Nidhogg
The shadowy mass slithered and snaked through the air above the terrified brigade. Whatever this force that they’d unleashed was, it took its dear sweet time constituting itself, and when it did, all terror was set in stone.
Hanging above them was an enormous, serpentine dragon whose three black horns jutted out in such a way that it almost looked like it was wearing an evil crown, which would perfectly complement its dark purple eyes that gleamed with hatred. Along its scaly body of dark, death-like grey ran dorsal fins that sparked with evil lightning. Pounds of smoke puffed out of its nostrils with each breath it took. “Free at last…” it hissed.
“Oh, bullocks…” Frigg muttered.
The abominable serpent loudly inhaled and vomited a horrible stream of dark fire.
“RETREAT!!” Valkyrie shouted.
The accursed inferno would have engulfed them had she given the order a second later; they all sprinted back into the hallway and rushed towards the hole in the wall from where they’d initially entered. All the while, the dark fire trailed behind them, and it was because of Frostbite’s ice fire and Greensprout launching holy blasts from her Gaia Root that no one was scorched.
When they all practically leapt out of the hole and dodged the blaze, they allowed themselves no time to breathe and retreated all the way to the Jotun. As they did, a horrific dark cloud began forming above the ruins.
“Dear me!” Ymir exclaimed. “Dare I even ask?”
“<pant><pant> It’s… <pant> It’s Nidhogg!” Frostbite exclaimed.
“Nidhogg?” Ymir inquired.
“Long ago, Nidhogg was a dragon who tried to become the Lord of Tarturus” Frostbite explained. “Legends tell of him breaking into Tarturus and eating the gems that grew there. Supposedly, it caused him to turn into an undead monster that could control the dead!”
“A n-necromancer d-d-dragon!?” Quantum Tech stammered.
“I thought it was all just a myth to scare hatchlings…” Frostbite muttered. “But it looks like he really was sealed away all those centuries ago after a gruesome battle with his army of undead.”
“And you’re tellin’ me that our ancestors just so happened to build a prison right on top o’ the bastard’s seal!?” Frigg demanded.
“Pretty rotten luck.” Frostbite answered.
“But it all makes sense if you put two and two together.” Shadow Shroud said. “Those voices heard by the prisoners, the described ‘shadowy figure’ tormenting their thoughts…”
“And… I was foolish enough to release him back into the world…” Zebota mumbled, lamenting his brash actions that freed the sealed dark lord.
“Fret not, my friend. At least he is now vulnerable to being slain.” Air Slash as he drew his swords.
“You say that like it’s gonna be easy!” Tidal Wave said, trembling as he observed the swirling dark mass.
“ROOOOOAAAARRRR!!!!” Nidhogg’s war cry caused the very fabric of reality to shake like glass during near a sound amplifier.
“Nothing worthwhile ever is.” Fire Fight said.
“Don’t we know…” Spiral Galaxy muttered.
“Shouldn’t be too much harder since we’ve got a certain somepony…” Bullseye said as she eyed towards their resident monk.
Greensprout could feel many eyes on her, and she nervously looked back and forth between her friends and the dark cloud. “S-Sister… S-Surely you’re not suggesting…”
Air Slash immediately got between her and them. “I REFUSE!” he fervently shouted. “Greensprout WILL NOT be throwing herself to that wolf!!”
“Dude, she’s the one with the holy stick of fiery death to this guy. She’s gonna have to!” Bullseye argued.
“Whoa, guys!” Fire Fight intervened. “Let’s think about this for a minute. Yeah, Greensprout’s Gaia Root is gonna be this guy’s weakness, but we’re gonna need to build an actual strategy on how she’s gonna effectively attack- she’s not a fighter.”
“Homie, we ain’t got no time to build no damn strategy. That dude smokin’ like a chimney up there, n’ I don’t think anypony gonna like gettin’ a nasty case o’ second-hoof smoke!” Turf War stated as he pointed to the swirling cloud that was increasing in size at an alarming rate.
“Well, at least it doesn’t seem like he’s got any o’ them undead varmints out n’ about.” Kickback said.
Just as he said that, a terrible symphony of roars and howls resounded from within the prison, and they all witnesses hordes of the undead griffons and giant demon lizards swarm around the ruins like soldier bees.
“Ah just had to shoot mah mouth off…” Kickback muttered.
“Well, hot head?” Frigg said to Fire Fight. “What’s yer plan, eh?”
“You know… this has become your problem too, Captain Frigg. I’m not the only leader here, so we both need to pitch in. King Grover would expect us to.” Fire Fight said.
The old hen eyed him fiercely, and he kept his composure somehow, knowing how he’d just spoken to a legitimate authority. But to everyone’s amazement, the cranky captain lightly softened her expression. “I was hopin’ ya’d say that.”
“A-Awesome…” Fire Fight mumbled, silently amazed that his head was still attached to his neck.
“I-If I may start…” Greensprout muttered. “I don’t think I could combat very many more monsters without the Gaia Root becoming overstrained. I must allow it to recuperate for now so that I may focus its full power onto Nidhogg.”
“Greensprout! You… You would do this?” Air Slash stammered.
Greensprout gulped and hesitantly nodded. “It’s as Bullseye says. I’m the only one able to wield the Gaia Root.”
Air Slash looked as if he wanted to die inside. His instinct as a warrior told him it was the only option, but the thought of throwing Greensprout in harm’s way made him sick. Nevertheless, he knew that he’d only have to work especially hard to protect her.
He gently grabbed her hoof and kissed it. “All I ask is that you take the utmost care.”
Greensprout giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I will.” She said. “And I’ll make sure you all take care as well.”
Frigg huffed. “If you’re finished with yer love fest, I suggest we start hatchin’ a plan and fast. That bastard’s got to be eager to turn Equestria into a contemporary horror flick.” Everyone looked at her funny upon hearing he unexpected metaphor. “What? I had a life when I was you're age.”
“Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!” Crazylocks blurted. “Let’s starve him to re-death!”
Everyone except for Greensprout, who just patiently smiled, either facehooved or rolled their eyes. “Crazylocks…. That’s not how undead work.” Spiral Galaxy said.
“Actually…” Zebota started. “She may raise a good point. If you recall, Nidhogg absorbed the remains of his horde before he unleashed himself. Perhaps doing so sustains him?”
“Come to think of it, I remember picking up a humongous spike in energy from within the well when that happened.” Quantum Tech said. “Although, that begs the question of whether or not Nidhogg’s monsters are a part of him or not.”
“The more dead he controls, the more powerful he is- plain as that.” Frostbite stated.
“Sounds to me like we’ll just have to experiment.” Valkyrie said. “We’re not gonna let this loser leave the island anyway, so
I suggest we pummel some undead!” she declared as she drew her sword, the griffon guards cheering.
“Aye. The lass with the robot will have to stay behind and keep her eyes on the situation until we better know how to hit the bastard where it hurts.” Frigg said.
Quantum nodded. “Gladly, but I will jump into the fray if you all begin to struggle. Know that.”
“Tch! We’ll be fine!” Bullseye said. “Just all of those zombies get into my line of sight, and I’ll- …Hold on. Those monsters aren’t undead, are they?”
“I’d presume that they are merely conjured residents of Tarturus.” Ymir said.
A cacophony of all of those blood-curdling screeches and roars could suddenly be heard rapidly approaching them, and when they looked, a multitude of conjured undead griffons and the demon monsters were laying siege unto the brigade.
“TO ARMS, SWABS!! EITHER WE DRIVE THESE EARTHWORMS BACK FROM WHERE THEY CAME, OR WE JOIN THEIR RANKS!! CHAAAARRGE!!!” Captain Frigg rallied her guards, now fearlessly facing their foes.
“Battle Foals, let’s toast ‘em!” Fire Fight shouted as his horn erupted like a volcano. All but Quantum Tech, who kept her scanners focused on Nidhogg, charged into battle.
Just then, Frigg came to Fire Fight’s side. “Put some more oomph into it next time! I could ‘o sworn you had a frog in yer throat!” Fire Fight just rolled his eyes and resumed charging headlong into danger.
Meanwhile, Quantum gazed nervously, but diligently at the pair of dark purple eyes piercing through the dark cloud swirling above all the chaos below.
Earlier on the Outskirts of Griffonstone…
Twilight and her search party did as directed by King Grover and traveled along the northern coast of the Celestial Sea. Hopes were strong and they were all anxious to at long last end their search and bring the Battle Foals home.
Cheerilee and her class couldn’t gather much else from the townsfolk other than they saw the Battle Foals with Valkyrie and told them of the duel between her and Air Slash, but they were otherwise pretty unfriendly overall and spoke to the foals and their teacher very little.
“I still can’t believe that griffon king!” Rainbow Dash said. “He could’ve been, I don’t know, reasonable and made Fire Fight go home or something!”
“Yeah, but faulting them for their culture would be admittedly kinda mean though.” Scootaloo said.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “True, true…”
“Had we known they’d be approaching the border, I would have ordered some guards to set up a checkpoint up there to catch them.” Celestia said.
“With all due respect, milady, I would have thought it best to have myself and some of my best swordsponies act in that stead.” Knight Soul said. “Knowing how the ‘Battle Foals’ have managed to fell many a dangerous foe, it would certainly follow that heavily trained warriors would be the best bet in the likely event that they resist.”
“That is…rather true, actually.” Celestia said, silently lamenting the inexorable inadequacy of Equestria’s current military.
“Well, let’s hurry! If they’re really that close, we shouldn’t waste this opportunity!” Cat said.
As far and quickly as they trotted, the foals seemed to be nowhere in sight, which made them worry about just how far they’d gotten. However, off in the distance was another group of ponies heading towards them. The two parties noticed and approached each other.
“Oh! Princess Twilight!” It was Film Noir and her crew. “A-And the Royal Sisters too!” She bowed in their presence, and they reciprocated, Celestia being delighted to see the actress again.
“Well! Fancy seeing you here.” Twilight said. “Out on location?”
“Not necessarily. Believe it or not, I ran into Fire Fight in Galloping Gorge a few days earlier.” Film Noir said.
“Seriously!?” Fist asked.
“Yeah, and they were with a griffon for some reason, so I thought maybe we could find answers in Griffonstone.” Film Noir answered.
“Boy, do we have some news for you.” Sky Strike said.
They all explained to Film Noir how King Grover had allowed the ‘Battle Foals’ to leave his kingdom without issue because of their ordeal with stopping Skadi and saving them more than a lot of grief.
“Oh my goodness!” Film Noir exclaimed. “First those mole-lizards beneath Baltimare, now that?”
“Gotta admit those foals are some tough customers.” A cameraman said.
“Wait a minute.” Cheerilee said. “You didn’t just swim across the sea to get here, did you?”
“No, we took a train, but just as we crossed over the sea and onto Griffonstone soils, the train’s wheels just froze inexplicably, and we had to walk from there. It was the strangest thing.” Film Noir explained.
“F-Froze you say?” Luna muttered.
“Yes, milady. Is… something wrong?” Film Noir said.
“We encountered a similar phenomenon during our own ride here.” Celestia explained.
“So… you didn’t see Fire Fight and his friends anywhere near those tracks or just in that vicinity in general?” Cheerilee inquired.
Film Noir shook her head. “Had I known, I would’ve taken the opportunity to look around myself. I think my crew and I have time to help you if you’re still gonna do that.” Her crew gave her a nod.
“We’d greatly appreciate that, Film Noir. Thank you.” Twilight said.
As the party continued their march towards the northern coast, Spike suddenly got a nasty chill up his spine, and he got the urge to look out into the Celestial sea. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could’ve sworn that some kind of evil had just been unleashed…
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9167936
Have you even read the story? Because that is not what this story is. You comment on the latest chapter like you just discovered it. How can you judge it if you never even read it?
9167953
When I find a new story, I open it in an archive. That way, I don't contribute to bad products getting my "click", so to speak. If it turns out to be good, then I do come back here and open it on the site, along with the fave, track, etc.
Oh hey Film Noir! I uh...I forgot about you. Nice to see you again though.
I gotta say though, this arc is really heating up! I thought it was a bit...samey since this story has already technically done zombies before, but this is different. We're going straight up Norse here and its awesome!!!
Yes! New Chapter, also you were featured again, congratulations!!!!!
9168067
Yippee!!!
Thanks so much for the support!
Celestia should learn a thing or four from the Battle Foals. At least the border guards (if there are any) have more experience than the majority of the Royal Guard. She should also do something to change the stigma with combat-based cutie marks.
9210665 Yeah, but i will wait until i at least catch up to the updates before i decide to give it a Favorite, i rarely give that before i finish a story. I really like your fight scenes, even if these foals feel a little OP, but now as i think about it, if kids in the Naruto-verse can kick adult asses so easyly, then why couldn't these foals (i also like Shadow Shroud, her grave humor and creepy acts make her interactions with the others hilarious).
9212145
That’s a good rule to live by.
9224586
Thank you