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// The Second Invasion and The Passing of a Friend.... 
// Story: Dragon's Reign 
// by Vladimir 
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	Elisabeth and I were laying against a tree in the shade. She is laying next to me, wearing a yellow floral sundress, while on her head is a crow that we had made for her. It's bright shinning silver with a large black diamond cut into the shape of a mini solar system, with her sword at her side. We are holding hands with our eyes closed. The two of us napping silently, enjoying the day. It's been a month since the invasion, since Elisabeth joined my herd. Her, Luna and Chrysie have been more active lately, which was fine, I find it attractive being jumped and being treated like the prey. Wing beats sound to my ears, as they grow closer, I hear a faint buzzing as well. Opening my eyes, I see Luna and Chrysie land before us, smiles on their muzzles. 
"Next month is the date. Oh I can't wait!" Chrysie whooped out. I nodded my head, I could see Luna was happy, and then I saw that Elisabeth was happy as well. During our time together, we decided to add her to it, which she accepted, but that was a few days ago. I held them close to myself, keeping them in my arms, nuzzling them. They giggled before nuzzling me back and beaming up at me. I purred down to them as I kissed them one at a time. We had learned that Elisabeth is a new class, a class that I find rather interesting. She's part of the Astral Class -which we have now-. Apparently she was the only one in Richard's army and the only one he'd ever get, so since she is with me -and marrying me- now, he will never get another chance. 
Looking at their figures -which they use to their advantage- are hourglass figures, although Elisabeth's hips are slightly wider than theirs, while Chrysies chest -boobies!- are larger than theirs, and Luna's waist is smaller then both of them, but don't get me wrong, none of them are 'too big', but 'just right'. I let go of them before a Pegasus guard landed a few feet away from us. 
"Lord Nova, there has been word that Richard has attacked the south of Zebrica. They are asking for help. You're orders?" He asked me. I nodded my head.
"Yes, send in the stealth team, make sure they are from the changeling and my hives. understood? I want the pony stealth sky division to cover them." I said to him. The Pegasus nodded his head and saluted. 
"Sir!" He took off to the sky before heading towards the barracks. I sighed sadly. Zebrica might be helpful, but their defenses are primitive, Richard could take them all out. 'Why hasn't he taken out our allies with weaker allies. What is he doing?' I asked Ovan.
"It could be a distraction. But if it was, then we'd know. But what if he is trying to draw us out? if so, then he would die." Ovan said to me in his shrill echoing voice. I nodded my head, the girls seemed to catch on to who I was talking to.
"But if that's true than..." I stopped, my eyes widened as a thought crossed my mind. "What if...What if he is trying to pull our forces out, along with us so he can pick us off one by one?" I asked to Ova and partially to the girls. 
"Then he'd succeed in destroying us. We need to recall the troops Nova. Now." I heard Discord saw from behind the tree. As he walked out, I could see he had changed and gained a massive power boost. Either that, or he is one person you don't want to fuck with! He is wearing a black leather jacket, biker boots, grey pants, as he sports a pair of awesome shades. He looks like he's ready to rip out someone's throat, and after seeing him do that too many times to count, I didn't want to tempt him. 
"Right, we need to stop those stealth teams!" I said in a worried tone. He placed a claw on my shoulder. 
"Already taken care of, same with the attack on Zebrica. I was the first to become notified of such anyways, so I went there myself. Only drones, no evolved or Richard. Which means he plans on heading here, when? I don't know, but here? Yes, this is the capitol of the world, the place where the princesses raise the sun and moon. But his main target seems to be you." Discord said to me. I nodded my head before the same Pegasus guard returned, a worried expression on his face. 
"Lord Nova...the Crystal Empire is...is...under attack by Richard and a team of evolved serpents." He said. We stared at him with wide eyes. We were quick to get going to the Crystal Empire and help Cadance and Shinning out. Hopefully we wont be too late. We got to a hanger that held helicopters, jets, even a few tanks. We got into the copters taking our Elite Guards. 
As we headed towards the Crystal Empire, we saw flashes of light before we saw Richard, killing Crystal Ponies. I jumped out, spreading my wings ad tackled him into the ground. I punched him in the face as hard as I could, I heard his nose break. He kicked me off of himself, but his form shimmered, into someone else. It was an evolved, one we deemed as the 'Chameleon Class'. 
He hissed, clawing at me, but I sliced him in half, his black blood spraying everywhere. I looked towards the castle and my eyes widened. The castle was falling apart and still burning. I growled before I was talked by a Petal clone. I stabbed my hand downward, literally cutting the bastard in half. I rushed towards the castle. 
As I got inside, I heard Cadance screaming for Shinning armor. I broke the doors down, to see Richard standing there, a sardonic grin on his lips. He was holding Shinning Armor by his throat. He looked right at me, before stabbing his sword through Shinning's chest, below his heart. I snarled and side stepped before him, my tail impaling his side so fast, and as I pulled my tail out, his blood sprayed everywhere. I punched him back, feet away into a crystal pillar, said pillar crashed down onto him. Rushing to Shinning's side, I saw he wasn't going to make it. His body was scarred and burnt, his left eye was cut, while both seemed to be going glassy. I kneeled down to him as I held his hand.
"Hang in there Shining Armor! You'll get through this! You'll make it!" I yelled at him to try and keep him awake.
"I...I can't Nova...p-please..." -he paused to cough up blood. He continued -"Please keep Cadance and T-Twily safe...d-don't let them get hurt..." He said to me in a weak voice. I stared down at him, my eyes were burning with tears. 
"I won't, because you will soldier! You hear me!? You'll get through this!!" I yelled at him. The castle began to crumble down on top of us. I saw that Cadence's left leg was broken. 
"Save her Nova....keep her close..." He said to me. I growled and used my tail to bring her over to me.
"I am not leaving you here Shinning! You have a wife and a little sister to look after damn it!" I growled out. My voice slightly cracking. "You hear me? We'll make it through this!" My voice cracked completely. Cadance was sobbing into her husbands chest. Richard had pulled himself out from under the pillar.
"Such a pathetic creature. Why do you care if he lives or dies!? We are gods compared to them!" He yelled to me. I growled. Standing I let Ovan out, as he took Shinning and Cadance away from the castle. I rushed Richard, grabbing his head ad then slamming it into my knee. I grabbed his head again before repeating the same motion for a few moments before I threw him at the thrones, destroying them. I grabbed a broken crystal throne shard as I went to plunge it into his heart. He moved to the side as he sweep kicked me onto my back. I wrapped my tail around his left ankle, and pulling him down I drove the shard into his side, causing him to yell in pain, as he kicked me away from him. I landed on my feet, I saw him rip the shard from his body, his blood flowed like a river before he healed. I fired a golden beam at him, smashing him into the far wall, the explosion destroyed the wall and most of the throne room. 
As the castle kept crumbling, we continued to clash, our swords creating shockwaves and sparks. I roared at him, before sending a torrent of gold flams that he lost his right arm to. He screamed as he flew through the roof o the castle, with me in hot pursuit. As we left the crumbling castle behind, we clashed in the air. He would fire an occasional white beam at me that I would dodge or cut in half. I grabbed his leg and threw him into the Crystal ground, out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the rest of the Crystal guards and ponies were being taken away from the area, leaving the Crystal Empire.
Richard burst through the ground as he charged me once more, we slashed at each other. I gabbed his sword and bringing him foreword, I threw him once again at the Crystal Heart, shattering it. The snow and winds entered the area in a cyclone fashion. We fought on. I swung my sword upward as I gave him a large gash going up from his left leg, all the way to his right shoulder, his blood sprayed upward and flowed out like a river. I kicked him away from me, but was stopped by multiple Petal clones. They grabbed Richard and vanished in a flash of Lightning. Dragons flew at me, raining fire down upon me. 
I roared loudly splitting the winds, my power raised passed what I knew and my body began to change. My body turned blood red and bone white. My teeth became fangs, I grew nine more tails, my wings had doubled my upper wings were blood red, while my lower were bone white. My eyes were the same bone white and blood red. My cloths became armor, much like Felicia when she goes into a released state. I had two large horns pointing forward, while a crown of horns pointed backwards, my sword had fused with me in it's release state, and on my chest, was a slowly spinning, mini universe. 
I pointed my head at the dragons, a bright red and white sphere forming, and then turned into a large beam when I fired it at them. I spared no one. I saw Richard and multiple of his evolved, staring down at me. I roared once again, flying right at him and his group. A male rushed at me, but I slashed my claws once, sending fire waves of red ad white energy, all creating giant pillars as soon as they hit five of the evolved. I fired another beam, just in time to hear Richard say something.
"Let's go, we have failed the mission..." He stated, before they vanished from the area. I bellowed in rage, before heading back to Canterlot, my form retuning to normal. 

When I reached the castle, I saw everyone was crying. 
"No...No...No!" I got up to the stage, and my eyes burnt in tears, when I saw Shinning Armor's body, laying there, unmoving and not breathing. I saw Cadance sobbing loudly with Twilight. I wrapped my wings around both of them in a comforting motion. They clung to me as I held them closely. I comforted them as I had  look of hatred in my heart, burning more and more, yearning to destroy Richard. Once and for all.

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"We are gathered here today, to see our friend, our mentor, our sibling; Shinning Armor. May he walk with Faust, the mother." The priest said to everyone. Twilight and Cadance staying by close to each other, while Shinning's parents wept for the loss of their son. Discord and Ovan had their eyes closed ad heads down, showing their respect. I stepped to the podium, my eyes burning with tears, my throat tight from keeping myself from breaking down, right then and there.
"Shinning Armor was...He was a great friend. And he will be missed by all those who hold him dear. We will make sure that his death, as well as the others who died in the invasion, can rest in peace. May they watch over us, in this world, as we live on and remember them, and live for them." I said, my voice cracking. I swallowed a lump in my throat, and bit back my tears, until Ovan placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Let it out, Nova. It's okay to cry, Shinning would have done the same for you." He said to me. I nodded, letting tears role down my face. I looked at Shinning's picture, it showed him smiling with all of us in it, smiling at the camera. I turned around, and left back inside the castle, with sadness inside my heart. Hours passed until the girls joined me, but when they found me, I was a wreck. They hugged me tightly, as I sobbed loudly, tears flowing down my face. Luna rubbed my back with Chrysie, while Elisabeth gently held my head, cooing to me softly. The rest of the night was filled with tears, and as we went to sleep, we shared he same dream. A dream that showed us flashbacks of our times with Shinning Armor, the good, and the bad.