Pumpkin Bolt and Starlight Wishes climbed up the mountain as fast as they could. While waiting for Candy Shine to wake up, Ice Scream, one of the few Earth Candies who managed to escape and joined the group during the absence of the two and their hunter's group, and one of the vigilant group, came running to meet them, announcing problems.
"It's too cold up here!" Star protested, shaking slightly as the two ponies struggled to reach the top, where the lookout post mounted outside.
"You get used to it." Pumpkin Bolt laughed. And this is one of the smaller peaks in the region. "
"That's why I never walk around here."
"And that's why it's our best hideout. We're almost there."
They finally reached the end of their walk, where they found a small watchtower, built of blocks of icecream, like a colorful igloo.
Inside the tower were Frostbite and his sister, Snowflake, a pair of nearly identical Candy Unicorns. Both were white as snow, cream-colored mane and blue eyes, neither had a Cutie Mark yet, making them distinguishable only by the mane lenght, Snowflake's being longer and tied in a braid.
"Come see this!" Frost called urgently.
The siblings gave up their places in the lookout posts to the two friends.
From there was possible to have a good view of the most inhabited part of Sweet Island, and the chaos that had settled there.
The storm apparently not worth much. At the time, it had stopped and the creatures on which Vanilla warned them had reached the city and installed panic there.
"All our group escaped and are on the way back." Snowflake reported. "But there was a major attack near the castle, we don't know for what reason, but any pony who was in the middle of that fight would have no chance, even if it was one of the great warriors of Dragonia."
"And how are the operations to save us from these things?" Frost asked hopefully.
"Slower than we'd like." Star sighed. "And also a bit more uncertain. But we have hope and always a plan B, it will be fine."
"I hope you're right. I don't know how long we can resist. Anyone out there even thought about sending a message to Princess Celestia?" Frost asked.
"It was my first plan." Star admitted. "I doubt we have achieved. Got no answer or help, any intelligent enemy would cut off our communications with the rest of Equestria."
"We could look for help outside of Equestria. Our pegasi are the fastest in this land. Somepony might fly into the wilderness of Hoofling." Snow suggested.
"It would get no guarantee." Pumpkin warned. "It will be our hope if our plan fails, but it is not a first option."
"But ..." Snowflake began to protest.
"They're right." Her brother cut her out. "We received a ship earlier, he left shortly after, I guess it was also attacked. Why we don't try take care of ourselves. We warn all other Candy of the more remote areas and gather as many ponies as we can. If we need to fight, will be to win! Or die trying." He added the last sentence without others hearing.
He was scared, they all were, but there was no other choice but to resist untill the end, whatever it was.
Meanwhile, in Dragonia, a pony was watching a ship docked in the harbor.
He noted the eager group of soldiers who finished collecting things on the ship to land, but no sign of who he was expecting. Neither, for that matter.
He knew he should be helping to find Moonlight, he was one of the ponies with more chances of getting something, but his family came even before his duties, and all his family was on that ship, or was in trouble.
Every second he started to get worried, but the first sign that something was wrong there, was when they landed what seemed a pony sized statue, but Golden Hammer was sure it was more than it seemed. Making a decision, he approached.
The group began to disperse at his sign, but he knew well who he needed to talk to, the only pony who waited his approach, but seemed bothered. Not that Golden was a dangerous pony, to cause all the commotion, it was quite the contrary, he was just a simple unicorn. But everyone knew how much his family meant to him, and had an idea of what would happen when he knew everything that had happened in Sweet Island. But in the absence of the Sergeant, Dark Blaze was in charge not only of the troops, but any subject involving any of them.
"Sir, what's going on?" Golden Hammer asked, trying to keep calm.
"Hello, Gold, was really hoping to see you here. Any success finding the little princess?"
Gold shook his head. Dark was winding, it was a bad sign. He tried a more direct approach.
"Where is Sergeant Blade?"
"Still on the island, attempting to rescue your brother. We were attacked during the investigation and she told us to come back to help in the case of the missing princess."
"So you left her there alone?! And why the rescue? What happened to Shield?"
"Sorry, sir, but orders are orders. And we don't know who are our enemies, just received a message from Lady Lightning for help."
Gold sighed. He should imagine that the shadows weren't limited to Dragonia, and Sweet Island being the place closer to them, would be the first affected.
"She at least took her things?" He asked.
"Just a sword, sir."
That wasn't good! In fact it was bad, very bad.
"Where are the energy crystals?" Gold asked, but changed his mind. "It doesn't matter." And with it he ran away from the port. The last thing he heard from Dark Blaze was:
"Don't do anything stupid!"
Stupid? If saving lives could be considered stupidty, so they were all a little bit stupid.
Vanilla lay down beside Shield and let out a tired sigh. They had tried everything, so as to release Shield and to escape from there, nothing had advanced greatly. A little magic would come in hoof at the time.
A little magic...
Her gaze met the tree, then turned to Platinum Blade, who collapsed near the door.
"Plat, are you okay?" Shield asked, concerned.
"I am." she said, but it was clear she wasn't, she seemed weak.
Not that it was strange. She hd struggled a lot and was sore, but now she looked near to faint.
"You doesn't look good." Vanilla protested.
"I'll be fine as soon as we leave here."
"You must be hungry." Vanilla suggested innocently.
"Nilla, this place is impossible to stay hungry for long, everything is made of candy." Shield laughed. "It must be something else. Perhaps Changelings are poisonous or have cast a spell on her." He looked at his sergeant and sister-in-law, waiting for an answer.
But Platinum Blade just rested her head on her hooves and thought with herself:
"Neither of them is far from the truth."