Twilight Sparkle smelled smoke, the smell of ashes reached her nose. She opened her eyes, finding herself on a field,but the grass was burnt and shriveled. Turning around, she found the source of the smoke.
A city was on fire. She knew what town it was, Hoofsburg. Hoofsburg was a fairly large town a few miles from the Griffonhala/Equestria border. She had visited this town a few years ago, delivering a letter to the head professor of atomic physics, Atom Glow, at the Hoofsburg Community College.
Flames danced through streets, billowing out windows, onto the limestone roofs of the homes and businesses, licking the sky. She saw the still forms of the bodies of ponies in the streets, some being chased by horrific beings. pitch black, flames surrounding their bodies and massive arms.
She tried to fire a magic bolt at one, but it just impacted the creature, as it proceeded to grab one pony, a gray earth pony with a lance for her cutie mark, raising her into the air. Twilight shut her eyes, but heard the horrific CRUNCH of bone being crushed. She turned, and saw a wisp of pale bluish-white energy went out from the fallen mare's body, before joining the rest in flying toward a giant machine of some sort. The sight of the machine caused Twilight to manure herself in fear,the thing was GIGANTIC. "What in Equestria?" Twilight said, staring up at the monstrosity that was before her.
Twilight then heard a loud, dark chuckling from behind the massive machine. She saw Lord Tyrael's grinning face loom over them all, turning to Twilight he spoke to her,his booming voice sending out a shockwave that could put the Royal Canterlot Voice to shame, "Hehehe, don't you see Twilight? You and your puny resistance cannot possibly stop me from saving Equestria from the dark forces that threaten her. Watch as I purify Hoofsburg of this dark taint that has corrupted her! FIRE!" Tyrael said, pointing a hoof at the scorched city of Hoofsburg.
Twilight looked up, and saw a large, crimson red beam emerge from a huge circular hole in the machine's stomach. Twilight, who found her body immobalized with fear, could only watch as the beam hit the town reliquary, and a resounding sonic shockwave and a fiery explosion knocked Twilight back, sending her crashing into a large rock. As she lost consciousness, the sound of wailing screams reached her perked ears, and the smell of cinders brushed past her snout.
Twilight awoke a short time time later, and stood up. Trotting back to where Hoofsburg was gone. In its place lay a smoking crater, the grassy fields around it were now barren desert, dust billowing in the arid winds.
As salty tears fell from Twilight's eyes, she heard the mocking laughter of Tyrael. "No!" She yelled,covering her ears with her hooves, but the laughter kept coming. "No! No!"
"NO!" Twilight said, waking up in her bed in a cold sweat, a strange substance beneath her flank, and saw Princess Cadence's hoof at her shoulder, the same soothing, motherly look in her eyes. "It's alright Twiley, it was just a nightmare.
Fresh tears sprang from Twilight's eyes,stinging them, as she nuzzled the soft chest of her old foalsitter/step-sister. Acting on instinct, Cadence rubbed the back of Twilight's head, just as she had done when Twilight was a filly before saying, an amused smirk, "It also seems the OTHER side effect of your nightmares had come back to haunt you." Twilight put on a sheepish smile and a blush enveloped her lavender cheeks. Whenever she had nightmares as a filly, she would either wet, mess,or do both to her bed, which caused the occasional light tease from Shining Armor, but as she grew older, this stopped....mostly. After a quick bath and a change of bedding, Twilight asked Cadence, scuffing her hoof on the floor,
"Erm, can I sleep with you and Shiney?" She asked, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, she had done this as a filly many times when she was scared.
"Of course Twiley." Cadence said, she had been waiting for Twilight to ask that, she was adorable, even as a full-grown mare. She added, a teasing tone entering her voice "As long as the SOMEPONY doesn't have another accident in our bed." Before giggling. Twilight giggled, albeit a blush once again growing on her cheeks.
Getting into the covers, Twilight snuggled under the still forms of her brother and Cadence. Cadence kissed Twilight softly on the forehead, before whispering "Sleep tight, don't let the parasprites bite." Twilight smiled as Cadence said what she always did when Twilight would go to bed.
Twilight pulled the blanket around them, before snuggling in herself, a faint melody reaching her dreams.
Meanwhile, far away in the floating Justicar Fortress of Lord Tyrael.....
"My lord, Hoofburg had been purified of the Smooze as you commanded. The souls of those lost have been cleanesed and stored in The Heart of Lorkhan (A powerful relic from the ruins lost Unicorn city of Keening, in the Dragon's Tongue mountains in northern Equestria, that can use whatever stored energy to power the wielder to unimaginable lenghts) Purity Squad Delta Leader Storm Wind said, placing an armored hoof to his chest, and bowing to Lord Tyrael, who sat on his throne, fully armored, rubbing his chin with a hoof.
Soon after, Lord Tyrael sat back up on his throne, before saying, "The Smooze were just the cannon fodder for' Domius Umbra Vastator (Lord Shadow Destroyer) and his Generals of Order. We have to strike at their main force. Send Gale Wind's fleet to Manticore's Stinger (A large rock formation in the shape of a manticore's stinger) at once, I want Order General Penumbra captured and brought back here." He said, rising from his throne.
"At once my liege." Storm Wind said, bowing before flying out of the throne room.
"It looks like it's my move Umbra." Tyrael said, levitating a chess piece shaped like Gale Wind's flagship, the ESS Amethyst, across the board, right going above the chess piece in the shape of a large ape like creature with small bony blades sprouting out of its large knuckles.
Tyrael smiled, as the ape like the ape like creature, known as a Wraizon, was checked and sentenced to the side of the board alongside 3 other black white, though grayed with age, pieces.
"Your move Umbra." Tyrael said, a mischievous flicker in his eyes as he sat cross legged, his front hoof's clasped together at chest level.
He turned his head to view the glorious stars of the solar system.
(Ah, the plot thickens, who is this Lord Umbra Vastator? Find out next time on "Night will fall and the Dark will Rise" Ciao!)