausted. Nova blew out the candle on her dresser, and got some rest. There' still more to come. if you like this story please comment , like , or watch me to see more please do it or Nova will kick YOU in YOUR Sunshine !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!