//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Black Winter 
// by EMBER SPIRIT SHIELD 
//------------------------------//







Black Winter-Chapter 2






Brass Shield and Skywishes rushed towards the direction of the black cloud outside the northern edge of the city indicating where the explosion occurred. As they rounded the corner on to the main road of the city, Brass Shield ran straight into Captain Steel Cross. Skywishes looked back at Brass Shield to ask if he was alright, but froze in shock, seeing that Brass Shield ran into Captain Steel Cross. Captain Steel Cross hated being interrupted during anything, especially while he was thinking, and based upon the expression upon his face that is exactly what he had been doing.
As Skywishes eyes went wide, she said “I’ll-just-go-on-ahead-it-was-nice-knowing-you-Brass-good-luck.” She zipped away leaving a pegasus shaped dust cloud in her wake.
“Damn it” Brass shield muttered and looked back at the stunned caption.
“What are you doing here Lutinutit Brass Shield, you are supposed to be on guard duty?” questioned Captain Steel Cross
“Sir there was an explosion-“ 
“I know that Lieutenant, I just got my orders to investigate “ snapped Captain Steel Cross.
“S-sorry Sir” stuttered Lieutenant Brass Shield.
“Ugh… it’s fine, where were you going anyway?” said Steel Cross
“Towards the explosion,” Brass Shield replied, “We were going to see if anyone was hurt.” 
“Okay, then let’s go, I am also going that way as well” said Steel Cross
“Ahh, okay, let’s go” said Brass Shield. The pair then started off towards the direction of the explosion.

Skywishes went as fast as she could, dodging street lamps and heading towards the north gates.
“What could have possibly caused that explosion?” she thought worriedly.
She past the gate in a blur and flew over the trees and as she flew she saw the destruction that the explosion had caused.  The trees five miles around the explosion were flatten, and as she got closer to the center of the blast, there were just twigs left.  The center was ten feet from the edge of the mountain cliff.
“The bomb must have been thrown to save the mountain structions,” she concluded as she examined the crater in the mountain side. 
She gasped and had to remember to continue to flap her wings to stay aloft, because the crater was at least 60 feet and was glowing a dull red.  Among the dull, red glow there was a black blob near what used to be the path towards Canterlot. 
“Oh NO! the poor soul,” she thought. Then the blob started to move. 

Celestia was raising the sun as Luna lowered the moon. This process took an excessive amount of concentration to complete. When it was complete, they sat down at the dining table along with the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony, who waited patiently for the royal sisters to complete their duties. 
“No matter how many times I see you do that, I am still amazed, Princess Celestia” said Twilight Sparkle.
“Twilight, how many times must I tell you it is Celestia among us,” scolded Celestia.
“Of course, sorry” squeaked Twilight the rest of her friends chuckled at Twilight’s antics.  During their meal there was a bright blue and green fireball flew off the side of the mountain and in ten seconds later as the stained glass windows shattered from the force.  Guards appeared from out of nowhere, and formed a protective circle around the occupance of the room, as they recovered from the sound.  All their ears were still ringing.  
“Princesses, are you alright?!” demanded one guard!
“Yes, I believe we are fine, Luna, Twilight?”  Celestia inquired.
“We art disorientated but unharmed dearest sister” replied Luna who had resorted to her old speech pattern due to the disorientation.
“UMMMMMM,  I am okay Princess, girls?” replied Twilight, a chorus of confirmations that they were all well responded to her question.
“What was that, are we being attacked?” Inquired Celestia.
“We don’t know Princess, we have just received word that three guards have been sent to investigate, a scout, the Captain, Steel Cross and Lieutenant Brass Shield” replied one guard.
“We shoust go see if there is a threat ourselves” said Luna.
“But princess – “ the guard started.
“Guard we art more than capable of taking care of thy selves!”, snapped Luna in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“Luna, there is no need to be harsh, ...or loud. ” said Celestia in a quiet soothing voice , 
“Well I will have to come as well, so I know how to handle these things in the future, right Princess” questioned Twilight.
“Yes, indeed, all three of us shall go to see what has happened” replied Celestia now even bothering to correct her protege with that Princess Celestia, Luna and Twilight teleported to the north gates, 
“Princess Celestia, are you sure everything is alright, that was a pretty big explosion “questioned Twilight.
“I don’t know Twilight, I am trying to find that out.” replied Celestia, and after questioning the guards on duty, they teleported again to the first bend on the path, so they could observe what was accruing at a safe distance.

Ember Spirit Shield stirred, as the he regained consciousness, “Damn every orpheus in the world, I am glad that I insisted to put the dragon skin on the inside of the cloak.” 
Ember had gotten the skin from the Dragon King twenty years ago from saving his daughter from being kidnapped by his corrupt adviser.  His skin didn’t go to waste for it had has served Ember well for years since then.
Ember tried to get to his hooves but it was too painful.
'I will just try again in a few minutes... But I need the change the cloak...' he argued internally.  With a flicker of midnight blue magic he opened a phantom window and pulled out an identical cloak to the one before the blast.  It was a grey green colored fabric that covered the dragon skin hide.  As he transferred the cloaks he noticed a pink and purple blur coming his way. 
“Horse apples, I have to run.”  With a mighty heave brought himself to his hooves only then did he realize why it was so hard to get up. “I have my sword or what is left of it, in my CHEST! Of course.” The hilt had melted and then evaporated due to the heat of the blast.  Ember knew better than to remove the blade for it would make the wound bleed more.  So as he retrieved another sword to closed the magic window he snapped the blade as close as he could to his chest.  He heard a set of hooves touch down behind him and he knew he had taken too long. “Crap!” he cursed.

“It was moving the black form was moving, it must be whoever saved us, but how… it is impossible, there would be ash… based upon the glow off the stone.” 
“Whoever it is they must need help.” and with that Skywishes flew towards the form.   As she neared it, it went from black, to orange, to gray.  At that point she realized it was a pony, an orange pony, that must have put on some sort of cloak.  She could clearly see that it was using magic as it struggled with something in front of itself.  
As she landed she heard a sharp SNAP! Heard the clatter of a sword blade hitting the ground and with that the pony glanced back at her.  An orange pony with emerald eyes, and with that the pony started to run a crossed the path towards Canterlot castle.
“Whoa, wait friend stop!” Skywishes shouted, but the pony kept on running.  Skywishes took to the air and took chase, to stop him or her from hurting themselves further.  

“Must get away, can’t let her take me to the princesses.”  thought Ember as he ran. 
“Damn, this third of a sword in my chest isn’t helping” said Ember.
”Stop in the name of the royal guard” yelled the pegasus again!
“Like Hell!” he shouted back over his shoulder as he continued to gallop harder than ever.  Ember rounded a bend and not ten feet in front of him ran into two more of the royal guards.  The collusion made all three fall on their flanks.  Ember registered their stunned looks and heard the flaps behind him and jumped off the edge of the cliff…

As Brass Shield and Steel Cross were about to round the pass, an orange blur came barreling around the corner and slammed into them.  It was like running into a brick wall!  Then Skywishes came around the corner, a with a scream from Skywishes to stop, the stallion jumped into open air…

Skywishes was getting annoyed with this pony, it wouldn’t not stop running, she had even used her status as an undercover royal guard and the pony didn’t stop.  When the pony shouted ‘Like Hell’ back at her, she knew it was a stallion.  Then he rounded a corner and she heard a crash. 
“Please let that have stopped him.”  She rounded the corner and saw Brass Shield and Steel Cross on their butts and the stallion rising to his hooves.
“My chance to stop him!”  She went for him but then he threw himself over the edge.  
“No Don’t!!!” Skywishes screamed as he went over the edge, she flew over after him but to her astonishment, he was flying. 
“He has wings?!!!”

As Ember spread his wings he knew that they now knew he was an Alicorn.  Suddenly, Princess Celestia and Luna appeared before him along with a purple alicorn he did not recognise.  Ember attempted to swerve over them but he clipped his left wing on Celestia’s horn, which was as strong as a steel sword, effectively breaking his wing.
“Crap” Ember cursed, as he tumbled in a spin into the trees and pin-balled into unconsciousness, he finally hit the forest floor, leaving a skid mark to the edge of the forest before the vast foothills beyond.