Diary of the Night

by CalebH

War of Shadows - Interlude X

Morning Star couldn’t help the smile that played across his face. Waking up in an actual bed, actually in the morning was more than refreshing after nearly two months in the field. Even the vibrant bustle of the Manehattan street he stood on was bracing. Moon Shadow forced back a yawn beside him. The bright morning sun was not her most flattering light and the accompanying grumpy mood wasn’t ideal but he couldn’t help but find her beautiful.

She came and shared his bed late in the night and so when he woke up bright and early she ended up losing a lot of sleep. They both agreed that making time to be together was worth losing some sleep. And besides, she’s cute when she’s all frumpy.

All told this was already a great day and it wasn’t even noon. In fact there was only one thing that could make today better.

“Ahem.”

The slight cough from the gray Earth Pony drew Moon Shadow’s attention while Morning Star forced his gaze to linger on her; after all he was under her spell.

“What is it?” she hissed.

“Not here. The alley,” the Earth Pony said lowly.

He led the way and Moon Shadow followed. Morning Star walked a length behind with a love-struck look on his face. The part he played excused his less than subtle admiration of his marefriend’s figure. It’s important to enjoy what you do after all.

After turning into a darkened alley Moon Shadow came to a stop facing the Earth Pony. Morning Star bumped into her and let loose a drunken giggle.

“Your disguise is awful,” the Earth Pony said abruptly. “Have you ever seen a pegasus with wings like that? Your coats too dark, your ears are too hairy, your eyes are all wrong and did you even try to do anything about your fangs?”

Morning Star couldn’t help but widen his smile. Changelings were nearly completely unaware of Night Ponies and so when they saw one they assumed it was only a bad disguise.

It happened by accident at first. They stood watch outside a small village on Equestria’s outskirts and wondered how they could clear it without the Night Ponies tipping off the Changelings. Moon Shadow hid under a cloak until a “Unicorn” walked up to her and told her that her fangs were showing. She panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, what was now standard procedure for the entire army.

“I have a message from the Queen,” Moon Shadow said as she kicked Morning Star in the shin to bring him out of his thoughts.

The Earth Pony’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked sharply at Morning Star. “How important is it?” he asked tensely.

“Every Changeling in the city must hear it,” Moon Shadow said as Morning Star smiled dumbly.

“Very well,” the Earth Pony said after a pause. “We have secured a warehouse, number 13, We will be assembled there at midnight tonight to hear your message. Find a cloak or something, we worked hard to make sure that ponies here do not suspect a thing and I will not have you tipping them off.”

The Earth Pony turned and exited the alley. Once he had disappeared back onto the bustling street Morning Star let out a breath he had been holding. “They’re getting smarter.”

“You’re getting careless. You aren’t supposed to have any thoughts to get lost in. Your world is only me, remember?” She asked as she looked up at him.

Morning Star couldn’t help but kiss her. After a moment he parted their lips just a hair and whispered, “Who else would I be reminiscing about?”

“Come on,” She said shoving him roughly off. “We’ve got to set up for our biggest raid yet and I need to actually get some sleep before tonight.”

The two made their way out of the city. Even hidden under a cloak Moon Shadow received stares but the Unicorn stallion walking protectively beside her ensured that they only were stares.

A dark wooded path outside the city meandered until it faded from existence. A few hundred yards beyond that end was a hidden campsite. Only a pony intimately familiar with the area would have known that bushes concealed stockpiled arms and rations, that the strange shapes hidden in the foliage were hammocks where Night Ponies slept.

“Warehouse 13. There’s going to be a lot of them,” Moon Shadow said to the seemingly empty clearing.

A rope with a loop tied around it descended from the treetops. With a resigned grumble Morning Star looped the rope around his chest. It pinched and pressed uncomfortably against his ribcage as he was drawn up into the treetops. He settled on the branch and closed his eyes.

The rope silently snaked its way up into the leafy treetops. If anypony wandered by they would only see a strange but harmless unicorn napping in a tree.

Morning Star shifted restlessly but did not move from his perch. The sun made its slow way across the sky. Sleep eventually found the unicorn well after it had reached its zenith at noon.

He was jostled awake and into the harsh afternoon light. “It’s almost time. Get ready,” one of his comrades said gruffly.

He gingerly lowered himself to the ground. Any pretense of stealth had been abandoned as the small army of Night Ponies armed themselves. The soft clank of armored plates and the creaks of the straps connecting them filled the air. Morning Star looked around the clearing as he strapped his barding on.

The Night Ponies looked out of place, like dark blotches against the forest floor in the bright afternoon light. He knew that when night fell they would be in their element but right now they seemed painfully out of place. Once his armor had been donned Morning Star took up his namesake.

He had not had need to use the spiked mace yet. The groups of changelings had been small and isolated but there were bound to be hundreds in Manehattan. He would find need for a weapon tonight.

As Morning Star drew up courage for the battle to come the Night Ponies seemed to hold themselves back, as if the strict discipline of Princess Luna’s army was the only thing keeping them from charging the enemy this instant.

Sunset found the Night Ponies milling around in nervous anticipation. Once the sun had set and the moon took its rightful place they nearly galloped towards the city.

Once they reached the outskirts of the city most of them took to the skies. Even the large flight was nearly invisible against the night sky. Morning Star, Moon Shadow and the few other Night Ponies who stayed with them made their way through the city under heavy cloaks.

It was slow going getting to the Seaside warehouses on hoof. After what seemed like hours they had finally arrived at the doors. Once the signal was given they would breach the doors and attack the changelings from the ground while the rest of the night ponies attacked from the skies.

Moon Shadow pounded on the doors. They opened a crack and the same earth pony from that morning poked his head out. He eyed Moon Shadow suspiciously, scowling at her armor.

“I can’t imagine why the Queen would send a messenger so incompetent as you. Come say your message and leave before you get us all caught.”

“The message is simple,” Moon Shadow said smiling, “die.”

From the shadows Morning Star struck the Changeling across his head. The rest of the Night Ponies with them forced the door open and streamed into the warehouse. Inside nearly a thousand disguised changelings sat shocked as Night Ponies crashed through the windows.

The changeling’s surprise lasted only a few moments before they exploded into a flurry of movement. Some turned to fight but most tried to run. The windows were small enough that the ponies that entered them could cut off any who tried to flee but the large double doors were a much easier escape path.

For nearly a full two minute the ground team struck out at the writhing swarm with impunity before they turned to the doors. In a single motion every Changeling turned towards the open doors with their unblinking stares.

“Uh oh,” was all Morning Star had time to say before the Changelings charged.

He stepped forward and with a battlecry summoned a shield around him and his companions. The first twenty Changelings dashed themselves against the shield but such a large spell under such strain required much more power than Morning Star could muster.
With the sound of breaking glass the shield shattered and Changelings poured through. The ground team could do little more than get out of the way. They struck at the mass of Changelings as it passed through but could do nothing to stem the tide.

“Get them in the skies! Let none escape!” A Night Pony cried out.

Those who had attacked through the windows flew back into the night sky to attack the changelings in the air. The ground team followed after the last of the changelings ran leaving Morning Star, the only non-flyer, alone.

He swiveled his head, looking around the room of dead and dying changelings with an almost dazed expression.

“Well crap!”

Author's Note:

I did say there was going to be more of these interludes for War of Shadows.

Comments

[Alondro]

4953841 Bah! You are much a fanatic as ISIL!! You worship a Nightmare who condoned the gobbling up of foals!

Only the shameful cloak themselves in the darkness of night! Only the wicked long to lurk forever in shadow!

BE PREPARED TO BURN IN THE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS LIGHT OF DAY, HEATHEN!!

*and then there is a religious war and nukes and stuff... everypony dies*

[Alondro]

4948001 I thought everypony was a changeling? And so are the trees, rocks, dirt...

[BenRG]

That was a fairly major battle and, now it's in the air over Manehattan, I'm wondering how long Luna can keep the war secret. The news that there are still battles taking place after the Wedding Invasion could cause panic. I also imagine some idealists will complain about ponies slaughtering other sentient life-forms, even if they are self-described enemies of their whole species.

Then there is the question of where Chrysalis is hiding. I'm wondering if she's long-since fled by magical rather than mundane means. Everything depends, I suppose, how much spare energy she had left after her expulsion from Canterlot.

[Xanderfox]

4954049
Well Luna might stop slaughtering the changelings, once she has Chrysalis head on a pike. With out her the changelings might very well act completely different

And if we include the IDW comics as cannon Queenie and her elites are in Lovey Dovey Smoochieland and draining it's natives, the Luv Cats who love everything, dry of a love. So while the rank and file changelings get killed by the Equestrian military Chrysalis and taking it easy committing genocide on a race that can't resist her.

[blazikenking]

4951873 Yes, I rang.
oi52.tinypic.com/23susci.jpg

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

4954596

Is that.. really a sword? And a fuckin' hinge in the middle?!

Power Rangers, I shake my head at you...

[PaulAsaran]

That went better than I expected.