//------------------------------//
// Battle for the Crystal Empire 
// Story: A strange creature in Equestria 
// by sykko 
//------------------------------//

It had been three months since the execution of Blueblood II and Celestia was sitting in the foundry deep in the catacombs of the Royal Palace. She held up the designs her and Luna had made of armor and weapons for Harald. She rubbed her chin with a hoof in deep thought. "The designs are right, it's just lacking a certain...something.", she muttered to herself.

A slight chill filled the room causing Celestia's coat to bristle. The spectral form of Jorgen manifested sitting on an anvil nearby. He slid off the anvil landing on the floor noiselessly and silently strode over as he looked at the drawings. He rubbed his spectral hand across his chin in thought.

"What awakes you from your rest beloved?", Celestia asks.

"Dark forces move.", Jorgen replied in a wispy voice, "Their tendrils stretch to the north. Thy thoughts wander to and fro on the matter."

"Sombra has already made his first public move against Harald and it cost him some of his servants.", Celestia muttered in thought.

"The great pretender lost no servants, he simply cost them aside as one would cast aside a broken tool.", Jorgen whispered. He ran a spectral finger along the drawing. "This is nearly complete. Though it does lack one vital component."

"What would that be?"

"The essence of the most powerful defenders."

Celestia rolled the thought over in her head for a moment. "It shouldn't take more than a few drops, maybe a little more." She began quickly writing down the alterations on the margins of the drawings. She turned seeing the specter of Jorgen fading. "Thank you beloved and rest well." She teleported to her office and began writing a few letters, rolled them up, sealed them with her magic and teleported them with a flash of golden light.

Cadance, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart were sitting in the throne room of the Crystal Palace listening to several politicians argue over taxing districts when Flurry Heart's snapped up and she looked to the south. "Two letters for us coming mother."

Cadance and Shining Armor looked over at their daughter. Cadance opened her mouth to say something when two flashes of golden light appeared before the thrones and rolled up letters with Celestia's seal appeared in the air floating for a split second before falling to the ground with a small rustle.

Flurry looked at the arguing politicians. "There is no need to change the lay out of the taxing districts at this time. Especially now that we are on the eve of war."

The politicians looked to Flurry with irate and indignant expressions on their faces. The first politician turns her face to Cadance, "Does Princess Flurry Heart speak with your authority on this."

Shining Armor leaned forward and spoke, "On this matter we three sit in agreement. Our judgement stands, it is more imperative to prepare the empire for the ensuing war than to bicker about changing tax districts. Good day."

"Your majesty!", the first politician spoke up again, "Do we not need better tax districts for the war preparations?"

Cadance rose from her seat. "I believe what Prince Shining Armor meant to say is dismissed."

The politicians sputtered for a moment but then thought the better of it when they saw Flurry Heart's mane ripple ethereal for a brief second. "Yes your majesties.", the politicians said bowing before leaving the room.

Cadance levitated the letter and broke the seal unrolling it. She read the letter and reread the letter again. "Flurry and I have been summoned to Canterlot. Aunt Celestia needs us for forging something", she said as she hastily reread the letter again, "She needs our...blood."

Shining pulled the letter over with his magic, read it, then rubbed his chin. "This seems unusual."

"These are unusual times father.", Flurry said as she unrolled her letter, "But there will come a time when we will welcome unusual." Flurry lit the magic in her horn and vanished in a flash of multicolored light.

Cadance sighed, then nuzzled Shining. "I'll return as soon as I can Shiny." She vanished in a flash of pink light.

Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie were sitting in their thrones around the map table looking over requisition forms and troop readiness forms.

Pinkie felt her hoof twitch and held it out.

"Uh Pinkie? What are you doing?", Rainbow asked.

"Mail incoming.", Pinkie said.

As if on cue there were six small flashes of light as six letters appeared. Five of the landed on the map table, the sixth landed in Pinkies hoof.

Pinkie quickly unrolled the letter and read it. "Hmm, Celestia needs us for forging and needs our...", she said as she stuck out her tongue, "...blech, our blood." She reached under her mane a pulled out a hat, then placed it on her mane. She pulled out a quill and a piece of paper and quickly wrote a letter. Stepping over to the window, licked her hoof to check the wind, pulled out a mattress, laid it on the floor and opened the window.

Derpy sailed through the window and landed on the mattress with a soft thump. She sat, shook her head to get rid of the cobwebs, looked up at Pinkie with a weak smile, "Th-thank you."

Pinkie placed the letter on Derpy's hoof, "Take this to Cheese Sandwich for me please." She then pulled a muffin out of her mane and placed it  on Derpy's other hoof.

Derpy looked at the muffin, smiled and happily gobbled it down. "Th-thank you Pinkie." She stood up and flew back out the window.

The other five stare at Pinkie with confused looks on their faces.

"What?!", Pinkie says, "We're going aren't we?"

Twilight gathers herself and rolls the note reading it. "Hmm, why does Celestia need our blood for forging?"

The remaining four opens their letters and reads them.

Twilight gestures for the other five elements to gather up, she then ignites her magic and they all vanish in a flash of purple light. When they materialize in the throne room in Canterlot, Celestia, Cadance and Flurry Heart were waiting on them.

Luna walks in from a side door yawning and sipping loudly on a cup of coffee. "Are we ready to *yawn* *smack-smack* to begin Tia?"

"Yes Luna, everypony is here."

Luna quickly drains the cup of coffee and teleports it away. "Hoo!", she exclaims at the strength of the coffee, "Okay let's do this while I'm awake."

In a flash on golden and deep blue light the group appears in a forge. Celestia lights the furnace as Luna levitates powdered iron ore into ten crucibles. Once the furnace was up to the proper temperature, Celestia levitates the crucibles into it. After an hour Celestia levitates the crucibles out of the furnace, letting them alight in front of her, Luna, Cadance,Flurry Heart, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, inside of each was a yellow glowing spongy mass of iron.

"Do as I do.", Celestia says. She raises a hoof to her mouth, bites down hard on the frog causing blood to flow forth, holds her bleeding hoof over the crucible and lets a small stream of blood dribble onto the super-heated iron. The hot iron fizzles and squeals as the blood contacts it. The other nine do the same. Luna lights her horn and seals the wounds on all ten of their hooves. Celestia levitates the crucibles back into the furnace and adds powdered nickle to them. After another hour Celestia moves the crucibles out of the furnace, mixes the metal mixtures with a stone rod, levitates the blobs of molten metal out of the crucibles and forms them into billets. Luna takes half the still glowing billets and submerges them into a trough filled with oil, causing small gouts of flame to leap up before she snuffs them, then levitates the cooled billets onto onto the workbench.

Celestia lights a smaller furnace and moves all the billets into it. Luna lifts a heavy hammer in her magic as Celestia pumps the bellows until the billets start glowing orange, she moves them onto an anvil and Luna starts hammering them into thin sheets. Celestia stacks the sheets of metal and levitates them into the small furnace, she gives the bellows a few pump until they start blowing orange again. Celestia levitates a small hammer and a chisel as she moves the stacked metal back onto the anvil. Giving small taps of her hammer, Celestia directs Luna where to strike, once the metal makes the sound she sound she wants, Celestia places the chisel along the newly formed billet, strikes it with her small hammer until a small line is formed and she folds the metal over on itself. Heating the metal in the furnace again, Celestia moves it back to then anvil, splits the metal into several strips and forms them into small cylinders. Reheating the metal again, Celestia twists the metal cylinders into a twisted rod, levitating another large hammer, she and Luna hammer the twisted rod into a new billet. With a grunt of satisfaction, Luna plunges the billet into a trough of water causing steam to erupt from it, dispersing the steam with a flap of her wings, she moves the billet back onto the anvil.

Celestia levitates a small bronze hammer and gives the billet several taps as she listens to the ringing of the metal. Wiping the sweat from her face, she gives Luna a quick nod. As Celestia moves the billet into the small furnace, Luna readies the sledge hammer. Using her magic to separate the billet into smaller ones, Celestia lay out a small steel hammer and several tools. Celestia moves one of the smaller billets onto the anvil and with taps of the small steel hammer she guides Luna where to strike, soon the metal is formed into a blank sword. Celestia plunges the blank sword into a vat of weak acid to reveal the grain structure, washing the acid away from the sword blank with a bucket of water, she levitates it in front of her inspecting it. Giving a grunt of approval, Celestia plucks a hair from her mane, she wraps the ethereal strand around the sword blank and blasts it with her magic. The forge fills with bright golden light and the sword is finished into a brightly polished and sharpened weapon, a small flicker of golden magic shimmers along the blade as she wraps the handle in golden cord. Celestia and Luna swap sides on the anvil.

Luna moves a glowing billet from the small furnace as Celestia readies the sledge hammer in her magic. Giving taps of the steel hammer, Luna guides Celestia where to strike with the sledge hammer, soon the metal forms into an axe blank with a broad curving blade on one side and a long thin spike on the other. Luna levitates a small bronze hammer and gives the axe several small taps as she listens to the metal ring. Giving a small smile, Luna plucks a hair from her mane, wraps the dark shimmering strand around the axe blank and blasts it with her magic. Bright silver light fills the forge revealing a polished and sharpened axe, a small layer of frost form on the head before dissipating. Luna wraps the haft in a fine silver wire. The two sisters each ready a sledge hammer in their magic as they move the last of the metal onto the anvil.

The sledge hammers rain down on the billets as sparks and sputters of hot metal fill the air. The other tools are levitated in the sisters magic as they begin working the metal with it. When the sisters finish a helmet, a pair of metal boots, a round metal shield, leafmail shirt and chainmail leggings lay on the anvil. Celestia plucks a hair from Flurry Heart's mane, wraps it around the helmet and the sisters blast it with their magic filling the forger with multicolored light, a gleaming winged helmet alinghts gently on the anvil. Luna plauck a hair from Cadance's mane, lays it across the shield and the sisters blast it with their magic, a brilliant mirror polished shield gently lands on the anvil. The sisters pluck a hair each from Twilight's, Fluttershy's, Rainbow's, Applejack's, Pinkie's and Rarity's manes. They weave the hairs into the leafmail, chainmail and boots, they blast it with their magic and a shimmering set of armor alights on the anvil.

Two days later Harald is summoned to The Crystal Empire. Harald kneels before the Princesses, Shining Armor and the elements. Celestia lowers a simple woven iron headband onto Hararld, "Harald Irontoothson, with with this band I hereby crown thee Lord-protector of Norther Equestria and High-commander General of its armies. May thou lead with honor, courage and wisdom." Cadance lays a laurel of crystal leaves on Harald's head, "Harald Irontoothson, I dub thee master and commander of the Crystal Legions. May thou lead with integrity and honor." Twilight drapes a ruby red cape with a golden liner across Harald's shoulders, "Harald Irontoothson, I bequeath upon thee the title of champion of Central Equestria. May thou stride forth with justice and foresight." Gilda lays the seal of Griffonstone before Harald, "Harald Irontoothson, griffon-friend, I offer unto thee the command of all griffon forces. Call upon them in thy time of need and they shalt be thine to command." Luna walks forwards, gently lays a hoof on Haralds shoulder and strikes him across the cheek, "Arise Harald Irontoothson and let that be the last blow thou receives unanswered." The weapons and armor are laid out before Harald. "Gird thyself in thy new armor and weapons.", Shining Armor says. Harald rises to his feet as several Crystal Guards and Royal Guards help him into his armor then slips the weapons onto his belt and attaches the shield to his arm. The doors to the balcony are opened and the sounds of the cheering crowd pours in.

"Your adoring public awaits.", Celestia says gesturing to the balcony.

Harald strides onto the balcony as the rest of the royal group filters in behind him. He looks out across the crowd, draws his sword and raises it high. "Hah-oo! Hah-oo!", he howls in a loud voice, "Let all who oppose us stand forth and let themselves be known. By our blades and our might they shall be felled! By our courage and our honor they shall be thrown back into their holes. By our strength and our conviction they shall know only fear!" As the crowd roars in cheers he begins banging the flat of the sword against his shield in a loud rhythm, the soldiers and legionnaires begin pounding out the same rhythm with their spears or hooves.

In the snows of the crystal mountains a pair of red eyes gleam hatefully at the celebration. "Celebrate while you can my crystal slaves, soon you will know only pain and suffering."
********************************************************************************************************
*One month later*

The sun had just slipped above the horizon bathing the Crystal Empire in a soft pink glow. Cadance stepped out onto one of the balconies levitating a teapot and a teacup. She sat a small table ready to drink her morning tea before the kitchen staff made breakfast. Sipping the tea, she smiled softly enjoying the ray of the morning sun giving a contented sigh. Her ear twitched as she heard a sound. At first it was low slowly growing in volume, the sound of droning wings. First she turned her ear to the sound, then turned her head facing the sound. With a loud gasp she dropped her teacup, her eyes went to pinpricks as the cup shattered on the balcony. Thousands of twisted changelings were pouring out of the caves and crags of the crystal mountains, their black carapaces were beginning to blot out the skies above the Crystal Mountains.

Running inside, Cadance shouted, "Alarm! Alarm! We're being invaded!" Guards began scrambling towards the shouts of her alarms. "Call up the legions! Chrysalis' changelings are coming out of the mountains!", she shouted.

Shining Armor ran out into the hallway hastily pulling on his armor. "Cadance!"

"Get a shield above the city Shiny!", Cadance shouted, "I'll send warning to the rest of Equestria!" As Shining ran outside, Cadance lit the magic in her horn, reached out to Celestia, Luna and Twilight. "Hear me please!", she projected with her mind, "The Crystal Empire is being invaded. Send help!" After she sent the message out hoping it reached their targets, she ran through the halls to Flurry Heart. She found her daughter putting on armor. "Flurry!", she cried out, "You need to get out! Teleport yourself to the fall safe house! If the Crystal Empire falls you're Equestria's last hope!"

Flurry Heart nodded as she put on the last of her armor. Igniting her magic, she vanished in a flash of multicolored light. She appeared in a dimly lit room surrounded by two dozen unicorns. As they all bowed as sunburst spoke up, "What is it princess?" "We are at war.", Flurry replied.

Luna snapped awake in her bed hearing Cadance's call for help as Celestia barged into her room.

"Luna!"

"I heard sister! I'll rouse our forces here, you go rally Harald's forces!"

Celestia nodded then teleported in a flash of golden light.

Twilight was sitting in Carousel Boutique sipping tea and eating breakfast with Rarity. "I don't know about what is the newest fashion...." Her eyes became pinpricks as she heard Cadance's call for help. The teacup slipped from her magic and shattered on the floor.

"Twilight, darling? Is everything okay?"

"Oh no.", Twilight whispered. Quickly gathering herself, she replied, "No, everything isn't okay. The Crystal Empire is being invaded! Gather up evrerypony, I've got to sound the alert!" She teleported to the castle and began ringing the bell at the top. Twilight teleported outside as the citizens of Ponyville began gathering up outside the castle. "Alright everypony, this isn't a drill. We are at war! The Crystal Empire is being invaded as we speak!"

"Twilight!", Rainbow shouted as she flew up.

"Get you Wonderbolts and get to Cloudsdale! The Crystal Empire is being invaded!"

Rainbow snapped a salute as she flew off.

"Somepony call up the Everfree Rangers!", Twilight shouted, "And get the Ponyville guards! We march to war."

Harald sat up in his bed yawning and stretching, Fluttershy was nestled up next to him. He prepared to do his morning exercises. He paused, something in the air didn't feel right. He walked over to the window and threw the curtain open. He took a step back in shock seeing the skies to the north begin to darken. He gave a low growl in his throat, then hurried over to his cabinet and threw the doors open revealing his weapons and armor.

Fluttershy stirred and woke up seeing the dour look on Harald's face. "Harald? What's wrong?"

Pointing to the window, Harald said, "Something dark is moving over the north."

Fluttershy flapped out of the bed and over to the window. Looking out she gasped. "Oh my!", she squeaked.

Celestia appeared in Harald's and Fluttershy's room. "Harald!"

"I saw!", Harald snapped hastily pulling on his armor. As Harald fastened his weapon belts around his waist, Fluttershy nuzzled against his thigh. "I need you to stay here beloved.", he said.

"No!", Fluttershy exclaimed flapping up to eye level with Harald, "You go, I go!"

"This isn't training Fluttershy, my beloved, this is war.", Harald said, "I have trained as long as I could stand for this."

"Then I march alongside you.", Fluttershy said sternly, "You call me a shield maiden, a warrior mare, then I stand and fight." A fire gleamed in her eyes.

Harald sighed softly then took a breath, he didn't want to argue. "You may come if you wish, but as soon as the fighting starts, you need to steel yourself for there will be much violence and bloodshed."

Fluttershy began braiding her mane and tail quickly.

"We don't have time to waste!", Celestia snapped, "Whether you two are ready or not, we're going." Igniting her magic, Celestia teleported the three of them in a flash of golden light.

Cadance stepped out onto the balcony alongside Shining Armor and used her magic to bolster his shield. The sky over the magical dome began to grow dark as the thrumming of the wings of the warped and twisted changelings became deafening. A flash of golden light on the balcony caught the attention of Cadance and Shining. Looking over Cadance saw Celestia, Harald and Fluttershy standing on the balcony.

Her face becoming stern and hard, Celestia scanned the skies with her sharp alicorn vision. "There's thousands if not millions of them."

A patch of the changelings parted as a smoky apparition formed in the sky looming over the Crystal Empire. "Surrender my crystal slaves and I may be merciful.", Sombra's voice boomed. He began a cackling laugh when a gleam of light caught his eye, looking down he saw Celestia and Harald standing alongside Cadance and Shining Armor. "Ah princess! Have you come to surrender?", he mocked, "And Rimewalker, I shall finish with you what I began with your country."

Celestia lit the magic in her horn and summoned a fireball above the magical dome. It exploded sending hundreds of smoldering corpses of changelings plummeting towards the dome leaving smoke trails behind them as it dispersed the smoky apparition of Sombra.

Harald stood on the railing of the balcony.

"What are you doing?!", Celestia asked.

"I need to get to the ground, the battle will take place there, not up here.", he shouted above the din of droning wings, "Fluttershy! I you want to earn your steel, now is the time!" He took a flying leap off the railing sailing through the air. Fluttershy flapped hard through the air hard and extended her forehooves to Harald, who grabbed them tightly in an iron grip. When they were a few feet above the ground, let go letting himself drop. As his heavy boots grated against the ground, Harald stuck his fingers in his mouth giving several loud whistles then shouted, "To me! To me!"

As the soldiers began gathering up, Harald knelt and began praying, "Ancestors, lend me your strength and endurance to stand against the enemies." As he felt the weirding flow into him, he stood to his feet. "The enemy is upon us and here they shall meet their doom! When they fall upon us, they shall break like waves upon the shore! I ask nothing of you I ask not of myself, give no quarter, give no ground, give better than you receive, let have nothing, take everything from them!", he shouted. He pumped his fist in the air, "Let these motherless curs feel our steel! Hah-oo! Hah-oo! Hah-oo!"

"Hah-oo! Hah-oo! Hah-oo!",, the soldiers nearby howled, soon the same howls began to ring across the city.

Sombra materialized in a cave next to Chrysalis overlooking the Crystal Empire. "Our army awaits the order to begin the attack King Sombra.", Chrysalis said.

"Gorgoroth!", Sombra called out.

A diamond dog with gnarled limbs came walking up in a jerky manner and prostrated itself before Sombra. "Yes-yes you summon me my-my king?"

"Prepare your pack to tunnel from up under the city.", Sombra ordered.

"Yes-yes my king! We shall slay-kill them!" Gorgoroth rose and walked off to the back of the cave into the darkness.

"Abeloth!", Sombra called out.

A twisted and warped griffon landed in the mouth of the cave from the cliff above with six gleaming red eyes on its face, several smaller, misshapen red eyes were along its wings, its sideways turned beak was filled with jagged crystalline teeth. Taking a few steps forward, it bowed its head and placed a crooked talon on its chest. "Yess my king?", it hissed.

"Prepare your griffons for the assault once the shield comes down."

"As-ss you command, I obey.", it replied before flying off.

A perverse gleam flashed in Sombra's eyes. "You may begin the attack Queen Chrysalis."

Chrysalis nodded then sent the message to her hive.

As the soldiers began moving the civilians to the castle, the changelings began unleashing bolts of dark magic against the shield or slamming their bodies into it.

A magenta flash appeared in the streets. Twilight appeared with Scootaloo and Gilda. They were flanked by two hundred Everfree Rangers, seventy-five Ponyville Guard and two dozen Griffonstone forces. Twilight directed the Ponyville Guard to hep evacuate the citizens as the Everfree Rangers and the Griffonstone forces joined the Crystal Legion. Twilight hurried through the line carrying several crystal pony foals on her back.

"Twilight!", Celestia called out as she alighted to the ground, "Is this all you could muster?"

"Just what I could get her immediately.", Twilight replied, "I've sent Rainbow Dash and her Wonderbolts to Coudsdale to get reinforcements from Spitfire and Soarin. I sent Gallus and Gabby to summon more griffons. The Everfree Rangers and Ponyville Guard were loading up on the train when I left Ponyville. Applejack left out for Appleoosa to summon the Apple's militia. Rarity is moving from town to town gathering up medical supplies and anypony with medical experience."

"How long until the main body of your forces arrive?", Celestia asked.

"They can be here by train in two days provided nothing delays them.", Twilight replied, "Rainbow and her Wonderbolts can be here in the morning. The rest of the Wonderbolts can be here not long after that."

"Luna will be here by this evening...", Celestia said, "...she'll be bringing the day and night guard with her and as many of the Canterlot regulars as can be spared." A loud popping sound drew her attention up seeing a large crack formed in the shield before the magic of Cadance and Shining resealed it. "That won't last."

A rumbling could be felt in the ground. "The yaks are coming!", voices shouted from the soldiers in the back.

Harald gave a toothy smile as Twilight and Celestia gave a sigh of relief.

Another large crack formed in the shield drawing the attention of every creature and pony. Cadance landed on the ground as the crack resealed, "The shield won't hold much longer."

Harald turned to a group of officers, "Spread your forces through the city. Make them fight you street by street and if necessary, building by building." He pointed to Scootaloo, "Send your forces on scouting runs to look for anything out of the ordinary. When the shield comes down, do hit and run attack and help plug any gaps where the enemy forces come through." He pointed to Twilight, "Help bolster the shield to give us as much time as possible. When that shield comes down, take to the air and keep them off the troops." He pointed to Cadance, "Go to the yaks and tell them to smash through the enemy lines anywhere they can." He pointed to Celestia, "Take to the air and keep an eye out for dirty trick or reinforcements."

"And what will you do?", Celestia asked.

Harald readied his shield and drew his sword giving a vicious smile. "Slay."

Over the course of an hour Twilight helped Shining bolster the shield pouring her magic into it and patching up the large cracks as Celestia sailed through the air. Scootaloo banked high over the city watching the cliffs and areas outside the shield. Cadance guided the yaks to the main lines then took to the air and helped seal any smaller cracks she saw in the shield.

Celestia saw a section of ground crack then heave up slightly. She banked low over the buildings and shouted, "Somethings coming up under the ground!" She banked back up into the air watching for other places on the ground.

Scootaloo banked along the edge of the shield and saw twisted griffons forming up in the scrub. She banked back towards Celestia shouting, "We've got griffons! But something looks wrong with them!"

Celestia turned her head towards the direction Scootaloo came from and saw the twisted griffons. "Dammit! That's what they wanted with the griffons!", she snarled. She flew over to Gilda and hovered above her, "Gilda! Sombra and Chrysalis have twisted griffons with dark magic!" She flew off to look for more problems.

Cracks began to form in the shield faster than Twilight could patch them.

"Go Twily!", Shining shouted, "You can't do anymore good here!"

"But I..."

"I said go!", Shining shouted cutting his sister off as he gave her a shove, "It's coming down and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

Twilight nodded and took to the air.

A hole opened up in the street and warped diamond dogs began pouring out. "Slay-kill! Blood-blood! Die-die!", they shouted as they loped forward holding jagged iron swords, pitted axes and spiked clubs in their paws.

"Forward!", Harald shouted as he charged.

The soldiers gave shouts, screetches and bellows as they rushed forward.

Harald braced against his shield as he slammed into the first diamond dog sending it careening over before slashing with his sword into another diamond dog nearly decapitating it.

Celestia swooped down loosing a blast of energy into the hole colapsong it and cutting off any immediate reinforcements. She then turned and ignited a dozen diamond dogs leaping at her.

Harald dueled with a diamond dog that stood nearly as tall as him. He held up his shield as the diamond dog swung his sword downwards causing the inferior weapon to shatter. The diamond dog grabbed Harald's shield and shoved him backwards. Harald spun his body around and slashed across the diamond dog's hind limb, severing just below the knee joint. As the diamond dog fell, Fluttershy took to the air and slammed her hooves hard on its neck, causing it to go rag doll. Harald tapped the flat of his sword against his helmet in salute to Fluttershy. Soon the first group of diamond dogs were slain or sent running in full rout as the discarded their weapons.

Sweat poured down Shining Armor's face like a river as he poured as much magic into the shield as he dared without risking burning out his horn. Massive crack were running across the shield and beginning to connect. The shield shattered with a loud crashing sound as Shining collapsed onto the balcony in exhaustion. For a split second a pregnant silence fell across the empire that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. The air filled with the loud droning of wings as the twisted changelings began descending onto the combatants, the warped griffons took to the air with hissing shrieks or charged into the streets with distorted roars.

Harald braced himself as dozens of changelings swooped down at him. He swung his sword through the air in a wide arc vivisecting several changelings. As they surrounded him he began thrusting and hacking with his sword, kicking forwards and backwards with his feet and bashing with his shield into the changelings. Scootaloo swooped down scattering several changelings away from Harald, she grappled one with her hooves, spun around in the air and threw it into a wall and swooped down into slamming her hooves into hard, turning its head into greenish-black paste. A group of yaks charged goring and trampling changelings when a section of ground opened up, causing several to tumble in. Wet smacks of weapons against flesh erupted out of the hole along with the screams of dying yaks. Several diamond dogs poured out of the hole, blood dripping off their weapons and snouts, they charged forward screaming for blood. Gilda led a squad of Griffonstone forces as they dueled with a squad of twisted griffons. She gouged her talons into the eyes of twisted griffon, hurled onto a roof top, swooped down on it and disemboweled it with a rake of her hind claws, she took back to the air as it thrashed about dying. Twilight twisted, turned and rolled in a midair dogfight with several squadrons of warped changelings as bolts of dark magic whizzed and crackled within inches of her. Cadance flew over the top of her loosing a wide blast of magic, turning the warped changelings into smoldering corpses that plumetted to the ground. Fluttershy slammed her hooves into twisted changelings and warped griffons to crush their bones or keep them off balance, a corner of a building collapsed near her sending her tumbling backwards. Diamond dogs poured out of the hole under the collapsed corner of the building screaming for blood and murder. Fluttershy picked up a spear off a slain legionnaire, took to the air and flew forward in a screaming charge. She slammed the tip of the spear shrieking into the chest of a loping diamond dog, as the tip plunged through its back, Fluttershy kept pushing forward using the bod as a grisly battering ram knocking diamond dogs to the ground. Celestia flew through the streets and over the tops of building blasting twisted changelings, warped griffons and diamond dogs with her magic. She landed by Harald bucking or blasting away changelings. Turning to face Harald, Celestia sent a stream of magic into his shield. Harald pivoted his body around, directing the deadly stream of energy into diving squads of changelings, turning them into smoldering heaps.

After nearly an hour of fighting the first wave of invaders finally broke and rolled back. The last stragglers and isolated pockets of attackers were slain as they tried to retreat. Diamond dog holes were sealed with rubble or collapsed with magic, injured survivors of the attackers were slain, patrols went out retrieving the injured or slain defenders, a field hospital and a field morgue were hastily constructed to hold the dead or injured. Pits were dug and the bodies of the dead attacker were piled in. Soon reports of with tallies came in. A combined estimated total of two thousand yaks, ponies and Griffonstone griffons were dead, injured or missing. Another fifty civilians who weren't able to be evacuated in time were dead, injured or unaccounted for. Fifty thousand twisted changelings, one thousand warped griffons and three thousand diamond dogs were confirmed dead.

Celestia read the reports. "Over twenty-five to one odds of confirmed enemy causalities compared to our own.", Celestia said to herself as she walked amongst the exhausted survivors, "Not bad odds. But now Sombra knows how far we will go to defend our own."

Shining Armor sat exhausted on a hospital cot greedily chugging water as a nurse tended to him. Cadance ran over and hugged him. "Oh Shiny!", she exclaimed crying, "I'm glad you're not hurt." "Yeah, the nurse said it's a case of magical exhaustion.", Shining said as he wrapped his forelimbs around Cadance, "I won't be projecting any large shields for the next day or two."

Twilight walked over to her brother and sister-in-law slurping down a canteen of water. "What do we do now?", she asked after swallowing the last mouthful of water.

"We consolidate our forces and reinforce our positions.", Shining replied, "This was just the initial thrust and though we bloodied them, they will be back to hit us harder."

Celestia focused her magic magic and projected her thoughts to Luna, "Hurry sister. We have bloodied the enemy and have thrown back their first wave, but more is to come."

Soon the defenders began throwing up barricades and reinforcing them with sharpened stakes. Patrols were sent out to look for enemy scouts or force any remaining civilians back to the castle. It was now a waiting game.

Harald sat against a wall dozing to conserve and replenish his strength. Fluttershy walked up carrying two plates of food, placed them on the ground and gently nudged Harald awake. They sat in silence eating.

"You fought well.", Harald said finally breaking the silence.

"Mhm.", Fluttershy replied flatly.

Sombra looked out across the Crystal Empire in thought. "Abeloth!", he called out.

"He was-ss ss-slain in the attack.", a twisted griffon hissed. It had two red eyes on one side of its face, its beak was upside down, its talons and hind feet were backwards, writhing tendrils snaked through its feathers.

"Very well Abraxis, you have been promoted in his place.", Sombra replied. He summoned a scroll and gave it to the griffon. "Choose two of your brethren to accompany you to the city and deliver our terms for their surrender."

The twisted griffon bowed, "I hear and obey King Ssssombra." It flapped off. Three twisted and warped griffons landed on the outskirts of the city hoisting a flag of parlay and slowly approached the barricade.

"Halt abomination!", a legionnaire shouts from behind the barricade leveling a crossbow at the twisted griffons, "What is your purpose here?"

Abraxis hulds up the scroll in his talon and hisses, "I come to parlay with the princesssesss."

A runner is sent to the rear and several minutes later Celestia and Cadance flap up to the barricade.

Stepping to the top of the barricade Celestia says in a loud voice, "What is your purpose?"

Abraxis steps to the barricade and passes the scroll to Celestia.

Opening the scroll, Celestia reads it then narrows her eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No joke princesss. Our termsss for your ssssurrender."

Celestia looks to Cadance in an unspoken agreement, then incinerates the scroll. "The terms of surrender are unacceptable. Instead I want you to deliver a message to Sombra and Chrysalis. They shall surrender themselves unto us to face full judgement before a military tribunal. The bulk of their armies are to be put to the spear and the survivors are to be banished into the badlands. Now go! I have nothing more to say!"

The three twisted griffons flap away. Celestia walks to the back lines and summons several officers, "Pass the word. The barricades need to be heightened and strengthened, any with the sharpest eyes and ears are to watch for diamond dog activity, every unicorn is to set up killing lanes and use their magic to whittle down the numbers of their flyers before they can reach the troops and civilians, once the flyers get low enough, the pegasi and griffons are to engage them with spears, sword or whatever they have available, gather up as man wagons and carts as possible to evacuate the civilians, a small contigent force of earth ponies and yaks are to hold in the back lines to wait for a break in the enemy lines and then press hard to from a safe corridor for the civilians to be evacuated. As soon as the civilians are out of the city, they are to break for the forest, the canopy should be dense enough to protect them from flying patrols." She sighed, "Let's hope it will be enough until Reinforcements arrive."

Sombra stood at the mouth of the cave overlooking the Crystal Empire for two hours. Licking his fangs, he said to himself, "Oh Celestia, your pathetic attempt to defend the city will crumble like a castle made of sand before the flood."

Chrysalis walks up. "Sombra, our forces grow anxious. How much longer until we launch the attack?"

Sombra starred across the city one last time before turning. "Order the attack. We shall crush them under our endless waves."

The slopes of the Crystal Mountains became black as hordes of twisted griffons and diamond dogs poured down as the skies above began to disappear in the massive swarms of warped changelings. The defenders in the city bristled as they prepared for the waves of enemies. The very air seemed uncomfortably still as the forces of Sombra and Chrysalis began to descend on the city.

The unicorns and princesses began to fill the air with lances of energy into the swarms of changelings, for every changeling cut down by blasts of magic, two more seemed to take their place. Rumbles under the ground began alerting the defenders of diamond dogs coming up from underneath, the officers ordered the soldiers to spread out to lessen the casualties. As the twisted griffons came amongst the buildings they took to the air staying low over the tops of buildings, leaving the diamond dogs charging through the streets as ground troops. The Griffonstone forces and the pegasi soldiers took to the air engaging the warped griffons in twisting and turning duels. As the diamond dogs in the streets began their loping charge, holes opened in the ground disgorging more diamond dogs, twisted griffons and warped changeling onto the battlefield. Hefting his axe, Harald shouted, "Forward!" The defenders on the ground pressed forward hard in a counter charge. As the ground forces clashed, the twisted changelings began descending on the city. Celestia, Cadance and Twilight took to the air loosing their magic cutting massive gashes into the descending changeling forces. Crossbow bolts filled the air felling twisted changlings, warped griffons and diamond dogs in volley after volley.

Harald twisted and turned hacking into attackers as he found himself cut off. The attackers parted and a massive warped griffon approached him with sickly green tendrils writhing and wriggling in its beak. Harald charged forward as the warped griffon counter charged, they tangled in a duel. Twilight swooped over the streets unleashing a stream of magic that cut a swath through attackers and turned a narrow stretch of the street into molten rock. Cadance twisted, turned and rolled through the air leading a growing knot of warped changeling in a fight, she quickly teleported behind them and unleashed a wide blast of energy turning the massive knot of changeling to ash and smoldering chunks. Celestia hovered in place unleashing flaming bolts of energy into groups of flyers or squads of enemies on the ground, several crackling red bolts of energy whizzed with fractions of inches of her, turning in the air she summoned a massive fireball and launched it into a swarm changeling incinerating them almost instantly. Fluttershy thrusted into the bodies of nearby attackers, a changeling swooped down from above her snapping its jaws within an inch of her neck, turning she slammed the haft of the spear into the changeling knocking it to the ground and raised the spear running it through. Shining Armor advanced slowly unleashing concussive bolts of energy into groups of enemies blasting into chunks or into diamond dog holes collapsing them. Harald and the twisted griffon twisted and turned in the deadly dance of the duel, axe and talons coming within millimetres of each other, the twisted griffon lurched forward in an off-balance charge that Harald sidestepped and slammed his shield into his opponent staggering it, flipping the axe around, he buried the spike in its skull, the warped griffon spasmed a few times before going limp. Harald turned to the attackers surroundin him, seeing them tremble at the slaying of their champion he smiled and began charging, the twisted creatures scattered from him. Gilda slashed the throat of a twisted griffon with her talons and pecked out the eye of a charging diamond dog with her beak before pounching and raked her hind claws cross its chest tearing it open. Up and down the line and in the air the defenders clashed with twisted creatures, the lines pulsed back and forth locked in a deadly stalemate.

Twilight hovered in the air for a second catching her breath. As she looked down at the battle, movement in the mountains. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a massive second wave coming in. Curling her lip in contempt, she snarled flying off to rejoin the fight.

For three hours the defender held, but the casualties began mounting as the fight slowly turned against their favor. They had managed to turn back the first waves, but the third and fourth wave began slowly pushing them back. A fifth wave came on the heels of the fourth wave causing the lines of defenders to slowly crumble. Harald was forced into a fighting retreat as a wall of twisted creatures began to overwhelm him, a red streak of energy slammed into his helmet knocking him onto his back and sent the helmet tumbling away. A twisted griffon pounced on Harald forcing him to raise his shield in defense, the warped creature's beak snapped inched from his face as it pinned his right arm to the ground. Twilight plummeted out of the sky, smoke billowing off her wing and impacted hard on the roof of a building punching through. Cadance's wing was marred by a smoldering wound as she reared up and slammed her forehooves, bucked her hind hooves and loosed into the tightening knot of warped creatures. Celestia landed on the ground breathing heavily, long gashes stained her pristine white coat pink, she sent burning bolts of energy in every direction she could. Gilda tackled the warped griffon off Harald and they tumbled away in a desperate fight. As Harald rose from the ground, the twisted griffon bit into Gilda's wing causing to cry out in pain. Harald charged the griffon and buried the blade of his axe decapitating it. As Gilda rose from the ground gripping her injured wing, Harald tossed her his sword and the two began a fighting retreat. Scootaloo fought in a high speed aerial battle with several changelings, as she scatted the changeling from her, another on slammed into her knocking her onto a balcony on the castle. Spitting blood, Scootaloo rose to her feet and prepared to make her last stand. Harald and Gilda found themselves pushed back against a collapsed building, they hacked and slashed at the twisted creatures the got close. A red lance of dark magic slams into Gilda's side causing to collapse to the ground as she coughed up bright red blood and mucus. Harald stood over the fallen form of Gilda, chopping his axe into nearby twisted creatures. Fluttershy desperately fought against a knot of diamond dogs, thrusting her spear into any of them she could. A diamond dog knocked the spear from her hooves and swung its jagged sword downwards. Fluttershy leaned away from the attack and the tip of the sword cut a line down left eyebrow and cheek. Slamming her fore hooves hard into the diamond dog, Fluttershy snatched up a dropped sword and took to the air flapping hard as she flew vertically. Hovering high above the battle, Fluttershy saw the defenders finghting in desperation in tight knots. An ancient instinct sparked in Fluttershy's mind and summoning pegasus magic, she began flapping her wings in long even strokes, soon static electricity began building across her body. Fluttershy felt crackles of static electricity began leaping between her feathers as her hooves began a emitting a faint whistle, she dove downwards as streaks of electricity leapt off her. Slamming her hooves hard on a loping diamond dog, Fluttershy screamed as arcs of lightning began leaping off her, she thrust the sword forward into a twisted griffon and a massive bold off lightning leapt from it and began chaining towards nearby warped creatures. Darkness soon began overtaking Fluttershy as she collapsed to the ground.

A massive dark blue flash appeared above the crystal empire as Luna teleported in flanked by hundreds of pegasus guards. She summoned a massive black swirling cloud, silver flashed and arcs of lightning began leaping in the cloud. Hundreds of silver bolts of lightning streaked towards the ground blasting the twisted creatures apart or sending them scattering in directions. Pointing her hoof downwards, she silently commanded the pegasus guards to the city. As they dived to relieve and reinforce the embattled defenders in the Crystal Empire, Luna swooped towards the mountains. Summoning her magic, she unleashed torrents of lightning and shards of ice on the next wave of attackers descending from the mountains or filling the skies. Soon the attack was a rout as the defender charged forward throwing the twisted creatures into confusion and panic.

Sombra snarled in anger. "Sound full retreat.", he said to Chrysalis and nearby officers. Summoning his magic, he teleported himself and Chrysalis away.

Luna landed and blasted several fleeing warped creatures to atoms. "Tia! You are injured!", Luna exclaimed seeing the gashes in Celestia's body.

"Nothing that won't heal Luna.", Celestia said almost breathlessly, "Thank the great river you arrived when you did."

Once the last of the warped creatures had been slain or run off, the defenders and the pegasus guards began the process of the dead and wounded. Stretchers began bringing the wounded to the field hospital as wagons and carts brought the dead to the field morgue. Cadance grunted in pain as a nurse tended to her wing. Fluttershy woke up as two soldiers began lifting her onto a stretcher, once she was taken to the field hospital, she winced in pain as the nurse tended to the cut on her face. Harald sat on the ground in the field hospital as a nurse tended to four parallel slashed on his face. Shining Armor ran over as he saw a barely conscious Twilight being brought into the field hospital on a stretcher, the feathers on her wings were blackened and a bandage was wrapped around her head. "Twily!", Shining shouted as a nurse gently pushed him back. Celestia hissed in pain as the nurses tended to her gashes. Gilda laid on a bed coughing up blood as the nurses desperately worked to save her live, her eyes rolled up in her head as she gave a gurgling rasp, a nurse gently closed her eyes and pulled up a sheet over her body. Scootaloo laid on a bed, she had been fortunate, a broken jaw, a concussion and a dislocated wing along with other minor injuries.

Soon the reports began coming in. Of the combined fifteen thousand ponies, Griffonstone griffons and yaks defending the empire, eight thousand were dead, injured or missing. No civilian losses were reported. Of Luna's forces, only five injuries were reported. An estimated one hundred thousand warped changelings, five thousand twisted griffons and ten thousand diamond dogs were dead, a combined total of fifteen hundred twisted and warped creatures were taken prisoner awaiting processing and interrogation.

That night on a nearby hill a single massive pyre was erected as dozens of smaller pyres were erected in the valley around the hill. The bodies of the Griffonstone griffons were wrapped in ceremonial shrouds and laid reverently on the smaller pyres. The body of Gilda was wrapped in a ceremonial shroud, the flag of Giffonstone in exile was draped across her body and laid on the massive pyre, the griffons laid offerings of spices, gems, small copper coins or food on the pyres. Harald walked up carrying a torch as oil and offerings were poured over Gilda's pyre. With a tear running down his cheek, he laid the torch on the base of the pyre. As the embers danced up high into the air, Luna formed a new constellation in the night sky.