//------------------------------// // The Clash // Story: The Appearance of The New // by Castok the Shadow //------------------------------// Third Person POV: Dawn had arrived and just as Arcana said, The Lunatics were already in the outskirts of Ponyville. It wasn't a easy mission, they had to hide in the shadows of the remaining buildings that was still standing. They even had to run in open land to get to the over side. Lucky for them, as it was the earliest of early mornings, not a lot of Ogres, dogs or animals were outside, taking down more buildings. The Lunatics only problems were the warriors on the walls, keeping a watch out over them but sometimes to admirer what they have done to the once proud town. Right now, the Lunatics were near their destination; Twilight's castle. Arcana and Shamrock ducked behind some crates that contained weapons, mostly spears whilst Firestorm hided behind what remains of a building's wall. The three had a perfect view of the castle. Only four Ogres stood guard at the main door along with one timberwolf. It looked like another normal timberwolf, despite having a extremely large fang on the right side of its mouth. Right next to it, on the left, stood the stature of the Fall of Ponyville, where the Lunatics looked at it in disgust. Shamrock, for some reason, looked behind her. "Hey, where is Storm and Snow?" As if someone answered her prays, the two sneakily appeared from behind her. They then proceeded to hide behind the same wall with Firestorm. "What have we got?" Storm Days asked as he looked at the main entrance and its guards. "Four Ogres and a wolf blocking our main entrance, there was two patrols guarding the walls for now and mostly on the western side where the train station was, Diamond dogs are digging for what I can guess more tunnels" Informed Shamrock. "Anyway of getting in?" Snow Charm said as she analysis the situation. "Not really, unless we boldly charge in which will only mean our doom or stay here till they spot us that'll again only means our doom" Firestorm looked at Shamrock. "Can you say anything nice?" "Quite" Arcana spat. "Someone's coming out of the castle" Opening the doors, which cause the Ogres to turn around and salute, came out Llofrudd as he sorted out his new shoulder plates that has spikes on the right and the Horde's symbol on the other. "You two" Llofrudd pointed at the two Ogres on the right. "Dynol wants to know how the building on Rhyfel is doing, he needs a report from my father. While you two" Llofrudd pointed at the two Ogres on the left. "Go in and guard the entrance that leads to our 'guest's' room, Dynol will have a nice chat with him like he did with that pony in Castle Rhyfel" All of Llofrudd's kins nodded their heads and went to do what they were ordered to do. Which just leaves Llofrudd with the timberwolf. "WoodFang, Dynol wants to talk to you, something about those letters he sent and wants to know if any others has accepted his offer cause.... They have accepted" WoodFang then barked in delight, everything is going so well. He then walked into the castle while Llofrudd headed off to the western side of the walls, checking how things are going over there. Totally unaware of a group of ponies, listening to their conversation. "Letters?" Snow Charm said with a worry tone in her voice. "What letters and who accepted?" "Who cares! We've got a chance to get in there, let's go" Shamrock replied as she quickly ran towards the castle's doors. "Shamrock!" Arcana called for her as he and the others follow her. 'I hope this doesn't end tragically' Arcana thought as he helped open the door with his magic for his team to enter. Spike POV: I got to get out of here! Dynol and his Horde must be stopped! I've been trapped in here for a day now and I heard almost everything the guards at my door about what they are planning. They're going to wait till either someone coming to meet them or are preparing for an attack by the ponies. From what I could see from my window, everything I once knew was gone. They've taken everything from me and my friends home, one of the guard even taunted me by eating one of the Cake's famous cake and telling how good it was. I couldn't tell if it was an Ogre or a Diamond dog. But whoever it was.....Uncool. Although in my capture I did hear some interesting things. This 'Llofrudd' is the son of 'Chieftain Varlock Shard-Oth', leader of the Ogres and the one who is leading the Diamond Dogs is named 'Great Alpha Behemoth'. I also heard what sounded like a battle in Twilight's library and I even heard Dynol hiss in pain, whoever it was, good on ya. For now, I was siting with back against the wall, facing the door while throwing a ball at it again and again. There wasn't really anything to do and sometimes Dynol himself comes in and asked me questions about my friends, I refused to give anything to him but that doesn't stop him coming back and asking the same questions over again. On the other side of the door, I could hear the sounds of footsteps coming towards the door. "You are relieved of duty, Llofrudd's orders" Came a voice. "About time, my feet are killing me" The same guard that said that knocked on my door. "I'm gonna go off and eat the remaining cake from that shop, mmmm chocolate with strawberry and cream, sweet and tasty" My tummy grumbled, I haven't eaten anything from yesterday. "Has anyone else noticed that shadow over there?" 'What?' I thought as I stopped throwing the ball at the door and looked up at it. 'What does he mean by-' Suddenly, from beyond my door, a sound of a magic bolt was heard along with a thud from one of the guards. "Ponies! Kill them!" Commanded one of the remaining guards as I could hear weapons being drawn and clashes of steel. The next things I could hear was the sound of weapons hitting each other, more magic bolts being shot and the growls and snarls from the guards. But what caught me by surprise was the door being slammed opened by a guard from what I could guess by being bucked by one of the ponies. The door was wide opened and broken from the sheer force and the guard, who was a Ogre, died with one of his arm cut clear off. "Hope you're happy Shamrock" Said a mare with a white coat, ice blue mane and tail as she rushed in to check if whatever they were looking for was in here. She looked at me and dashed in, picking me up and placing her on her back. "No doubt that-" "WHAT WAS THAT?!?!" bellowed a very anger and possibly psychopathic Lord of The Horde of The Forest. "Told ya" The pony and I rushed out of the room where the four more was facing in a battle stance, looking left down the hallway where the map is. Swinging the two main doors and slamming them on the walls, causing a large crack on both of the doors and walls, was Dynol the Dammed covered in blue flame. He is definitely not happy, my guess is that he's seeing me outside of my room and seeing these ponies coming to my rescue. As quick as a flash. Dynol casted one Tartarus of a fireball straight at us. "Go, I'll cover you" Shouted a gray coat stallion as he casted a magical shield in front of us, making the fireball blasted into it. The smokes gave us a chance to retreat, the four ponies started to run down the opposite side of hallway, they'll need to run down the hallway and go left to the main entrance. I looked back to see what the stallion was about to do. He dispelled his shield and blown away the smoke.... Only to see Dynol come close with a fiery fist aiming at his head. The stallion just managed to dodged the impact as Dynol's fist slammed upon the ground. He then charged his horn again to shot a beam of what looked like shadow magic at him. However, Dynol leaned back, causing the stallion's magic to passed in front of Dynol's molten mask and blasting into through another door. I would of seen more of the fight, but the mare I was riding on turned left that prevented me to see more. Instead all I could see was a blast on air, throwing the stallion onto the far end wall of hallway. He shook his head and opened his eyes. He then quickly got up onto his hooves and jumped out of the way. The reason was that a Timberwolf was about to crash into him if he didn't move in time. Instead, the wolf bashed its head into the wall as the stallion caught up with the rest of his team. The Timberwolf staggered, swaying a little bit before shaking its head and glared daggers at us as it growled. Dynol then flew up and mounted the wolf as he pointed at us for the Timberwolf to start chasing us. This is not good. Said Timberwolf howled in the air. After it finished howling, I could heard in front of me another howl from a different wolf. As I turned my head to the our exit, I saw a very large Timberwolf blocking our exit, showing its sharp, wooden teeth....Great. "Firestorm!" Yelled one of the ponies. "I'm on it!" Shouted 'Firestorm' as she ran ahead of the others, revealing some cool looking wing blades. She charged right at the wolf, as the beast was about the try and take a bit out of her. She then leaned down just as the Timberwolf was about to catch her in its jaw, unfolding her right wing, cutting its four legs clear off. Said wolf yelped in surprise as it looked down at it legs. Then the mare that was carrying me casted an ice spell on it, covering it in ice for a yellow coated Earth pony to charge into it and smashing her head into it, creating fragments of itself. We all cheered as we exited Twilight's castle. "Yeah!" "Alright!" "Way ago, sister!" My cheering only stopped when I looked up at the walls. Dozen of Ogres with long spears were running along the walls whilst Diamond Dogs, around one or two hundred were charging at us on the ground along with a really massive one with black armour and really crude mace leading them. "Hold on tight, little one!" Said the mare I was riding on as she and the others ran though an alleyway, out of those Ogres' sights but not out of the dogs'. "Bring back that dragon! Slaughter the pony scums! SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!!!" Commanded Dynol as dogs rampaged though the alleyway to get us, as well as running along the roofs of the buildings to flank us. We saw some of them jumping down in front of us, but the ponies dealt them with ease, either by magic, speed or just raw strength. When they finished with the last dog in front of them, we exited the alleyway where there should of been houses to give us more cover, but instead, it was opened bare land. "What is your plan!?" I yelled at my rescuers. "This is the plan!" "What!?" "Blame it on Shamrock!" "Hey!" I then heard what sounded like a command and turned my head to the walls. What I saw was a line of Ogres with long spears, ready to throw at us. On the far left, an Ogre with a voodoo mask brought down his steel axe and a volley of spears flew into the sky. "Look out!" I warned the ponies as I pointed at where the danger was. All of them looked to where I was pointing, some managed to dodged them while over just missed it my a few metes and had to alternated around them. Thanks goodness bad guys have bad aiming otherwise we might of been goners if not. "We're nearly there!" Shouted the mare named 'Firestorm' as we were near the border to the Everfree, one I was about to questioned before looking back and seeing the massive forces of Diamond Dogs and Ogres chasing us. So instead, I held on tight as we entered the Everfree Forest, Dynol's dominion. Third Person POV: "After them!" Dynol yelled as a large amount of Ponyville's garrison rushed into forest, chasing down the Lunatics. "And somebody please tell me how no one saw five damn ponies entering this town, without being seen!?" Flying onto Dynol's left shoulder was one of his raven, informing him on where the Lunatics would be heading to. "Perfect" Dynol grinned as Llofrudd and WoodFang approached him, wary of Dynol's mood. "It seems that Behemoth somehow, in mere seconds after the ponies entered the forest, managed to spit his forces in two, making Spike's savers covered on both east and north thanks to their tunnels" "East and North?" Llofrudd questioned. "But that'll lead them to the border of the forest and into open Equestrian lands where who knows are waiting for them" "But unlike the dogs, I do not need to build tunnels to stealthily go though unseen" A little tremor came from underground as a big oval shape rock came out of the ground, in front of Dynol. It had enough space to hold someone in, and that someone was him. He stepped in and turned around to face Llofrudd and WoodFang. "Gather your ebon bladers and join Behemoth in this little hunt, WoodFang you do the same with your pack" "Where are you going?" Dynol grinned as his molten mask folded again onto his face. "I'm gonna meet Spike at the finish line" And like that, The oval rock went back down into the ground and headed to the border of forest before the others do. "They're just coming out of nowhere!" Snow Charm yelled as the Lunatics were in a circle, surrounded by dog warriors. They were outnumbered three to once the Lunatics. Storm Days and Firestorm were covering the back while Shamrock and Arcana was covering the front. Snow Charm was protecting Spike as well as give the dogs a run for their money by covering the ground in ice to make some of them slip. Firestorm was using her wing blades to quickly destroy the dogs' bronze weapons and themselves. Storm days, although using daggers from his backpack, was doing okay for himself as he rolls and drives at the warriors, dealing pretty good damage on them. Shamrock was at the head of the combat, using nothing by her hind legs to buck the diamond dogs away or headbutting them till they were knocked out. And Arcana was using his remaining magic to make a clear path for Snow Charm and Spike to cross though, going though this many enemies was getting yourself killed. Coming out of one of the tunnels, Behemoth walked with his mace in his right paw and had wide smile as he saw his warriors doing a good job at halting the Lunatics at bay. Behemoth then raised his mace up, stoping anymore dogs from charging in to fight. The Lunatics, now regrouping and looking at their situation, were unsure why Behemoth ordered his warriors to stop. But all of them agreed that it wasn't a good thing. "You fought well" Behemoth smiled, showing his canine fangs at the ponies and dragon. "But alas brave, brave warriors, your trespassing will not go unpunished, surrender and I promise that your deaths will come swiftly" Arcana chuckled. "You don't know much about us, do you mutt?" The dog leader growled. "I know for the fact that YOU will be the first to die by my hands, equine maggot!" "Did you also know THIS!" Suddenly, Snow Charm charged her horn as bright as she could and blinded the dog forces as they cried out in shock and surprise as they covered their eyes with their paws. Behemoth merely turned his head to the side. The Lunatics took this chance by heading north and cutting down any dogs that was in their way. They were nearly out of the border. Firestorm and Storm Days leaded the way while Arcana, Shamrock and Snow Charm covered them from the rear in case of more dogs following them. Their hopes were high, their mission was almost completed.... Almost. A sudden tremor was felt underneath the ponies and the dragon's feet before a oval rock blasted out of the ground in front of them. Before anyone could acted, two fireballs blasted both Firestorm and Storm Days away from the group and made them land back first on two trees, stunning them from the impact. After the two fell to the ground. Dynol, as if in a flash, uppercutted Shamrock's jaw with his right fist and side kicked Arcana in the face, sending them a few metes away from Snow Charm and Spike. Snow Charm got closer to Spike to defend him. "Don't worry, I'll-" Snow didn't finished her sentence before everything around Spike slowed down. As Snow slowly turned her head to look at him, Dynol rushed towards her with his left hand folding into what can only describe as a stone-like hand with curve sword like claws for fingers. Once it was done forming, Dynol then lifted it up with speed and ferocity that not even Spike's slow motion moment could slow it down. But what he saw next made his eyes widen in shock and horror. Dynol's claw cut Snow's right shoulder to her neck to the whole right side of her face, cutting deep into her flesh. Soon, time speeded up and everything went back to normal to show Snow Charm flying into the air, with her blood pouring out of her shoulder, neck and face. She landed on her left side and slide across the floor, ending at a rock where her body rested on from the fearful attack. Spike was shaking uncontrollable as he looked at his rescuers beaten in seconds by the Lord of the Forest himself. Dynol, while reforming his claw back to his normal hand, focused his attention on the little dragon. "Leaving so soon?" Dynol said as if he was hurt from Spike's escape. "Without saying goodbye to your friends?" Dynol kicked Spike in the belly, making him fall onto his knees. "Face it, your pony slaver is not coming to save you" "Twilight doesn't treat me as a slave" Spike painfully said in protest to Dynol's words. "Twilight-" "Then please tell me why she didn't come to save you herself?" Dynol interrupted Spike as he kneeled down on one knee. "If she thought of you anything different than a slave, why does she put her faith into these ponies rather then her own magical skills? We all know she saved the world a couple of times....But why can't she save you, a little dragon?" "Because this was all part of the plan!" Arcana shouted out as he blown the horn that was given to him by princess Luna. Dynol quickly turned around to see the pony standing on his three hooves while blowing into the horn as long as possible in his right hoof. Dynol formed in his left hand his rocky crossbow and shot a fiery bolt at the horn, knocking it out of Arcana's hoof. "Oh no, a random horn. Whatever shall I do now?" Dynol pretending to sound scared. "I surrender, O mighty pony. Take me to your leader in victory. Really, this is what the princesses is throwing at me?" But it turned out, it wasn't. For teleporting in front of Dynol and Arcana. with a multiple of colour of yellow, blue, pink and purple came Princess Celestia and Luna, as well as Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight. The princesses held different weapons in either their wings, hooves or magic. The sun princess held the mighty Halberd; 'Dawn-Breaker' she used in fight against King Sombra whilst her sister held her own mighty sword she too used against King Sombra; 'The Night Blade'. Princess Cadence held on her back 'Platinum Staff', a crystal staff she would normally used for special traditions back at the Crystal Empire, but it was also used for combat as well although it was very rare that it was needed for war. Twilight didn't have one, instead her horn was glowing, ready to rescue Spike from the grip of the Horde. "Twilight!" Spike cheered in delight. Only for Dynol to stamped one of his foot on the ground, making a stoney hand grab Spike in a tight grip, squeezing him if needs be. "Well" Dynol began to speak verily. "I thought today would be a lovely day for me, but instead it's turning out to be a worse day then Monday" Princess Celestia took a brave step towards Dynol. "Dynol the-" "It's 'Lord' Dynol The Dammed now, given to me by my allies after killing a scout force and bodyguards to a now hornless minotaur, destroying your armies at Ponyville and capturing it, and the biggest of all making those walls" Luna and Twilight narrowed their eyes whilst Cadence, despite being enemies and not having the full attention by the others, couldn't help but smile slightly at Dynol's little rhyme. Celestia tried again. "Very well. Lord Dynol The Dammed, I humbly request you to release Spike at once, along with the Lunatics so we can talk peacefully and try to end this war before it truly begins" "Peacefully? You've come to my home with weapons ready for war than peace" "Better to be save then sorry" "I would of gone with sorry if I was you" Dynol turned his head to the side to see Spike and, only his eyes could see, Ogres with their ebon blades carefully surrounding both he and the ponies along with the WoodFang's pack and Behemoth's warriors. Cadence then walked next to Celestia, giving her some support. "Please Dynol" Dynol turned his attention to the princess. "You don't have to do this, there's no need for war" She took another step closer to him. "There are thousands of innocents in Equestria and the other lands, no one wants to have another war to lose people close to them. Have you thought about them?" "I have" Dynol answered as he folded his arms across his chest. "I gave them a chance to run, like I did to those in that Scout force as well as the battle in Ponyville, but if they didn't.... They would of been citizens of war" He then grinned as he thought go cleaver plan. "But I am a respectable man and would gladly give back little Spike" Celestia and Cadence's eyes widened in hope as Dynol clicked his fingers to make the stoney hand throw the dragon at Twilight's hooves. Said pony rushed up to Spike and embraced him in her hooves....That was.... "His corporation with the Council was very useful and so his reward is to be back with his family" "What?!" The princesses and even Spike yelled in surprise. "That's not true!" Spike said, trying to prove his innocent. "That's it, my little comrade" Dynol happily replied. "Just like we acted, whoops didn't mean to say that out loud" "Spike?" Twilight whispered with tears in her eyes. "Is it..." "No it's not, I swear!" "I...I Trust you" Twilight looked at Dynol. "You're lying, Spike would never do that!" "Lying?!" Dynol shouted in anger. Cadence jumped from his outburst. "You have no rights to say that from what happened five years ago!" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Five years ago?" Before Twilight or even Luna could say anything, Dynol spoked first. "It would seem that she and your sister are allergic to truth and opening friendly arms" "But...Twilight is the Princess of Friendship?" What Dynol said next, changed everything. "Then you best find someone else to take that title, for she has failed that" "You disrespectful beast!" Luna angrily yelled in defence of Twilight's title and pride as she charged at Dynol with her sword drawned, aiming it at his chest. Before the other princesses could react, Dynol ignited his right hand into a uncontrollable flamethrower straight at the princess of the night. Luna's quick thinking caught up as she glowed her horn and teleported away from the flames. In recalibration, Dynol created a ball of air in his other hand and extended it out in front of him, causing the ball of air to strike at the all the princesses, making them fly out of the forest with incredible force. The princesses landed with a thud onto open land, there will be no cover of any trees from the forest if Dynol chases after them... And he did. "They are mine, deal with those ponies!" Dynol commanded his forces and he floated towards his foes with both hands covered in purple and blue flames from the anger and rage within him. He landed a few feet away from the princesses as they got up from the ground. "Well it would seem that your 'peacefulness' has been backstabbed from your own blood, princess Celestia!" "Look, we have got on the wron-" "Too late!" Dynol shouted. "You had your chance, now I'll have your heads!" Dynol then proceed by lifting both his arms up in the air, where the princesses watched carefully. His right hand began to twisted and turned awkwardly, sometime everyone around Dynol could hear his bones creaking from its transformation. The fingers and thumb on his right hand moulded together and grown twice as long, becoming a long fiery sword with a line of lava on the outskirts of its blade. Meanwhile, on Dynol's left hand, A brownish rock was rising from under the ground, about the same size as a hoofball. Dynol's purple blue flames began to transform into flaming chains, rapping around Dynol's arm so it cannot be removed from its master's grip. The chain extended to where the rock laid in the ground and like its master's arm, rapped around the rock, pulling it out of the ground to revealed dozens of large sliver stone spikes attached to it. He then swung his chain, along with the spike covered rock in the air and swung it above his head whilst he pointed his molten fire blade at the princesses. The princesses took to the air to get the higher ground and to prevent a surprise attack from Dynol or his Horde. Dynol's molten mask burned bright as he smiled at the princesses. "Today, the world will see its first Great Clash that'll spark The Great War!" Dynol shouted as he flew up in the air with his weapons thirsting for royal blood.