//------------------------------//
// 22 
// Story: Slave of Eternity 
// by Secrets and Lies 
//------------------------------//


(22)






        It was frigid, too cold for a Summer’s morning throughout the dreary lands of Equestria. The country hills and plains between the mountainous slopes that held Canterlot and the valley that nestled Ponyville were blotted in a veil of foreboding fog. The blanket of thick, gray mist had come from the fall of Cloudsdale; as the city sunk into the earth, the cumuli that made up its foundation and buildings broke free and loose. As they did, the cloud coverage dispersed in all ways in heavy, looming layers of dense moisture for miles and miles. Even with Cloudsdale’s heavy and tall murk, it could not climb into the mountainous ranges and lands where Canterlot rested. From such a tall sight, one would be able to see an ocean of clouds below them where such lush valleys and forests slept. Only at great distances one could see far off mountains, swimming in a lost haze of a smokey hell and silver heaven. The world was nothing but an orb of charcoal hues; a desaturated and bleak place that once was filled with wonderful life, sunshine, and peace.
Through the darkened lands below, in the farming country between Ponyville and Canterlot, was a deathly silence. In this silence were two ponies, a stallion and a mare he carried on his back. They had been traversing across fields, pastures, streams and creeks, all the while seeing hardly anything in front of him. The air was thick and wet, which soothed both their wounds and rejuvenated their senses. Even with returning strength, they still were desperate and clinging to hope as much as they could. Valiant Steed had been walking for what felt like miles through the inky plains with no real sense of direction. He only relied on what Gale had told him, and that he was going the right way; however, she had fallen asleep on his back and though he didn’t want to disturb her, he was certain that he had to, only to be assured that the way he was going was right. 
As his hooves slushed through the dew-laden grass, he progressed above an inclining hill, still unsure where he was heading. He began to hear a faint noise, a pulling and churning sound that grew faintly through the hindered veil they ventured through. Valiant followed the noise and soon discovered what it was at a reasonable distance. The shadow of the monolith blotted through the curtain of fog and its stance rose high in the unknown distance. Its great arms turned slowly as the fabric that intertwined it flapped and fluttered in the vacant wind that ever so often blew over the countryside. Valiant had come across an old stone windmill; nothing of importance to him, but it was the first thing he had heard in a long time,besides his and Marestorm’s breaths.
In the exact moment he stopped and realized what the windmill was, a great flash overtook his vision. A searing red light splintered across the hidden sky and collided with the windmill near instantaneously. When the lightning bolt struck the stone structure, it fragmented the building into rocks and pebbles that flew in every which direction. Following this was a blasting crash of thunder that shook the ground beneath his hooves. He reared back in terror and had forgotten about the mare on his back who was sent tumbling off onto the wet grass. The fabric sails of the windmill burned and cascaded downward around them, lighting a few patches of grass a blaze. The hastened boom of thunder echoed off through the dead haze, bouncing off the invisible mountains and valleys around them.
From the bolt was flung two objects that skidded across the ground like skipping a stone across a pond. The objects broke free from one another and went in two separate directions before coming to an eventually halt. Valiant had seen this and quickly went to investigate, leaving the waking mare he carried behind to recuperate. He raced across the farm, avoiding heaps of stone buried in the earth from the explosion and small remnants of fires that flickered through the heavy mist. He soon discovered a deep skid in the soil that one of the objects had created upon impact and decided to follow the sundered trail. He followed the landing path and discovered in the distance a silhouette of a pony weakly rising from the upheaved earth. He came closer to the shadowy figure to find that it was Spitfire–a very injured Spitfire from her harsh looks. Without asking what had just happened, he approached her to try and aid her.
He called out while advancing towards the yellow mare, “Spitfire! Spitfire! Are you okay?” The mare looked out to where the voice beckoned from and saw Valiant swiftly galloping before her. She nodded while biting her split, bloody lip as she struggled to pull herself out of the rock and loose dirt. The stallion raced over and grabbed hold of the mare’s reaching hoof; he pulled her out with one firm tug and she was back on solid ground.
“Thanks...” she groaned in fatigue while fluffing her feathers from stray rubble, “...I’m fine. Just a little woozy, that’s all.” She looked over him to see his bloodied, torn away limp of where a wing use to be and held her hoof to her mouth.
“My Celestia,” Spitfire gasped, “your wing!”
Valiant looked down at it and sighed, “Ya... I know. I’ll be fine though.”
“You won’t be able to fly again, you know that?”
“The ground suits me just fine.” From the fog limped Gale as the two made notice of her.
Marestorm stated, “I’m glad to see you made it out alive...” Her eyes began to dart around as she began to panic. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
Both of the ponies had forgotten about her as they looked around the area. Before long, Spitfire found another trail dug across the face of the ground, leading to where Rainbow Dash was. She called the other two over and followed the trail into the dim mist. At the end of the pathway lay the Element of Loyalty, battered and bruised from the drastic impact. She appeared unconscious upon further inspection as Spitfire leaned over and tried to shake her awake.
“Come on,” Spitfire demanded as she jostled the cyan mare. “Wake up! You can do it!” The mare was silent and unaffected by Spitfire's failed attempts to awaken her. The yellow pegasus finally gave up and pulled her out of the rubble and onto the moist pasture.
Valiant gave the positive comment, “At least she is still breathing... she doesn’t look too injured.” He then turned towards Gale and asked, “Do you know how far we are from Ponyville?”
She looked back at the obliterated windmill and replied, “Judging by the increase in civilization, I wouldn’t think too much further. Perhaps a mile or two at least.”
Valiant then questioned, “Do you think you can walk?”
Gale moved her wing over her stab wound to apply pressure on it before returning, “Yes, I believe so.”
Valiant turned back towards Spitfire and said, “Good. Can you help Rainbow Dash onto my back? I’ll carry her the rest of the way. Hopefully, she’ll be awake soon to walk on her own.”
Spitfire did so without complaint as she grabbed hold of Dash’s sides and flew up over the stallion. She then gently laid the mare onto Valiant’s back and landed back down on her hooves. The three began together and walked onward through the fog away from the crash site.
Gale wondered aloud, “I hope Ponyville hasn’t been attacked yet.”
Spitfire retorted in a dismal tone, “I wouldn’t cross your hooves...”





        The four traveled onward through dim walls of clouds, pressing forward through the bleak fog and wet air. They did not hurry towards their goal, but their anticipation and wariness was brimming outwards and through their emotions. Equally, they all showed signs of concern while trotting over the farm lands, finding deserted wagons and emptied homes by the road which they now took.
Gale’s voice broke the silence as she pointed with her hoof and notified, “Ponyville should be over this hill.” The three then marched upward ascending the mound before them. Valiant lead the others while not showing any signs of stress or unease while carrying the blue pegasus on his back. Rainbow was still knocked out cold from the fall; though her body was bruised and purpled, her breathing was calm and steady.
When the stallion had reached the top of the hill, his eyes opened wide in astonishment. His pacing stopped dead as he scanned the land below him. As Spitfire and Marestorm came up from behind him, they too halted to look at the sight they now saw. Gale suppressed a scream with her hooves while her body trembled with horror. Spitfire was surprised as well, however not so much as the other two younger pegasi. In days of old, she had seen much worse.
Before them was Ponyville, but it was a Ponyville they had never seen before. Throughout the streets patrolled hundreds upon hundreds of changelings. Green webbing glowed through the gray smog of cloud front like slow burning lanterns as cottage windows ebbed of the same radiance. Changelings flew in and out overhead which now seemed audible to the three. Without the fog coverage, they would have been seen instantly upon arrival.
“Oh Celestia, we’re too late,” puled Gale as her eyes began to well up.
“Keep it together, Marestorm,” Spitfire uttered fiercely, “We need to think with our heads clear!” The stallion turned away from the invaded village to the pegasi behind him. Gale looked up at him with a look of concern as his attention swayed over to the coolheaded Spitfire. She was looking over the city intently, desperately thinking up a plan for the three to take.
Valiant expressed the obvious to Spitfire, “Going to the hospital seems out of our reach now... What do you propose we do?” Her eyes never looked back up towards him while he talked. She was continually trying to seek out a plan of action. After a moment, her sight came over Valiant and her mouth searched for the right words to answer his question.
“I...” Spitfire dithered in a breathless manner, “I don’t know what we should do now.” She took in a cool gasp of air and continued, “We can’t go back to Cloudsdale–obviously–and I’m not sure if we could go to Canterlot.”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that either...” Valiant replied. “I was for certain we would find refugee here however.”
As the two continued to talk amongst each other between different ideas and places to go, Gale was affixed on Rainbow Dash, who still was unconscious on Valiant Steed’s spine. Marestorm finally spoke up between the two, breaking their conversation.
“We have to save the Elements of Harmony. They would be the ones who would help free the town. If anypony could, it would be them.”
Spitfire turned and quipped back, “You’d think they would have already tried to defend the town and succeed? I know for certain these aren’t all the changelings, and I would have hoped they could have fought a few hundred... but it seems more keep coming in now that Cloudsdale’s fallen.”
She noted back, “Without Rainbow Dash they couldn’t win. They need all the Elements together, or at least that’s how they defeated Nightmare Moon.”
Valiant looked back over his shoulder and wondered, “Do you think the Elements are even here? Do you think they could have evaded the changelings?”
Marestorm stepped over next to Valiant while looking towards the township and responded, “We won’t know unless we go in there and find them... Even if they aren’t here, where else would they be?”
“Canterlot perhaps?”
“Then why invade and create a base of operations here,” Spitfire asserted. “They’re obviously here for a reason... keeping something hidden or at bay.” Valiant nodded his head in agreement and Gale did so as well. At that point, they knew the Elements were still there, or they hoped so at least. 
“I guess that settles it then,” Valiant concluded. “We have to go in and save as many ponies here as possible. Maybe if we get caught, we’ll at least have the citizens of Ponyville to help us fight back.”
On those words, the three started to tread down the hill. They slipped behind the closest cottage to begin prowling through the changeling occupied city. The fog aided their swift maneuvers through the outer reaches of Ponyville. This, and the fact that most of the changelings occupied the hub of the town, made it easy for them to enter undetected.
As the buildings increased from where pony’s once thrived, so did the enemy in numbers. The cottages around them were webbed in green, glowing silk and most had their roofs torn a sunder leaving gaping holes for the changelings to enter through. They did this to drag out the cocoons they had sown around their victims. Valiant saw this from behind a far off cottage, witnessing a few changelings drag pony after pony out of their houses and through the streets. The three had wondered where they were taking the sleeping ponies and began to question why they would move them instead of leaving them.
They quickly crossed between alleyways one by one, as fast as they could as the first took watch and signaled whenever changelings weren’t in sight or passing by. At one point, Spitfire nearly had a heart attack when Gale had lagged behind as a changeling turned a few meters away. On any other day, she would had been seen by the monstrosity, but with a combination of both the changeling’s poor eyesight and the dense fog which floated about, she had slipped by unnoticed.
Further they traveled, crisscrossing and evading any and all long lines of sight. At some points, it took nearly ten minutes for one of them to gain the chance to dash from one building to another between changeling intervals. The closer they got to town square, the greater the enemy population had become. Almost two hours had passed and finally they believed they couldn’t go any further; but the town square was finally in sight as they hunched behind a bushy thicket and quietly crawled underneath the sprawling branches. Rainbow Dash was left behind the bush so that Valiant could creep safely under the brush unseen. He had leaned her up upon a building in its shadow behind them.
Their eyes were met by a radiating town square that shown like an emerald spot light. It flickered and wavered slow, giving of an energy that could be felt at their great distance. Light blazed through the multitude of windows as the great double doors swung open and close, cascading its inner brilliance over as changelings hauled pony after pony inside its maw. It seemed the enemy was moving all the captured ponies into one area to keep stock and number of the captives. It seemed their plan to rescue each pony from each home was shot out of the sky and with their wits combined, they couldn’t decide on a new plan.
As their vision was still fixed on the town square hive, two unknowing changelings walked extremely close by and their line of vision was blocked by their patchy, coal-colored hooves. Gale nearly let out a shriek of shock as Valiant pressed his hoof on his now quick, pounding chest. Just as slowly as before, the three eased backwards away from them, still low and still hidden in the bush. As they exited, Valiant quickly picked Dash up, using his head as a lever to roll her onto his back.
They quickly turned down the alley way with no real plan of action set. The three only wanted to get a good and safe distance away from their enemies. With rash motives, Valiant and the rest ran out between buildings and only mere meters away idly walked two changeling soldiers. The three stood frozen for a split second before Valiant jumped for cover behind another building as the others followed in his lead. The noise they made from the fall gained the attention of one of the changelings as its ears perked up and its blue eyes widened with intent.
“What was that,” it slithered out in a frigid, sharp voice. Both the soldiers quickened their pace and began to look behind the alley way they had jumped from instead of the alley way they were in now. The echo between the buildings confused their hearing, which aided the group’s time to lay hidden. Shadow and fog masked the three well, but the passageway was short and if they needed a quick escape they were doomed to get caught. They traveled to the other end in a hushed set of speed trotting to hopefully find a safe way out. As they neared the end of the back lane, Spitfire poked her head out and discovered four changeling guards walking along the streets as well; but thankfully–and surprisingly–none of them heard her or saw her brightly colored mane and coat.
The pegasi turned towards Valiant and Gale and feebly–yet quietly exclaimed, “We’re trapped!”
The three turned as the changeling who had almost caught them said from afar, “Must’ve been my imagination...”. 
The other changeling that had accompanied him pointed down the opposite alleyway where the three were hidden and remarked, “I’m going down this way, Frank. I haven’t walked down here yet.” The three pegasi were petrified as they clearly saw the soldier amble down the far side of their alley way, but the oblivious changeling didn’t see them. They turned to make a mad dash out, but had almost forgotten about the other four changelings on the other end. 
One of the four–when passing by the entryway of the alley–called out to his buddies, “Hold on a sec’, got’ta take a piss.” He then turned down the alleyway as his comrades patiently waited outside of the darkened passage.
The three were cornered as the two opposite changelings, unbeknownst to them or each other, closed in on the pegasus ponies. The time had come to either do one of the following: To fly and get immediately caught by the changelings, or to try and silently fight their way out of town and pray to Celestia they wouldn’t get caught. As the changeling’s converged in the shadows and finally the three were in seeing distance to their eyes, they both jumped back in fright at the sudden appearance of the ponies.
“My word,” one of the changelings shrieked, “It’s those two Generals from Cloudsdale!” As the other changeling at the same time said, “It’s Spitfire and Rainbow Dash from Cloudsdale.” In an instant of confusion, the two looked around the pegasi and discovered each other in an awkward, delayed moment.
Before anyone could react, scream, or move at all, the central group of pegasi witnessed ghostly apparitions fall behind the two changelings which surrounded them. As soon as these figures touched the ground, blades slid into the changeling's backs, which gave a sharp, nearly silent noise. Cloaked hooves wrapped around the soldier’s muzzles as life left their eyes, and when they stopped moving, their bodies were simultaneously tossed aside.
Valiant–nor any of the others–had fully witnessed what had just preformed this and saved them; nor could they react quick enough to thank them as they harmoniously turned to face the outer reaches of the alleyway. The changelings from outside the passageway had heard the sound of cutting flesh and were already racing into the alley to see what had happened. On the one side where the three changelings dashed through, the hooded pony lifted a crossbow-like mechanism and began spraying the narrow street with a multitude of bolts. The projectiles came into contact with the changelings as they skidded and tumbled forward in a heap of blood and bodies. On the other-side with the single changeling, the other cloaked pony began to charge its unicorn horn in a cyan aura. Just as the changeling was about to strike, bricks from both sides of the alley flew outward and pummeled the soldier at devastating speeds. Only in a few seconds these mysterious strangers saved Valiant, Spitfire, and Marestorm, but neither of them knew who these saviors were or where they had come from.
As they turned back towards the group in a sudden pivot, more fell from the roof above them and soon the alley way was filled with a dozen and a half of the same figures. None of these white-veiled individuals could be told apart. They all wore the same black under clothing, the same silver armor, the same pearly cloaks, and donned the same crest upon their chests. Obviously they were here to help, but their silent and vigilant presence kept the three pegasi uneasy until one stepped out from the crowd. A simple earth pony, but its figure and gender was still hidden under the armor and hood. It spoke first solely to Valiant in a voice that sounded all too familiar to him. A voice which dated back years before this all occurred; an old friend or family member, he couldn’t quite tell. His mind was racing and bending under the pressure, he couldn’t focus on past memories at the moment as the member of these assassins spoke solemnly to him.
“It’s been a long time, Valiant Steed. We are the Ivory Guard, protectors of this realm and akin. We are untethered by law, order or creed, though we have come together in this challenging time in order to give back what has been taken by Hexarch and his children.”
Spitfire interjected, “What do you plan on doing then? We’re still outnumbered one to five hundred.”
The Ivory Guard gently moved his head over towards the mare and softly replied, “With the Magic of Friendship... it is an even fight. But know this...” he digressed while turning back to the stallion, “We will most surely die in the fray. For if you love this land, and wish to see it prosper, you must risk everything to save it.”
He turned back towards Spitfire and offered, “Fly away now and you will be saved... for the time being. But fight for Equestria one last time, and the Everlasting Lands will greet you with love and admiration. We know you fear death, Spitfire, that is why we do not ask much of you. However–Valiant Steed here–he is worthy of such an eternal title.” Those words cut deep in the pit of Spitfire’s soul as she knew what he had said was true.
He turned once again towards Valiant, and with an open hoof outward he asked, “We will fly again, one last time, together.” The familiar Ivory Guard waited for his response as the others watched around the pegasi.
Valiant looked over his back at Rainbow Dash as he mulled over the Ivory Guard’s choices and asked him, “Will they get a hold of Rainbow Dash?”
`“Yes.” His sudden, yet warm response was unsettling to Valiant. To him, the Guard sounded too sure of their death, but was quite content about all of the trouble they were soon about to get into. His hindered response only made matters worse as his mouth opened, still searching for the words to say. 
"There has to be another choice than to do a suicide mission with these bunch of costumed loonies," he thought.
“I’ll do it,” said a voice from behind the stallion. It was Gale and his heart stood still as he heard her offer up her life. She walked by the two others and joined the Ivory Guard by his side. Valiant’s dumbfound expression couldn’t be hidden as he wondered why she would do such a thing. He figured it was that her courage outweighed his by a great deal, seeing how she now looked so refreshed and ready for death–even with a gapping wound in the side of her barrel. She was no great general, but a great and valiant pony in his eyes; and he then wished he could have been more like her. Valiant had made up his mind as he straightened his posture and joined her and the cloaked stallion. Spitfire followed behind, keeping her eyes diverted away from the Ivory Guard.
“What do we do now,” Spitfire feebly asked aloud.
The Guard answered, “We meet with Hexarch.”





        “Sire!” cried out a single changeling as he buzzed through the glowing town hall. In the building towered great numbers of captured ponies from Ponyville that were stacked high around the walls. The great, circular room glowed with an ill luminescence which could only be described as an emerald tomb. In the center of the room was a throne of dark and green webbing with strong pillars on either side. On this throne sat Hexarch, hunched over due to his curled form with a look of utter boredom plastered across his face. As soon as the changeling’s voice reached his ears, he perked up with eager intent to know what his son was yelling about.
"Yesssss,” his voice bellowed with power. The changeling came to a halt in front of him and landed swiftly on the ground, bowing on one knee.
“My father, we have captured a few more ponies who had foolishly made their presence outside of the town square. They came out and began attacking our soldiers, but we quickly apprehended them. They were only mere flies caught in our web.”
“What of thisssss militia has any concern with winning over Equessssstria? Seal them in cocoons like the ressst.” He shooed his waving claw in front of the tiny changeling and looked away at the towers of sleeping ponies behind him.
“But my Lordship,” the changeling persisted, “One of them is the Element of Loyalty!” Hexarch turned back hastily, eyes glowing with excitement.
“You have caught the Rainbow Dash? Why didn’t you sssssay ssssso?” His mighty wings unfolded on his back as his four pinions carried the beast forward and out of the chamber. Changeling guards opened the entry doors as their leader approached.
Valiant, Spitfire, Gale and the rest of the still living Ivory Guard were fastened to the ground before the town hall in a partial cocoon of dark magic. Only their heads were free as they squirmed to try and break loose. Suddenly, from the grand building before them, the doors flew open and from them swooped Hexarch. His sprawling wings had pushed away the rolling fog that encompassed the small area and the world around them had been combed clean of fallen cloud. He landed before them with a thud that shook the ground beneath the new captives. Hexarch’s multiple eyes searched the ponies before him until his vision affixed on the cyan mare. He gave a jagged, toothy smile as he bent his head down and a spiraling beam of green magic shot forth from his horn. The beam’s impact not only freed the still unawakened Rainbow Dash, but hoisted her into the air like a lifeless rag doll.
He began to snicker as he hovered her before him and roared with laughter shouting, “Yessss! Equestria is mine! I have the Elementsssss of Harmony in my power. I am invincible!”
“Not quite...” retorted Spitfire, trying to stall as much time as she could. Hexarch’s joy dissipated as his smile turned to a frown of discontent. Spitfire looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and proceeded, “Have you so easily forgotten?”
Hexarch looked about left and right as his eyes came back upon the small pony and muttered with confusion, “What? What have I forgotten?”
Valiant cleared his throat and added to what Spitfire said, “I’m not a fan of puppeteers, but I have a nagging fear someone else is pulling at the strings... and that pony–err, thing is Discord.”
Spitfire concluded with certainty, “He’ll take the Elements away from you and Equestria if you’re not careful. You’re the puppet here, the weaker link that will soon be severed once he gets to power.”
Hexarch’s smile returned much brighter than before. He saw through their attempts to turn him against his friend, and he knew that sometime soon he would have to. Their petty attempts to sway him only made him and the entire surrounding changeling legion burst out in laughter. Valiant, Gale and Spitfire began to sweat and panic as their plan was–once again–blown out of the water.
“You seeeee,” Hexarch eagerly confided with his captives, “during any other earlier time in thissss war, he could have eassssily defeated me–but his plan hasssss a major flaw. He overlooked our powers, the changelingssss that is.” The doors to the glowing town hall opened behind him as he continued.
“With all of thissss love and friendship I have absorbed through thesssse pathetic ponies, I and my family have more power than we need to kill off the likessss of him.”
“You’re still just a bunch of blundering insects! Discord could still stomp you out while you feed on everypony in Equestria” Gale shouted back, knowing nothing about Discord whatsoever.
Hexarch rose his hooves high as he said with the pulsating, deathly green radiance lighting his back and shoulders, “Ssssoon, I will be no longer a changeling! With thissss power, I may choose the greatest of forms to truly ssssmite every-last-pony into dust! Unlike poniessss, we changelings can evolve with the right amount of energy to continue our processss to become the ultimate life forms! Witness as I become unsssstoppable!”
Hexarch’s horn beamed brighter than before and from the confines of the town hall rushed a massive torrent of energy which came from the cocoons inside. The blazing magic encompassed Hexarch and swirled violently around him, causing great winds and an uproar of noise to follow. The village of Ponyville fell dark and the wind became as chill as a Winter’s day. As the vortex of dark magic intertwined and hid Hexarch’s altering form, a great brilliance shot forth over the area and showered the village in rays of emerald shafts.
As the light faded and everyone’s eyes could see clearly once again, before them where Hexarch stood was a gleaming being which had no form similar to Hexarch’s previous body. It glowed in a ghastly-green hue like the brilliance it once gave off, yet it slowly faded as the new monster began to steadily step towards the pegasi. With each step, the grass beneath him withered and burned to smokey ash. Steam seeped off of his body as his new, yellow eyes pierced through the green aura. When the light truly faded around him, his new form could be seen, and this form sent waves of fear over Valiant, Spitfire and Gale. Hexarch had chosen the form of a draconequine–more specifically–a form exactly identical to Discords.
The new Hexarch leaned over in front of Valiant and quietly whispered, “I am now... perfected.”