A Nightmare Come True

by ShadowSprint

Chapter 10

Daybreaker scoffed at Cloudsdale as she touched down onto its outskirts. Why Chrysalis had requested her involvement in such a trivial task was beyond her. Surely after having provided the seeds to growing back the changeling army, Chrysalis could have handled at least this. Good help is truly hard to come by. Daybreaker thought to herself.

When she landed, she inspected the area around her. From her vantage point, Daybreaker could see the culmination of cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. Streaks of cirrus formed walkways and bridges, while the actual buildings and homes that rose out from the fluffy ground had more of a cumulonimbus structure to them. Being at the edge of Cloudsdale, Daybreaker had a soft valley of thick stratus clouds to trot over before entering the actual city. The whole area though had a pearly white sparkle to it, with rainbow waterfalls in the distance. Large, draping arches in the distance could be seen, with towering pillars of clouds that gave the city an almost mythical appearance.

“At least I’ll get to test out my new toys,” she said to herself, approaching the city, eyeing the pattering of hooves up ahead. Daybreaker could already make out the army of pegasi guards that stood watch over Cloudsdale. The squad of armed colts blocked the nearest entrance into the heart of Cloudsdale.

As she approached the soldiers, she saw the horror quickly spreading over their faces. Interesting. They have been warned. Daybreaker thought to herself. She wasn’t sure if news of her rising had made it up into the heavens. With all the commotion, she expected to take this city by surprise. No matter, these guards were not going to stand in her way. Nothing was going to stand in her way.

Grouping together, the guards formed a line in front of her. A few in the back retreated into the city, setting off a siren which blanketed Cloudsdale in a high-pitched squealing. Every-pony in the city dropped what they were doing, and within seconds, Daybreaker had a hundred pairs of eyes on her, watching to see if she could be stopped. Other guards appeared, and quickly grabbed ponies to start an evacuation. Of course, such measures were futile. None of these ponies were to escape from Cloudsdale.

The future queen of Equestria smiled at her audience, even going so far as to give the soldiers a bow. How she had dreamed of such days, of being the one that every-pony looked to, feared, and obeyed. The path to fulfilling her destiny had finally been revealed. “So much grandeur in your welcome, it really is quite flattering.”

“No welcome here Daybreaker! Set one hoof in Cloudsdale, and you will regret it.” The standing captain said to her. His voice was firm, and held his weapon steady. She wasn’t sure if he the captain was just this ignorant, or if he truly thought him and his colts had a chance.

Daybreaker merely laughed at the soldier. “Oh please, is that how you speak to your future queen?!” and then for entertainment, she said, “Or would you rather call me princess, like the dear Princess Celestia whose body I know inhabit?”

The soldiers gaped at her statement. Some even managed to drop their swords. The very sight of their idiocy struck a chord with Daybreaker and she burst out into laughter. “Don’t tell me! No-pony bothered to tell you about me; about who I really am!” She shook her head and approached the soldiers. “Well now that you know the truth, now that you know who stands before you, what ever will you do?”

“We will not let you in here Daybreaker. We will not allow you to harm a pegasus here. We will defend our city at all costs.” The soldiers closed in on Daybreaker, and the evil pony could feel the tension between the soldiers. Now knowing who they were facing, the trembling in their steps could now be seen.

Knowing her precious little army hovered only just below the clouds, an army she’d created thanks to the powers of that magical little book, Daybreaker decided to toy with the soldiers, “As you wish, I shall go no further.”

The soldiers stood, anxiously awaiting Daybreaker’s next move. They knew it wasn’t this easy. They knew that the second they let their guard down, she’d be upon them. It couldn’t happen like that. Cloudsdale had only received brief word of Daybreaker after the fall of Canterlot. No details had been provided, only that she was here, along with Chrysalis.

Feeling the sweat trickling down his brow, the captain took a step towards the monster, aiming his sword at her chest. He knew no magic, knew he didn’t stand a chance. But if they didn’t make a stand against her now, all was lost. “You get away from here! Leave Cloudsdale alone!” He cried out desperately. I hope to Celestia that at least one of the princesses are left to handle her. He felt his soldiers moving in on the creature, with him. This was suicide, he knew that. But they wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t give in to her threats.

Surprisingly, Daybreaker did as she was told. She backed up, the smile never leaving her face. She backed off as the swords and the spears pressed closer to her. The more the soldiers advanced on her position and caused her to retreat, the bigger her smile grew. The captain and his colts had driven Daybreaker to practically the edge of Cloudsdale before he finally asked her with an edge to his voice, “What do you find so funny Daybreaker? Is it because my colts and I have outmatched you?”

Daybreaker only cackled at the ridiculous comment. “Please, if I had wanted you dead, you’d have dropped on sight of me. No,” Daybreaker started, narrowing her eyes as she glanced off past the soldiers, watching the city already falling to her minions, “your city is already lost. And I didn’t even need to step inside it.”

“What?” The captain said incredulously. He spun around and when his gaze fell back to the city, the sword he held dropped from his hoof. Behind him, smoke seeped out of Cloudsdale as thirty or forty blacken shadows of what appeared to be alicorns flew through the air, spewing fire from their mouths. Their bodies dripped black ash, magma like veins spindling up and around their sides and onto their wings, the captain dropped his mouth in horror when Daybreaker removed the sound barrier she’d created to silence out the screams and the cries for help.

The beasts appeared taller than any pegasi there, and rocketed across the skies. They only needed to touch a pony, and the poor victim caught aflame. They flew through walls, tore through buildings. The once glistening white clouds that had been molded into great coliseums, now blackened against the creatures that terrorized the city. Sparks of lightning flung out from the clouds, endangering every-pony unlucky enough to be in the electricity’s path.

Daybreaker stood back, watching her beautiful minions devastating the city. “My, my, my, whatever will you do? Continue this stand-off with me . . . or try and save those helpless little ponies?”

The captain grit his teeth. It really didn’t matter now. His soldiers either died fighting Daybreaker head on, or possibly saved ponies within the city limits. “Damnit!” He shouted, and turning to his soldiers, the captain yelled, “Retreat into Cloudsdale! Rescue as many as you can!”

Daybreaker watched as the soldiers all backed away from her. She raised her hoof, happily waving at them, watching as one by one, they turned their backs and flew into Cloudsdale. When they had all left her, Daybreaker charged up a powerful blast of magic and fired it upon the soldiers. She laughed as they careened into the city, some crashing into the sides of buildings, while others slammed into fleeing ponies.

Casually walking into the city, Daybreaker glanced from building to building, staring into the windows, watching the thunderous clouds collapsing onto the helpless few who were inside. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have all the fun. Chrysalis and her gang were to arrive later, and Daybreaker had to save some food for the changelings. So, while she could, Daybreaker was going to enjoy every single minute of this bliss. Letting out another laugh, she trotted deeper into the city, watching her creatures lay waste to Cloudsdale.

---

Tremor stood firm outside the entrance to one of Twilight’s offices. Inside, her and Captain Shining Armor discussed their plans for the great city in the sky. Cloaked in his Brawny Hoof skin, the changeling listened in, taking in the discussion. The more the two ponies discussed, the more it sounded like that of an argument.

“Princess Twilight,” the captain began, “I know how you feel, but I have so few pegasi as it is. We don’t know how many changelings are out there. And if we send a detachment to go up into Cloudsdale and investigate, this could turn out worse than when we searched for Moon Dancer.”

“I know that search didn’t go as well as we’d hoped. And I’m really sorry for the loss of your colts. But we did get valuable information out of Sunset Star, information that I’d hate to just waste.” Tremor listened to Twilight’s voice, listening to the stomping around of hooves as at least one of the two ponies inside paced back and forth.

“It’s not going to waste. With Sunset Star’s information, it gives us a clear indication of where Chrysalis’ army is headed, and also just how far away from Ponyville they are. Knowing all this, we can start estimating when they will reach us.” More pacing was heard from within, and it was fast, unsteadied pacing. Tremor assumed it was Twilight who moved about inside. Still, the captain continued, “We can use this extra time, right now estimating about two weeks, to get ready, set up our defenses, and of course strategize how we’re going to defeat Chrysalis and Daybreaker.”

“Two weeks? But that’s more than enough time to hit up Cloudsdale, rescue who’s up there, and bring them back down! What with Thorax reforming so much of Chrysalis’ army, there can’t possibly be that many left. And if we strengthen our army with even more pegasi, that’ll give us the advantage over Chrysalis!”

Tremor listened to the two argue. When Thorax’s name arose in the discussion, he bit his lip. That traitor had caused so much pain and suffering for the changelings, and for Chrysalis. Tremor remembered those days well. He’d been stationed off in Ponyville with Razor when the great reformation happened. News of the hive’s destruction hit Ponyville only hours before the ponies returned. Tremor and his gang were fortunate enough to escape before Twilight and her friends had returned. Some of the others hadn’t been so lucky.

Queen Chrysalis . . . I hope you’re teaching that traitor a lesson. Tremor thought to himself. After the hive had been destroyed, he’d spent months with his gang searching for their queen. She’d disappeared into the ether. And if Queen Chrysalis wanted to hide, then not even the most skilled of changelings would be able to find her.

Then one day, they’d been searching in the Forbidden Jungle in the southern most portion of Equestria, when they found her. “Tremor . . . I thought I’d lost all of you,” He remembered her saying.

“We thought you were lost; my Queen.” Tremor had answered back. The time after that was equally rough. Food was scarce, and their army had been a fraction of what it was when they invaded Canterlot. But his Queen was tough, was vigilant, and she was beyond stubborn. It was the quality that Tremor liked best about his Queen. Her determination to survive, to regrow the hive, to make those vile ponies pay for the destruction that they had caused; everyday she woke up with that mission burned into her eyes.

Tremor had heard what Thorax said about never being hungry. He’d heard what the traitor had said about making friends and being happy. What a damned fool that abomination was! A changeling’s job was to serve Queen Chrysalis until the day that he died. And nothing made Tremor feel prouder than knowing Queen Chrysalis relied on him for assistance. I will not let my Queen down. I will never let her down.

From within the room, Twilight’s voice rose over her brother’s once again, “There has to be something we can do!” She was practically begging at this point, “I could lead them into battle. With my magic, and your pegasi, we could deliver a serious blow to Queen Chrysalis!”

But Captain Shining Armor stood his ground, “We can’t take that risk. If something were to happen to you, then Ponyville would be without a princess. It may not seem that important, but the ponies here need you.” The sound of hooves echoed again, only this time, they had a deeper vibration. It must’ve been Shining Armor who now paced through the room, “Besides, we don’t know what’s going on up there. We could be flying right into a trap. Chrysalis could have let Sunset Star escape for this very reason.”

The desperation in Twilight’s voice could be heard clear through the door as she spoke, “Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and so many others that are here . . . they have family up there. Are we going to ignore that?”

“Of course not, but flying blindly up into Cloudsdale isn’t going to help us either. We’ll think of something, but right now, we need to fortify ourselves for when the changelings do come here.”

A brief silence, and then, “Don’t worry Twilight, we will save them.” Shining Armor said. And Tremor imagined an encouraging hug being shared between the two. After another moment, he heard Shining Armor say something to Twilight that he could not make out. Before long, the captain exited the room, and Tremor quickly saluted, awaiting the day when he could finally revert out of this Brawny Hoof skin he found himself trapped in.

Tremor waited a few minutes. He wanted to give Twilight a bit of time before entering, and wanted to ensure the captain had left the castle. When the changeling did enter, he glanced over to Twilight, noticing the pony resting in one of her chairs. She tried to flip through some random history book, but her eyes were uninterested. She sighed and didn’t even notice that Tremor had stepped in. The dimly lit room almost suffocated her as Tremor calmly said, “Princess Twilight. Is everything alright?”

The princess lazily turned her head to him, disappointment written over her face. She feigned a smile at her guard and said, “Hey Brawny. Sorry if you heard all that.” Getting up, Twilight wandered over towards him. She seemed at a loss for words when she abruptly changed the topic. “How’s Sunset doing? It looked like she was really relying on you.”

Tremor chuckled at the comment. These ponies sure went all out with their emotions. “She’s doing just fine, thank you. Sunset is slowly getting better. I think she’s just weak from everything that’s happened.”

Twilight chuckled at the comment, “I can understand that.” Then giving him a real smile, she said, “I can’t tell you though how much we all appreciate what you and the other soldiers are doing. Thank you.”

“It’s always good to be appreciated. Having support of you, Princess Twilight, makes it all worth it.” Tremor said, “Having Sunset Star is just a small bonus for me. Some of the soldiers don’t even have that.” Then turning to the book Twilight had flipped through, Tremor briefly glanced through it. It was a publication on the great defeats of ancient civilizations. Some of which, he knew the stories very well. “Princess Twilight,” he began, “will we not be heading into Cloudsdale for a rescue?”

Exhaling a long, stressed breath, Twilight lowered her head and sauntered over to Tremor, pulling the book away from him just so she could skim through its pages. “No, we won’t. Shining Armor . . .I mean, Captain Shining Armor is right. We don’t have enough soldiers, and it’s too risky to go flying up with so few. Not to mention when Chrysalis does show up . . .”

Twilight placed the book back down and Tremor saw the page she’d opened it up to. It was that of an ancient battle where Grizzly Greywing, a once proud if not arrogant pegasus prince, had attempted a surprise attack on a slumbering army of earth ponies which outnumbered him: seven to one. Tremor remembered this tale well as it was long before the different races of ponies were united in Equestria. Despite the prince’s clear advantage with surprise and the gift of flight, the earth ponies ultimately destroyed his army.

Twilight was clearly using her references to help her rule of Ponyville. It was certainly an intelligent decision. Looking back to the princess who had long gone silent, Tremor cleared his throat and said, “But you don’t want to give up on the pegasi.”

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. “It feels so wrong to just abandon so many innocent ponies. It’s like we’re turning our backs on them.”

“It’s not right,” Tremor agreed, firming up his voice. When the alicorn stared back in surprised, he continued, keeping his gaze locked with hers, “A soldier’s duty is to protect the ponies that he is sworn to defend. Whether that’s protecting earth ponies, pegasi, or unicorns, it’s why we’re here. It’s why I’m here.”

The princess, taken aback at her guard’s outright refutation of the captain’s wishes, said, “But it’s not that simple . . .”

Tremor only continued his argument, wishing to push the princess into action. “But nothing,” and for effect, Tremor paced back and forth, “I get so angry at the thought of turning my back on some-pony who needs help. I entered the service with the expectation that I would be protecting and saving lives. Ask any of the soldiers out there, they’ll tell you the same thing.”

Twilight stared hard at the soldier, admiring his dedication. “Your captain still has a point though. The battle would be in Cloudsdale, and the small squad of pegasi that your captain has would be grossly outnumbered.”

Tremor stopped. He stepped over to the window and glanced out. He watched the ponies all working together, helping each-other survive through their nightmare. “Before my time in Canterlot, I lived in a small village where no-pony could be trusted, and food was scarce. You either starved to death alone, or died fighting together to keep the village alive just one more day.”

He heard the princess gasp behind him. “There’s really such places in Equestria?”

Tremor nodded, glancing back to her. “When we fought for survival, we fought together. All of us. Colts, mares, and fillies alike. Each pony depended on the other no matter how small. Many, many were lost to traitors, and other evils, but many more were saved because of our perseverance.” He explained, “We survived because we had firm leadership, and a united will with one goal.”

Twilight’s eyes trembled as the changeling spoke. He had easily drawn her in to his story. “Princess Twilight, I see the same need for unity when I stare out this window.” Moving away from the window, Tremor approached the princess, stepping in close to her as he continued, “Those pegasi in Cloudsdale cannot be abandoned. We don’t have enough soldiers to send? Then enlist the help of other pegasi in Ponyville. Surely with some quick training, they could make up for what we currently lack.”

Tremor stood firm, not moving a muscle. He couldn’t tell if his approach had worked, or if maybe he had said too much. The princess was a bit difficult to read at times. “We have to work together. All of us.”

Eventually, Twilight nodded her head. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. We can’t abandon those pegasi. We won’t.” Twilight turned and trotted back over to her desk. She gazed back at Brawny and said, “Kind of strange that a soldier would argue so harshly against his own captain.”

Tremor smiled nervously. He rubbed the back of his head with his front hoof, almost apologetically as he said, “I-It certainly isn’t traditional for a soldier to speak out against his superior. If you wouldn’t mind . . .”

Twilight smiled, “Of course not. I am the princess after all. If any-pony asks, it was my idea.”

“Thanks Princess Twilight.”

Twilight smiled in response and before Brawny could leave, she called out to him, “Brawny. I do have one question.” And when the soldier turned to her, she asked, “Captain Shining Armor had told me you knew Rain Runner for a long time. Did he grow up with you . . . in the village I mean?”

Tremor turned back, and without thinking, nodded his head, “Yes . . . yes he did.”

Twilight then allowed Brawny to exit the room. She felt nervous for having done a complete one-eighty on her position compared to how her brother had left her. But Brawny was right. Ponyville was filled with pegasi. Certainly, they’d be able to triple or quadruple the size of the pegasi army, at least by that amount. It’d take more thinking, but with a little luck, everything might work out. And if we manage to bring back enough pegasi, Shining Armor could take over control of the city while the girls and I go stop Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis! The thought excited Twilight, and potentially meant an early end to this conflict.

The room suddenly grew dark, so dark that Twilight had to use her unicorn horn as a lantern. Rushing to the window, the princess found that Daybreaker had switched the day into night. It had only been a little past the noon hour, and the moon was high in the sky. Ponies scampered around, rushing their foals indoors, as if the end of days was coming. But Twilight knew, this was only a trick. And, it was only the beginning. “We have to hurry and stop this.” She said to herself, and then turning to her desk, Twilight began to draw up some plans for the mission to Cloudsdale.