//------------------------------// // The Invasion // Story: A Shadow's Return // by Chlouide //------------------------------// Chapter III Small black clouds shot out of the amassing black smoke, they were heading toward the Crystal Empire. These black clouds looked like artillery, but the spiraling movements disproved that. They moved in zig zags and spiraled around one another. Finally, after their show they landed on the Empire’s shield without so much of a sound. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass could be heard all around. Fragments of the blue and magenta shield began to fall and dissipate into thin air. The ponies below could only watch in horror as the two shields went out simultaneously. As soon as the shield was worn down, frigid air came rushing in through all the cracks and holes. Following the air came the black clouds. They landed onto the streets, houses, and knolls. No place was left untouched by these clouds. As soon as each one hit the ground they began to condense into more recognizable creatures to the guard ponies. They began turning into ponies. The only things about them was that they were pure black, a faint white glow surrounded their edges, their legs were long and slender and ended at a point, but their face was what freaked most guards. They had no face, their heads ended in a flat surface a blaze of shadow came out of the shin and head of the creatures. Matter of fact these creature looked like they were static, jagged spikes sprang out of them only to sucked back into their owner’s body. “Stop lollygagging you foals! Attack!” Commander Amethyst Shield yelled to her subordinates, “I will not allow the Southern blockade to be the first to fall! And I’ll be damned if we lose it without putting up a fight!” The guards yelled in unison for their leader and charged. Amethyst stayed behind with the unicorns who were casting either offensive or supportive spells. “Listen up! We don’t know what these guys are made up of, but judging by the fact their obviously shadow things, our best option is to use pyromancy! Follow my lead!” With that Amethyst charged a spell of her own. From her horn she shot out a red burning ray of light toward the fray. Several ponies had to jump clear of the ray to avoid being hit. As soon as the ray hit the enemy lines, they began to evaporate. The beam only lasted for several seconds, but it blasted through them like tsunami. Amethyst turned to her troop,“And that’s how it’s done.” Many of the other unicorn guards stared in disbelief. There was hope to defeating Sombra the Oppressor once more, but that hope soon turned into fear as the air began to darken and the shadows began to reform. “Ma’am! They’re back!” one of the unicorns yelled out. “What?!” Amethyst turned a full one-eighty only to find herself looking at ponies encased in ice. The shadows were tuning everything they touched into solid ice. Screams of pain were heard throughout the Empire as more and more ponies were being turned into fossilized remains. But those screams were soon muffled out by the ice completely encasing them. Amethyst saw as one of the earth ponies began to freeze in front of her eyes. The face on the stallion would remain forever in her head. In slight panic she yelled, “Retreat! Fall back to the second blockade!” Many of the unicorn guards had already been running in fear. Amethyst looked back to the other guards, none had survived the onslaught. Soon she heard a pegasi commander yelling over to his troops. “Ready! Aim! Fire at will!” a barrage of bolts shot out from the group's crossbows. The commander then flew down over to Amethyst. “Commander Arcing Blitz! What in Tartarus are you doing here! Aren't you suppose to be at second!’ “Not the best moment for explanation Commander! We’ll try and hold ‘em off for as long as we can!Get back to the third blockade!” Blitz yelled over the sound of clattering bolts hitting the ground. “Understood!” Amethyst began galloping over to second to inform her troop of unicorns the change of plan. Commander Blitz flew back up, “Storm Rage, don’t touch ‘em dammit!” The sound of battle was all over the Empire. Yells of pain and distress could be heard throughout. Third blockade wasn't too far from the second blockade, but the constant detours caused by the shadows falling from the sky made it difficult. Amethyst was the only one left, when she had gotten to second blockade she saw her unicorn guards frozen. The shadows stood there next to them staring at the dead bodies. As soon as she gasped at the sight all the shadows’ eyes -if they had any- were on her. And the chase quickly escalated with several teleportation spells from Amethyst. She was out of breath from magical and physical exertion, but she was almost there. Just one more corner, she thought to herself. Turning the corner she found herself face to face with one of the monstrosities that annihilated her entire group. But she couldn't move a muscle, she was in a complete panic. She tried to activate a spell, but nothing. She looked down to the creature's “hooves” and saw that it was coming up. Sweat was pouring down her face, but still, she couldn't move. She was mentally cursing to herself, she had so much adrenaline pumping, but she couldn't move. As if time were slowed down she saw a glowing bolt blast through the shadow, and it dispersed. She was caught off guard by the sudden rescue. In the distance she saw Commander Blitz salute. He was heading for the grand castle, and he was going straight for the throne room’s balcony. Amethyst made it her mission to get up there to support her rulers. The only thing that stood in her way was a giant mass of grounded shadows and now several flying ones.The thought of trying to teleport right to the balcony itself crossed her mind, but she knew that that would ultimately fail and her only other option was to break through the army of shadows in front of her. “How the in Tartarus am I supposed to get through that?” she muttered to herself as she stared at the continually amassing army. “That’s impossible, and at this rate th-” Her musings cut short by a group of ponies yelling something along the lines of ‘For the empire!’ or ‘For the Princesses!’ or ‘Protect the Crystal Heart’ -though the Heart was transported elsewhere in the castle. They were coming from the Western main road. What she saw was a group of earth ponies and unicorns, with the support of pegasi in the air charging into the fray. All she could think of was, Those idiots are trying to kill themselves! They’ll never be able to kill those things… She began running and weaving through the buildings to her left, trying to get a better view of the ponies fighting while she tried to stay alive. Making her way out of the alleys she saw the entire group of ponies hacking their way through enemy lines. Impossible! How?! One of the guards who just finished off a shadow turned around to check his back before going back into fight. He saw Amethyst near the alley way and yelled, "Commander!" despite there being a weapon in his mouth it was still understandable. He began waving her over when one of the flying shadows caught him off guard. The shadow picked him up by his already raised hoof. Doing so the pony dropped his sword. He was already beginning to freeze, the ice slowly made way to his face. The pony's face ended up with his eyes fully opened and his mouth open, another face Amethyst would be forced to remember. And that pony was never going to be seen again. With no time to think about it, she ran over to where the pony had dropped his weapon and picked up the double-edged sword in her magic. She quickly studied it as she brought it up. It's enchanted! But I've never seen this kind of enchantment! Yet it's working against those things... She thought back to when Blitz had shot that bolt. The shadow hadn't come back as soon as it was dispersed! From the corner of her eye she saw one of the grounded shadows charging her from her left. Before it could touch her she moved the enchanted blade over to her side and slashed right through it. Cuts like a knife through butter, Amethyst smiled at the thought. She looked to the other ponies that were fighting their combatants, the result of the fight was a near stalemate. She lifted her sword once more and charged in. “Don’t just stand there you damn foals! Don’t you have an Empire to defend!” The guards yelled in unison at the arrival of the Southern Commander and began to fight with even more ferocity. ~~~ “Your Majesties!” A pegasus commander came flying in through the balcony. “The entirety of the Southern and Eastern Fronts have been pushed back completely. Northern Front has been pushed to their second blockade and are at risk of being pincered and the same could be said for the West. We can’t possibly hold for two days at this rate much less five if we are expecting reinforcements.” Few ponies looked toward Commander Arcing Blitz in surprise at his sudden outburst. Others were moving about in quick succession trying to get preparations done for if the battle was brought into the castle itself. Shining stood up from the war table that was in the corner of the throne room, “What you say is true Commander, but we have to try. And besides several unicorns discovered several enchantments that are effective against the shadows.” “That is correct sir. I myself have first hoof experience, but they just don’t stop, no matter how many we kill I’m sorry to say this, but this is impossible. We have very limited resources, we’re losing ponies every minute and they have an unlimited army that probably doesn't need any resources! It’s imposs-” before Blitz could finish his sentence a hoof connected with his face creating a loud crack. Everyone now had eyes on the one who had landed the punch. Princess Cadance was in tears as she lowered her hoof, “If impossibility truly does exist, then I tempt fate!” Cadance turned back over to the others, “I challenge her! I will not see this Empire fall no matter what! And if it does,” She was now walking over to the balcony. Reaching it she looked down toward the war for several moments and turned back to the room, “I go down with it!” Ponies were cheering at their princess’ words. Shining Armor on the other hand, his jaw was hanging open after what he just saw and now it might as well have reached the floor when he heard his wife’s final words of her speech. He rushed over to his wife, knocking over a stumbling pegasus who was holding onto his jaw. He looked over the balcony and saw a black cess pool of shadows. He turned to his wife, “Cadance do you actually mean what you just said,” Concern took over all other expressions on Shining’s face, “I don’t want to lose you just, because you tempted fate.” “It’s my decision Shining and I will stand by it,” she stated in her soft tone. Cadance quickly pecked Shining on the lips and the two embraced. As the two let go of one another a loud roar caught their attention. They looked over the balcony, the sound came from the West side. What they saw was somewhat inspirational. A group of ponies were charging into the shadows. Shining and Cadance looked to each other, she gave Shining another kiss, “And I have full faith in them.”