New Found Strength
On My Honor
Chapter 16
By Honored Service
Edited by: Duncan Zundel and Spirit of Harmony
Beep
Beep
Beep
The soft hums and intermittent clicks of hospital equipment kept Princess Luna company as she watched the sleeping human. It had been nearly four hours since the blood transfusion and Honored was still out cold, but he hadn’t died. He had come back from the brink of death and simply remained unconscious.
As Luna waited patiently for her beloved human to awake, she eyed his blood stained duster lying in the corner of the hospital room once again. She knew without the shadow of a doubt that the Codex was in it. Curiosity had been picking at the edge of her mind for hours now, but she thought it would be rude to look through the human's private thoughts and the ruminations of the addled mind that he had been when he made it. Finally, she gave in and pulled the tattered article of clothing closer to her couchbeside the bed.
Luna quickly looked back to the sleeping human and slowly pulled the black notebook out from the inside of the duster while watching him for any sign of movement. Once the book was held in her magic, she folded the duster away and opened the book to the first page. She took a deep breath, glanced at Honored once more, and dived into the mind of her warrior.
*
Remember what you are fighting for.
Luna stared at the notebook as the first sentence she saw on the first page as it hit home. He had written this book as a way to protect the ponies after he was gone. And even then he was talking to whomever was reading it, not to lose sight of the goal.
The question is not who will let me, but who will stop me.
Lolol get some, Celestia!
Luna rolled her eyes as she flipped the page, remembering that, even though he was reliable, heroic (depending on who you talked to) and (sometimes) wise, he was still a dramatic weirdo.
Alpha - Charlie Contingency Plans- Dealing with Open Field Encounters- No Strategy
In detailed diagrams and pictures, Luna read over the tactics that the human had written down. These Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie plans dealt with how to kill an enemy force that used no tactics other than charging ahead and using sheer numbers to win a fight. Luna memorized the patterns and the way a leader was to place one’s troops.
The human culture had been in constant war for thousands of years. Luna remembered back to when Honor had shared a brief glimpse into his past on his life. The books she had looked at while on his planet had described countless wars and battles. And Honored’s notebook placed all of this information right at her hooftips.
Delta Plans- Assassination and Sabotage within the Equestrian Government
When looking at the palace security, one lone assailant would be able to easily get within arrow or bolt distance from the princesses easily. I could kill both princesses in Canterlot and be gone within half an hour. Easy. The guard’s security perimeter is relaxed and predictable to the exact minute and the roaming ‘teams’ are only one guard. Teams should be at least two guards strong to insure neither guard is distracted.
It is in my best interest to demonstrate this, and play assassin one day.
By beefing up the teams, and actually controlling the amount of civilians that are let in each day to see the princesses in their open courts, the security around the princesses would be harder to penetrate. Giggity.
Luna looked up from the book and at the human who was still resting with his eyes closed. So he thought that he could kill them? That he, acting as a lone assassin, could breach the Royal Guard and eliminate both of the princesses. She would have to see about this was possible.
Echo - Hotel Contingency Plans- Large Enemy forces moving with a distinct leader, and using tactics.
Activate Sunset.
Luna flipped the page to find it blank. More plans followed after the blank page, but nowhere else in the notebook did Sunset come up. No further information in the entire thing. And this is what she needed information on. Clearly they were dealing with a true villain of evil intentions and using tactics against them, but what was Sunset?
“What is this Honored?” Luna looked down at the notebook and began flipping through the pages again, “What is Sunset?”
“It’s guerrilla warfare.”
Luna screamed and leapt from her seat beside the human and landed on her back. She looked up to see Honored’s eyes half open and a small smile on his face.
“Got ya’.” The human gave a light chuckle before coughing and closing his eyes. “Using a small force of warriors to hit the enemy to decrease their moral. Like hitting supply lines, central targets, and civilian areas.” Honored spoke softly, his voice strained. “It is an evil way of fighting that breaks down a massive force. Basically what is happening to the Crystal Empire now, we turn around and do to the enemy.”
“This sounds like what you just tried to do.” Luna said angrily at the wounded human. “You went in there by yourself!”
“Yea I know, but imagine if I had had some other warriors with me.”
“There was a hydra!” Luna yelled at the human and then stormed up to his bedside. “You were reckless! You should have tried to run rather than fight!” Luna grabbed Honored by his shoulder and raised him slightly, “You could have been killed… and… and I would have been alone again.” She began to weep as she pulled Honored into a hug.
“I was so scared Honored.” Luna sobbed into the human’s back, “They nearly lost you. You had lost so much blood, even with the Element of Protection you couldn’t replace the blood being lost. I had to give you my blood as a last ditch attempt to keep you alive.”
Honored pulled back and looked Luna in the eyes. He ran a hand along her face and gave another weak smile, “It seems that it worked.” He fell backwards as Luna continued to sniffle, but had a smile on her face.
“Yes. I supposed it did, you goofy human.” Luna looked down on the human. The last time she had given blood, it had given Philomena a boost in her intelligence. Who knew what it could do to him. Super strength. Invincibility, creator above he needed that. Or maybe it would just change the color of his hair. The possibilities were nearly endless. Magic is a strange thing.
“So am I going to grow wings or a horn?” Honored asked with his eyes closed from where he was laying on the bed. “Or freaky hooves. Because on my planet I would already be dead by now ya’ know.”
Luna tapped her front hooves together while giving a nervous smile, “Well we actually don’t know what will happen. But probably nothing.” She nodded, the nervous smile not leaving her face.
Honored locked up, his body went rigid and he began to shake violently. Luna’s looked at him startled before watching foam form at his mouth. “NURSE!” Luna boomed in the Royal Canterlot Voice as Honored continued to spasm and jerk around sporadically.
Just as suddenly as it began, he stopped. Luna stared at him as two nurses rushed into the room and stood beside the bed. “What’s the problem your highness?” They looked at the sleeping human and then back to the wide eyed princess.
“He… he was just… I…” Luna stammered as Honored cracked one eye open and gave a small smile and then closed his eye as the pony turned back around to him.
“His heart rate is elevated, but that could be just from dreaming. He is fine your highness, just sleeping.” And with that, the nurse walked off, the second one following after the first after shutting the door.
Luna waited for the two medical ponies to leave before glaring at the human and leaping into the air and onto the bed. “You big jerk!” She lightly punched the human as he struggled beneath Luna lightning fast jabs into his ticklish ribs. “You scared me senseless.” She was still mad at him, but she was happy to see him acting like himself.
Wait.
“Honored,” Luna began, slowly stepping off the human’s bed, “less than two minutes ago you were unconscious. Now you’re making jokes and acting like your old self.” Luna narrowed her eyes and pulled the bandage form the side of his head. The spot that had been beaten open by the hilt of a sword was healed perfectly.
“Hey!” Honored squeaked as all the bandages where pulled off of him without mercy. “This could just be my Element at work! Stop pulling my bandages off!” He slapped Luna’s horn and stopped her flow of magic, “I could do this before I had your blood in me.” Luna’s horn started to glow again. “Knock it off!” He tapped her horn again, before she could start.
Luna blushed as Honored pulled his bed sheets up around his chest and snuggled deeper into the bed. “Now I’m sure that whatever the effect will be will be nothing super huge, I mean come on, my body is naturally resistant to magic that isn’t my own, so most likely nothing will happen.”
Luna looked at me before giving a nod, “You’re probably right Honored. Now I must go and help my sister and Cadence with the news of the attacks. The Elements of Harmony are here, and they said they came to see you, but you were still asleep, so don’t be surprised if I send them back.” Luna opened the door and turned back towards me, “Please get better Honored.”
“Of course your highness.” He gave her a mischievous smile as she blew a raspberry at the tired human and left, closing the door as she walked away. Honored let out a sigh of relief and checked his watch. “Thank God.” he said aloud as not a minute later Spike came walking through the door caring a stack of books.
“Hey Honored, I just saw Princess Luna and she said that she was going to send the others later to see you.” He placed the books on the table beside Honored. “So why did you pretend to stay asleep while everypony was here?” He asked looking at the human as he jumped out of bed and stretched.
“Because Spike, I have things to do.” Honored grabbed the top most book and quickly scanned the first pages before tossing it aside. He continued this process before stopping on a large tome near the bottom of the pile. “Perfect.” He opened the book and then sat it down on the bed. “Spike you can’t tell any of the girls that I’m better already, okay?”
“Sure?” Spike said watching Honored as he walked around and began stacking the books he didn’t need back up. “Why?”
Honored turned with a mad glint in his eye. “Because I have to study!” He pointed at the book Spike had brought, “That book has all the secrets I need to beat the bad guy.” Honored spun around and lifted the book with a burst of his blood red magic. “I have to concentrate and focus on this if I want to beat him.”
Spike just cocked his head to the side and gave Honored a perplexed look. “You feeling alright?”
“I know this sounds strange, me wanting to study and all, but I need you to do this. If the girls, and from them Luna, find out that I’ve been awake and feeling fine for nearly half the day, they are going to start running tests or something on me to find out what Luna’s blood did to me. And I don’t have time for that. There is an evil guy out there destroying the Crystal Empire. I have to stop him.”
“Didn’t you just try to stop him and got your flank kicked?” Spike asked while pointing a claw at the bloody bandages that were piled near the edge of the bed. Honored narrowed his eyes at the dragon.
“I know I did.” He said through gritted teeth, “But I’m going to try something different next time.”
“Oh boy.” Spike said while rolling his eyes, “Okay so you’re still asleep, but I brought you some books for whenever you wake up.”
“Exactly. Thanks Spike.” Honored nodded and then sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the massive tome titled Dark Crystal Magic: The Research of Dr. Rock Sombra.
‘If they knew what I was doing.’ Honored thought as he dove into the book. This tome was written by the pony that had turned into Sombra. He knew. Honored knew who he was fighting. He was fighting Sombra, the master and evil unicorn of dark crystal magic. But hadn’t he been stopped already?
Why was he coming back?
Why now?
*
Shining Health had been a nurse in the Crystal Trauma Center for… well she forgot… but then remembered once Sombra’s curse had been lifted. Twenty-three years. She had been taking care of ponies for twenty-three years, and taking care of one ‘hoomon’ for two days. She was actually on her way to the new patient’s room to change his bandages.
“Oh Honored I hope you’re feeling better today.” She said with a smile as she opened the door and froze.
Black crystals, darker than night, covered the normally shiny blue room. The bed and medical equipment were now made of the terrifying black crystal too. In the center of the room, standing in an elongated hospital gown, was Honored. He was smiling, his teeth barred in a hideous smile, while his eyes were bright neon green with blood red iris. Dark purple smoke poured from the outside of his eyes as the black gauntlet on his left hand had been turned into shining black crystal. He turned and saw the petrified pony and their eyes met.
Shining Health saw nothing but the terror and pain that Sombra had caused to her and all the ponies of the Crystal Empire, every emotion flooding back to her in an instant. She blinked and locked eyes with the human, who had just been summoning evil dark crystal magic, was now resting in his bed with a small smile.
“Hi Shining Health. I guess I’m feeling a little better. Is it close to lunch yet?” He coughed once, but kept his small smile.
The nurse shook her head rapidly to get the visions from her head. She guessed that Sombra’s evil magic was still having some side effects to her memory. Her patient wasn’t evil and creating evil magic. She was seeing things, silly things.
“It’s actually only 11:30 Honored.” She said with a smile and walked over to the weakened soldier. “But if you would like to eat, I can get you some lunch early.”
“Oh that would be great Shining Health.” He meet her eyes again, and Shining Health saw the tyranny and hatred of Sombra again for a brief flash in her mind. She shook her head again and smiled.
“Now you keep getting your rest.” With that the crystal pony left the room, closing the door and trotting down the hallway.
*
“Whoa. That was close.” I let out a deep breath and looked at the room. Point thirty-two seconds. That’s how long it took me to undo the dark magic that I had summoned. It had taken an hour to get the magic to start flowing, but then it was easy. The dark crystal magic feeds off of hate. And oh man I had a lot of that towards Sombra. So it just came naturally.
In fact, it came easier than any of the magic I had done in the past using my Element of Sanctuary. I smiled. It was powerful. I knew that much. One section of Dr. Rock Sombra’s book described that after uncovering the crystals, he began to feel strange.
I feel nothing, like an emptiness inside of me now. I know that the crystals have done something, but it is too late to tell anypony. I must fix it myself, the crystals will show me.
They always show me the way.
I know.
The crystals.
Crystals.
Power.
That had been the last entry in the book. I closed the cover and looked out the window across from the bed. I smiled and looked down to my gauntlet while the dull black surface turned into shiny crystal.
“Let’s give this stuff a try.” I cracked my neck and stood up from the bed and walked over to my slightly dirty clothes on the floor. I slipped into my pants and duster, the undershirt I normally wore laying in the shredded rags that it had been reduced to. I stepped towards the window and stared at the ground almost two hundred feet. “Well nothing better than stress testing.”
I leapt forward and out the window and began hurtling towards the ground. The wind wiped at my face and my duster was pulled behind me as I dropped towards the fast approaching ground.
“COME ON!” I screamed while thrusting my gauntlet forward, trying to get the black crystals to form like they had just been doing. I was trying to summon a platform beneath me to land on and fly on, using the magical crystals which provided almost the same amount of power that my Element did.
“PLEASE!” I hollered as I concentrated on fighting Sombra. Beating him. Watching him lose.
Planting my boot on his throat.
Holding him down as I blocked off his air flow and watched the life bleed out from his eyes.
Seeing death take him.
The power leave him, and me take over.
Power.
My body rippled through the air as I felt magic exploded out.
CRCK-BANG
I moved forward through the air on top of a sheet of shiny black crystal. It sliced through the air, a small trail of black fog following behind me. I looked back and smiled, watching the ground disappear as I took off into the sky on the magical crystal. “OH YEAH!” I yelled and pumped a fist into the air. I shifted my weight and the black magic crystal dove towards the glistening city beneath me.
“This is amazing.” I said aloud as I hurtled towards the ground on the board. “I’m flying. And it’s thanks to a magic that is just misunderstood.” I pulled my weight back and the board pulled up sending me flying over the rooftops of the city. I shifted right and made a beeline straight towards the castle in the center of the city. Time to break down my new and improved plan.
It would need power though.
Power.
*
“No.”
Celestia turned back from the window.
“Nope.”
She had insured that the dark crystal magic had been erased from the library. She was one of the last remaining ponies alive that knew how to control, or at least, handle dark crystal magic. There was only one book left, and that was kept locked away in the Crystal Empire Royal Archives. Only a princess would have access to that section.
Or an assistant to a princess.
“Oh buck me.”
Celestia watched as the small dot of black crystal grew in size and she watched as Honored flew through the air on a sheet of the evil material. He rode it with a smile that had a glint of malice to it. And his eyes. They were the same color as anypony who activated the magic. Bright green and red.
He had it figured out. He could use dark crystal magic.
A creature filled with violence and hate was in control of a magic that positively thrived off those two emotions. Celestia could only begin to imagine what Tartarus he would do with these powers he had gotten ahold of.
Celestia could only hope that he knew what he was doing.
But it was Honored… so probably not.
*
“So how do I land this?” I asked aloud as the crystal skyboard closed the distance towards the throne room window. “Shit.” I slammed my eyes shut and braced for the hit.
I snapped my eyes open and concentrated on the inside of the room. I flashed forward in a dark mist and watched as everything moved around me and I found myself spinning to a stop in the center of the throne room, a black mist slowly swirling around me. I looked up from the mist and meet the eyes of all the main six, Princess Cadence, Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor.
All of whom looked surprised, scared, and rather upset with me.
“Sup?” I asked, my voice sounding deep and raspy. “Whoa that’s weird.” I said looking down at my hands and then shaking my gauntlet till its normal dull black color had returned. “Okay that’s better.” Celestia had her eyes narrowed at me, well everypony in the room was looking at me with some kind of anger or fear.
“Honored.” Celestia gave me a look surprise mixed with fear. “Are you in control?”
“Of course.” I stated obviously. “Why would I not be in control?” I walked over to the large table that still had a large map of the Crystal Empire spread out on it. I began tracing the edge of the Everfree. There was only a fraction of the forest here in the north if Equestria. Most of it was found… lower, the center of Equestria. Oh fuck.
As I stared at the map as the horrible truth set in, Celestia was still speaking behind me, “Honored it took me months to regain control over myself once I started to use dark crystal magic. It is an unbalanced force that is extremely powerful, but hard to reel in once it is let lose.”
“Princess Cadence,” I turned to face the Princess of Love, “are there any dominate features in the Everfree here leading down to the south?”
“No.” She said, confusion etched across her face. “Honored what’s wrong?”
“Celestia, we can talk about dark crystals or whatever later, we have been tricked.” I turned back to the map and pointed at the forest that stretched from the north all the way down to the center of Equestria. A covered and concealed pathway leading directly into the heartland of Equestria.
*
“Push forward!” The rumbling demonic voice rang out through ever creature’s head as they marched into the forest. Deeper and deeper the massive army under the control and command of Sombra through the Everfree Forest. The creatures marched for so long that they could feel the climate change as they left the cold north and entered the fall of the south.
“Oh you predictable and pitiful ponies.” Sombra allowed himself a deep chuckle. It had almost been too easy. The weak north had been the perfect distraction. All the leaders and that human would run to the aid of the Crystal Empire, leaving Equestria without its primary defenders. Only the garrisons of weak Royal Guard would stand between his army and his rule of Equestria.
And once Equestria was taken over, he could then retake his north. Although Equestria had always been his main goal. He would first have his main course. Then the Crystal Empire would be his succulent dessert.
A griffon with dark blood red markings drawn around his face landed beside the unicorn. He bowed deeply to the half changed unicorn who was still changing from his old color and size to the new Sombra. “My Lord, we have the first town in sight. Upon your command we can take the pitiful ponies my storm.”
“Then we stand unopposed.” Sombra turned to the small town tucked away in between two large hills. “This town of Laudermare will fall easily.”
*
“Alright recruits!” Master Sergeant Stand Bold stood on a small wooden platform in front of a group of over one hundred ponies with freshly shaved manes and cut tales. Behind Stand Bold stood four other leaders of the Equestrian Honor Guard training facility at Fort Mareadale. A large black shadow stood to the far left, his bright red eyes watching the crowd with intensity that made every recruit that dared to look back shiver. A one winged pegasus stood still next to the shadow, a dagger that seemed to hum and vibrate rested against his hip as he gave the crowd a cocky smile. A tall and well-built unicorn with a thick pair of glasses stood to the right, a glowing bow of gold slung across his neck. He watched the ponies with interest as he examined the newest crop. On the far right stood a mammoth of an earth stallion. He was stoic and moved not once during the speech, save to shift the massive hammer on his back around so that its humongous head could be seen by the recruits.
“Ya’ little excuses of wasted space have decided to try and join the most elite defense force in the Royal Guard. There are under sixty current members. Six of which are the current holders of the Elements of Sanctuary.” Stand Bold gestured to the five of them before the recruits.
“And the sixth is a bloody insane and downright suicidal near extinct creature known as the devil-god himself.” Several recruits whispered to each other about the sixth being that would be an instructor.
“Oh I’m sorry recruit!” Stand Bold pounced down from the stand and marched up to the pony that whispered to his fellow recruit. “Didn’t know I was interrupting your story time. For that, everypony get running. Two laps around the base.”
Not a single pony dared to move.
“NOW!” Hammer Strike roared as he dove up into the air with a powerful burst from his legs and slammed the head of his hammer against the ground, a rippling blue wave of energy knocking several ponies backwards and sending the recruits running away in a mass pack running around the road around the training center.
“I think that was the best intro yet.” Stand Bold said as he looked up to Hammer Strike. “Damn good yelling.”
“Thanks.” Hammer said without any emotion, watching the recruits run off into the distant.
“Anypony heard anything from Honored?” Battle Plan stepped down from the platform and joined the two on the ground. “We sent him a letter weeks ago and no response.”
“I saw him board a carriage to the Crystal Empire about a week ago.” Covert said still watching the recruits. “You think he would want to be here for this.”
“Nah, I barly made it in time to save him. And that was with Fast Skies reaching red on the engines. He should still be recovering.” Stand Bold said with a sigh. Hearing about a friend getting hurt was always terrible, but having to watch it from the safety of the airship that had been truly awful.
“What is that?” Quick Flurry asked, pointing his only wing at a speck in the distance hurtling towards the camp.
“I looks like a chariot.” Battle Plan noted as he cocked his head to the side.
The speck grew in size until it could be clearly seen as a Royal Guard chariot. It was speeding towards the camp at an incredible velocity. The sun glinted off the golden sides of the chariot as it skidded to a halt across the large parade field in the center of the camp. Camp Sunfall was located at the edge of Fort Laudermare. It had been the ideal place to act as the home of the Equestrian Honor Guard branch of the guard.
A unicorn guard leapt from the carriage and sprinted to the group of Elements. He was out of breath and his armor was covered in scratches and dents. All in all, he looked like he had just completed a marathon in the gear.
“Elements of Sanctuary?” he asked the group.
“Kid, what other group has a freaking Shadow Human and a one winged pegasus in it?” Stand Bold asked with a cocky smile. “Yeah that’s us.”
“I have an urgent message from Princess Celestia under the code sunset.” The guard said with a frown. “I must play the message for you now in a secure location.”
Every Element stiffened at the mention of sunset. Hammer narrowed his eyes and then moved off towards the nearest building. He was followed by the reaming guards and the messenger.
The group entered the empty classroom and pushed a few desks out of the way so a semi-circle was formed around the messenger. “Okay guard, what’s happening?” Battle Plan asked as he locked the door behind the assembly of Elements, no need for anypony to walk in on a top secret meeting of the minds.
The gray unicorn guard took a deep breath and then aimed his horn at the center of the semi-circle. A pop and a fizz of magic later, the room was filled with the voice of Princess Celestia as her form slowly took shape.
“To the Elements of Sanctuary, this is a level one secure message sent under the orders of Sunset.”
“HI GUYS!” A white hand waved across Celesita’s face. “Super-secret and scary, we know Celestia.” The focus shifted from Princess Celestia to Honored who stood up. He was wearing a blood stained brown duster that was missing a lot of its original armor. A few new scares doted the human’s face and he didn’t seem to stand up as straight as he had use too.
“Listen, I’m activating Sunset because I just had my ass handed to me. I nearly died. On a side note, I have Luna’s blood in me, but that’s whatever.” Honored stopped and then turned to the side glancing at something outside of the spell’s range. His focus remained away for a few seconds before he turned back to the unicorn recording the spell. “Alright, alright, serious from here on out.”
“This is bad. I have reason to believe that we have been tricked. A villain that was thought defeated, a King Sombra, has lead the Princesses to the north to remove the main defense away from Equestria. He is then using the Everfree Forest as a covered route to enter Equestria, avoiding detection. I am asking that you send out a scouting party that consists of at least two of you into the forest to see if any sign of a large force has moved past your position.”
As the Elements of Sanctuary leaned into the recording to hear what Honored would say next, a boulder the size of a small chariot slammed through the roof of the building and landed in the center of the semi-circle, cutting off the unicorn’s spell. With a yelp, the guard toppled backwards and landed on his back, staring at the hole in the ceiling.
“What the bloody nightmare?” Stand Bold shot into the air and looked carefully out of the gapping ceiling.
He slowly lowered himself back to the ground and looked at the four other Elements of Sanctuary.
“The army he was talking about is here. Isn’t it?” Battle Plan asked. Stand Bold gave a single nod before removing his magically enchanted crossbow from his back and locking a glowing pink bolt into it. “Very well.” Battle Plan sighed and unslung his bow in his magical aurora.
“It HAS to be Tuesday.” Quick Flurry rolled his eyes as his wicked dagger slipped free from its sheath.
“Yea.” Hammer Strike shrugged while gripping his hammer in his mouth and lifting it up into the air.
Stand Bold turned to the messenger. “Is Honored on the way?” The messenger nodded rapidly.
“He sent the message a day ago, Lieutenant Service and Princess Luna left shortly after I did with a guard force of fifty royal battle mages and fifty royal sun archers.”
“Then they should arrive before too long.” Covert said while an alien looking weapon formed in his shadowy hands. With a solid ‘clunk’, a piece of the weapon locked back and slammed forward chambering a weapon.
“Let’s hope so.” Quick Flurry opened the door before turning back to the group, “Because if he got his ass kicked, how are we going to stop that?” His wing pointed to an army lumbering out of the dark depths of the Everfree Forest. Three hydra filed out from the forest behind wave after wave of never ending enemies. Timber wolves, griffins, chimeras, and other nightmarish creatures poured forth towards the camp. A camp filled with recruits aspiring to be the best of the best, and to even get to this stage of the Equestrian Honor Guard, one had to already be one of the best.
The new King Sombra couldn’t have chosen a better place to test his magnificently evil army.
*
“ADVANCE!” Sombra roared out across his ranks of evil minions as the air around his body shimmered and armor made of dark void crystals formed around him. Black fog formed at his hooves as Sombra strode forward as the ranks of creatures spilled from the forest like a creat tidal wave bent on destruction and mayhem.
He smirked as his army rushed towards the first target on its way through Equestria. A simple looking camp for Royal Guards. It would be easy. A giant crushing a bug.
*
A wolf made of wood jumped over the gate and landed on the inside of the camp. It looked left and then turned its head in search of its next victim.
CLUNK
A massive hammer slammed down onto the beast’s head and crushed it into the earth. A huge blue earth pony ripped the Warhammer from the ground and stood atop the crumpled body. More wolves turned to the sound and began charging the gate and fence, determined to avenge their fallen brother. Griffin rouges and chimeras joined in the assault on the main entrance.
Twang
SHINK SHINK SHINK SHINK SHINK
Golden arrows that shone as bright as the sun began sprouting through the bodies of the attacking enemies. Some stopped and looked down to the wounds, staring in disbelief before collapsing to the ground, struggling to draw their last pained breath. A sage colored unicorn with a short silver mane and glasses stood atop a hastily constructed barricade, a glowing silver bow gripped in his magical aurora.
As more and more Everfree creatures poured from the far reaches of the forest, the gate began to break, allowing the enemy entrance into the camp. As the evil army slunk into the camp, creeping around the wooden barracks and buildings, shadows danced in between the buildings. Griffins stopped and leveled their crossbows, aiming at nothing. Chimeras stopped and sniffed the air. An unfamiliar smell filled the air.
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK
A long rip that sounded like a long zipper being pulled filled the air as enemy after enemy dropped to the dirt chocking on blood that filled their lungs. As the final enemy fell to the ground, seven holes placed perfectly in the griffin’s chest, a shadowy figure stepped forward from the side of a building. The two legged friendly nightmare aimed his weapon down at the wounded creature before letting off a short burst of the M249 machine gun into its head. A small slowly split across his face, showing off his blood red mouth filled with pointed fangs. The shadow simply vanished into the shadows as more enemies rushed into the camp.
A flash of yellow zipped across the ground. A scream of pain echoed across the battlefield. Another flash of yellow. Another scream.
At the east side of the camp, a group of rouge griffins began making their way towards the center of the camp, but was meeting resistance.
“Watch the left!” The leader called out in a shaky voice. He was terrified. He had just witnessed two separate attacks on his fellow rouges. One second they had been standing there, crossbows at the ready, then a flash of yellow, and now they both were lying in a pool of blood, necks spilt open, rivers of crimson blood flowing onto the dirt.
“Nothing!” A griffin yelled back, loading another bolt into his crossbow before firing randomly off into the distance. “I got noth-“
SLING
The griffon clawed at his throat as blood began to run through his claws while he collapsed to the ground, struggling to stop the wound. The flash of yellow zipped between two griffins who both fired their crossbows at the shape, but only succeeded in hitting each other in the chest. They both dropped, leaving the griffin team leader alone, surrounded by bodies of his fallen rouge comrades.
The griffin watched as a yellow one winged pegasus stopped in front of him and smiled. The griffon slashed his sword forward with all of his strength, but watched in almost what felt like slow motion as the pegasus easily side stepped propelled himself to the side using his one wing. The griffin’s sword stuck into the dirt as a burning sensation ripped into his side.
The griffin watched as the dagger was jerked forward, effectively slicing half his side open, darkness creeping into his vison as he hit the ground and watched the pegasus trot away with a bounce in his step.
*
“Messenger, what’s the status on the east front?” Sombra asked the chimera to his right side as he stepped over the crumbled remains of the camp’s gate.
“Nothing has been sent back my lord.” The chimera said with a frown, “The rouge griffins tend to be rather slow.”
“No matter,” Sombra said with a shrug of his shoulder, the crystal reflecting the sun as he did so, “anyway send a hydra to the east just as a precaution.”
“Excellent decision my lord.” The chimera bowed as he ran away to get the hydra ready.
“This is so sim –“ Sombra stopped as a glowing pink gem attached to a stick of wood landed right in front of his hoof. “What is-“
BOOM
Sombra vanished in an explosion as a tan pegasus with a red mane flew over the battlefield. Another pink tipped bolt magically flew out of his quiver and placed itself in the grove of the metal crossbow. Stand Bold sighted in another group of enemies and loosed the bolt into the center of the mixed creatures.
Another pink explosion of death swallowed the creatures before a jagged shard of black crystal whistled by the pegasus, just barely missing his wing.
“Ah bloody Tartarus.” Sergeant Stand Bold grumbled as a sheet of black magic headed directly at him from an extremely pissed off villain. “Where the flying feather is Honored?!” Stand Bold yelled out as he dodged, dipped, dived, ducked, and dodged his way around dark magic crystal spears that were thrown into the air after him.
*
‘I’m going to be too late.’ I thought to myself quietly as I looked over the side of the chariot that was hurtling through the air. Four changelings were pulling the chariot at an insane speed thanks to their unique magic. That’s twice now their use has helped me in some way. I’m glad that they decided to stay and help me after i had my ass handed to me. They had power. I liked that.
“One minute!” The lead challenging yelled back to me. I gave him a sharp nod before looking down to the rifle in my hands. I checked the bolt on the weird bizarre plasma-TV-rifle thing. I had my trusty M16A2 strapped to my back, stupid blue cat paw and all on it and beside it in its brown sheath was my Element of Sanctuary, the large sword of Protection.
I saw the far off smoke looming on the horizon. “No.” I whispered. I was too late. The battle would be over. Fort Laudermare would be the same thing that I had witnessed at all the other towns.
Except this one would have my friends at the center of it. Dead. More friends that I had let down, and it would cost them their lives. Covert. Stand Bold. Hammer Strike. Quick Flurry. Battle Plan. That messenger I sent. Countless other guards that wanted to be Equestrian Honor Guards. All of them I failed. I couldn’t stop Sombra. I didn’t have the strength.
The power.
I didn’t have the power then.
Now I did.
“Ten seconds!”
I stood up and looked down at the ground from the back of the chariot. Tune and Princess Luna were arriving via train in a few hours along with a force of guards. Both Equestrian, Crystal, and guards from other nations that heard our call for help and answered it. For once, I wasn’t going to do this alone. I had friends. And power. Power.
“GO!”
I gave one last nod and then jumped off the chariot and hurtled towards the ground. Through my watering eyes I passed through smoke arising from fires that were raging through the training camp. I gritted my teeth as I thrusted my gauntlet forwards and a dark cone of dark magic began to form around me, the point originating from my hand and going all the way around my body.
I watched the battle grow closer through the dark magic cone around me. I could see recruits battling alongside glowing weapons of varying colors. I picked out the Elements of Sanctuary by the unique glow the weapons had. Pink bolts from Stand Bold’s crossbow flew through the air. Quick Flurry’s yellow dagger slashed through the air. Hammer Strike’s blue hammer smashed into the ground, knocking enemies aside like nothing. Golden arrows from Battle Plan’s bow dropped enemies left and right. Red slashes from a katana marked where Covert silently brought evil minions to their deaths.
My friends were still alive! I wasn’t too late! I could still fight with them. I could show them my power.
I could show Sombra my power.
I could kill Sombra with my power.
My power.
I smiled as I neared the ground. It was time to release my new found power.
*
Stand Bold looked away from the battle long enough to watch the dark magic cone form midair and hurtle towards the gate where the enemy was still steadily marching into the camp. “What in the world?” He asked aloud as a flash of green formed in the center of the dark cone. It looked like two neon green eyes.
The cone slammed into the ground and black crystals fired up from the ground in every direction from the impact zone. Ring after ring of dark crystal shot out of the ground and traveled along the ground in a wave. Recruits scampered around the crystals as they impaled any creature from the Everfree. Griffins and winged chimeras took to the sky, leaving all the earth bound nightmares to the mercy of the crystals.
A sickening ‘boom’ finally reached Stand Bold’s ears from the impact. As the crystals stopped shooting up from the ground. In less than five seconds, the entirety of the attacking army’s ground forces, were suspended above the ground, speared and gored through with black crystals.
From the center of the crater in the center of the dead enemy army, a lone figure slowly arose. Standing on two legs, and cradling a rectangular weapon in his arms, Honored Service moved forward through the carnage. His eyes glowed bright green, as purple fog seeped out from the side of his eyes. His lips were curled back in a vicious smile as he raised his rifle and began to fire single shots into the sky, dropping any flying creature that he was able to get a bead on.
His normal armored duster was gone, a new black cape flowed behind him as his shiny black armor, trimmed in blood red paint reflected off the sun in the sky. As he walked along the ground, dark crystals formed beneath his boots, paving his way through the ravaged training camp.
Stand Bold couldn't believe his eyes. Was that his friend? Was that Honored?
Stats
Page generated in 0.029 seconds
Total duration
749 users online
962,147 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Great new chapter, Spooky new dark crystals!
hope Honoured doesn't go 
Anyway, well worth the wait
Badass. Although considering that Celly said it would take months to take back control of herself after using the black magic herself, this makes for an interesting new mini arc...
I LIEK IT!
11/10 hooves!
That's either really good, or really bad... or, knowing Honored, both. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
Well let's hope he won't be corrupt by it, because absolute power corrupts.
I don't even, because I can't.
I didn't know that I wanted him to have dark magic.
Can't wait to see where you take this.
Not gonna lie... i'm kinda-sorta thinking that hes going to be corrupted by the power. But hey, whats life without adventure?!?!
Yes.
All of my yes
Anyone think Sith Lord?
As for what I think about Dark magic personally...I think it's more of a weak-minded/strong-minded thing. If you managed to make it work, then you are very strong in power and mind.
Heh, he's gonna go Sith Lord on them.
I just hope he doesn't go crazy on us. I also remembered that he used dark magic before...The mind control thingy on a griffon patrol squad.
Dark magic can be used effectively without side effect if you know what you're doing.
5246088 It only corrupts if you let it
5246653 No offense to Honor, but he hasn't dealt with dark magic at all. So it would make sense if at first he is somewhat tempted to keep using dark magic.
Awww yehhh badassery :D
5246757 Oh yeah, definitely.
5247758 Wonder how long til he get's tempted?
ponies by storm.
propelled himself to the side using his one wing
Whoo-hoo, Honoured's back! Although it looks like Dark Crystal Magic makes you obsess over power... Well let's see where this goes!
Oh.
Oh!
OH!
OOOOOOOOOH!!!
Fuck yes! I was waiting for this motherfucker to come back banging the ever living shit out of everything :D
Hell yeah!
5248546 Knowing him... Next chapter or two
Pretty... meh.
Grievances-
Rampant misspellings and grammatical issues.Dark magic cliche.
That said, keep up the work.
URA!
It?
it bad honored can modified the 5ton with crystals. the act as amour like spell will bounds off and add dragon scales as camouflage. use Freight Truck with Metal Wheels as the wheel,
Cough.
5273604
Thank you, i wont be tardy again. 17 is already 20 pages long.
YES! Omg I have been waiting so long but now it's updated! Please, continue.
Thank you for this in B.C.T right now first time on my phone in a month
5319027
Good on ya mate. Keep with it.
5258735 Oops, missed one! (Editor, btw)
Well...that was that...NEXT!
5338417 You there! It's been a week. Can you give us an ETA on the next chapter?
Godspeed Comrade!
URA!
5367079 Should be finished in a day or two, don't worry!
5369242 Hello again. Thanks for responding, however. It's been slightly over two days.
I'm only hounding you guys because I'm absolutely stoked for the new chapter!
URA!
5377635 Tanner and I have agreed on Monday. Sorry.
5379228 Good to hear. As always:
Godspeed Comrade,
URA!