The Pacification of Crystal Valley
The Pacification of Crystal Valley
By Tundara
Cadence stood on a low rise, eyes pinched into a severe line, lips pulled back to reveal her teeth. She snapped her braided tail from side to side, wings rustling against her enchanted barding. The same shade of lavender as her eyes, Cadence’s barding had been a gift from her aunt following the Nightmare’s defeat, and was one of the finest works of the smiths craft ever produced. Flowing, interlaced feathers blossomed from lapis lazuli stones across her chest and down her flanks. Each of the stones carried a protective ward forged from a combination of Bright, Harmonic, and Dark runes. How Celestia had managed to get the Bright and Dark runes to co-operate eluded Cadence, and she’d been tutored in magic since she could walk.
Penumbra, the sword forged by her mother while lost in the depths of madness and envy, sat snug against her left side. The blade hummed with power and a thirst for violence that echoed along the strands that bound it to the young princess. Malevolence had been poured into the tempered steel, the metal, dug from Selene’s surface, heated until it was a dark purple. The only moon-steel weapon in existence, Penumbra had been crafted as the instrument of Celestia’s death, but it had rebelled against the Nightmare, and bonded to Cadence, rejecting the darkness it was meant to herald.
Today, Penumbra would herald the dawn of a new age of peace; through bloody war.
To Cadence’s right sat the Lower Crystalspine, a fragmentary spur of the greater mountains that sat in the distance behind her and marched off to the west. A river cut through the valley before her, winding through the rolling, grassy hills strewn with crystalline menhirs growing from the natural magics the permeated the land.
Beyond the river stood a horde of Diamond Dogs in loose clumps and packs. Fifty thousand of the slobbering brutes, an army that in most any other age would have been terrifying to behold.
Cadence had grown up during the War of the Sun and Moon, and had seen armies of a hundred thousand, marching under the banners of the sister goddesses, and clashing in battles that would last for days. At Moonshade Fields, Cadence had even commanded one such army, though under the Nightmare’s judging gaze, and then, again, at the disastrous Fifth Battle of Flankshire.
In comparison to the grand legions formed in the civil war, the army at Cadence’s back was a pale imitation. Two legions, that was all that had answered her call to pacify the north and end once and for all the threat posed by the Diamond Dogs.
Most Equestrians were too weary of war, decades of constant struggle having left a deep scar on the nation. In truth, Cadence was surprised so many had rallied to her banner. Cadence was, at best, viewed with suspicion by Celestia’s supporters, and as a traitor by those that had served the Nightmare. Then again, she shouldn’t have been surprised that these veterans, of all ponies, had once more picked up sword and spear for her cause.
They were the cast-offs and the reject, ponies too used to the life of a soldier to fall easily into the role of a citizen. Soldiering was all they knew from a young age, answering the call to arms at the onset of war when the Nightmare had appeared. Their marks ranged from swords to shields, anvils to towers; but no matter the form, their talents all involved war in some form.
Around her stood her closest supporters and knights, their silver armour gleaming, and their gaze fixed with the utmost determination and contempt on the horde ahead.
“So, here I am again,” Cadence muttered, lifting an armoured hoof to press at the spot where she kept, tucked away beneath her armour, the locket containing the carved reliefs of her foster parents.
As always, in times of stress and particular hardship, she looked to their memory for guidance. It seemed like only the day before that she’d lost them, ripped from their hooves while her birth mother’s cackling laughter filled the small, two room house. She could not recall their names, just their voices as they tucked her into bed and sang her to sleep, whispering sweet nothings as Cadence drifted off.
What would they have thought to see their little Cadence now, she wondered ruefully. Would they be pleased? Would they have been saddened?
“Be good.” It was the only advice Cadence could clearly recall, given as she was spirited away.
Cadence had tried to live up to those two, simple words. Even as she was surrounded by madness and evil, as all the disc seemed to darken and fall ever deeper into hatred until it was as if the world had become part of Tartarus itself.
Being good, however, wasn’t always so easy.
But, somehow, Cadence had managed.
And now she stood on the precipice of something both good and evil.
Shaking off her doubts, Cadence turned to her legions, and with a simple spell, amplified her voice so all could hear her speak.
“Friends, here we are at Tartarus’ Gate once more,” she began, marching back and forth across the hilltop. “Before us stands the enemy, drawn out of their filthy holes and warrens, and ready to retreat back into them, to disappear and return to their raiding ways. Every herd in the north that has been touched by the vile beasts across the way.
“Our sisters and daughters have been stolen and defiled. Our brothers and sons taken and gelded. All of them forced to work in the mines until they die of exhaustion or to the slave-masters whips, and then butchered and served as dinner. For twenty years they grew bolder and bolder while the Sun and Moon warred, their attention diverted to each other. Entire villages have been lost due to inaction.”
The legions stamped their hooves and screamed their outrage.
“No more, I say,” Cadence spread her majestic wings wide, and with Sol just cresting the mountains, her shadow fell across the legions. “I have heard the prayers of the lamenting mothers, and, together, we will make the dogs answer for each and every filly taken from her mother’s hooves. For every colt snatched in the night.
They think ponies as soft. They think of us as weak and cowardly; but I know better!” Cadence paused as the legions roared. “I was with you, legionaires of the 3rd Lunarius, at the final battle of Flankshire, when we faced the charnel house my aunt had set for us. I was with you, my brave sisters and brothers, as you alone escaped with honour, while the rest of the lunar legions broke and fled like cowards. I was with you, fighting for three days until we reached the boundaries of the Everfree.
“It was against you, legionaires of the 2nd Harmonious, that we fought. We were enemies then, those few, short years ago, and now we are allied by common purpose. After today, we will be sisters and brothers all, bound in blood and sweat and victory. We will avenge those taken from us. By Faust, She whom weaves the tapestry of Fate, She whom grants us our very names; we will strike the dogs down with a fury so great and loud, no being will dare challenge ponies for a thousand years!”
Cadence held Penumbra high, moonfire flashing along the blades length with a chilling hiss.
The legions roared louder still, and as their voices died away, the horns trumpeted and the onigers and scorpios began to fire.
By nightfall, not a single diamond dog would remain in the Crystal Valley.
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Wow, this Cadence is awesome. Please sir, may I have some more?
We need more Cadence stories like this one, loved it!
Next, we need a Badass Cadence group.
Nice insight into Cadence, but I have to wonder how the crystal valley plays into this series if Sombra was the instigator in basically every bad thing to happen in your series thus far. Do things proceed as canon or-?
Badass Cadence? Do you have any idea how rare that is? Well... I know you can pull it off.
I like it!
A great edition to the myths and birthrights universe
So basically she just goes in and kills those guys?
without the alt tag I wouldnt have bought it.
Well written but a tad bit cheesy.
Nice work, go get 'em, Cadence!
that was shorter then i'm use to from you but still good
4835653
I wrote it intentionally a little cheesy. Mostly as I wrote it in a little over an hour to accompany the art. It was meant to just be in a blog-post, but people were all, 'Make it a little longer and post it.' So I did.
4835605
He's far from the instigator for everything. I mean, he wasn't involved in what happened over on Gaea.
4836576 True, as far as Iokan events (I know of, I'll eventually read Queen in stone) go he basically is though; at least, from a first domino perspective.
Speaking of, will we ever find out what screwed Gaea up so horrendously?
4836590 Fairly certain that was the result of Alicorn-Alicorn warfare on a massive scale...
4836785 True, but I don't think even a god would get bored enough to start a giant, cataclysmic war for the lulz. (Maybe Ares)
There's probably some motive:
OilPeace,resourcesconflict of ideas of some sort, etc.4836975 Family feuds? All sorts of monarchies ran into civil war over which son/house got the crown- the War of the Roses comes to mind.
4836975
The origins of that conflict are... complicated. There was kidnapping, old feuds, murder, scorned love and pride, and more besides.
Relevant.
4837140 I'll chalk it up to "What didn't go wrong?" then.
4837236
Indeed.
The fact that this has so few views is saddening
Short, sweet, and very sensitive with emotions, it can touch the reader on a larger scale. In short, I enjoyed it very much.
Great art, great little one-shot. I'm really loving the idea of these two separate veteran legions fighting together to reclaim the north. It sort of comes off as a giant team building exercise for the previously opposed armies that eventually become the royal guard.
from the natural magics the permeated the land.
*that
Get a proofreader please.
I feel like this isn't complete, but it's marked complete. I think it's mostly because I'd love to see what you would do with your descriptive talents in a battle scene. Oh well...
Another great story although I would've liked to read what happened during the battle but oh well. Also speaking of war I've always wondered how non unicorn ponies would use swords and shields since they only have a mouth? Even the makers of the show thought it was a bad idea since we only see the royal guards use spears.
Edit changed magical to unicorn.
4839467
The way I have it is that the Earth Ponies very rarely serve as front line soldiers. When they do, they way the heaviest, toughest armour available and use brute, crushing force through kicks, stomping, and massed charges. It's not a very effective tactic, however, and even an Earth Pony's endurance can't handle that much weight for very long.
The unicorns and pegasi have very different methods and tactics. Unicorns, with their TK, are able to approximate our (Human) tactics and styles. For the Unicorns I use Roman Legion style organisation and tactics, as it feels right with the herd mentality. Just as very few people were knights, few unicorns are wizards (particularly Battle-Wizards), even at the point this little vignette takes place.
Pegasi, I've generally gone with more mixed styles, favouring guerilla warefare, or fast paced Mongol cavalry. Later on within the setting, the pegasi appropriated the term 'Legion' to describe their familial groupings, much as the unicorns use 'House', and the Earth ponies 'Clans'. There is history behind this that, frankly, doesn't need going into here.
4839243
I wrote a battle scene for another story. It was, sadly, mostly cut for various reasons.
I've not really tried one since, or before if I am honest. 
Love that title picture
The writing is mint, as well. :D
4840959
And a Sabatton Soundtrack.
4840973
Perhaps:
This is bothering me more than it should. It's Cadance, not Cadence, and it's not even a matter of preference when it comes to spelling it (I promise!). Names are names, and I just find it overall discouraging when I see your main character's name isn't even spelled correctly.
4843640
I've been spelling her name that way since... forever. It's one of those things I curmudgeonly refuse to change.
4843640
Does it bother you as much when people spell Big McIntosh wrong?
(The staff spelt it Cadence first.)
Dat armor...
Meh... mine is better
I don't think it's a fair contest, yours has an AI in it...
cadance is the long-lost primarch of the pretty marines
it all makes sense now
4844390
Yes, but not as much seeing as Big Mac's used more anyway.
4846249
Fair enough, at least you know how it's spelled. People who don't know it's Cadance, Apple Bloom or Big McIntosh make me rage a tiny bit on the inside.
4848867
McIntosh... there's no 'a'
4851598
...I hate that I need auto correct. I really do, or that sucker would be turned the fuck off.
4839841
I think a halberd would be a great weapon for earth ponies since it would allow then to have a slashing and thrusting attack while still having a good distance between them and their attacker. Also if they have a Swiss halberd earth ponies could use the hook to latch on to their opponent and bring them down so they can use their hooves.
4866267
Personally, I prefer long spikes mounted on the back of their front hooves. Maybe blades mounted on the front, and bull horns on their helmets.
4866267
4871247
The weapon selection for ponies in my headcanon is:
All kinds: Lances, (generally side mounted as seen in the show but pegasi/thestrials also using belly mounts during flight).
Unicorns: Swords, pole weapons[1] and throwing blades of various descriptions. Commonly taking a weaker weapon that works better with spell casting.
Pegasi/Thestrials: Wing blades and retractable blades mounted on the forelegs.
Earth Ponies: Heavy armoured horse boots[2], leg mounted spikes and chain weapons.
Alicorns I see as typically choosing to go with "unicorn plus wing blades." Given the alicorn population, their apparent lifespan and their status, it is safe to assume that said weapons being enchanted is a baseline.
[1] See the "Fall of the Crystal Empire" video for an example.
[2] What the Upheaval stories call 'tramplers', i.e. the Equestian version of a mace.
Cadence as a warrior... I'm okay with this.
I really like this story.
It does portray Cadance nicely... I mean, it seems to fit her character.
And happy after months I finally found it.
Dude! Every time I turn around I find something of yours that makes me smile
. I love mining these nuggets of amazing out of all the good stuff here. Thanks!
6560019
Hehehe, thanks. I'm glad you enjoy all the little things I've put together.
My rating: >^.^<b
If you ask me, though this hardly seems like a slice of life, perhaps a drama instead?
So, this has nothing to do with the Crystal Empire. My fault for getting my hopes up. Otherwise, a good one-shot. Would upvote again.
7649479
Yeah, I am taking the Alternate Universe nature of Ioka more to heart with the Crystal Principality/City than I did with Equestria. I stayed a little too close to the first few seasons with Equestria, and have used the other areas to branch out and differentiate things. I put a brief description taken from an unfinished side-story in my reply to your comment over on Pride and Envy.
Nice one shot. I’m glad I took the time to read it.
What a fun concept for a landscape! Menhirs, huh? I whole-heartedly approve, even without the "men." heh.
Wait wait wait... She commanded an army under Nightmare's gaze? Huh.
More and more questions I have, I have never read anything of yours before, but am intrigued. I'll have to go to your main story and catch up. Biggest question though is how Cadence went from this battle-hardened heroine to the Alicorn of Love. Fun little snippet. Thanks for writing it.
Sparkle Cola
9144496
I really like young Cadence as she is in my little Alternate Universe. No stories involving her have really cropped to mind in some time, however. Nothing that got past a page or two before being relegated to the 'Abandoned Works' folder.