//------------------------------// // Jaded // Story: Army Of Shadows // by lordcurly972 //------------------------------// The room erupted into violence. A group of shadow minions charged full sprint into the room, head long into the eight ponies willing to protect themselves at any cost. Curly ducked Eleanor down under the table. “Stay under here, don’t move,” Curly told her. “Dad, I’m scared!” she said, beginning to cry. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he responded, kissing her on the forehead and ducking out from under the table to help his new friends. He came out just in time to see Applejack grab one by the head and twisting, snapping his neck. He was too caught up in watching this that he didn’t see the minion come up to him. He felt a sharp pain in his side. He screamed in pain and quickly retaliated in a devastating left hook. He clutched his side, he felt the warm sensation of blood on his hoof, but he didn’t have time to worry about himself. He needed to make sure Ellie was safe. He hobbled over to Twilight. “Do you have a plan?” he asked helping her fight off the attacking hoard. “Yeah, but there’s to many for me to focus my magic, I need you guys to protect me,” Twilight responded. “You work on that spell and leave the rest to us,” Curly said jumping into the brawl with the rest of the ponies, “Twilight needs us to hold them off as long as possible so she can cast a spell. We must do anything we can to make sure she can cast that spell!” “Curly, you’re hurt!” Lyra shouted as she stabbed a shadow minion in the chest, and then slit her throat. “I’m fine, it’s just a scratch,” he said through gritted teeth, “I won’t let anything happen to Ellie!” The group nodded to him and charged the remaining shadow minions. Applejack grabbed one by the mane, dragged him to the table and violently slammed the minions head against the table, knocking him out cold. The body falling to the floor startled Ellie, causing her to back up further under the table. Pinkie grabbed a bat from the corner and cracked it across one’s legs, shattering the bat into two pieces. As the minion fell to the floor clutching her broken knee, Pinkie took one of the broken pieces and jammed it into her eye socket. “A few more minutes,” Twilight instructed. “We may not have much more time,” Applejack shouted back as she took as surprise blow to the head. She fell back against the wall and the minion was just about to land the finishing blow when Bon Bon broke a chair against his back. The minion slumped over at Applejacks feet and Bon Bon reached out a hoof to help her up. You’re not getting out of this that easily,” she said pulling Applejack to her feet. Applejack gave her a smile and noticed Twilight behind her. She was levitating off the floor, and purple waves were pulsating off her body. The brawl ceased as everypony stopped to see this spectacle. A white orb suddenly appeared above her head and began growing in size with every second. “Everypony get behind me!” Twilight shouted as the orb grew bigger than her. Not a second was wasted, everypony jumped behind Twilight just as she released the orb. Sending it hurdling towards what was left of the mob. There was a burst of white light as the light collided with the shadow minions. Everypony ducked down and shielded their eyes. When the smoke had finally cleared and the only sound being heard in the room was their breathing, they all looked up to see what had happened. The room was empty; there was a scorch mark at the front of the room where the minions previously were. Nothing else was left. You vaporized them,” Rainbow Dash stated as she walked out from behind the bookshelf she was hiding behind. Twilight picked herself up off the floor and kind of wobbled before finally getting her balance. It must’ve taken a lot out of her. “There not dead, I just sent them someplace else,” she said rubbing her head, “Now, could you guys keep it down, I have an extremely bad headache.” “Well, where’d you send them?” Lyra asked. Twilight gave her a groggy look, “I have no idea; the only thing I could control is the spell. For all I know they could be just right outside our door.” They remained quiet; nopony dared speak anymore after seeing what Twilight just did. A door creaked open at the back of the room and Fluttershy poked her head out and looked around. “Are they all gone?” she asked. “Have you been in there the whole time?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy stared at the floor and slowly walked out of the closet, “No.” Ellie crawled out from under the table and hugged her father. Only for him the yelp in pain and her hoof landing the blood that had nearly coated his side. “Oh my god, dad you’re hurt!” she shouted as she stared at his wound then at the blood on her hoof. “No, I’m fine… it’s just a…” he trailed off as he collapsed on the floor from lose of blood. Twilight quickly jumped up from her seat and ran over to him to check his pulse. “He’s still alive, but he’s lost a lot of blood,” Twilight exclaimed, “We need to get this wound disinfected and stitched up fast. Fluttershy grab the med-kit from that closet you were hiding in.” “Daddy!” Ellie cried as she tried to run up to him. Rainbow stopped her and held her. “Don’t worry, you’re dad’s going to be fine,” she said hugging her tighter. “There’s only gauze and a little antiseptic left,” Fluttershy said as she brought back what was left of the med-kit. “Damn,” Twilight cursed, “Well were going to have to make do with what we have. Applejack, apply pressure to his wound while I find something to seal it.” Applejack quickly took Twilight’s place as she got up to find something to seal his wound. She came back with a thin metal rod. “What do you plan to do with that?” Applejack asked as Twilight kneeled down beside her a Curly. “Hopefully the wound has had enough time to clot,” Twilight began explaining, “If I heat up this rod enough I can seal the wound by scarring it closed. Fluttershy pour a little antiseptic on a piece of gauze and hand it to me.” Fluttershy did what she was told and handed the gauze to Twilight. She dabbed Curly’s wound with the gauze then proceeded to heat the end of the rod using her magic. She waited until the tip beganto glow a bright red. She turned to Ellie, “Look away sweetie.” Ellie turned away just as Twilight began to slide the rod along Curly’s wound. Curly let out a blood curdling scream as the wound was sealed shut. The bleeding stopped and Curly fell back down against the floor. He was now wide awake. Rainbow Dash let Ellie out of her grasp and she ran over to Curly and gave him a hugged him as tight as she could, tears streaming down her face. “Shhh, it’s okay,” Curly said comforting, stroking her mane, “I’m okay, I’m not going anywhere.” Ellie sniffed and looked her dad in the eyes, “I don’t want to lose you. Promise me you won’t get hurt again.” “That’s a promise I can’t keep,” he said looking back into hers, “But I want you to know. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I could take hundreds more of these injuries just as long as I know you’re protected. Do you understand?” Ellie began to choke up, “Oh, dad.” Ellie hugged him once more then helped him up. He almost fell over but she was there to catch him. “Thank you for saving me,” Curly said as he leaned against the table. “No problem, after all, what are friends for?” Twilight responded giving Curly and Ellie a smile.