//------------------------------// // 4.2 - Liberated Chaos // Story: Dancing with the Devil // by Nathaniel Fray //------------------------------// Damn this took a long time to write, bloody broken arm hindered me to the extent of having to quit writing for a month, thankfully, I'm back, and the story is also back. Following chapter is already halfway made, so it won't take long to be uploaded. Thank you all for your patience and enjoy! Chapter 4 Part 2: Liberated Chaos The blinding light of dozens of blazing horns enveloped the whole city within a bubble. -Target acquired! -Calculations complete! Ready to fire! -Can I engage? I repeat, can I engage? The Captain of the Royal Guard stifled a chuckle; the robes the unicorns were designated to wear didn’t give them a soldier-like look, thus making their usage of the military jargon pretty hilarious. -You have my permission to engage- The Captain said, loud enough so every wizard could hear him –My highness? – He asked cautiously, turning his head to look at the white alicorn. -What? – Celestia huffed without deigning to face the Captain as she spoke. -Our ground troops… should they consider the targets as a threat? – He asked again. For once, the Princess dithered before answering: -No; he won’t survive- Sunbeam Mountain… The whole pack slowed to a halt. I don’t blame them, as the sudden sight of dozens of new stars blazing in the sky was quite distracting. “How is it possible...? “ I thought with a puzzled frown. My mount quit walking, fully entranced. Their shining… it kept... growing thicker... closer... Approaching us... -We need to… The ground in front of me erupted into a column of rock, dust and grass. The nearby wolves flinched and recoiled, visually unharmed. My armor shrugged the shockwave off almost insultingly easy. -We’re under fire! Resume the charge! Don’t stop now! – I shout, spurring my mount and snapping him from his shock. He lunged forwards, jumping through the dust and over the crater the explosion had left behind. I looked over my shoulder, thankfully, almost every member of the pack were already back on the move, fully recovered from their initial dazzle. The few stragglers took indecisive steps towards random directions, their eyes desperately searching for a lead to follow… But it was too late; they all disappeared behind a pillar of rubble as a savage storm of projectiles obliterated the ground under their paws. -Run diagonally, zig-zag, but don’t be an easy target! – I shout, lowering my body so I could communicate with my mount –I’ll keep an eye for them buddy, you keep focused in running, just give me a call when we’re close to the bloodbath, roger? – I whisper, the wolf nodded absently and quickened his pace. I smiled, giving him a friendly tap on his shoulder before looking… -Damn! – I exclaim by sheer reflex, ducking just in time to avoid a blaze of light aimed at me. I heard a brief whizz, followed by a harsh explosion and its ensuing rain of dust. Still with my head low and too scared to consider straightening up, I glinted sideways. The wolves, thanks to their remarkable hunting senses, sidestepped and zigzagged away from the projectiles' trajectory with enviable timing. Very few of them succumbed to the deadly downpour, and I perceived that every single loss was because of direct hits. -Okay, listen up… - I got cut by a jerk coming from the wolf that almost sent me flying, and the deafening “boom” of a close explosion –These things... don't worry about the explosions, just avoid getting bull's-eye'd... also, there’s no need to do those crazy dodges or I’ll end up falling off, got it? – I say, the wolf barked in understanding. Pleased, I finally straightened up. The thunderous sound of ground shattering under our feet, the vicious whistle of the deadly projectiles and the distant echo of the madness going on further in the valley, coupled by a vision hazed with dust and pure velocity made my heart rush inside my chest, made my veins pulsate under my skin, made me feel… alive. Was it the ironic fear of the possibility of dying? Or was it pure adrenaline? Or as Pinkie would say; why not both? “Oh blimey, what a stupid thought to have…” I thought with a shaky smile. -Could you go any faster? I can’t see anything with all this bloody smoke! – I shout, the wolf answered with an annoyed grunt, but his legs managed to speed up. The cloud of blinding dust attenuated as we gained momentum, and the speed made the necessity of dodging vanish, as the projectiles, simply, didn’t have enough time to catch up with us. I promptly lowered my body, as the gusts of wind threatened to blow me away. I took quick peeks of the sky. The projectiles had a noticeable tail, as if they were comets falling from the sky… but they all had different colors… I frowned in realization, and darted my gaze towards the distant Canterlot, recalling Zecora’s explanation from minutes before. -Unbelievable… - I murmur as I saw the exaggeratedly bright gleam the city emitted; the “stars” were just spells, spells whose I knew the owner… did Zecora failed to convince the Princess? I shook my head, as there was no way she could have made it that far with so little time. “Our best bet is to join the crossfire; they won’t dare to keep the attack if we’re close enough from their own troops… I hope” A bellow coming from the beast between my legs snapped me from my thoughts; I poised, and was slightly confused to find ourselves in flat terrain... -Goddammit! Couldn’t you give me the call sooner! – I exclaim while brandishing the claymore as fast as I could. Advancing towards the bloodbath at a wicked fast rhythm, my eyes and ears couldn't process the amount of dreadful madness we were just about to throw ourselves in. I glimpsed back, trying to escape from such frightening sight. Almost the whole pack had made it alive, and were already closing distances with each other and ordering themselves in a triangular formation, mimicking us and merely outrunning the few projectiles that flew over their heads. I tightened my hands around the hilt of the fulgurous blade, holding it in a batting stance, ready to strike the first row of hell spawns before gathering every single drop of cold blood circulating throughout my body, and turning to face... insanity. With a gentle kick in the ribs, the wolf lunged forwards in an outburst of speed; I closed my eyes as I greeted the nightmare-inducing creatures with a steady sweep of my blade. A chorus of hisses and a scream of my own flooded my ears as the wolf landed on steady ground. I closed my mouth shut and managed to open my eyes. Most of the creatures I was aiming at where no more than sculptures of dust, still retaining the shape of what they once were. A prompt gust of air swiftly blew them away; the few survivors were already forming a circle us. I briefly checked my surroundings as I jumped off the wolf. Clouds of fire fled over our heads, suppressing the Pegasus and rendering them useless, I reckoned the casters were safely located on the rear, the rest of the demons kept pushing forwards, wrecking the front-line of the pony army mercilessly. The ponies fought back with Spartan-like defense, accurate spear thrusts, basic, but equally deadly spells and coordinated lunges. -Go with your friends, tell them to attack from the back; I need those fire-spitting bastards dead so the archers can hope to do a damn thing, go! – I order, the wolf straightened from his battle stance and gave me a worried look, but hesitantly obeyed, jumping over the breach we had just wrecked through. The demons, who seemed more interested in me than in pursuing him, ignored the wolf and proceeded to close the circle around me. I held, almost hugged the blade, and tried to avoid flinching at the sight of... holy shit, the Grudge girl itself was suddenly slithering towards me. “Gross, she’s even able to summon… These! “ I thought while impaling her against the ground before she could get close enough to… whatever unpleasant things she did to her victims. Unable to rest, I severed the legs of a giant, reddish spider, with a half-naked woman on top of his thick, hairy thorax. Dust before it could touch me. Busy again, I thrust the edge deep inside the thigh of a bloodied Taurus carrying a rusty mace. He fell on his knees; the fact that he could be a sapient being, since he didn’t crumble into a cloud of dust like the rest, haunted my mind… and stomach, as I chopped his head off. I sheathed the claymore, as it was too heavy to keep up with the constant onslaught of new foes to fight. The same brilliance covered the short edge of the dagger, making it even longer than my leg. Two accurate sweeps were enough to banish a small group of black, ethereal shadows with bright yellow eyes. The insane amount of deformed shapes, horrifying creatures and savage beasts assaulting me kept draining my energy and sanity at an alarming rate. Unable to rest or close my eyes to avoid looking at such hideous traits, I kept banishing hell spawn after hell spawn, recognizing even popular urban legends, such as… oh God, that bastard of Jeff, the bloody smiling dog, the rake thingy… Trixie surely knew what she was summoning, it almost felt like a meticulous torture made just for me to enjoy. And the fact that they had to have their own world to be summoned from… mother or mercy, thinking about it makes me cringe… -Having fun I see, need help? – A female voice broke my obscure descent into insanity. I turned towards the voice, foolishly opening my back to the demons I was fighting. Before I could locate the owner, I found myself being pounced onto the ground, something already gnawing my right arm viciously. A spear of blue light whizzed through the air next to my ear, silencing the shrieking humanoid on my shoulder, who had lost half of his teeth in his brave attempt to break through the black metal. I rolled back and stood up swiftly, finally able to catch a glimpse of the speaker. -I… I am so happy to see you… - I mumble, dropping my arms to my sides. Luna gave me a sweet smile, cleansing the dark clouds roaming around my head. -The feeling’s mutual- She said, giving me her back. I somehow found myself laughing as I turned on my heels, swapping the dagger for a more suitable claymore. The sight of new horrors barely provoked any reaction in me; having a partner close did really help. Nimbly dodging the lunge of a hell-hound, I noticed a couple of arrows sticking from his back as I drove the blade deep inside his flesh. I briefly glimpsed upwards: a good amount of Pegasus, led by a darkish female, who swiftly wielded a bow twice her size, were gaining terrain and raining death from above. My back collided with Luna's flank, we quickly exchanged positions with each other. -This ballad's getting intense... - Luna joked between heavy panting. -It wasn't a ballad to start with... - I reply as I banished a blood-red imp -Also, "ballad"? Is that an innuendo lady? - I added with a smile, I heard her giggle as I deflected a rusted arrow before it could hit any of us. -Maybe... - The Princess answered as we swapped positions for the fifth time. 20 extenuating minutes later… -Rejoice lads! We bloody won! – I shout while crushing the black bulgy head of a numbed humanoid under my spiky boot. The whole mob roared in triumph and relief as wide grins appeared on their faces. The battle was short but intense, with Luna and I rapidly dwindling the enemy numbers from the inside, the pack crushing them from behind and the army holding them in place, our victory was practically assured. The losses... that wasn’t as pretty; the amount of wolves had been cut in half, although my mate and savior was still alive, I wasn’t expecting such a great amount to perish, even when they had to face, by far, the worst piece of the cake. The casualties in the pony side, however, where less than expected, with over five hundreds soldiers still alive from the initial seven hundred mark. Far from the expected Luna commented, sad but optimistic at the same time. I stood in the middle of the blissful crowd, nodding down to the ground, immersed in my own world. -Why does your sister hate me so much? – I ask all of a sudden, low enough so only the Princess could hear me. -You certainly caused a lot of trouble. She has enough motives to think the way she does, but I’m sure you’ve just knocked down most of them- She answered with a light-hearted smile –You’ll have the chance to speak with her, and I swear that you won’t be considered a public enemy anymore, right? – She exclaimed, the whole army roared again as she ended her phrase. A multitude of soldiers greeted around me, slapping my back between boasts, jokes and other words of gratitude, I answered with smiles and “brohoofs”; their version of high-fives/brofists. -So, doing anything after this? – A surprisingly young, green female pony asked, her rather polished armor and clean face struck me as rare, since her partners were far from clean –I know what you’re thinking; I’m a medic; staying in the back and healing the injured, you know. But that doesn’t mean I’m a coward- She quickly added, answering my questions before I could even formulate them in my mind. -Sheesh, you truly are clever… what’s your name? And age…? – I asked, she recoiled a step back. -Slow down with the flirting, Romeo- She said sarcastically, the nearby soldiers cracked up in a noisy guffaw, even Luna joined the laughs. The young pony drew a smug smirk, pleased. I quickly shook off my initial embarrassment and lunged towards her, ready to follow with the prank. I carefully placed my fingers under her chin, and slowly pulled her face close to mine. -Don’t act as if you weren’t enjoying it...- I whisper seductively, feigning a mischievous glare as soon our eyes met. Her cheeks flashed red as she refused to look into my eyes. The ponies surrounding us fell silent, surprised but expectant at the same time. I was already moving away, satisfied with the outcome of the prank, when she suddenly locked her hooves around my head, yanked me towards her and gave me the longest and sloppiest kiss of my life. I lurched away the second she freed me from her iron grip, her false blush wasn't there when I looked at her. The crowd roared in laughter. -That was a good try- She said with the same smug smile than before. -That… that caught me off guard, good one- I mumble while swiping my lips clean. -Name’s Blackburn, just turned eighteen a couple of months ago- She explained politely as the crowd hushed. We both shook hands with a smile on our faces. "Blackburn? That's a weird name..." -Eighteen? That makes two of us then. I guess you already know my name- I reply, she and some of the nearby ponies nodded at unison. -Practically everyone in Equestria knows who Trixie and you are- Luna commented from behind. -But, you’re not the heartless devil I’ve been told about! – A pony from the crowd shouted. -I concur! – A second voice cheered. -There's been some serious misunderstanding that I promise to untangle once we get to the city- I exclaim, rising my arms to silence the murmurs. -My highness! We’ve got an incoming call from above! – A soldier exclaimed, shoving aside a multitude of ponies to form a path through the mob that encircled us. He halted and bowed at the Princess before handling her an earpiece. Everyone fell silent as Luna rapidly plugged the apparel in her ear. Her smile vanished; a frown took its place. I faced the closest pony I found. -“Above”, did he mean from the city? – I asked in a low whisper, the soldier nodded. -Specifically, from Princess Celestia herself- He added, my heartbeat rose the second I heard her name. The soldier gave me a worried glance as I turned to face Luna. -Tell me what she said- I say, not trying to hide the tinge of fright in my voice. Luna magically took the tiny earpiece out, and handled it to its original carrier. The entire valley fell silent as the Princess met my gaze. -It was an order... your execution - Luna answered. Palace, corridors… The Captain of the Royal Guard knocked on the fifth door of the right hand side of the corridor. Nobody answered his call, as per usual, but he stepped in anyways. Five of the seven ponies in the room were crowded around the only window of the room, murmuring among them. The Captain checked how the ill, red-haired filly was holding up before focusing on the only purple mare of the room, who was oblivious of his presence. It was understandable; the placement of the window gave the ponies an excellent view of the entire valley. -Twilight- The Captain said, as loud as his husky voice allowed him to. A pair of beautiful, yet swollen violet eyes met his gaze. The Captain smiled for a brief second –He’s alive- His smile vanished before the mares had the time to react, or even comprehend his statement –But not for long; Celestia has ordered his execution; the order has just been sent- He added in a dark whisper. -How did you allow her to do it? – The purple mare croaked after some noiseless seconds of assimilation. The stallion fiercely stomped the ground, knocking down and shattering a couple of expensive vases. -Because I have to! She’s the Princess! I can’t disown a direct order from her...! Most of the soldiers I’ve spoken to are against her decision, the few who agree being the vilest of her creeps! – He took a deep breath –Listen, I know for a fact that Luna won’t agree, as with any of the soldiers down there that have fought alongside him… I doubt they’ll obey, but I also doubt he’ll be able to get into the city any time soon- He explained, sprawling on the closest armchair. He closed his eyes and massaged his head, cooling down his outburst of anger and hopelessness. -That zebra… Zecora, I think that’s her name… I just gave her permission to speak with the Princess. She’s my last bet; if she doesn’t manage to convince the Princess… then I doubt he’ll be able to settle down anywhere, and probably will be considered a highly-wanted fugitive- He added, finishing his speech. He heard a collective gasp, which was understandable, but also, strangely, he felt a descent of temperature. He shrugged it off. After a way too long silence, the captain opened his eyes, curious by the lack of insults and/or begs. -Twilight? Why won’t you speak to… - He closed his mouth shut. He shot up from the armchair and darted towards the window, squeezing through the compact group of mares blocking his view. His factions widened as he saw the coat of pure darkness that enveloped the entire valley. His second surprise was to not find the sun in the sky. Valley… It all began with a loud screech. -What was that? That simple, simple phrase; it was a summoning for hell itself. -It’s coming from the south! -Is this really over? -Does it matter? More bastards to kill! -Everypony shut the hell up! – Luna shouted, her voice arose over the murmuring soldiers, hushing their nervous chatting. The few seconds of silence that followed were perhaps the tensest moments I had experienced up to that moment. Harshly breaking the silence, a deafening shriek surrounded us without a warning. It didn’t take long for the darkness to come. It all happened so quickly, so neatly… a swarm of… blackness covered the sky above us in the blink of an eye. Our disconcert quickly became fear as we all stumbled and collided with each other, as our eyes didn't have the time to get used to the darkness, only Luna and few of her personal guards didn’t seem to be affected by the swift change in lightning, as they quickly took out some oil lamps from their backpacks and hurried to light them up while trying to cover their ears as much as possible. The faint yellow glow of the first lantern was enough to soothe everyone down, including me. -What’s going on? -Can somepony give me some oil? This dammed thing ain’t lightening up… -Buck, I’m freezing here! Someone scratched the metal covering my thigh; I looked down and found my wooden mate staring at me with his golden eyes, although they were now full of horror. Rasping noises which I understood as yelps came from his mouth. -Everyone listen up! – I shout over the shrieks, clapping my hands up in the air to get everyone’s attention –I have no clue of what’s going on, but my mate over here is crapping his pants. I suggest we get out the hell out from this hellhole, preferably soon- I say, an approving hum came from crowd. -The road lights have been blown out! –A voice yelled from far away. -What about the city? – Someone else, a female, asked. -Everything seems fine up there! Although it’s hard to make it out through all this bucking darkness! – The first voice answered. The shrills coming from above intensified for a brief second, they sounded extremely close. -They’ve taken Steel Hoof! – A second outburst of the same sound followed the scream. -Stay near the light! - Someone else shouted –They take the ones in the dark! – His voice got silenced unnaturally abruptly. -The city’s lit, it’s safe there… - I whisper, accidentally thinking out loud. I blamed my nerves. Luna, who I couldn’t see at the moment, spoke. -It isn’t safe for you- She said. I swept my surroundings with my gaze, locating her characteristic blue glow easily. I quickly strode towards her, and placed my hands on her shoulders, taking a big breath before talking. -I’ll find a way to smooth-talk things out, meanwhile, get your men… I mean, Pegasus, and fly to the city; I’ll lead the rest- I say, Luna nodded and shouted a couple of short orders before refocusing on me –Uh, excuse me… too many things have been going on lately and I'm a little bit tense... - I mumble while freeing her from my grasp. -Don’t worry, I don’t mind. I’ll make sure to meet you once you get to the city, until that moment, take care- She said, giving me a wink and a smile –Alright boys! Give any shiny to your unwinged brethren! We’re flying back home! – She shouted, jumping off the ground and revving her wings. -Fly fast, don’t let them catch you- I shout as the ground troops formed around me. -You too, run fast, and stay under the light! - She replied before dashing into the darkness without hesitation. -Alright! You heard her! Stay within the light! Hug each other if necessary, but don’t dare to step out of the circle of safety! Also, don’t fear the wolves; they won’t hurt any of you, so share the space with them! – I shout, the crowd obeyed without questioning. I unsheathed my weapons; their aura emitted a wide circle of light. A multitude of stray soldiers who were unable to find a group to fit in gathered around me, specifically, behind me: clearly, no one was willing to be in the front, and hell, I myself didn’t want to. I knelt and gazed at the imposing timber wolf, who now resembled a frightened puppy –Listen mate, just stay close to me and you’ll have nothing to worry about- I whisper soothingly, the beast straightened up slowly and sluggishly trotted next to my left leg. -Nathaniel? – A trembling voice said from behind, I turned to face its owner. -Blackburn… glad to see you safe, what is it? – I ask, the young soldier took out her helmet, revealing a horn and a long, light-green mane. -Do you need a guide…? – She whispered shyly, a tone much different than the one she was using minutes before. -That’d be brilliant. Is there any problem? – I ask, worried by her sudden change of attitude. -Two to be precise… I’ve been asked to tell you that... - She moaned, shutting her eyes in pain - ... that us unicorns are unable to cast anything… and the other is… that… well... that I’m afraid.. of the dark… - She murmured. I couldn't help but to chuckle at her confession, recalling the frightful kid I used to be. -Well, just make sure to stick with me, as for the magic aspect… any idea why? – I ask, the unicorn grimaced. -Just thinking about magic makes my head want to explode… but if I remember correctly, there was a spell in one of the three ancient spell books that essentially muted any potential caster… that’s the only reasonable answer I can come up with- She explained. -I think you just hit the nail in the head. Go ahead, be my guide- I say with a soothing smile, the unicorn nodded and pointed in a seemingly random direction. I didn’t know how she was able to know where we were and where to go, but I trusted her –Alright everyone, we’re moving! Have we lost anyone else? – I asked in a shout. -Two of those wolves! They just… ran into the darkness like mindless crazies! – Someone answered from the middle of the crowd. I groaned; the pack had already suffered enough losses. -I’m moving! Stick together! – I shout before dwelling into the darkness, which embraced us with desire. Our lights seemed to lead a losing battle against the shadows, as their luminosity dwindled at each step. The shrieking increased in volume as we marched throughout the enshrouding darkness leading to the city. Their owners sounded impatient, like vultures waiting for a potential prey to drop dead –We need to speed things up! We can't let the lights die on us! – I shout, quickening my pace to a jog, the ponies mimicked me. Shrills, followed by a frantic scream. -Keep moving! Just keep moving! – I shout, part of me felt horrible for saying those words, even if it was the wisest thing to do, the other half was a pure mixture of fear and adrenaline. Shrieks, a yelp; another wolf had perished. Shrills, a distant yell. My jog became a run. The circle of light around me suddenly shrank, forcing the ponies that formed around me to tighten distances among them. -Left! – Blackburn shouted over the increasing chaos, I corrected the march. A dead lamplight appeared from the dense darkness; I nodded down and confirmed that we were stepping on stone before leaning on the metal to catch my lost breath. -Everyone! Over here! – I shout, waving my arms as high as I could, multiple lights quickly started to gather around my group. A grimace of horror twisted my factions as I saw a struggling squad suddenly halt, their light source started to flicker and fade rapidly. A tornado of shadows swallowed them before any of us could react. I also saw a distant shimmer heading towards a completely different direction, vanishing abruptly some seconds later. Fear had never been so real. My town… it was always sunny… lively… peaceful… -Nathaniel! – Blackburn yelled, giving me a rough kick on my left shin. The pain helped me to refocus. I swept a silent tear from my eye and faced the stone road. The screeches cut, dead silence. Our accelerated breaths paused, expectantly. A slurp, a disgusting gurgle, as if someone whose throat had been sliced was trying to scream. A second one, right. A third, back. A fourth… front. The shrieks came back even fiercer than before. -Protect the light holders! – I shout, brandishing the claymore instinctively. -What’s going on up there? – Someone asked. I pointed the edge of the blade as far as I could, illuminating a good chunk of space in front of us. I instantly recoiled, disturbed for what I had seen. -Hell has just broken loose on us - I answer in a murmur, not a single voice spoke back. A shadowy tendril, with a human hand as a tip dwelt into the light. Its scalpel-like fingers wrapped around the edge of my blade before I could get a clean hit on it. The tentacle crumbled into dust as its owner let out a revolting sound, mourning the loss of his limb. But that was just one of the many he had. -Push forward! – I shout, holding the blade as if it was a lance before lunging towards the concealed foe. The blade's blaze banished any tendrils I came across in my charge. I stuck the fulgurous edge of the blade deep inside of what seemed to be the torso of the creature that awaited for us. A stream of black blood showered me before dust did. Distant sounds of metal clattering, flesh ripping and broken screams indicated that we weren’t the only group with problems. -We need to stay on the move! – I suddenly saw a couple of squads ran past us, making a last, desperate rush towards the city. They weren’t even carrying weapons, having dropped them in favor of speed. A multitude of groups joined mine, forming a big, compact circle around the flickering sources of light. I ordered Blackburn and my mount to squeeze their way to the middle, which they gleefully agreed. I turned on my heels as a couple of stocky ponies joined me in the front. -Nightshade and Solaire groups have fallen back! – The one on my right exclaimed with a tinge of desperation in his voice. -We are too many; we can’t risk going back now! – The one on my left answered firmly. -I’m with him; I’ll try to help stragglers once I get all of you to safety- I inquire. Though I didn’t like the idea in the slightest, I was probably the only one fit for the task. I made my best to maximize my helpfulness; running around the outlines of the circle, aiding the soldiers to hold back the onslaught of tendrils or to simply keep the darkness at bay. Every loss was accompanied by a short scream and a noise similar to a piece of cloth being viciously torn apart that sent chilling shudders down my spine. The foes were clever, always attacking from the safety of the dark, not letting anyone approach them enough to deal the finishing blow. Nobody had a clue what we were facing, and I barely had the time to take a quick glimpse of them before an assault of tendrils forced me to retreat. A human-like body, with a thin torso and elongated legs were all the traits I could recognize with the scarce light we had, and their unnatural tallness did not help at all. I severed the hand of a tendril, saving a soldier from its deadly grasp. -Can someone tell me how far we are from the castle! – I shout, making the most of every brief second of relative calm. -I can already see the lights! And the city walls! – Someone in the front answered, I grinned from behind the helmet: we were about to make it. -Let’s make a run for it; we’re under too much pressure back here! – I shout, swapping the claymore for the dagger, favoring mobility before reach. The heavily armored ponies helping me in the rearguard turned back and pushed the whole group forwards as I promptly severed the occasional tendrils that managed to catch up with us. My eyes darted between all the shimmers in the distance, my mind busy making quick mental notes of their distance and location so I could go back and help them. I sidestepped; dodging a quick tendril aimed at my heart and severed the limb before it had time to retract. I nimbly turned on my heels as I found myself struggling to keep up with my group. Something was wrong; I knew it the second I turned back; A dense crowd of ponies gathered near the edge of the river, what where they waiting for? Why weren't... -My... God... - I murmur in horrifying realization. The bridge, the only way in, it wasn’t lowered. Palace bedrooms... Luna nervously tapped the fluffy carpet of the long corridor in front of her sister’s bedroom. Loud voices came from the other side of the door. She tried her best to decipher what they were saying, but despite her efforts, she wasn't able to make anything clear, though the high tones and occasional screams left clear that the discussion had reached its hottest point. She shouldn’t be there; she had to be protecting him from her... Luna’s anxious chain of thought broke as the door slammed open. Zecora strode out from the room under a cold silence. She glared over her shoulder with intense disdain before dashing away. The zebra had already disappeared behind a corner before the Night Princess had the chance to speak with her. Instead, her ears caught a low sound that sent a chill of worry down her spine. A sob, coming from her sister’s bedroom. City gate... I pushed the frightened mob aside until I stumbled with Blackburn, who I found lighting one of the few torches around the river with the dying flame of her lantern. Their light was (thankfully), enough to keep the creatures at bay. -What’s going on? Why aren’t they letting us in? – I ask, the pony hooves were shaking wildly as she handled the lantern to someone on her right. She met my gaze; her pupils were large lakes of blackness instead of their distinctive bright yellow. -I-I don’t know, we haven’t received any transmission, message or explanation whatsoever- She answered before breaking into a sob –I can’t stay out here any longer, I might go crazy… - She whispered, burying her teary face between her hooves. I wrapped her in a firm embrace, trying to prevent her from crying any longer, and also to hold my own tears for a little while. -Everything will be alright, Luna won’t let us down… - I whisper soothingly, she ignored the blood and dust soaking my chest plate and curled between my arms. My eyes caught movement on the city walls. I gave Blackburn a weak squeeze and made her face where I was looking at. She let out a short gasp, as with everyone else, when she saw the pony standing on the walkway on top of the raised bridge. -Who’s he? – I ask in a murmur, giving the newcomer a distrustful look. -Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot… - She answered absently. I focused on the Captain, asking myself why the name sounded so familiar in my head. The blue-haired unicorn proceeded to talk, as everyone had fallen silent, even the creatures seemed to hush for a moment. -This is a direct message from Princess Celestia - His voice sounded tired, husky, and had a forced formality in his tone -Since the previous order, the execution of Nathaniel Fray, was ignored, nopony will be allowed to step in Canterlot until it’s been fulfilled- My heart stopped beating. “B-But… Zecora…? “ Blackburn tightened her hug as hundreds of gazes/glares landed on me. Before anyone could do or say anything, the bridge lowered violently. The Captain smiled. -But I already know it’s futile. Get inside, quickly- He said, widening his smile. Blackburn squealed as her mouth widened in a grin. The whole crowd had similar reactions as the surviving soldiers hurriedly trotted inside the city walls, puzzlement still showing on their faces. The young unicorn had to literally drag me in, as I was too shocked to even talk. My eyes absorbed every building, every street, every pony and every detail of the majestic city, trying to convince my brain that I was there, that I had made it. Blackburn left me leaning on the nearest wall, blew me a kiss and hurried to join the rest of the soldiers, who after an initial minute of dazzle, were already making their way towards the castle in an ordered fashion. I sat on the ground, leaned against the curved wall of one of the two towers on the sides of the bridge, and tried to recover my speech. -I finally get to meet you- A male voice said, its owner calmly stepped in front of me. I lifted my head and gazed at the Captain of the Royal Guard, who greeted me with a smile –You have our appreciation for…- A sudden realization made me stood up briskly. -There are still people out there- I say, interrupting the Captain. I ignored the 90% of my brain that kept ordering me to stay in place. -Sadly, it may be too late for them… - The Captain murmured darkly. I lowered the mouth protector of my helmet and unsheathed the dagger, sticking its edge deep inside the stone below our feet. -It doesn’t matter; I’m going out there. If it stops glowing, raise the bridge immediately- I ordered, pointing at the blazing edge of the short blade. The unicorn nodded after a brief moment of understanding. -Got it, see you here in a minute- He said, giving me an encouraging smile. I took a deep breath as I faced the darkness, which seemed to taunt and beckon at me, its inhabitants displaying their desire of flesh with impatient hisses. I charged into the blackness, claymore in hand. “30 meters, two lights, 6 meters of distance between them” My mind recited the notes I had been taking minutes ago while I slashed my way across the shadowy creatures. The increased mobility and the fact that I didn’t need to look after anyone else allowed me to engage and actually finish them off more effectively than before. The lack of numbers was barely noticeable, as the blade made up for it. I thanked Zecora silently at each creature I managed to slay. Two shattered lanterns and a pool of blood was everything I found in my first waypoint, I didn’t… rather I couldn’t allow that to discourage me and headed towards the second one. Everywhere around me I could see fallen weapons, blood and shattered branches belonging to the wolves… and the creatures, of course. They shared many traits with the popular urban legend: The Slenderman, although they were much taller (I could only reach to see their legs), noisier and vicious than the aforementioned, the haunting sounds they produced being, by far, the worse. Fighting alone was much more effective, but at the cost of being mentally exhausting. Second waypoint: A twisted lance and a broken helmet. Third waypoint; blood and a dead glowstick, the lack of corpses was starting to strike me as rare. Fourth; shattered branches and even more blood. Fifth… light. There was still someone fighting. I had found a survivor, over two-hundred meters far from the city. The soldier also seemed to notice me, as he turned his back to whatever he was fighting to take a look at me. -No! – I shouted, but it was too late. One of the creatures surrounding him took advantage of the brief opening, squashing the lantern he had firmly wrapped around his back before he could do anything to avoid it. His wide open eyes stared with horror at his dimming source of light as I halted. The dying flame gave me enough time to formulate a plan, a risky one. I held the blazing claymore as if it was a javelin, and threw it as far and accurately as I could. The soldier, thankfully, was clever enough to realize my intentions, and jumped towards the glowing blade as it flew dangerously close from his head. The inhuman fear of the darkness came back from my early years as I rose my arms to brace myself before starting a desperate rush towards the light. The screeches became louder, closer, enveloping me. A brutal strike on my left kidney, even the armor had a hard time soothing it. A second one, upper back. I lurched forwards, but managed to retain my balance A third one, right thigh. A loud noise of metal being ripped apart and an ensuing wave of sheer pain. . A forth one, chest. I felt a shattered rib puncturing through my flesh. The screeches weakened as my knees landed on the deathly white; I had made it, but at a high cost. -We need to…- a harsh cough interrupted me, I felt blood streaming down my chin –Have you seen… anyone else? – I ask between coughs, the pony shook his head. -I’m the last one, take your blade and let’s get out of here! – He exclaimed, helping me to stand upright. I nodded and grasped the hilt of the blade as best as my shaky hands allowed me to. I stoically ignored the pain coming from my leg and chest, and limped as fast as I could, trying to keep up with the soldier. -You’re doing well! We’re already halfway through! – He cheered, helping me as much as possible when the creatures gave us some precious seconds of relief. A tendril sprang from the darkness and wrapped itself around my inured thigh, pressing with crushing force. I clenched my teeth and yanked back, giving the soldier enough time to sever the hand before it could drag me closer to its deadly owner. A quarter left, I could already see the gates of the city, the dimly lit torches and Shining A- “BBBFF” The acronym flashed in my hazy mind, but I was unable to locate where I had heard it, or who was the one to say it, or even its full meaning. The Captain strode in circles around the dagger stuck in the ground. If he had nails, he probably would've been gnawing them viciously. -Hey! We’re over here! – The soldier shouted as he threw his weapon away and wrapped his now free hoof around my shoulder; the Captain rose his head and turned to face us. He beckoned briefly before shuffling into the left tower –He’s about to raise the bridge! Speed up! We’ve got a legion of those monsters right behind us! – He exclaimed, I leaned against him and tried to amplify every stride I made with my healthy leg, occasionally glinting over my shoulder. I shoved the soldier to the left, saving him from a tendril aimed at his head, and ducked, dodging a second one aimed at my own. I slashed the first one before it could retreat, but I wasn’t fast enough to reach the second one, and my sweep whizzed through empty air. The pony was already there to hold me from falling. -We’re already there! Leave them! – He exclaimed. He widened his eyes for second before giving me a rough push, saving me from a third tendril I couldn’t have possibly seen. I lost balance, and fell head-on onto a wooden surface –Raise it already! – The soldier shouted as I found myself being dragged by my arms towards the city. The floor below my stomach started to shift, rapidly curving upwards as the Captain rose the bridge. I found myself sliding for a second, before painfully colliding with the armored soldier. I heard a loud thump as I rolled to my right. Thankfully, the soldier was already back on his feet, apparently unharmed from the rough welcome. -Shiny! I’m going to need help with this one! – The soldier shouted as he rolled my body to the left so I could rest on my back. -How many times do I have to say that only my sister’s allowed to call me like that, Solaire? – The Captain huffed absently as he exited the watchtower and hurried to ran next to me. He crouched to take a brief look of my wounded leg –I’m not sure how his limbs work, but I can already tell that we’re going to need much better equipment, and even magic if we want to save his hoof- He said, straightening up and giving the soldier a thoughtful glance. -Then we need to get him to the infirmary- Solaire pointed out, exasperated. -Of course, but that’s inside the castle, remember? – Shining replied, Solaire let out a long sigh. -Look: I don’t care, I doubt Celestia can touch a single hair of this fella without the whole army turning on her, myself included. So carry him to safety, will you? I doubt my back could handle all his weight… not now… - Solaire puffed, moaning as he leaned onto the nearest wall. -Can someone… take my helmet off? – I ask as loud as my broken voice allowed me to. Shining broke into a laugh after a brief silence, and fulfilled my request. I sighed; it felt so good to finally take that thing off. -I was starting to believe you were dead… - He said as he yanked me off the ground and placed a protective hoof around my shoulders –Glad to see you’re not. The hell happened out there? - He asked, I pulled out the dagger stuck on the ground and chuckled, only to get cut by a violent and bloody cough. -Oh, we’ll have time to talk about it once we get there- Solaire said, joining us –And we better make it quick, he’s been bleeding and coughing like that for a while now- He added, Shining nodded and made sure I was as comfy as possible before starting to walk for the two. -Where’s… Luna? – I ask, remembering her promise to wait for us. -She was ordered to stay in the palace. Apparently, Celestia wants to talk with her. That’s all I’ve been told- Shining answered –Remember that friend of yours? The zebra? – I nodded –She made it to the city safely, and I think she may have made it- Shining left the phrase unfinished. -Did what? – Solaire asked, Shining stared at him, slightly perplexed. -Convince the Princess- He grinned cheerfully.