//------------------------------// // Chapter two. Attack // Story: Shadow in the Dark // by Thestoryteller //------------------------------// Every deer panicked as they tried to flee from the Everfree forest. All except for the guards and soldiers, who stood at the great trees door. Meanwhile Nightwing, Fluttershy, Comet tail, Sunset, and Thorn watched the stone giant from afar. "Anything?" Nightwing asked to Thorn. "Nope, hasn't moved at all." Thorn answered. "Maybe the giant isn't dangerous?" Fluttershy suggested. "Oh no, there dangerous all right. Their entire instinct is to destroy anything that isn't one of them." Nightwing said. "Then why hasn't this one moved?" Thorn asked "Could be that it's still waking up, I'm surprised that he was there the whole time and no one has noticed." "Nightwing!" A voice called out. Nightwing looked to the direction of the voice and saw that it was Flash. "Flash, did you tell the wonderbolts?" Nightwing asked. "I did, their up ahead in the tree line. But since the giant isn't moving I told them not to engage." "Good, go to them and tell them that if that thing moves attack it." Nightwing said. Flash saluted and flew off towards the forest. "Sunset and Comet tail. How's it coming on your end?" "We sent a message to Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. They should be here any minute." "We have already arrived." A voice came from behind them. Looking behind them was both Twilight and Luna. "Where's Celestia?" Sunset asked. "My sister is trying to keep things calm in Canterlot." Luna said as she stepped towards the balcony. "So it is true, a stone giant has come to threaten our land." "Fascinating, how did it even get here?" Twilight asked. "Beats me, all I know is that it was in that mountain and now it's not." Nightwing answered. "It does not matter how this giant came here, all that matters is that we destroy it, immediately." Luna said. "I'm there with yah, but taking on a stone giant isn't exactly going to be easy." Nightwing said. "Let's go join Flash and the wonderbolts and help them out." "A wise idea, hold on." Luna said as her horn glowed blue and they were teleported to Flash and three wonderbolts. "Flash, where are the other wonderbolts?" Nightwing asked. "Their all spread out, with us Right now is Fleetfoot, Wave chill, and my cousin Soarin." Flash introduced the three Pegasi. Fleetfoot was a mare with light green fur, a white and silver mane, and a wonderbolts costume and goggles. Wave chill was a stallion with dark blue fur, a dark blue mane, and a wonderbolts costume with goggles. Soarin was a stallion with light blue fur, dark blue spiked mane, and a wonderbolts costume with goggles. "Okay, so far the giant hasn't done anything yet. Which means that it might still be waking up." Nightwing said. "But I still don't understand how somepony can hide a stone giant." Twilight said. "Let alone get one over here." "Hey uh...let's pretend that I have no clue what you guys are talking about, and I would like to know what the hay that thing is." Soarin stated as he pointed to the giant. "That Soarin, is a stone giant. A magical creature that is held together with stones. Kinda like a timberwolf but made of stone instead of wood. Anyways, the stone giants are very deadly creatures they live on an island far from equestria. Their the only creatures that live there because the stone Giants destroy anything that isn't one of their own." Nightwing explained. "Oh...good to know." Soarin gulped. "We must strike now before the creature awakens." Luna said as she prepared to attack the giant. "No, if we attack now we have a chance of making it angry and destroying everything in a fifty mile radius of here." Nightwing explained. "Then what do you suggest?" Twilight asked. "We lure it away from any populated areas and take it down there." "A wise Idea, but how do you plan on doing that?" Luna asked. "Simple, Stone Giants are like baby's. Their easily distracted, we'll just fly in front of it, lead it somewhere safe, and-" "Was that crack always there?" Wave chill asked. The seven ponies looked up at the giant to see that it had a large crack cutting through the middle of it's blank face. Then another crack formed. And another. And another on it's body, it's arms, and it's legs. Until finally it split. The once large giant was now nothing but pieces of rock falling to the ground with a loud thud. All of the Wonderbolts, Luna, Twilight, Flash, and Nightwing stood still in shock from what happened. "...Well that was anticlimactic." Twilight said breaking the silence. "Yeah, maybe it was a dud?" Soarin suggested. "Don't be stupid Soarin." Nightwing said. "Alright, tell the others to keep their distance and do not engage unless you see something mo-" Nightwing was cut off as a quick blur tackled him at a fast speed and pinned his back to a tree. "Oof!" Nightwing shouted as he looked to see that the something that pinned him was a stone creature with the shape of an earth pony but with no face and no mane and tail was standing on his hind legs and was using it's right foreleg to keep Nightwing pinned to the tree. "Nightwing!" Luna shouted as she turned towards the stone pony and began to charge her magic. "...grr...Behind you!" Nightwing shouted as he managed to point his hoof to where the stone giants remains where. The six looked behind them to see about sixty stone ponies, each began to charge towards a different part of the woods. "Attack!" Soarin shouted as he, the rest of the Wonderbolts, Flash, and Twilight retaliated against the stone ponies. Luna looked back to Nightwing to see that he had broken free from the stone ponies trap. Both he and the stone pony were on their hind legs while Nightwing was dodging the stone ponies continuous attacks. "Help them...I can handle...this." Nightwing said as he continued to dodge the stone ponies attacks. "But-" Luna began. "No buts-woah-go help them-gah!" Nightwing cringed as the stone pony landed a punch on nightwings shoulder. "I got this!" Luna looked away from her students fight and towards the fight between the Wonderbolts and the rest of the stone ponies. "As you wish...dear student." Luna said as her horn was enclosed by a light blue aura, summoning forth her magic a dark blue back plate of armor was strapped to her back. Then four dark blue shoes where instantly on her four hooves, and finally a dark blue helmet that covered her neck, the back of her head, the left and right sides of her head, and the top of her muzzle was magically summoned onto her head. As her eyes became pure white and small sparks of lightning came out of them. Then, two steel bladed swords with dark blue hilts were magically summoned beside Luna, both enclosed in a light blue aura. "FOR THE GLORY OF THE LUNAR EMPIRE!!!" She yelled as she flew straight into the battlefield and began slicing away at the stone ponies. Leaving a stunned Nightwing only to watch as his teacher was brutally attacking the stone creatures. 'Go Teach.' Was the only words that Nightwing could use to describe what he saw. Only for a swift stone hoof to smack him in the face to knock him to the ground and made him come back to reality. "Owwww." Nightwing groaned as he clenched his muzzle. Looking up he saw that the stone pony was coming straight towards him at full speed. Before stone could meet face Nightwing rolled out of the way as the stone pony missed Nightwing and punched at the ground. Not giving the stone creature a chance Nightwing quickly used his wings to jump in the air and kicked the stone pony in the face. The stone pony crashed into the ground only for it to quickly recover. Without another second to waste the stone pony tackled Nightwing. The two tossed and turned, neither letting go of the other as the two kept fighting until Nightwing pushed the stone pony off of him. "Okay, this is starting to get old. So I'm gonna end this okay?" Nightwing said as his crystal began to glow. Noticing that Nightwing was vulnerable the stone pony charged towards Nightwing only for the stone pony to leap into the air...and exploded. Small pieces of rock fell to the ground as the once stone pony was nothing more but rocks. "Should've done that in the first place." Nightwing thought out-loud as he looked at the remains. Suddenly the rocks began to shake and they slowly began to move. Some climbing on each other and somehow merged with other rocks. Until the remains formed the stone pony. "Well...that's unfair." Nightwing said as the stone pony tackled Nightwing deeper into the woods. "This is totally unfair!" Soarin shouted as he punched a stone ponies head clean off, only for it to hop straight back on. "Gah! I know what you mean cuz." Flash said as he made lightning ball on his hood and punched the stone pony in the chest, blowing it to pieces. Only for it to instantly reform. "Do not let up!" Luna yelled as she sliced and diced through any stone pony in her path, only for them to instantly reform. "We can win this!" "I don't see-gah-how we can win this!" Twilight shouted as she shot purple beam after purple beam at the stone ponies only for them to reform. As Twilight kept using her magic she failed to notice a stone pony charging towards her. "Twilight look out!" A soft, but audible, voice yelled as a Pegasus tackled the stone pony. Twilight looked to the source of the voice to see that it belonged to an unexpected friend. "Fluttershy?!" Twilight said in doubt. "Sis?!" Flash also said in confusion. "Cousin!" Soarin yelled as he flew up to Fluttershy and hugged her. "Hey Soarin. Great to see you too." Fluttershy said as she hugged Soarin back. "What do you think your doing here?!" Flash screamed. "You didn't think we'd let you have all the fun did you?" Another voice asked. The four ponies turned to see Sunset, Comet tail, Thorn, and oh, the twenty royal deer bodyguards of the Arbor susurro who were wearing light green armor and helmets. Each had either a steel tipped spear or a steel bladed sword with a light green hilt each sheathed in a scabbard. "Protect the Arbor susurro!" A buck yelled as the rest of the deer all charged into the battlefield. "Sis, as much as I appreciate that you have brought reinforcements. This place is still not safe for somepony like you-" Flash began but was cut off by his own sister. "Hi-yah!" Fluttershy yelled as she leaped over Flash and dropped kicked a stone pony that was charging towards her brother. The stone pony was sent back flying, leaving a smug Fluttershy and a wide eye and shocked Flash staring at his sister. "You we're saying?" "...Never mind." Flash smiled as he fought the stone pony next to him. "H-hi princess Twilight." Comet tail blushed as he walked towards Twilight. "Oh...Comet tail right?" Twilight asked. "Yes." Comet tail said quickly. "Oh, it's nice to meet you Flash has told me how much of a good friend you are." 'Flash you are a wonderful friend.' Comet tail thought happily as he blasted a stone pony. "So how's it been Soarin?" Sunset asked the blue Wonderbolt as she fried a stone pony with a yellow beam from her horn. "I can see that you managed to become a Wonderbolt like you always dreamed." "Yeah, it was pretty nice. So how's your live been? We haven't seen you in what? Twelve years?" Soarin asked as he kicked a stone pony back a few feet. "Actually eleven, but I can promise you that I've changed and I'm better than I was before." "Rrrrright." "Hey, why aren't you using your lighting magic on these things?" "Because they just rebuild themselves once they've been knocked down, at least this way I can get a workout." "I see." "Princess Luna, correct?" Thorn asked the Alicorn that was still slashing away at the stone ponies. "YES WE ARE THY PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT! HOW MAY WE AID YOU THY COMRADE?!" Luna shouted in the royal canterlot voice, her eyes still pure white and small sparks coming out of them. "Umm...never mind." Thorn squeaked as he went back to battling a stone pony. Luna shrugged and turned back towards the other stone ponies. "YAAAAAAAAA-" "-Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Nightwing yelled as he was thrown off a small hill and landed in a pond of water. Nightwing swam to shore and lied down as he coughed up some water he swallowed. *cough* *cough* "I...really...hate...this thing." Nightwing panted as the stone pony landed straight in front of him. "Oh...hey there neighbor...you wouldn't mind to stop hitting me...would ya?" Nightwing asked. His response was a punch to the face that sent him splashing into the water causing some drops of water to fall on the stone ponies right foreleg. Nightwing flew out of the water and charged at the stone pony. The stone pony was about to block Nightwings attack but his foreleg suddenly froze up. Soon it was to late as Nightwing tackled the stone pony and slammed him against a tree. Nightwing backed away to see that his whole body had cracks in it. Only for them to quickly be sealed up. But his right foreleg didn't. Instead it fell off and crumbled to dust. "Huh?" Nightwing asked confused. 'Why did that just happen?' Before Nightwing could use another thought the stone pony punched Nightwing in the chest. Causing him to grunt in pain. But since Nightwing was still wet some drops of water attached themselves to the stone ponies hoof and it to stiffened up and crumbled to dust. 'Interesting.' Nightwing thought as he placed his hoof on his chest. 'I wonder.' Nightwing thought as he looked towards the pond. "Hey blank face!" Nightwing shouted as he got the attention of the stone pony. "Drink up." Nightwing said as he grabbed the stone pony and dunked both him and the stone pony into the pond. And sure enough the stone pony stiffened up and turned into dust. Nightwing swam to the surface and jumped out of the water. He collapsed on the forest ground and began to get his strength back. He then stood up and flew away. "Gah! These things are relentless!" Flash yelled as he punched a stone pony away from him only be hit in the back by another one. "I wish that these things would just give up already!" Soarin shouted. "Guys!" A voice above them shouted. They looked up to see that it was Nightwing. Flying straight towards them. "Nightwing. How did you escape?" Twilight asked. "No time, quick Sunset and Twilight, do you two know the spell for creating water from the atmosphere?" Nightwing asked. "What? Why would we-" "Yes or no Sunset?" "Yes, but why-" "Good both you and Twilight cast the spell over all of the stone ponies. I would ask Teach but..." "HAHA! HAVE AT THEE STONE DEMONS!" Luna shouted as she decapitated three stone ponies with one swing of her swords. "You can see how much of a lost cause that is." Nightwing finished. "Okay but-" "Why haven't you castes the spell already?" Nightwing asked impatiently. "Uggh." Sunset groaned as her horn was enclosed by a yellow aura and Twilights a dark purple. As the two horns aura began to glow brighter a small ball of water had appeared out of nowhere above them. Soon it got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. And bigger. And bigger. And bigger. "That's good enough. Now release it." Nightwing said. "Why-" "Just drop the thing already!" Nightwing shouted. And they did. The once hovering ball of water was now a falling pool of water as it came crashing down on the surface, instantly soaking everything in a large radius. Including the stone ponies. Who stiffened and then all turned into dust. "How...why...what just happened?" Twilight stammered as she magicked herself dry. "Simple, the stone creatures for some reason are weakened by water. I don't know why but they just are." Nightwing explained. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to go stop a murderous Teach that will butcher anything in five feet of her." Meanwhile two figures we're watching the ponies and deer from afar. One had a cloak that covered his face and body. The other was the earth pony that you all know him as Clutterstep. "Hmmm, it seems that they figured it out twenty minutes faster than I thought they would." The hooded figure said as he lowered his binoculars. "Master, I don't understand." Clutterstep began. "Why would you give them valuable information if you just wanted them to test your experiment?" "Simple, if it was just a trap with no bait then the beast would not bother with it." The hooded pony said. "I see, what your saying is is that if there's nothing in it for them then they won't even bother with it at all." "Exactly, come our opponent is most likely going to find out that we have released Thicket from his cell and will go to Canterlot to find him. It's time to bait the second trap." The hooded pony said as he touched Cluttersteps shoulder and in the blink of an eye. They were gone.