//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Requiem of Darkness 
// by ChaosDragoon 
//------------------------------//

The creatures were something out of nightmares as their pitch black skin shimmered in the dusk sunlight. They were six feet long from their basketball shaped head with mouths filled with razor sharp fangs and glowing blood red eyes to their arrow-shaped tail.

Earth Ponies were the first to collide with the creatures. The battlefield filled with claws slamming into swords, axes, and war hammers. An Earth Pony slammed his hammer down onto the head of one of the creatures popping it like a pimple. Silver blood tainted his hammer, ground, and coat. However, another creature pierced its arrow tipped tail into the back of the Earth Pony and flung him into the Everfree before attacking another Pony near it. While the Earth Ponies attacked the creatures, the Changelings used their kin that now changed into weapons to flank the creatures. They began to howl and scream in pain as the Changeling and Pony weapons tore and ripped into their flesh. One of the creatures roared as it began to convulse before tendrils ripped out of its back. The tips formed into sickles. They shot towards a few of the Changelings and sliced through their bodies like a hot knife through butter. Some of the other creatures roared and convulsed before tendrils with sickle tips ripped out of their backs as well. The Changeling's and Earth Pony's weapons clashed with the tendrils, trying to get closer to the creatures bodies.

The griffins clashed with another group of creatures. Their maces and hatches crushed and slashed into the creature's skin tainting the ground with their blood. Some of the Griffins joined the Pegasi and group of Changeling in their aerial assault. The creatures were bombarded by both ground and air forces before they began to convulse and bat-like wings ripped out of their backs. Some of the creatures took flight and attacked the air forces. Pegasi, Changelings, and creatures clashed in the air. A Changeling pierced its sword into a creature's arm. The creature roared in pain before it spun around and slammed its tail into the Changeling. The tail morphed into a sphere with spikes around it before it made contact with the Changeling.

Dragons stormed through the skies and unleashed a shower of flames onto the creatures, burning their skin as they screeched in pain. Another group of creatures that had grown wings shot into the sky but were immediately grounded by the Dragons blasting balls of fire at the airborne creatures. The creatures on the ground convulsed again, but nothing new emerged. Instead, white mist creped from their mouths before they unleashed a beam of white energy from their mouths. The beams were not only aimed at Dragons, but Pegasi, Changelings, and Griffins as well.

The Dragons and their companions weaved and serpentine trying to avoid the beams. A Pegasus was hit by a beam and her skin began to bubble and melt as her muscles erupted into flames. Within seconds nothing but a Pegasus skeleton fell to the ground. The air forces were in a state of panic as they frantically tried to avoid the beams. Those who were caught in the beams of light suffered the same fate as the Pegasus. Their skin, muscles, tendons, and tissues were melted off their bones, leaving nothing but a skeleton. However, when a Dragon was hit by the energy its scales protected its soft tissue underneath, but the beam still left a scorch mark on the scales and knocked the massive beast from the air.

When the Dragon hit the ground, it created a mini earthquake. As it began to stand, more of the creatures ran towards it and lunged on top of it and began stabbing their arrow tipped tails into the Dragon's scales like scorpions, but finding no purchase. While the Dragon tried to shack off the creatures. Many of the ground forces rushed towards the creatures firing the beams of light. However, they were met with another group of creatures protecting them. The ground forces collided in hopes of stopping the anti-air barrage. The Dragons who were still in the air unleashed fireballs onto the creatures in hope of stopping them, but it seemed more and more rushed out of the forest and took to the air to sacrifice themselves to protect their kin.

Twilight watched the battle unfold with Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Drake, Aeolus, and Chrysalis. She was amazed at how well the armies of different species were working together. However, it wasn't enough and as another Dragon fell to the ground making another mini earthquake. She turned to Celestia and said, "They're able to adapt to their enemies tactics. What are we going to do if we can't get the upper hoof?" Drake snorted at her explanation and extended his wings.

"Then we kill them before they have time to adapt!" Drake said before he roared and took to the sky.

"Now you're speaking my language!" Aeolus said before he jumped down into the middle of the battlefield.

"I believe our comrades have the right idea," Luna said before she continued, "To win, we must use all our resources." Luna extended her wings as Celestia nodded and extended her wings as well. Cadence mimicked them and for a second Twilight was hesitant, but soon extended her wings as well.

"Go on then, I'm not getting myself killed," Chrysalis snorted as she raised her snout to the air. The four princesses shook their heads before taking to the sky, weapons in their magical grip.