"So..." Silvertongue said, walking alongside the mysterious stallion, "What should I call you?"
"I have a name," He said in a dark voice, "But you should never use it. Call me Archaenon."
"Archaenon?" Silvertongue asked.
"It means 'Power' in Everfreean."
"Did you choose it yourself?"
"Yes." He said, not saying any more.
"Why?" Silvertongue asked.
Archaenon gave him a deathly glance, and the stallion shut up. The continued walking.
After countless hours of wrenching silence, they arrived. Archaenon stood, a few paces ahead of Silvertongue, on a ledge, overlooking a clearing in the forest. Silvertongue could hear him chuckle to himself as he joined his side. He looked down the sheer cliff face, and found, in the clearing, more glowing green eggs than he'd care to count. Each score of eggs was being looked over by one massive black pony, with rotting skin and silken wings; Changelings.
The changeling overseers were at least twice as big as normal changelings, and there were at least fifty of them, all mulling about and checking on their unborn infants. The eggs writhed and squirmed, as if wishing to be born. Silvertongue could see the faint outline of a changeling in every one.
"The army of the damned," Archaenon said, "Mostly unborn. But trust me, the young ones are the best; they don't know danger when they see it."
Suddenly, one of the eggs burst open, in a shower of green goo. The overseer in charge of the egg came to it, while the others continued over their batches. There was a young changeling now standing where the egg once was. He stood up quickly, and looked at the Overseer, standing three times taller than him. The overseer pointed with his hoof into the dark forest, and the young one ran.
"You'll want to see this," Archaenon said, "Hop on."
"On?" Silvertongue asked.
"Yes." Archaenon confirmed, and two wings of brown sprouted from his sides, tearing his cloak asunder. Silvertongue got on, and Archaenon flew down. Not far, but just enough to get to the bottom of the cliff without injury. Silvertongue got off, and they walked through the crowds of eggs and overseers, getting a closer look. Silvertongue had a feeling he was going to like his Army of the Damned.
********
Rainbow Dash awoke the next morning, shockingly not dead, to find Simon kneeling in front of her. "Oh, good." He said, "I thought you were long gone."
"What?" Rainbow faintly asked.
"Come on, we need to greet our army." Simon helped her up, and threw her over his back, requiring much more strength than he actually had, so it was kind of weird.
"Army?" She asked again.
"Look, there they are!"
Simon pointed to the skies above Equestria, the usually unchanged and unmarked blue with the occasional cloud, being ripped apart by the entry of thousands from the other world. Each was a fiery meteor, and soon the sky was ablaze with their tracks. Hundreds upon hundreds tearing through the sky at break-neck speeds. Simon knew each one contained a follower, either a Yognau(gh)t, or a Space Butterfly. And they were prepared for the war they didn't know wasn't there. And they didn't know was coming.
The spectacle could be seen worldwide. From Canterlot, ponies cowered in terror as meteors pelted the plains and tore the sky asunder. In the forest, Silvertongue and Archaenon could see the faint explosions of every meteor shining over the horizon. And each one collided with the ground close to Ponyville.
The stream kept coming, for at least twelve minutes, or so, then abruptly stopped.
*******
Jesse Cox and his eleven acquaintances (Simon had brought back Rainbow Dash and they had gotten her bandaged up) stood in front of the crash area. Each and every one of the 2,591 meteors (They counted) contained a new makeshift soldier. From YouTube Comrades, to desperate followers, people form the world over had arrived to follow Jesse and Simon into combat.
Simon had taken it upon himself to appoint commanders. He and Jesse had gathered the other members of YouTube royalty to appoint positions. Anyone who was anyone who wanted to come was there: Duncan, Hannah, Ridgedog, Rythian, Dodger, Totalbiscuit, Wowcrendor, and Josh Mattingly.
Crendor had approached Jesse when he arrived. He had a revolver loaded in his house, just in case he ever had to go to the south side, he would need to defend himself, that he now used as a weapon. He held in his hands a long, slim, black case. "Jesse," he said, approaching his friend, "I thought you might want these, so I got them from your house." He clicked open the bindings keeping the case closed, and Jesse stared upon his two most prized possessions:
His Katanas. His two long blades sent to him by an Asian fan. One still technically belonged to TB, but as Jesse said, and I quote, "But I'm keeping them both, screw TB."
Simon had appointed them commanders of the Space Yoggerfly Army, as they has convened to name it. Simon wanted the S.S. Yoglegion, and Jesse wanted the Space Butterfly Army, so they settle on the Space Yoggerfly army.
They each had brought their own makeshift weapons, everything from Fireplace tools to Steak Knives, to Revolvers to Rifles. They had no idea what they were going to fight, but they were prepared for anything. The denizens from Ponyville, however, were unnerved by the massive army, and Mayor Mare tried to get them to leave
"You see, Mister Lane, I know you're doing your best to try and find your friend, but I must speak on behalf of Ponyville."
"Go on," Simon said.
"We have been around for over a thousand years, and in all that time, we have seen minimal violence. The current generation has never seen full fledged war, and they are very worried to be surrounded by an army, especially an army made of creatures that are still not perfectly recognized. I am sorry, but on behalf of Ponyville, I must ask you and your army to leave this city."
"That makes sense, I suppose." Simon pondered, "Jesse, what do you think?"
"I think we should leave." Jesse said, "I'll gather the commanders. Mayor Mare, where do you suggest we go?"
"Well," She said, " There is an outcropping in the cliff under Canterlot. It's large enough to compensate for your entire... group."
"Then that is where we will go," added Sjin, "Jesse, gather the army, tell them to get ready to move."