Prologue
“What is this... where am I? Who... wait, I remember...” Black as pitch, the void remained still. No light penetrated its murk. A single voice whispered in the darkness, confused, slow and pondering, hanging long on each syllable.
“Ah, yes, I do remember. Indeed. I need not worry then... that stupid oaf, no sense of humour. What a curmudgeon. I wonder if he's still alive? Somehow I doubt it. How long has it been?”
Something stirred within the impossible darkness, something akin to light, but somehow casting none. Ancient symbols swirled about, in arches and circles, their movement almost instantaneous, halted occasionally for a split second, only to resume their otherworldly dance.
“So much time… but how I wonder? Some sort of chronomancy no doubt. I would kill him and return the favor, but it would seem this ‘time’ has done it for me. Still such an odd thing, never quite did understand it,” the dark deeply mused to itself. Its voice coming seemingly from every direction, yet echoless.
“Oh, exposition. I’d love to say that I don’t have the time, but I’d be lying. Ooh, I quite like these contractions, I could get used to this. Maybe this age won’t be so bad after all. Fun... yes fun, that’s it. Oh yes, I like this a lot.”
The archaic symbols began to spin, faster and faster around one another, their colours blending into several rings of soft green, a rapid series of dull clacking sounds accompanying their hurried ritual.
“There’s no need for hurry. Asking one to blindly march forward when they have the capacity to be more prepared, you ask a lot for being a simple Storyteller. Or do you prefer Wordsmith? Maybe Historian? Fitting, I like that one. Historian, that’s what I’m calling you from now on. But oh, I’m sorry, I’ve interrupted I suppose. I so often forget about how that works, time just isn’t my strong suit, but I plan on changing that. No old coot is going to get the best of me this time. So insulting, I could go on about the things I’d do to him, for hours probably, if those were a measurement that I could quantify a bit better. See? Room for improvement, I like that. Perfection is something to be achieved, not simply had.”
The arcane symbols stopped, dead in the dark, hanging in absolute silence, as if thinking.
“Yes, thinking. A plan, and a body. Two things I’ll probably need. A plan, always good to have. Now bodies? Field agents, yes, firstly.”
The characters began to move again, with purpose. Their aerial dance that much quicker than before. Eventually, they ceased their action once more. The silence hanging for a moment, before the voice commented, “Change… so much change. Finding a body will be harder than I thought. Perhaps the world deserves a more direct visit. Ah, and there’s no place more deserving that I can think of.”
The black shifted, as if moved by some unseeable force. Parting as mist before a breeze. The veil broke in two, a fissure appearing in the space the whirling letters once occupied. Incomprehensible colours moved towards it, displacing what should be, with what shouldn’t. A startling crack emanated from the gross violation of the universe’s laws.
The impossibility moved downwards through the makeshift doorway, breaching the 3rd dimension’s surface. Like nothingness, it moved through dark corridors and cobbled dungeon walls, ignoring the sturdy wooden doors as if they weren’t corporeal. It made no sound as it travelled to its unknown destination, taking its time to adjust to a world it had so long been banished from.
Down several halls, and a few turns from where the entity had made its entrance, an urgent meeting was in progress. A giant, round room, carved from stone. Large tapestries hung from the topmost section, various colours and designs adorned their surfaces. Ponies stood, all facing the centre of the chamber, positioned on several tiered protrusions at different levels of the room, they listened carefully to the grey and white Unicorn that stood in the centre. He projected his voice, even while located at the lowest part of the chamber, and could be heard all the way at the top. His horn glowed as magic played at his vocal chords, making his voice boom unnaturally.
“This dream of the Princess’s, the origin and subject of this vision still escapes even our finest dreamscribes. But it is apparent that it does warn of something,” he paused, letting his words sink in for a brief moment before continuing, “We are lucky that the Princess of dreams was the one granted this vision, her insight on this matter has been most useful.”
He subtly shook his head. “It would appear, based on all the evidence and signs present in the dream that its meaning has something to do with the escape or invasion of something extremely dangerous and powerful.”
A deep murmuring reverberated throughout the hollow stone space, as everypony turned to whisper their thoughts or display their surprise to someone sitting next to them.
Several ponies started to tap the ground with their hooves, those with horns began to glow faintly. The grey and white orator stomped one of his front hooves on the ground sternly, in an attempt to elicit quiet from the crowd. Slowly, silence took purchase and he continued to speak, “This is, at best, an educated guess, but it is certainly nothing to be taken lightly. It calls for action and more research. I’m sure there are many suggestions on how exactly to proceed, and of course, these are all welcome. Yes…” he gestured towards one of the Unicorns waiting for their turn to speak. The cream coloured Unicorn stepped forward, his horn began to glow a little brighter, his neck shimmering slightly.
“Should the Hellion Legion of the Silver Spades be notified of this? A breach of security down in Tartarus could certainly qualify as something dangerous that fits the dream’s criteria,” the Pony shuffled slightly as he spoke, his silver cloak ruffled as he nervously shifted, but his voice gave no indication of his uneasiness.
“They most certainly should be, thank you Silver Shield. As Opal Legion’s Head Courier, see to it that they are informed as soon as this meeting is adjourned.”
The young Pony nodded downwards at the speaker, a knowing gesture, he received a nod and a small grin in return.
An orange Pony with a fiery red mane and a short black cloak stepped forward. He pulled a small scroll out of a satchel tied to his left front leg, unfurling it quickly and letting it fall to the ground. After placing a hoof on the page, several arcane symbols swirled around the appendage, working their way up to his throat, where only a faint glow remained. As an Earth Pony, he had to utilise a different form of magic to project his voice.
“We also must be prepared for the possibility of an internal affair. Who’s to say that this dream couldn’t represent a power grab? Or some sort of scheme originating from within?” He glanced around, his words met with the familiar sound of murmurs.
“Unlikely. Given the subtle implications of the vision itself, we can assume that this threat is of outside origin, at least as far as affiliation goes. We can rest easy that this threat does not come from within The Circle itself,” the grey and white Pony’s analysis was met with sighs of relief, and a few cocked heads.
“How can we be sure of this? As you said, our interpretation of this vision is elementary at best, maybe it would behoove us to take precautions,” the orange pony hotly retorted, eying the room once more for a response.
“Hmm, I suppose taking measures wouldn’t hurt. Very well, Orange Blossom, please contact the appropriate staff, you are granted permission to head an internal investigation if you are so inclined,” the speaker lowered his head slightly, his grey mane fell over his eyes. Brushing it aside with his magic, he hoofed at his chin, thinking deeply.
The orange Pony nodded in response, taking some blank paper and a pen from his satchel, he began taking notes.
Another Pony stepped forward, a Unicorn, she raised her head, allowing her silver hood to fall limply onto her back. While dressed in the same garb as the Unicorn who spoke before her, she had a posture and an expression that hinted at a far greater level of poise and experience. She stood stock still, speaking a bit more slowly, and with greater precision. Her words calm, yet at the same time forceful and to the point. “Is there any indication that this threat may be directed at Equestrian royalty? Or was the Princess having the dream simply a coincidence?”
“We are not sure. The palace’s guard has been temporarily doubled until we can be certain. Some of the Crystal Empire’s Elite are even being stationed in Canterlot for the time being, they should arrive sometime later today,” the speaker took a deep breath as he met the eyes of the pony who had asked the question. Her steeled expression made it difficult to look her straight in the face. She was one of the Silver Spades, this was not uncommon, many of the Ponies here at this meeting today were of the organisation, they worked closely with The Circle. But she was of the Crimson Rose, a legion within the Silver Spades dedicated to the art of interrogation and inquisition. Keeping one’s composure while answering a direct question from one such as her took courage, experience, or a great deal of foolhardiness. Grey Ties dug deep into his experience on this occasion. He had dealt with members of the Crimson Rose in the past, but he had never gotten used to their hollow stare.
The Crimson Rose member nodded slowly, and took a step back, never letting her eyes wander from Grey Ties. Were one less experienced in dealing with members of the Crimson Rose, they might think this to be due to a lack of trust, or perhaps a passing of judgment, but those who knew of their order were almost certainly aware of the rituals that initiates had to go through. Many of the muscles in their face are removed, or simply damaged beyond the point of repair, so as to render them incapable of giving away their intent or showing any hint of emotion. To not fear interrogation from the Crimson Rose was considered foolish by many in The Circle.
After a few moments of silence, Grey Ties looked up once more. “We shall take a short recess, gather our thoughts, and reconvene in an hour. Certain things must be attended to before long. Silver Shield, with me please, I would like to speak to you privately before you relay your message to Hellion Legion,” Grey Ties cleared his throat, the magic dissipating from his horn and neck.
The crowd began to disperse, making their way back into the halls and tunnels of Crown Peak. Entirely underground, not a bit of sunlight made its way this deep into the earth. The walls were lined with torches, enchanted to burn far longer than their mundane counterparts normally could.
Ponies walked the halls, many in small groups. Conversations about the meeting could be heard echoing everywhere. It had been a long time since Crown Peak had been the centre of such activity or excitement.
Grey Ties began to make his way from the conference chamber to his personal quarters. Silver Shield quickly walked over to his side, trotting alongside the older Unicorn, awaiting his instructions.
“Why did you want to see me? Is it about the message? Are there extra details that I should include?” Silver Shield nervously stumbled over his words as he tried to make himself useful.
“Nothing like that actually, I simply wanted to talk. It has little to do with the meeting,” Grey Ties shot a small, sideways grin towards Silver Shield, he admired Shield’s willingness to be helpful, but his awkwardness had always amused him.
“Ah… so, um, sorry about that back at the meeting,” Silver Shield looked bashfully at the ground, his pace slowing a bit.
“Sorry for what exactly?” Grey Ties asked curiously. He wasn’t exactly concerned, Shield had always been incredibly self-conscious.
“The suggestion. I mean, you would have recommended a message be sent regardless. It was obvious. My apologies,” Silver Shield said in an embarrassed tone.
“I did say all ideas were welcome, didn’t I? You spoke your mind, something I wish many members of The Circle would do more often. Too much secrecy, sometimes it feels like a cult instead of a real organisation. I appreciate anyone’s ability to be sincere,” Grey Ties gave the younger Unicorn a warm smile, lifting a hoof and giving him a sharp pat on the back. Shield grunted a little, not expecting the force that accompanied it.
“After this has all blown over, I want to take you on as my apprentice. I’ve talked it over with several of the higher ranked officers of the Opal Legion, and they’re willing to let you stay on, freeze your rank, and let you continue your duties in a limited fashion until the apprenticeship is concluded. If you are interested of course,” Grey Ties uttered the last few words with a hint of sarcasm, his friendly grin reappearing.
Silver Shield stopped, his expression completely blank. A smile began to spread across his face as his legs started to tremble.
Sensing an excited outburst, Grey Ties quickly put his hoof on Shield’s shoulder, patting it briskly. “I thought that would probably be your response,” he chuckled.
Grey Ties had been friends with Shield since his inauguration into the Silver Spades. Some outsiders might have seen their rapport as more of a surrogate father and son relationship, Ties saw it more as an uncle and nephew, or grandfather and grandson sort of connection. Silver Shield had few close friends, and those he had were of The Circle, rather than of the Silver Spades. Grey Ties had acted not only as his unofficial mentor for many years, but also made time to eat with him in the cafeteria, and spent some of his off-time studying alongside him. He even had Silver Shield accompany him on trips regarding official business on occasion, believing that seeing the world would be good for somepony his age.
“You really- I mean, you actually want to me be-” Silver Shield stumbled a bit, catching himself before falling. Nervously correcting his cloak, he shuffled a bit before continuing, “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I’m not even of The Circle. The complications, the paperwork… are you sure you wouldn’t be happier taking on a student from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns? I’m sure that they would be better suited than I would.”
Grey Ties shook his head. “I’m sure. We’ve been friends ever since you were brought into the Silver Spades, and you’ve had close relations with The Circle for just as long. I’m interested in energy, and in willingness, not in skill or experience, that would defeat the purpose of an apprenticeship.”
Silver Shield pulled his head back, a confused look spreading across his face. “Freezing my rank, but an apprenticeship would mean… you want me…” surprise and disbelief seemed to take him over. “But that would mean I would eventually replace you!? But, I thought a tutorship or something like that-”
Grey Ties stilled him once more with a hoof. “Yes, an apprenticeship. It would mean that, so long as you display the ability to handle the job, you would eventually replace me as Grand Court Arcanist. You’ve shown a lot of magical potential ever since you joined the Silver Spades, and I believe that with proper tutelage, and experience, you could do just as well as I, maybe even bring a different perspective to the table. The fact is, I believe in your potential, and so did the Spades I spoke with who granted you tentative permission to make this decision, were you so inclined. In the end, it’s up to you, no one can make this decision for you.”
Silver Shield wiped the smile from his face, straightening his hood for the umpteenth time. “I accept.”
Grey Ties chuckled. “This is something you can, and indeed should give some thought to before deciding. Your role in the Spades is not only important, but you have worn it proudly for several years, you could move up the ranks and forward your career if you played your cards right. If you choose an apprenticeship over that, just keep in mind that I will expect great things of you. I will ask you to respect the role that you would be training for dutifully, perhaps even above that of the Silver Spade’s, The Circle would be your home. The freeze in your rank would be there so that if you changed your mind, you would have somewhere to return to. You would lose your position in the Silver Spades, were you to officially take on the role of Grand Court Arcanist.”
“I understand.” Silver Shield lowered his head, more out of respect than anything. He had no idea Grey Ties had even considered him worthy of such an important post, even if it was just hypothetical at this point. It was an honour to be considered for his position.
Grey Ties threw his head back, letting out a hearty laugh. Silver Shield stumbled back a bit in surprise.
“You’ll do fine. Try not to take everything so seriously, except for your duties perhaps,” Grey Ties gave Shield one final pat on the shoulder, and started to make his way to his quarters.
Silver Shield looked after him, barely able to contain his excitement. He had been selected, out of everyone, against all odds. His legs continued to tremble uncontrollably, though he had hid it well before, emotion was beginning to overwhelm him. A tear started to form in his eye, which he quickly blinked away. After taking a moment to regain his composure, he happily began skipping down the hall. With a light heart, he made his way back to his quarters.
Grey Ties had made this walk many times. Familiar cracks and clumps of moss clung to the cobbled stone walls. His hooves softly clacked as he walked down the dark and clammy hallways. But something was different this time, and he felt it. His old bones seemed to protest as he moved. His gait slowed, an odd and unexpected feeling of dread started to fill Ties. He glanced around nervously, then over his shoulder. He wasn’t being followed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. A deep, yet quiet rumbling could be heard directly ahead of him. Ties squinted to see down the dark hallway, then realized the torches were no more.
The inky darkness rolled over Ties, torch after torch was extinguished, as if a tidal wave was washing down the hall. Ties was almost completely eclipsed by the unnatural blackness. He braced himself, his horn glowing, a small orb of light shot out from the tip, sticking to the ceiling. The orb began to grow, its radiance increasing by the second. The hall began to flood with light. Small black tendrils started to work their way across the surface of the orb, obscuring its halo with each passing moment, until finally, the hall was dark once more.
Ties grunted, stomping a hoof firmly on the ground. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it wasn’t good. While the magic he had cast was but a simple light spell, he had enhanced it several times over. Whatever had countered the spell had to be powerful.
The hall beyond Ties was now nothing but a dark hole, enveloping and destroying all light that entered it. Ties concentrated, his eyes closed, his horn glowing. A strong magic field began to emanate from his body. His half of the hallway began to fill with a weak light, just enough to see. The hall in front of him continued to consume any light that entered it. Light visibly spiralled into its centre, disappearing into the whirlpool of nothingness.
Suddenly, a small purple ring appeared in the dark before Ties. Its shape unsure, twisting and mutating constantly, eventually settling back on a circular form. Then another appeared, exactly the same size. It moved in concert with the other, each rising up in the dark. They swivelled, the purple pulling back and disappearing to reveal two bright white spheres, eyes like a snake’s. A thin line broke underneath the pair, cracking open to expose what appeared to be a mouth, twisted in a maniacal grin. Sharp teeth, like fangs, jut out from its maw. Two objects began to form in front of the gigantic incorporeal face, swirling black clouds of energy coalescing into spheres. Sharp protrusions began to force their way out, twitching and trembling as they formed what appeared to be rudimentary fingers, though sharp and pointy, they seemed more as claws in the light’s inky conditions. The face tilted downwards, facing Ties, the hands balling into fists. A hand came smashing down into the ground, clawing and grasping at the cobbles directly in front of the entity. The other slammed into the wall, sending bits of stone and clumps of moss falling to the ground.
The gigantic floating hands flexed their digits, as if still not accustomed to their form. But the face showed no signs of distress or alarm. It continued to smile like it had made some sort of point with its show of physical prowess.
“Son of Starswirl? No, far too young, but still old. Grandson perhaps?” The grim visage smirking as it spoke. It’s mouth moving in an unnaturally smooth cadence.
Ties frowned, narrowing his eyes at the invader. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but bit his tongue and kept quiet, awaiting the entity’s next action.
“No? You are of his blood, if I can not have decent retribution against him directly, then it is his bloodline that will suffer. You are the only one I could find. What do you have to say for yourself?” The being brought its features closer, giving Ties a contemplative look.
Ties looked up, meeting its eyes directly with his. Ties’ horn began to glow, rapidly increasing to a blinding level. He held it there, the light, atop his head. “I am Grey Ties, of The Circle, Grand Court Arcanist, Great Grandson of Starswirl the Bearded. What purpose do you have coming here, and what do you want of me?”
With a start, the face pulled back, its smile broadening to an almost comedic extent, its hands still flexing their fingers. “I am here for you, currently. I may or may not have a chip on my shoulder regarding your ‘Circle’, though that greatly depends on how you answer my next question: How do you feel about dying?”
Grey Ties reared up, his front hooves kicking at the air. The light at his horn began to rise up, drifting towards the face. The entity’s eyes followed it, appearing almost amused by its presence. With a crack, the ball of light exploded, a huge dome of golden energy engulfing the hall, pushing the darkness back almost completely. The entity shielded itself with its hands, attempting to hold back the oncoming magical assault. Strands of light arced over the darkness’s form, streaming uselessly back down the hallway. The grin never leaving the dark creature’s expression.
The ghostly hands began to tear at the air, cleaving chunks from the arcane dome, grasping towards Ties in an attempt to rend and maim. Ties jumped back, his horn starting to glow once more. The now damaged dome began to reshape itself, forming a glowing wall between him, and the intruder. The hands continued to tear at the forcefield. Where the wall began to breach, new energy fused with it, patching it before a large enough gap could be formed. Ties struggled to produce the magical energies required, he knew that he couldn’t hold the enemy for long before his magical reserves were drained.
A series of glowing symbols began to develop around one of Ties’ rear hooves, spinning around the base of his leg. Ties stomped down hard, releasing the luminous writing into the ground. A bright line formed on the floor, snaking its way up onto the wall. It shot off down the hallway, turning and twisting, following the corridors back the way Ties had come.
Several Circle members sat in a partially-lit hall, speaking of the recent meeting, and what was to come of it, when suddenly, a bright line shot by, snaking its way across the stone walls, illuminating the Ponies in full. The line changed colour, from a bright golden-yellow to a deep pulsating red. The Ponies’ eyes widened, the signal had been sent: there was an intruder in Crown Peak. Quickly they gathered themselves, running down twisting hallways, kicking off walls around turns to keep speed. They flew by at an incredible pace. The Pony in the lead, Blood Hide, was an unusually large specimen, a dark red Earth Pony, his shoulders almost half as broad as the hall was wide. The ground shook as he ran flat-out, his companions struggling to keep up, their horns glowing, large animated weapons began to form above their heads, of one an axe, and the other a longsword, glowing bright shades of blue and green, partially transparent. The Earth Pony in front rounded a corner, stopping upon witnessing the sight before him.
Ties continued to hold his own, patching the wall of energy at an incredible rate. The entity continued to thrash, destroying enormous sections of the shield at a time, tossing the remains behind him, where they quickly dissolved into nothingness.
The Earth Pony shifted to the side, his companions sliding to a stop next to him, their weapons held high.
“What is that thing!?” One of the Unicorns shouted, shooting a glance towards Grey Ties.
“An abomination, something not of this world. I’m trying to hold it back, one of you go alert the rest of Crown Peak, initiate an evacuation immediately,” Grey Ties struggled to get the words out as he exerted himself. A bright halo of light was now visible around the peak of his horn, slowly growing in size, it swirled in an uneven current, occasionally losing its shape as Ties strained.
“Go warn the others. Pearl, like the wind!” The red Earth pony shouted back at one of the Unicorns. She nodded, her blue mane tied up in a tight bun under her hood, white coat reflecting the bright golden glow from the magical barrier before them. She turned and ran, her horn glowing a bright blue colour. The magical longsword that had once levitated above her quickly dissipated, and her feet began to glimmer. Sparks flew from her hooves as she ran, her magic accelerating her travel.
The Earth Pony stood stoically beside Grey Ties, staring down the monstrosity that now threatened his home. A frown took shape, his brows deeply furrowed. He reached up to his back with a hoof, sliding it underneath his cloak. Ripping his tunic aside, he drew forth an enormous steel war axe, decorated with intricate runes and script. The head of the axe fell to the ground, splitting the comparatively weak stone easily. He wrapped his leg around the shaft of the weapon, heaving it up, resting the axe blade on his shoulder. He looked on with confidence, standing ready to strike.
The Unicorn that stood beside them continued to hold the weapon construct above his head, it shimmered an unearthly green and floated alongside him in perfect synchronicity. The Unicorn that held it aloft was of average build, sporting a brown cloak with green patches, the brown matched his fur, creating an odd effect as he walked down the hall, as flesh, fur and fabric reflected the strange magical light. Though his axe was much smaller than the metal one the Red Pony wielded, it resembled a large hatchet, a smaller axe head making it appear far more light and quick. As the Unicorn’s horn began to glow more intensely, the hatchet started to swing mercurially about him. He spun and twirled it through the air, making a show of it as he approached the wall of energy. The dark, living mass flailing just on the other side, taking huge pieces of the barrier down with each slash and strike. The Unicorn stopped just short of the arcane blockade, waiting for a moment to present itself.
Just as a piece broke free from the centre of the wall, torn out and flung aside by one of the entity’s large hands, the brown Unicorn brought his head up, then lurched forward, the axe following suit. It was flung forwards, arcing perfectly through the air, spinning at incredible speeds. The bladed blur flew through the gap, striking the dark visage on the other side. The entity pulled back for a moment, groping at its own face, taking hold of the hatchet and ripping it free. It hurled the weapon directly back at the shield, but it quickly dissipated, the Unicorn’s horn stopped glowing, he wasn’t about to let the demon use his own weapon against them.
The red pony took several steps forward, balancing the axe carefully on his broad shoulder, he gripped it as he sized up his foe. Walking straight up to the barrier, he stopped, waiting calmly, his face mere inches away from the thrashing claws of the enemy.
“I can’t hold it for much longer without completely draining myself,” Ties shouted over the deafening sound of claw on shield.
“We’re just delaying the inevitable. Drop the shield, I’m ready,” the red pony said confidently, looking back at Ties. He let a small grin show as he assured the wizard, some of it genuine, and some of it show.
Like the sound of an impossibly gigantic bubble bursting, the warped noise echoed hard down the hall. A moment of silence fell over the small band of ponies, as tiny yellow shards of energy sprinkled to the ground, dissipating on impact with a light jingle, leaving nothing behind but a brief sparkling mist.
The dark mass started to rise even higher, its maniacal smile returning to its abominable face. Its claws drifted down, only a foot above the stone floor, clenched tightly into giant fists.
Then the silence was broken, the fists shot down the hall, one headed directly at the red pony in the lead, and the other flying towards Grey Ties. With a sharp series of movements, the red pony heaved the axe downwards, dropping it directly on top of one of the hands with a loud thud. In another quick gesture, he lifted the axe skyward, heaving it sideways, bringing the hand with it, and hurled it at the other fist. It impacted, smashing both hands and the weapon into the wall, embedding all three objects in the cobblestone.
The red pony allowed his grin to return, only for it to melt away as the wall exploded outwards, showering all three ponies with dust and rocks. Both fists hovered over them, the axe sent clattering to the ground uselessly.
“Impossible… even an incorporeal beast should be damaged by a runic blade,” the red pony said, seemingly baffled.
“An impossible creature, the only way to defeat it will be through impossible means. Whether or not we have these means at our disposal, remains to be seen,” Ties said, the unusual calm about his voice betraying his expression.
The brown Unicorn began to grow nervous, noticeably fidgeting, re-materializing his ethereal hatchet. Taking a few steps back, he flaunted the weapon, cautiously staring down the hall. Both of the entity’s hands clasped together, swinging jointly at the group in a giant haymaker swing. The red pony stomped on the handle of his axe laying in front of him, knocking it smartly into the air, the fists impacted it straight on, deflecting them once more into the wall. The counter had bought a few seconds for the ponies.
Ties stepped forward, his horn glowing brighter than it had yet. Magical energies started to pool around him in an almost blinding spectacle, white and yellow sparks ricocheted off the walls and floor as ambient magic welled up inside him. His eyes flew open, pupils and iris replaced with pure white light, he levitated off the ground a few inches as the light from his body crawled up to his horn, pooling in a great rippling mass of pure arcane energies. Ties began to shout, his voice crackling as it reached an unbearable decibel level. He levelled his horn at the entity, lining up the shot. His expression was one of desperation. If this spell didn’t work, he wasn’t sure what would. This was not only his, but their last chance. If the evacuation wasn’t going as well as he hoped it was, then a lot more lives were going to be lost that night.
Banishing all distracting thoughts, Ties focused, the light visibly shrunk for a brief moment, forming a tiny orb floating mere inches in front of him. Suddenly, the orb expanded into a beam the same diameter as the hallway, violently streaming into the darkness ahead of them, and striking the dark creature in its totality. It brought its hands back up to its face in an attempt to block or deflect the attack, but the beam completely eclipsed it. All that could be seen of the intruder as the beam continued to fire was a dark outline, which seemed to be rapidly fading the longer the attack persisted.
After what seemed like an eternity, the beam fizzled out, all that remained were a few errant bolts of magic arcing from floor to ceiling, and from wall to wall. The dark shape of the invader remained, motionless for the time being, its hands frozen in the air in their defensive pose. The creature’s face either gone, or turned down so far as to render it unseen. With a crackling sound, the hands began to move, the face turning back to the ponies, a look of triumph brazenly displayed. The entity’s form was somewhat thinner than it had been before, but quickly started to regain its original inky black bulk. Darkness once more eclipsed the ambient light in the tight corridor, the dark mass growing to fill it.
Ties took several steps back, looking over his shoulder at the two ponies who still stood with him against this ostensibly invincible foe. While visibly unshaken, he was becoming more and more sure as time passed that this was to be a fight they had no chance at winning. Possible strategies and atypical tactics ran through his head, as he wracked his brain for a solution, for anything he could use.
“I rather like a particular idiom in your culture that I came across while readjusting, ‘revenge is sweet’, isn’t it just?” The dark maw uttered as it drew close to Ties. “But that’s not why I’m here, just thought it would be a good place to start, you know?” The dark visage drew back slightly as if contemplating something.
“I don’t care why you’re here, you do not belong in the realm of the living or the dead. You are something else entirely. What do you want? Not of me, I know you want me dead. But what of this world? What is it that you seek?” Ties asked, desperation clinging to his voice, even as he tried to hide it.
“I want to be perfect, your world is the first step towards this ambition, my inevitability! Your form is weak, I learned this when I was defeated by the Old Man… though there was another… Perhaps more than one pony will deserve a visit from me today. Enough of this, let’s wrap this up, what say you?”
Ties stood in stunned silence. How had he not seen it? This monstrosity, this being, this Entity was the very creature that his Great Grandfather had fought and defeated aeons ago. The very darkness that he had warned his son of, then to his son, then he to Grey Ties. The end of this era was coming, and there was nothing Ties could hope to do about it.
Silver Shield suddenly darted around the corner, coming to a stop, having found the course of the emergency signal. The glowing, arcane line had led him to this, a sight that left him stunned. His jaw fell open, unsure of what to say or do. He tried to call out to Ties, but a mere croak was all that escaped his throat, now dry with panic.
Ties’ brow furrowed, his teeth grit, anger and determination shown in his eyes. He flipped around, his gaze fixed solidly on Blood Hide. “Go, tell Equestria to prepare. This darkness must be met with the will of our kingdom, of all kingdoms. Tell Celestia, tell Luna, tell the world to ready itself. Run, get everyone out that you can, but especially Silver Shield, Grand Master Arcanist. Your duties must be met in the realm of the living,” Ties shot him a weak, knowing smile. He would die here this day, this hour, he accepted it in that moment.
“RUN!” Ties shouted. Silver Shield’s feet remained still, he couldn’t bring himself to move. Ties was at peace, but Silver couldn’t bring himself to accept it. His eyes stayed glued to him as he stood, locked in silent, motionless mortal combat with something no one could have predicted, and that no one understood. A hoof rested upon his chest, then another on his stomach, and Silver could feel himself being lifted off the ground. Blood Hide slung him over his massive shoulders next to his axe, swinging around and galloping away down the hall, towards safety. Silver wanted to yell, to scream out to his mentor. He was all he had, he was family as far as Silver was concerned. The idea of losing him was like losing everything. All he could do was watch, tears streaming down his face and onto Blood Hide’s back.
“Your friends have left you, as life soon will. You can not hope to kill me, there is no pony in Equestria that could. If your Starswirl were still alive, then maybe… A moot point, though. Not even one of his kin would be enough. No pony can kill me.” The Entity smiled, a grim smirk.
“You’re right, I can’t kill you. But caution: fate has a funny way of turning your own words against you. My Great Grandfather was no fool, his word will carry this world, my world, to victory. So come back again if you dare, but be warned that we will not go gently.” Grey Ties stood firm, his trust placed firmly in his ancestors, his faith in Equestria solidified. He would go out in triumph, in genuine belief that his death, his life, would not be in vain.
“We? There will be no we, shortly, you will be dead, and many will follow soon thereafter. I will not be defeated, I see my victory clearly. Don’t you understand? Time doesn’t matter, it does not affect my mind as it does yours! I have seen my victory already! My conquest of this world and the rest is already assured! It is already done!” The hall flooded with the strongest darkness yet. The Entity’s voice sent powerful shockwaves through the peak, old stones falling from the ceiling and walls, the structural integrity of the keep tested in one quick moment.
“Time has always been your greatest shortcoming.” Ties leant forward, his entire body glowing. Swathes of energy moving in waves to the tip of his horn, coalescing into a single speck, almost invisible. The sound of the gathering magic was thunderous, almost deafening, building to a climax, when suddenly, it stopped. The small sphere slowly, and silently drifted forward, stopping between Ties and the darkness. The light reflected in the sphere began to spin, being drawn into its centre. The air shook around it, distorting everything. Stone began to disintegrate, mere sand by the time it reached the singularity. In that final moment, Grey Ties smiled, looking the Entity directly in its murky eyes, and he saw fear, and he was happy.
A great dome of sheer nothingness expanded over the peak in an instant, enveloping everything. The sound a deafening roar of unbelievable volume. The ground shook, sand lifting into the air and rock splitting open. Ponies fleeing the site looked back in horror as the grounds were devoured. Time and space had been violated, violently. The great dome drew back, shrinking into obscurity, only a moment later to explode back out, into even greater size and magnitude. The force sent ponies flying, desperately trying to shield themselves with magic, weapons, shields, rocky outcroppings, each other, anything they could put between themselves and the explosion.
Blood Hide threw Silver to the ground, stepping between him and the shockwave. He planted his weapon into the ground, holding it upright with all his might, its runes glowing fiercely as the invisible force warped space around it. Try as he might, his strength was starting to fail him. Ponies all around him were driven to the ground, up into the air, and into the distance. Blood Hide was determined not to let the same fate befall his charge.
Slowly, the dome of pure force began to lessen, retiring to a mere wind, and then to nothing. The unconscious bodies of hundreds of Ponies lay around him, hundreds more still standing, some, as much as he hoped otherwise, surely dead. He ripped his weapon from the sand, letting it fall back to the ground with a dull thump. He fell, exhausted, looking sideways to his companion. Silver lay still, almost oblivious to the chaos that had surrounded him but a moment ago. Tears still fell from his unblinking eyes as he struggled to remain conscious.
A long journey awaited them, Blood Ties thought to himself, trying to think of anything but what had just happened to his home, to his friends, to his life. He stood, slowly, stepping over a small pile of rubble. He nudged Silver, managing just barely to get him to his feet. A moment was spent in silence, Silver wiped the tears from his eyes, staring at the ground in front of him. Without as much as looking back, he took the first step, and Blood Hide followed.
Many hours, and many miles later, the grand doors of Celestia’s hall burst open, two bedraggled ponies stumbling in. Silver Shield’s cloaks in tatters, Blood Hide’s straps and belts hanging loosely around his chest, his weapon drooping to the side. Sweat streamed down their faces as Silver looked up at the Princess, struggling through ragged breaths to get the words out, “prepare… prepare all of Equestria. Crown Peak is lost.”
Celestia’s quill fell, the magic field holding it aloft dispelled by surprise, as it dropped silently to the floor.