//------------------------------// // The War has Begun and the Hero is Ready // Story: Equestria's Sword // by Evowizard25 //------------------------------// Prince Bolero knew he wasn't going to like what they showed him. As he was led to his destination, he could see Crystal Empire citizens rushing away from the outskirts of the Empire. They were panicking. Several soldiers were rushing forward, either to try and calm down the civilians or to get to what was causing them so much distress. Given how everything seemed so chaotic, whatever was causing this hadn't started that long ago. He could be thankful for that. The earlier they could respond to something, the easier they could deal with it. He hoped. It grew quieter as he got closer. There were less ponies around. Even the animals had fled. It felt colder as well. A dark tingle ran through his spine. He had felt this way before but he didn't want to admit the reason as to why. That monster was dead. She had died. Of course, she had died before and came back. Bolero doubted Discord was stupid enough to bring her back another time, so how she came back this time was worrying. It didn't help that Discord had apparently taken a vacation away with Fluttershy so they didn't know when he'd return so he couldn't ask him to find out quick and easy like. Princess Luna was in another continent and the other princess and prince of the country were far away. He was on his own. Well besides his badass wife and small army of course. He made it to the edge of the magical barrier the Crystal Heart had. Outside the Empire capital was a hazy black cloud that stretched around the city. He frowned as he spied people in cloaks at the edge of the cloud. He could hazard a guess that they were creating the haze to cut off the empire from the rest of the country. He didn't want to think about their plans but he had to prepare for the worst. He turned to Flare Warden, "Have they made any movements toward the shield?" Flare shook her head, "They've done nothing since putting up the shroud around the empire. We've been setting up fortifications in case they try and penetrate the shield." Bolero crossed his arms, "They shouldn't be able to do that. Unless they were Discord themselves, this shield will hold. However…" He narrowed his eyes, "I don't think we have the necessary supplies to last a long siege." It was the unfortunate part of being a small kingdom city in the frozen north. Not enough time was there to cultivate the lands outside its magical border and the space inside was limited. They could hold out for a while but he didn't know how long the enemy was planning to keep this up. Before he could say anything, a figure marched forth from the smoke. Bolero's eyes widened and all of the crystal soldiers gasped. It was none other than Queen Umbra herself. She should have been dead yet that wasn't what made his heart stop. His brother in law, Prince Dusk Shine, was hovering behind her. A tendril of black coiled around him as he was kept in the air. Queen Umbra stopped before the barrier and put a hand on her cheek, "Oh my, did you do all of this for me? I'm flattered that you take me so seriously as a threat." Bolero scowled as magic flared up around his hands, "Let him go, Umbra." "That is Queen Umbra to you," Umbra huffed and looked annoyed, "Really? Is that the first thing you're going to say to your rival? This is why we villains prefer to fight Dusk. He's much better at this." "I will not repeat myself," Bolero stated, "If you do not release him, you will die just like you've died before." "And then come back again and again," Queen Umbra smiled, showing her vicious jagged teeth. "Just face it, it is my destiny to take over this Empire. You only stall my ascension." "You are a cruel monster," Bolero shot back at her, "You aren't fit to rule anything." Umbra scowled, "That mouth of yours will be the death of you. I'm surprised you were able to charm someone like Gleaming into being your wife. She at least knew how to treat an opponent. Where is she by the way? I'd like to speak to her." "Leave her out of this." "Is she with the baby," Umbra smiled, "He was so cute. Perhaps I will make him a lord when I conquer this place. I will do my best-" Bolero shot a bolt of magic at her which she moved her head out of the way, "How rude~" If looks could kill, Umbra and her goons would be on the ground dead already. "My son will never be within your grasp," Bolero growled. "Well I already have your brother," Umbra moved her hand to her captive, "So your son and wife won't be a problem." "What do you want?" "Now we're getting the the juicy part," Umbra chuckled, "I want your kingdom. Give it to me and I will release Dusk Shine." "I will never hand you the Crystal Empire," Bolero shouted. "And that's why I was prepared for you to say that," Umbra smiled. "I can wait you out and then take over the rest of the country. Discord can't save you. He's in another dimension and I've done a good job at making sure he can't return. Luna is on the other side of the planet and Dusk is within my grasp." "Princess Celestia-" "I've sent some people to deal with her," Umbra waved off his concern. "Soon there will be no one that can oppose me. Surrender now and I will be merciful." "We will never surrender!" Flare Warden took out her sword and pointed it right at her. The other crystal empire soldiers shouted in unison, agreeing with Flare. "Flare… come with me." Bolero said, causing Flare to look at him in confusion. "Queen Umbra, I will think on your offer. Give me time to do so." "Prince Bolero!" Flare Warden shouted in surprise. Umbra inclined her head, "Very well. I'm a patient woman. I can wait." Bolero grabbed Flare's shoulder and pushed him along. Once they moved several steps away and out of sight, he pushed him into an alleyway. "You are the fastest flier in the empire, correct?" Flare nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty." "Then I want you to get a message to the princess," Bolero put a hand on her shoulder, "Tell her about what's happening to the Empire and about Queen Umbra. She might know already but we can't chance that. As well, do your best to protect her. She may be an alicorn but we can still fall just as easily. We can't afford to lose her." Flare Warden nodded once more, determined as ever. She put a fist over her chest, "I shall do as you ask." "Good," Bolero gave a sad smile, "I will give you an opportunity to escape but it will be a short one. I don't know how long me and the army can hold her before we have to retreat back into the protective barrier. Do you understand?" "I understand, Your Majesty." "That's what I want to hear," Bolero said before he remembered something. It was drastic and he honestly didn't want to do it, but he remembered stumbling across a certain scroll of Starswirl's. It could help but he wasn't sure. "I do have one thing for you. You'll receive it in the hour before you make a break for it. You must get it to Celestia at any cost." "Yes, Your Majesty." Flare Warden would not disappoint him. Celestia hummed as she trimmed a small Bonsai. The tiny tree was a gift from Neighpon for her farewell celebration. She was most grateful for it. It was a thoughtful gift and helped keep her mind off of everything around her. She could be at peace for a while as she focused everything on a small tree. It seemed as though nothing could go wrong today. Perhaps she didn't have to contact her sister. There was nothing to really talk to her about. Just some bad dreams is all. She was no master of dreams so they were pretty much nothing to her. She just needed to focus on enjoying her new vacation. That was the exact moment that her ear perked at a sound. Was that… screaming? She blinked in confusion before turning to the door. Just as she moved to open it, something crashed through the door. She sighed. It seemed her short lived peace was at an end. Oh well. She would deal with this problem. It was probably just Ditzy Doo crashing about like usual. She shouldn't be worried. So she turned around to talk to her. The being that crashed through her wall wasn't a friendly mailman. This was a warrior decked out in black, spikey armor. Everything about him screamed 'evil'. He was huffing and no doubt grinning under his helmet with how those huffs turned into chuckles. "I've found you, you wretched alicorn." Celestia frowned, "And who might you be?" "I am the man who is going to go down in history as the slayer of Celestia," the black knight hefted his large battle axe. "My, my, my." Celestia huffed as she looked him up and down. He was certainly big and strong but she had faced much worse in the past. "You certainly are confident in your own skills. I hope you didn't hurt anyone on the way in here." The villainous knight shrugged, "Maybe one or two but who cares. As long as I-" He never got to finish his sentence. Celestia fired a beam of pure yellow magic as hot as the son into his upper torso, burning it away completely in a second. Her eyes burned with hatred at that very moment. If there was one thing she despised, it was hurting the innocent. Normally she would refrain from killing. Redemption was usually the answer but there were always those that could not be redeemed. They were usually sent to Tartarus but when she used to fight in wars in her youth, some needed more permanent means of stopping them. She marched out from the hole and into the hallway. It was trashed and there were a couple of bodies there. She bawled up her hands into fists as they shook lightly. Death wasn't something she was foreign to. People died all the time but this? It had been so long since she'd seen this. She had done everything in her power to keep Equestria safe and secure. It had worked. It had worked so well, yet this? She would make them pay for doing this to her people. Two more black knights came around the corner. "Die, Cele-" She blasted his head off. The other paused before she fired a bolt of magic that created a fist sized hole in his chest. Both bodies hit the ground. A pang of guilt ran through her heart. She hated killing with every fiber of her being, but seeing those bodies… She would strengthen her resolve. She would make sure that they paid for their misdeeds. So she kept walking, ready to take on whatever these villainous curs had in store for her. She was thankful that only a few staff were present in their large home. Her citizens loved her and wanted to support her even after all of this started to happen. She was flattered but she was hoping to get them to leave her alone. They deserved to live their own lives instead of just taking care of her. She heard someone trembling in a closet and opened it up. She sighed in relief. Inside was a pretty elvish looking woman in her early twenties. She had black hair tied up in a bun and lightish brown eyes. Her dress, which was a normally tidy secretary outfit, was a bit messy at the moment. Celestia knew enough why that was. "Raven," Celestia addressed her beloved secretary, Raven Inkwell. "Are you well?" "I'm fine," Raven sighed in relief, "I'm glad you're alright, Lady Celestia. I meant to try and find you but they were so close. I had to hide. I'm sorry." "Do not apologize," Celestia put a hand on her shoulder, "You did the right thing. Now, let's get-" "Die!" A voice shouted to her right as a knight started to bring his sword down on her head. Her eyes widened and for a moment she thought the surprise attack would end her. However it was blocked by another sword. She turned to see it was none other than Flare Warden. The Crystal Empire soldier was bruised, battered, and bloodied. Her armor was in shambles in places and there were numerous cuts that were still bleeding. "You will not touch the princess," Flare snarled as she pushed her opponent away. She stumbled as she grit her teeth. The pain getting to her. The knight laughed, "You will die-" His head was blown off with a bolt of magic. Celestia huffed, "Next time, mind your opponents." She turned to Flare, readying some healing spells. "Hold still. I'll heal you." "No," Flare spoke, "Save your energy. I have something for you." She pulled out a scroll from her rucksack and handed it over to her, "This is the key to our victory. Prince Bolero said to give it to you since he can't make it." Celestia bit her lip. If that was the case, Equestria was out of options except one. The Elements could- "Prince Dusk Shine has been captured," Flare said and she seemed on the verge of tears. It was no secret to anyone, except Dusk, that Flare had feelings for him. "I… I saw him myself. I… I wanted to save him." "Shhh," Celestia put a finger to her lips, "Don't fret now. We need to get you to safety and figure out a plan to win against these foes." "It's Umbra," Flare said with bothered breath, "It's Queen Umbra. She's returned." Celestia's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on the scroll. Umbra was a powerful sorcerer. On her own, any battle would be a toss of a coin for a victor. She may need what is on this scroll after all. She opened it up and gazed over it. She sucked in a breath, "This is…" "A summoning scroll," Flare nodded, "It will summon a hero to save us." Celestia knew about this. Summoning someone took a lot of energy. On her own, which it seemed she would have to do, it would drain her quite a bit. However, they needed to do this. Without the Elements, they were at a loss to do much of anything outside of a full blown war. She wouldn't let that happen to her country. Saito stared at the beautiful woman before him. He had been able to calm down after that whole debacle and pay attention to her story. He was just thankful that she wasn't the type to beat him for touching her breasts. Thankfully, most of the girls back home weren't like that either but he spent most of his time with Louise. That meant he was always a bit wary of girls. Then again, he disregarded that because he was a pervert more so than a coward. It brought a lot of pain, but he would enjoy some nice TnA as much as possible. "Now that you know of our story," Celestia said before bowing, "Will you help us?" Saito looked over at the other girls present. One of them was injured and being taken cared of by the other. Just seeing a woman in that condition brought a sense of pure anger to him. He hated seeing girls getting hurt. He knew that helping them could lead to his death but… well this wasn't the first time something like this happened. He had to fight for unknown lands and new people all the time. On the bright side, perhaps a girl or two would get interested~ Of course, he was saving himself for Louise first but a harem wasn't out of the question. So he nodded. "I'll help you," Saito said. He would help even if he didn't get a harem. The thought of innocent people being hurt while he could help was a terrible thing. He would make sure the people of this country were safe and then return home. Celestia smiled, "Thank you." She pulled him into a hug, where his face was caught up in her large cleavage. "Thank you so much." "You're welcome," was his muffled reply. His face was blushing and a perverted grin was spread over it. Oh yes, he was going to love this adventure.