Mission 2, Part 9: Every Dog Has His Day... Or Night
Rain pelted down from above as lightning licked the skies in a flurry of strobe-like flashes. The last vestiges of the controlled weather from the Equestrian kingdom ended here hitting the Griffin kingdom's natural weather line with a blind fury as if the heavens themselves were locked in a never ending struggle of dominance. This has led many of the griffin species to believe that the Equestrians were always trying to use their weather to conquer their kingdom and that only through the sheer will of the royal family was that evil magic held back at this point. Which is why the royal family did not have the magical proficiency of the Equestrian Princess. As ignorant as it may seem to those who knew better, the griffins feared and hated this cursed boundary. Not many airships, nor their sea-faring cousins, dared venture through this part of the world. This tempestuous border between the two kingdoms had claimed more lives than could ever be accounted, and would claim plenty more. Even those that flew could not fully escape this unique weather's fury, sending many spiraling down into the ocean's embrace or sending them far away on an uncontrolled flight to the far reaches of the world.
But the Eleonora was no mere ship. She was a moving island. Her body could withstand the temperamental weather with the calmness of a mother's love. Her movements were strong and steady, they broke through the winds, rain and lightning with barely a flinch. She was unstoppable. Yet she had been stopped. Unbelievable, but that fact remained true. She remained stuck beneath the violent display of the heavens above them. The Eleonora had been attacked, not by some army, but by a small group that had now turned its own cargo against her masters.
And as the ranks of Watu lined up along the foredeck of the great ship, those who witnessed it could scarcely believe their eyes. Instead of fleeing to the see on whatever vessel they could muster, a group of diamond dogs led by the most unlikeliest of beings, were facing them down.
Unlikely yes, but expected.
The Watu were using the raised portion of the bow as a makeshift fortress. It normally would have been a hard area to defend as there were plenty of stairs, walkways and ramps going to various doors and balconies on each of the floors. There were more than enough Watu Warriors to guard each opening and a dozen Wallarmbrusts lining the makeshift ramparts formed along the foredeck. A charge would have spelt disaster. If any survived the Wallarmbrust barrage, managed to get past the lines of Watu waiting for them, they would still need to contend with pegasi that were hovering safely off the ship. With each lash of lightning, their spears and weapons seemed to sparkle in the fading light. They could not rest on the clouds above them, but they could wait for the right opportunity to strike. If the lightning did not kill them first.
Whatever the case, one thing was clear. The Watu had chosen their stronghold well.
About a quarter of the way across the deck from the ship's bow was a large, half-circular bulge which spanned the entire width of the deck. This raised anomaly was actually a gigantic hinge. It was a clever design, perhaps. Supposedly is could be used to transport massive objects, but nothing was ever that big. Even fully grown dragons did not need to enter through the front. What the original architects intended use was, none will ever know. That knowledge was lost when they all fled back into Equestria herself. Perhaps it was to transport entire buildings for towns, to be brought and literally dropped into place along the shores of distant lands. At least that was one of the reasons that Voltic was told. It was hard to imagine the entire front portion of the ship opening itself like the mouth of a gigantic beast. Truth be told, he had never really noticed it but now that his attention had been drawn to it he could clearly make out the strange circular hump-like obstacle across the deck. It was the only thing that would be able to provide some semblance of cover should they attempt a charge against those crossbows. He originally thought that this was where the gigantic chains for the anchors were stored, but then again the Eleonora had dozens of giant anchors that were never really used.
That was until this strange pony had ordered them all to be dropped, slowing the ship's momentum almost to a standstill, but the Eleonora still pushed on, or perhaps it was just the clouds and waves playing tricks on the eyes. It was impossible to know.
But even then they were too late. They were within the Griffin Empire now, the clouds and the weather signaled that much. It was this strange, rough weather that designated the edge of the last vestiges of the Equestrian influence. After this point, other races ruled. After this point, only the strong could survive. Those that were strong were subjected to cruel and unmerciful fates. It seemed that most creatures wanted to enslave the ponies.
Was it strange then that the Watu, the most feared fighting force known, and the omega leading the canines were both ponies? Perhaps that was what the others hated, wanted or feared. That singular ability for them to do the impossible, to achieve the incredible, and to do it for the right reasons.
Voltic still felt unsure. Even as he stood alongside some of the so-called 'legends' of the canine-kind, the fact remained that all of them were captured by the warriors that they were now waiting for them across the deck. Every single canine there, with the exception of him and his ilk, were imprisoned in cages in the lower decks. He had seen the vast majority of the betas whimpering in the corners of their cages crying out for food, mercy or whatever it was that they needed at the time. That memory did little to inspire confidence. He had hated being associated with these creatures as they had looked and acted so pathetic and pitiful. However, now he found himself standing next to the same, but vastly different creatures. Now they looked fearsome, determined, purposeful and strong. The looked almost as dangerous as the Watu themselves. With direction and a leader to inspire them, they had changed. Now they were warriors.
No. They were hunters. Hunters who were ready to run straight into a Wallarmbrust barrage without any hint of hesitation. They were ready to kill and die for their new omega.
"I'm so not going to live through this," Voltic muttered to himself wiping the rainwater from his face.
He peered to his left towards the center of the line of fellow canines. There, standing around a destroyed anti-air cannon, were the alphas and on top of the highest point stood their leader. The one and only omega.
A part of the fox could not help but feel obligated to follow him. He was strong, and exuded a strength that made him want to follow. But the fox blinked and shook away that natural instinct aggressively, smacking his head for good measure. He was not going to allow himself to follow anyone -- pony or dog. Foxes like him were not like other canines. They did not possess that undying love and infatuation that their brethren had. That obsessive honor and loyalty system that was born out of raw instinct. No, a fox watches out for his own skin. It bothered the fox that the rhino had rightfully called it. But even so, Voltic was only half fox because his mother fell in love with a wolf. A forbidden love that resulted in a freak being born. Him. Foxes and wolves just don't mix. His birth? A freak accident. His mother was forced to leave her home. Although he never knew his father, he cursed him for destroying his mother's life. It was one of the reasons he ended up on this ship. To help her buy her medication. He hoped that his family would take care of his mother. After all, it was not very likely he would be going home after this. His inability to overcome his raw instinct was what kept him there now. Right now, his soul was telling him that this was the right place to be, but the back of his mind kept urging him to turn and flee. Flee to the back of the ship where the smart ones were taking all the lifeboats and getting away from there as fast as they could. But his heart yearned to follow that pony onwards. Onwards into the line of Watu. Onwards with this... omega.
The pony made a slight movement with his head, and the alpha of alphas, the one known as Lupus, nodded. He took a step forward and inhaled deeply.
The howl sent chills down Voltic's spine. That was no normal call. There was something deep, something very ancient in that call. At once he felt the sudden beat of a thousand hearts coursing through his veins. All beating in rhythm as one. It was as if the very fabric of his being was being unleashed, an inner strength building that he never knew he had.
A fresh scent of dew from a new dawn came through the air. No. It was not new. It was The New Dawn. The very first dawn. He could smell it, and knew what it was. The memory of that scent was almost forgotten, but it was strangely familiar. A strange sensation and a feeling that he knew. Though the clouds were broken and spilling their contents upon them, he could taste this scent as fresh as hot brew. He could not help it. When the others took a step forward and inhaled, he too was compelled to follow. And when they raised their lips to the moon, his voice joined his canine brothers and sisters in one long, constant call.
Then the air was full of a new scent, the wind pushing it over them like a wave. They all knew what it was and they loved it.
Fear.
The Watu standing in front of them in their hundreds actually feared them, and as the pony that led them drew his blade, he felt an overwhelming calm. They were going on the hunt. This time Voltic understood why they were all so calm. It was because it was the Watu that were outnumbered, not them. Outnumbered by a thousand to one as they stood side by side with the ancients as well as those present. Together they would all hunt as one, as they always had.
And always will.
It was night, as the oldest memories from the Ancient Ones could remember, when the Creator made all that is. It was not that it was actually night, for night did not exist in that moment, but it was in the darkness before the light when creation began. The Creator enjoyed the ability to make things, but the greatest creation of all was Will. Upon many things this gift was bestowed, and in varying degrees. Some were gifted with a little, while others were gifted with plenty -- of these, the Creator called Children and called their Will Free Will.
But the Creator could not see what was made in the darkness that was not night, so something was needed to break through it. Something else had to be made.
Light.
It was the light of the First Dawn that all that was created could be seen. The Creator marveled at the beauty of all that was seen and especially towards the Children. The Creator cherished them all and gave them all a little bit of the power used to create. Some of the Children used the power to create new things that even the Creator did not imagine and a strange feeling welled up from within. The feeling was powerful and the Creator did like it and exhaled it out. The Creator's power was no longer absolute, and this new entity took form and with it the gift of Free Will. The Creator did not understand what was happening and tried to stop this new being from forming, but it would not be denied. The Creator tried to feel for the being similar to what was felt for the Children, but found it impossible. This thing was not meant to exist and the entity understood that.
With no choice, the Creator understood that there was no place for this being and banished it away into the void sealing it outside, but not before it called out to the Creator warning that it would return. It gave itself a name. The Destroyer, and it waited. That was when She was born. Unlike the other creatures that were made from the Creator's vision, made from sheer will, She just came to be. How? That answer will always remain lost in the darkness whence it came.
What is known is that She was not one of the Children created by the Creator. There are many stories and legends handed down through the ages, but none could ever know for sure. Perhaps She was born out of necessity. Perhaps she was always there, but because of the darkness the Creator could not be seen. Whatever the case, it was known that She was an unequal equal to the Creator. Granted, She could not create life nor even begin to contemplate the complexities taken to make each and every leaf, insect, plant, flower, cloud or even the skies. Still, there was something She had that the Creator did not make nor even comprehend. She possessed a kind of power that was unfamiliar, but welcome. New. A power that forged an unbreakable bond. A bond called Harmony, and with it came something else. Something more. Something that could only be described as magic.
Harmony eventually came to lay the foundations of all that was, is and will be. Where once things merely existed, now they fit together in an extremely complex system that followed a set of unwritten rules guided by Harmony, but never because of it. The Children watched and thanked She, for they saw that the creatures they had created could now live with their own Free Will and they could oversee them.
But as the light grew, so did its shadows. Not night, for night's darkness was different. While the night was gentle, soothing and beautiful, the darkness was unpredictable, hateful and ugly. The Destroyer watched and gave a name to the feelings it had inherited from the Creator. Jealousy, it would be known, and if the Destroyer could not have whatever it was the Creator had, it would ruin it so neither could possess it. Out of that malevolence, new creatures emerged that had no name, for none had ever existed before.
At first the Creator and She thought nothing of it, for they did not understand. They did not understand pain, for they had never felt it. The did not understand loss, for nothing was ever lost. The Destroyer believed that the reason for its existence was to somehow harm the Creator and She, just that did not know how because it had never done anything like that before. It wanted to break the Harmony, and convinced itself that this was its reason for existing; that was its entire purpose. So, since it couldn't enter the area where the Creator, She or the Children were, it could send its minions. For the first time pain and suffering was introduced to them all, but no matter what happened, and no matter what was done, the bond between the Creator and She would not shatter.
But the Destroyer was clever. If it could not break the bond between them, then it would break the pillars that held it instead. Still, how does one 'break' something? The concept was too new. Again, no matter what it tried, the foundations of this bond held and therefore the bond itself remained steadfast. So it sat and contemplated. It waited, thinking. As it watched the Creator, he noticed a new change. Some of the creatures that used to live in Harmony were now feeding off each other. Had his minions, those small and weak, remained in the world? He noticed that certain kinds fed on others. They had been there for so long that they were part of Harmony now. It had changed them. But what induced this change?
In what might have been epochs, or the blink of an eye, this thing discovered what it could do to finally break the bond. To break the Harmony. If the bond between the two could endure, then something else had to be created that could wear it down. Like the creatures that were changed, something had to erode the balance of Harmony so that it would become a part of Harmony. Still, the Creator was the Creator. There was nothing the Destoyer could do that would that particular foundation, by doing so everything would cease to be, including the Destoyer itself. That left only She. That foundation would need to be broken.
Tricking the Creator with false promises and lies, the Destroyer managed to have the Creator alter the very fabric of the universe. By doing so it had isolated the Creator in a different form of reality away from the Children and She. But, before the Creator could change it back, the Destroyer sacrificed its own life-force to prevent it from ever being able to change back. It did this by binding itself with the new element the Creator had designed into the very fabric of the universe itself and would eventually come to be known as Time, and Time would endure.
The Creator could only watch in sadness as She started to age. As Time wore on, change happened. Since the Children were made from the same fabric as the Creator, most merely grew tired and slept. She, however, had started to grow frail and forgetful until she could barely move or even stay awake. The Creator could not bear to see She suffer anymore and tried to figure out a way to reverse Time. But it could not be slowed, much less stopped or reversed. So complete was Time intertwined with Harmony that the Creator understood that the two could never be separated ever again. Even with her power, unless it broke the very fragment of existence which would undo everything and the Creator could not bare the mere thought of erasing the existence of everything, especially the Children. Therefore the Creator granted release and it would eventually come to be known as Death. The Creator made a place that was neither here nor there, that could never be touched by the Destroyer's influence, where Time had no meaning. A place hidden where it could not be found, where night was always beautiful and pristine and the day was always bright and pure. Where nothing could enter that wished ill on others. A haven that would be a fortress, a castle of paradise. Here the Creator would wait, wait until Time finished its cruel, unmerciful torture and finally be reunited once again.
The Creator grew sad and realized that the gift would never touch the Children. They would never be free. They would endure.
"We go into battle?" the captain asked looking at the dog in front of him with a single raised brow.
The mutt nodded. "Yes, yes. Omega says ponies on small ship come. You come. You come with other alpha. He big bulldog alpha. Strong. Small. Quiet."
The captain turned to Bones. "What do you think?"
"Me? I say he's tellin' the truth, cap'n. You know that they would've tried to kill us unless they got orders not to. These dogs aren't the brightest, if you know what I mean. Plus they stink." Bones put his hoof over his nose. "Really, really stink."
The dog either did not notice, or just ignored the two of them conversing.
The captain sighed. "Fine, we'll follow you. Maybe your alpha is a bit more... intelligent. But we need to know a bit more about this... omega."
"Yes, yes. Come, come. Alpha is waiting not far," the dog replied excitedly and led the way.
The crew followed the beta through a series of corridors that led from where the Lipizzan was still stuck to the side of the Eleonra like some drunk parasite, to a large double-door that opened onto a small stairwell that descended into pitch black darkness. Here they all paused as the dog that led them disappeared into the void, the light behind them from the ship vanishing into the emptiness in front of them. It was as if the mutt had been consumed by the darkness before them.
"So, you have come," a deep voice growled.
The captain tried his best not to show any fear. He head learned a long time ago that when a dog talks to you in a proper and coherent fashion, then it was time swallow your fear as best you can. Only the an alpha had the ability to think in a coherent fashion. Only a smart alpha could speak Equestrian or any other language in much the same way they could speak their own native tongue. Only a very smart alpha could speak with eloquence and articulation and usually those were the most dangerous of all, and this dog was very, very articulate.
"We have," the captain replied into the darkness. "We have come because of your omega."
"Yes. Omega did ask for you," the voice replied. "It is strange that he would claim to be that, considering that the canine kind respect the alpha above all else, and the alpha of alphas as the top most. Still, the pony was clever because he claimed that he was not the alpha of alphas leaving the current alpha of alphas in his place. The life of an alpha is not an easy one and I'm sure the equine knew what he was doing when he declared himself as the omega."
"Equine?" the captain asked quietly to himself. He had suspected, and this was all but a confirmation. He couldn't help but smirk a little at that.
"Whatever the case, we cannot challenge the omega without first besting the alpha of alphas. A title which that Silver will die before he relinquishes."
The captain furrowed his brow. He did not really understand much of the canine's native language because these creatures used scent as well as vocals to speak. But he did understand the word 'silver', no one in his 'profession' would not, just he had never heard it used to describe another canine before. Not that it was anything of note, except that the way this particular dog said the word made it sound conflicted. There was a hint of begrudged respect, but also of deep disgust. Then again, he never really understood dogs. They were crazy, but their loyalty was unquestionable. A dog that swore to follow you to the end, even in the face of death, would stand by you. As a friend, a dog was always welcome -- if you could stand the smell.
"So, this omega is a pony?" The captain shook his head and laughed dryly to himself. "I bet you I know who exactly you mean."
"I'm sure you do. It is of no consequence that you are here. Betas are none too bright, but the scent that you exude reveals that you were in contact with the omega. He said to give you a duty... a job."
"Duty. I can understand a little bit of your language, dog."
The large flat-nosed bulldog nodded. "Then that will make this easier. You are to use your pegasi to fly up and tie off some ropes so that my canines can climb up and onto the walkways. They cannot see us down here; pony eyes are weak in the dark. That's all you have to do. We'll do the rest."
"We'll do it, but if you think we're going to sit this one out, then you'd sadly mistaken. They killed somepony very dear to me and my crew and they're gonna pay dearly for that. So count us in in whatever it is you're gonna do," the captain replied and grinned. "Besides, it will give me a chance to see just how useful you mutts are in a scrap."
The bulldog bared his fangs. The captain forced back the feeling of panic that welled up just in time for he realized that the dog was actually smiling. He wanted to sigh in relief, but the captain was well aware of the dog's keen sense of smell and how the scent of fear seemed to make them dangerous.
"So be it," the bulldog growled. "You can come hunt with us, but we will not protect you."
"Does it look like we need protection?" the captain replied in a low tone touching his sheath. "You're the ones begging us to help you, remember?"
The bulldog looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughter. "True! You are not like the others. The soft ones from your home. You are strong. Strong like us, but unlike the omega. No, none are like him."
"I wholly agree with you." The captain turned to his crew. "You heard the mutt. You with wings fly on up there and drop the ladders. The rest of us will join the party as quickly as we can."
The pegasi nodded and took off upwards into the darkness.
She was alone. The feeling was empty. It was suffocating, but She had no choice. She had to endure.
But the Creator had given something special to all that was. Whether it was intentional or not, none could ever know, but something began to change. Harmony demanded it to.
It was strange at first. She, who was already so ancient, saw that others with thought came to life. These creatures were so diverse coming in many forms, but one especially caught her eye. He was strong, powerful and seemed unafraid of the darkness and indifferent of Time that was slowly claiming her. Something inside her stirred. She wanted to be with He, and He wanted to be with She. Born out of this desire, a new form of Harmony -- different from the one that the Creator had made came into existence. Unlike the Harmony of all, this was formed from within them. This new Harmony soon become known as Heart, or love. And from the Heart, a union that was never before seen was consummated, from which came a new embodiment of Harmony.
She named her 'Daughter' and taught her what was known. How from the kind and gentle darkness she had come, and how She had made Harmony with the Creator. How she fell in love with He, who came from Harmony, through which the Daughter was a product of.
But Time would not be denied.
Not wanting He or Daughter to feel that Harmony had betrayed them, She made them a promise. That when the time came, they would join her and the Creator once again in another place where the Destroyer could not reach. How She knew that this can perhaps be attributed to how close the Creator and She were; that they could think so alike. The Daughter agreed, but He could not bear to be without She. When Death finally came to She, He asked to come as well and left the Daughter alone.
But the Daughter was strong, like her mother and searched for the Creator hoping to convince her to bring She and He back. Instead, the Daughter found two of the Children that had been lost who were sleeping deep within the forests of the old world, awoke when the Daughter shook them. They had been asleep for so long that they had forgotten much of who they were.
The three of them learned from one another, but as Time drew on they began to realize just how different they were. The Daughter had teeth that were sharp and when the hunger came she could not eat what the Children did, for her appetite was born over Time, and the Destroyer's influence had affected her body's needs. Where others could feed off the ether and energies of the environment around them, the Daughter required flesh. The Daughter then agreed to never harm those that looked and talked like the Children and the Children agreed never to get in the way of the Daughter while she Hunted, so long as those that were Hunted were not sentient.
And so it was that the Daughter and the two Children became friends.
The captain waited patiently. He hated not knowing what was going on. He hated being left in the dark, literally in this case. He did not like that he could not see how things were going, but he trusted his crew and trusted that they could get the job done. Just how, he couldn't know, but he needed to wait.
Suddenly a loud, gross 'crunch' sounded not far from where he stood. This was followed by another, and another, and another. The captain took a step back, and heard another splotch behind him and turned to see the body of a Watu lying in the dim light from the hall. His pegasi were doing it.
Then he heard something rumble.
"Come, pony. The ladders have been lowered. We go to hunt!" the bulldog grinned. "We go to eat the flesh of our enemies!"
The dogs could navigate in the darkness, thanks to their keen sense of smell. The captain and his crew did not have that luxury. The bulldog understood this and a couple grunts and a growl later, every member of the crew were being led by the dogs through the darkness to the ladders. Once there, the ponies were allowed to feel their own way up to the top. For the captain, it was slow going for he was unsure how high he had to climb.
"Faster, pony!" the beta under him said in a harsh whisper. "The hunt will be over before we can join..."
"I'm going as fast as I can, okay?" the captain muttered back.
Then he heard something above and felt something whiz by his face.
"What was that?" the captain asked.
"Dead pony. Masked. Not yours. Hurry."
The captain continued upwards, feeling his way until he could see a light above him. It was a small light that lit up the boundary of a door. The faint tell-tale signs of a steel walk-way could be seen as the light was behind the mesh-like grating of the platform. He understood that this was his target and the fact that there were no guards around meant one of two things. They were hiding in the darkness, or they were dead. He hoped it was the latter.
On he climbed, putting one hoof in front of the other, pulling himself upwards with grim determination. He realized only then, three-quarters of the way up that ladder what he had just done. He had committed his crew to a battle. Not the familiar battle on the deck of a ship where he stood upon the helm of his vessel. No, this was a battle of great numbers of forces vying for dominance of a crippled ship. And for what? All he knew was that he needed to do this for himself because of Sunny. Was it right to order his crew into it?
"Hurry, the smell of blood grows stronger," the beta whispered. "Fighting above is. Dogs are dying. The glory of the hunt is upon us! I must..."
The captain barely stifled his yelp as the dog climbed over him and above. He watched as the animal almost hopped upwards towards the light source. Then he felt the dog under him do the same, trying to get past. The would knock him off the ladder if he wasn't careful. As the next dog pushed his way up, the captain slipped and fell catching another dog by the tail. It yelped as the captain swung around to the back of the ladder and held the railing fast.
"There!" a voice shouted. "They're coming from below!"
"Where? I can't see them!" another yelled.
"Turn on the light-" the third voice was abruptly cut off followed by a loud roar as the sound of a dog echoed through the darkness.
The captain gritted his teeth and pulled himself upwards towards the light once again, trying hard to ignore the chaos breaking all around him. He was alone, and he actually found himself missing Bones. Ten rungs left before the top of the ladder, he could see it clearly. A diamond dog rushed up the ladder and yelped as a long spear took him in the back. The canine twisted around and swiped at the Watu pegasus hovering just out of reach.
"Filthy flea-bag!" the stallion shouted.
Taking a dagger from the sheath in his belt, the captain aimed and threw it in the general direction of the voice. There was no sound, but somewhere far below he heard a splatter followed by a second one moments later. He hoped that his dagger had flown true and headed up the next few rungs holding his breath.
"What's going on here?" a voice shouted opening the door. "Report!"
"Sir, it's terrible, sir!" the captain replied, putting on his best act. He continued up the ladder.
"What? What's terrible? Where are you? Front and center!" the Watu commander demanded.
"Yes, sir! Coming, sir!" The captain climbed to the top, keeping his head down low and approached the Watu as calmly and as quickly as possible. He had done this plenty of times before. Too many times, in fact.
"Well, what is it? What's going on?"
The captain looked up and before the Watu could think, he grabbed the unicorn by his horn and gave it a violent twist. The effect was nearly instant. The sudden surge of pain and dizziness made the Watu loose control of his body and the captain pulled the commander towards him, twisting his body around and over the railing sending the warrior over the edge into the darkness below. The captain stared after him and shrugged. "No idea, sir." With that, he turned towards the opened door and took a step into the light.
As his hoof hit the ground, he heard something that sent chills down his spine. At first he thought it was the sound of the wind rushing through some small gap nearby, but he quickly realized that wasn't it. No, the sound was too consistent to be the wind, and much more 'alive'. He gulped and wiped the sweat from his brow. He knew that sound and hoped that it was a good thing. It was clear that it was coming from an army of canines baying to the moon.
"Here we go again," the captain whispered as he trotted into the hall. Unhoofed and alone with no idea as to what he was doing, not that such a thing ever stopped him before, he rushed towards the sounds of the howling. After all, that was where the omega was.
The Daughter had spent many suns and moons playing with the Children and hunting without them. But she was getting old and her years were drawing to a close. The Children had one another, yet she was alone. They would not hunt with her, yet the hunt was what she wanted them to partake in the most. Then one of the Children agreed to come for the hunt, but to not witness the blood or the taking of life. The Daughter understood and promised the Child that they would hunt together without the need for Death.
It was at this time the the Creator and She decided to try and see their scions. Since they could not enter the realm they were in the Creator made a half-real one, where half was from the universe that was created before and the other half was from the one created after. In this realm everything was nothing and nothing was permanent where no rules applies, save one. Here, none could feel the cold embrace of Death. Here nothing could pass from either realm except for the memories shared within. This power was too much for the Creator to sustain and bound this gift with the moon. Now, they only had to wait and hope.
The Daughter felt the change immediately. Closing her eyes, the Daughter waited until sleep befell her and awoke in the Dream World to see She, her mother. They embraced, they talked, they laughed and they played. It was as if they were together once more, which they were but were not. As the dawn of the new day broke, the spell too was broken, but the Daughter understood. The Creator's power allowed them to come to this strange and beautiful place, this Dream World, but only when the moon was at its fullest, for it was from this source that the doorway between the Waking World and the Dream World was open.
The Daughter then taught this new trick to the younger Child who seemed to love the night and its beauty more than her older sister, but the power was too different and the Child had her life-force nearly ripped away. The Daughter realized that this was her fault and vowed to set things right by taking her own life-force and binding it with the Child and the moon itself, and thus the Child came to be known as the Dream Walker, the Midnight Lady, the Moon Mother and eventually, after a tumultuous time, the Evernight Queen.
The baying of the canines shook the Watu to the very core. They were hardy warriors, many had trained through the uncountable conflicts they had to endure, but even they were unprepared for something like this. They outnumbered the dogs with their numbers, but the dogs seemed to think otherwise. Commonsense would be right in saying that the dogs had the edge this time. Their teeth could bite through steel, their claws could tear through rock and they were strong. Far stronger than a normal pony for sure, but perhaps not stronger than a trained Watu. Still, there was the comforting knowledge that the Wallarmbrusts at the top of the foredeck were ready to tear into the canine lines should they dare come within range. It was suicide to charge head on.
"Are you ready!" came the sudden bark of one of the larger dogs. There was a rancorous response. Some were barking, others gnashed their teeth and some merely paced around in their places eager waiting for the command. It was clear that they many were salivating as their eyes focused on the Watu without an inkling of fear. They were ready to die, while it was clear that the vast majority of the Watu were not. A couple even took a step back, breaking formation.
"Hold the line!" a commander shouted shoving one of the other Watu that had tried to back-out of the line. "Aren't you going to fight and kill and make money?"
"B-but, sir! T-those dogs are mad! T-they ain't right! I mean, look at 'em!" the Watu replied pointing towards the line of canines. "Something's off. They're not... usual. I guarded 'em in the hold below! I know what I'm talking about! They don't usually make those eyes..."
The commander felt a cold shudder run down his spine as he saw what the Watu meant. These dog's were not their usual selves. But he still had to maintain control. If a fight was coming, then it would be prudent to have all the warriors able to fight back. "You stay in line or I'll take your head right here myself!"
Before the warrior could respond another call went out.
"They're coming! Ready the 'Brusts! Let's take 'em out!" Another commander shouted.
Sure enough the dogs were starting to march across the deck slowly picking up speed. Many looked up at the Wallarmbrusts to make sure that they were really there, and to help pacify themselves that such powerful weaponry was on their side. Some even started to laugh, others even taunted the charging beasts shouting out to them. Some of the others even taught the others the most insulting word the dogs had in their native tongue.
Disloyal.
The effect was almost instantaneous as the dogs surged forwards making a line towards those that dared to utter that word to them. They, after all, had very sharp hearing capable for pinpointing which of the Watu was guilty of uttering the most taboo word of their kind. A word that usually ended with bloodshed.
Just as the dogs reached the curved barrier, the Wallarmbrusts screamed into action. Their rapid reloading springs making that high-pitched shriek as each bolt was launched towards their intended victim. Bolts flew in their dozens towards the dog's line. Some of the more careless jumped over the obstacle only to be met with a shower of death as the bolts pinned them hard to the deck or to the barrier itself. Still the lines kept coming and the Watu watched and mocked them as the dogs slowly began to pile up behind their protective blockade. Some even tried to brave the storm of bolts in a suicide attempt at trying to avenge their fallen pack-mates and to rip the tongues out of those who dared to call them Disloyal.
But it was Lupus of the Silver Moon clan that felt the words cutting into him the worst, for in his case the label rung tragically true. He was, indeed, Disloyal. His clan did betray the Moon Mother. True, it was his father's father's father and his mother's mother's mother that committed this unspeakable atrocity, but their blood flowed through his veins and the sting of the words seemed to echo through the bloodline right into the blood pumping into his veins. It didn't matter that the Silver Moon did what they did to help save the world. It would have ended if the Evernight Queen had won, even if they loved the moon, they knew that life could not survive in perpetual darkness. They were willing to be called Disloyal to save all, cursing the Silver Moon clan for eternity. The only reason why he was the alpha of alphas was because some part of him resisted. Lupus was too proud to put his tail-between-his-legs, which was unexpected of him and his ilk. But he was a Hunter, not a mere Scrounger like so many of his kind had become, digging in the deep recesses of the world like moles. An obsession with shiny stones that he just could not comprehend.
Looking up, he saw the pony -- no, the omega -- standing and watching with some of the other alphas from a safe distance away. He looked at the line of canines hiding behind the obstacle, pinned down. The omega gave Lupus the honor of leading this hunt, an honor that the others were both relieved and jealous not to have. Leading a hunt was the most prestigious position a dog could have, even as the alpha of alphas Lupus was not allowed to. The leader of the pack is always chosen by his peers, as has been the way. But not today. Today the omega chose, and he chose a Silver. Who would dare talk back to the omega? Who would dare question an order from the champion of their kind? He had won the title of omega in Glorious Combat fairly, and even put down another alpha that dared question it. Ruthlessly.
The Silver grinned and closed his eyes. Even if he died this day, this act and the honor that he had been granted would lessen the prejudice and hatred towards the Silver Moon clan. Even if it was a little, he was glad that he could give back an inkling of the honor his once proud line possessed. Glad to be given this chance, he opened his mouth and bayed towards the moon once more.
Then, as if the power of that baying was heard by the Creator herself, the clouds parted and the moon's ethereal glow bore down on the ship's deck right around the Silver, the fur on his back seemed to turn silver as the moon soaked him with its light and his eyes began to glow a bright blue. The canines saw this and a mixture of fear and awe rushed through their veins, for they saw the that their beloved moon had blessed the Silver Moon. The Moon Mother had heard his call and responded.
And as the Watu managed to come to terms with the clouds above them being broken, a feat that was nigh impossible in those chaotic skies by even the strongest of magical creatures, they watched in horror as the canines jumped over the barrier and rushed towards them at full tilt with a silver-colored wolf leading the charge. They felt dread as the realized one thing as the line closed in towards them.
Not a single Wallarmbrust opened fire.
"Cap'n!" a harsh whisper came from underneath the stairwell upwards.
The captain looked around and saw Bones and with Iris. She had a deep cut along her cheek and her horn looked worse for wear. She had been in a magical bout with some other unicorn and probably only won by the skin of her teeth.
"Captain, each of this stairwells leads to the upper-level. There are Wallarmbrusts pointing towards the main deck of the ship. The Watus don't have anybody else around here. Guards are minimal. I think they think that we couldn't go up the hold for some reason."
"Why?" the captain replied, ducking next to them. He needed a clearer picture of what was going on.
"From what I can make out, there was a big battle down here. There are huge scratches along the walls. From the looks of things it must've been something real big. Like... big-big. You know. Like... ursa big."
"Ursa? Then what?"
"It was flooded. The entire chamber. Whatever was in here was... I think they must've opened the loading doors and somehow sealed them shut once whatever was in here was thrown out." Iris winced a little and rubbed her head. "My brain's not working right. Took a psychic hit to the face. The unicorn nearly killed me. Got my barrier up in the nick of time to take the lethalness off. But wow, what a wallop."
"Relax. We'll take it from here. Right, Bones?" The captain looked at the pony next to him.
"You betcha! Can't wait to cut some more Watu guts open!" Bones grinned and his eyes seemed to open wide at the prospect.
The captain would never get used to this. "Iris. Spread word. Tell the others not to attack until they get my signal? Understand?"
"Yes, captain!"
With that the unicorn was off.
"Cap'n?" Bones asked.
"What is it?"
"I don't want to put a damper on your... plan, but what signal are you going to give to the others?" Bones asked. "We aren't on the Lipizzan. It's not like you just jump out of this hiding spot and shout 'now', right?"
The captain felt his bowels suddenly get a lot tighter.
"Aim! Aim for the lines! Wait for it. We want them to a little closer... that's right... ready... ready..." The Watu raised his hoof up and waited, the other firmly attached to a one-eyed telescope as he followed the line. It was pointless, really, to have that telescope. It was impossible to miss the large number of dogs rushing closer, but this Watu wanted to see their faces when the Wallarmbrusts started pouring their bolts into them. He wanted to see them convulse in death throes, watch their agony, watch their hope fade into oblivion. He lowered his hoof quickly. "Now! Fire now!"
The dogs managed to get to the barrier. A few dared venture further, only to be met by the bolts. The Watu commander actually licked his lips. He was enjoying this.
Then a loud noise seemed to emanate from the dogs. The same noise they had all made moments before the charge. That high pitched howl they did towards the moon.
"Yes, yes. Cry!" The Watu giggled. "There's nothing going to save your flanks now."
Then the masses of dogs poured over their last and only means of defense and charged the last few meters towards the enemy's lines.
"Quick! Kill them! Kill them all!"
Nothing.
"I said fire now!" the Watu shouted lowering his telescope and turning towards the Wallarmbrust.
The last thing he saw was Bones standing in front of him, a large sword in his hoof covered in blood. His blood.
Lupus felt a shift. Something had changed in his body. Something felt right. He looked towards the Watu line and saw something there. Another one of his kind, perhaps, but far older. More ancient. He did not know how or why that was, but he knew that whoever it was was calling to him to come. Now was the time.
He leaped over the barrier, the wooden deck below him felt like the soft grasses of his homeland. The air smelled of fresh morning dew. The clouds had indeed broken, and he led his kind into the lines ahead of him. Led them on the hunt. He was leading his kind towards Glorious Combat.
A tear rolled down his cheek. He was ready to go and greet his ancestors. It was okay now.
"Something's wrong!" the commander shouted when the Wallarmbrusts did not open fire on the charging dogs. He turned and looked at the line. The Watu were shifting unsteadily in this places. Some held the line, confident in their ability. Others faltered; they were not ready for this. Truth be told, apart from the very few that were exiled Guards from Equestria, none of them were ready. They were not trained for this. Most were glorified prison guards, able to bully those into submission. But an actual battle?
Still, there was no choice. It was clear that something had gone very wrong, and they would have to commit themselves into battle. He drew his blade and gritted his teeth and gave an order he had not since the time he was banished from the Border Guard along with most of his own Guards. "Ready weapons!"
There was a medley of mixed responses. Some roared with gusto, drawing their blades and baring their teeth like the canines careening towards them. Others whimpered in fear, holding their weapons limply in front of them hoping that it was all just a bad dream. Some made a silent grunt knowing that breaking rank and fleeing would only lead to their defeat but fighting against these rabid dogs looked bleak.
Then when things couldn't get any worse, it did. The Wallarmbrusts did indeed open fire, only not where the Watu expected it to be. A rain of bolts pierced through the rear and side flanks slaughtering those unlucky enough to hold those positions. It was clear that these weapons had been taken over by the enemy and it didn't take a genius to understand that the howling and the frontal charge had all played a hoof in distracting them. They did not check their rear, nor did they foresee any way that the enemy could get there in the first place. They had been had. It was also clear that the big dog's howl had informed them to take over the Wallarmbrusts at the same time. A perfect example of being stuck between a rock and a hard place, or in this case between a devastating barrage of bolts and a pack of dogs ready to rend them limb from limb.
Little did they realize that almost all these things can be attributed to dumb luck. Or was it luck? Did the pony commanding this group of canines actually plan the whole thing? How did he know?
Their choices were limited to two options: stick together or die. The commander knew they were dead if they remained where they were, and almost immediately sounded the attack. He had been in battles before and knew when to take charge. This was one of those times. It had earned him his banishment, but he had won the day all those years ago. An ex-Border Guard, now a slave-driving Watu. Out here, he had learned, the only allegiance was to gold. Everything else came in second to that. A lesson he had learned the hard way.
"Charge! Forward! Into the fray! Attack!"
The call was taken up by others realizing that they had to obey and the Watu surged forward as one with their weapons bared to meet the wave of dogs for it was strategically the right thing to do. They would not survive under the constant barrage of the Wallarmbrusts exposed as they were. They couldn't get away. The only option they had was to mix their numbers with the dogs and hope that the Wallarmbrusts did not open fire on all of them.
The commander thought about fleeing to the safety of the ship's interior, storming the doors that led into them with the most trusted of his kind. They may change their luck by this strategy provided that they were quick enough to get inside before the Wallarmbrusts carved them down. Standing on the stairwell in that close proximity would have been suicide. Plus they did not know what lay behind those doors. Perhaps there was a large number of dogs awaiting them inside. They had no choice but to attack. That was the only way they could survive at this point.
How had the tide suddenly shift? They were practically unbeatable mere moments before.
And as the commander slew two dogs with his blade, he dared raise his head above the fray and glanced in the direction of where the pony and the rest of the alphas had stood. They were nowhere to be seen.
High above in the sky, past the world's furthest reaches, far beyond the places where the pegasi could soar, she slept. In the comforting embrace of darkness, she was at peace. For such a long time she had slept. Not the normal sleep of mere mortals, but the dead dreamless sleep of those that had been cursed. Cursed by an overwhelming power. She slept not because of wanting to, but because she had been sealed away inside an inescapable prison. Or was it? She did not know, she never tried because she was sleeping. Had been sleeping, actually.
She opened her eyes. Glancing around the world. The haziness of her surroundings unfamiliar and familiar. The unfamiliarity of a new place she had never seen before, but this was in the world of dreams. She had awoken here and instantly knew. But how? How had she been awakened? Was the curse broken? She looked at her legs and found thick shackles and chains holding her there. One orange, one blue, one yellow and one pink. Around her tail she saw one made of purple and around her neck, thicker than the others and chained to the ground, was white.
She knew that what she saw was not real. Nothing in this world was, for it was the world of dreams. Everything was always an illusion, allusion or an imitation. The chains that held her down represented the only power strong enough to best her. A power that her sister had used to best her. The power that she had once shared with her sister.
The sudden memory made her blood boil. Of course. She remembered. The sun. The night. The love. The hate. The peace. The war. Everything. How could she forget? How did she forget? How dare she forget? The feelings of hate welled up within her and she spread her wings and pulled against her restraints. Again and again and again.
Nothing.
How could she have fallen asleep? How could she have lost? Her strategy was flawless. There was no way they could have overwhelmed her flanks. But that was what had happened. Her flanks were broken, her forces split. It was a simple, almost basic, strategy. Cutting her main forces off from her own guard allowed her sister and her elites to use Elements. That was what had happened, she recalled.
Then she heard it again. The same voice that woke her up. A long cry that she had used to love. How had she forgotten it? Turning, she pierced the ether with her raw power to see the source of the sound. To see her old friend. Friend? No. That was not right. Her follower. Yes. That's it. Her loyal servant. Her vassal. After all, she was their only link to their goddess. She looked again and saw the face of the one that called to her. He was different. In fact, everything she saw was different, completely alien from what she remembered. How long? How long had she been asleep?
Years, a voice whispered from within her. Decades, the voice whispered again this time a little clearer. Millennia.
"Impossible," she shouted back. "It.. can't be."
The dream warped and morphed from her power. The very fabric of that reality shuddered against the sudden outburst.
It is, the voice said again, this time stronger than before. You have been forgotten.
"Then I shall make them remember! I shall make them all remember! I will return! I will... I will..." she stared at the wolf far away down on the world below, his fur glistening under the light of... her. The moon. She was... that moon? No. She was trapped within it. She understood now. Of course. Sealed away within the confines of a ethereal prison, locked away in her own dream. Well, she was the master of the world of dreams, and she would break this curse. She would shatter that which held her back, and she would be free. It might take time, but it was inevitable. She would return, and she would have her revenge. Revenge on the wolves that abandoned her, revenge on those that shunned her night and revenge on the one that sent her away. She would have words with her sister.
And deep inside, the voice giggled in cruel laughter.
"Sir, it's not good, sir," the Elite stated to Blood.
"What do you mean 'not good'?" Blood asked, his voice low which made it sound extremely dangerous.
"The line has been broken, sir. They sent an infiltration unit beneath us. The dogs cut through our defenses and the ponies took the Wallarmbrusts and turned them against our own forces, sir. Our commanders have committed to battle to spare them from being cut apart. Apart from us, there is no one standing between the dogs and you, sir. What are your orders?"
Blood paced the room. He was furious. He was livid. How did one pony manage to do all this? To unite the divided breeds and fight together, to predict their defensive weakness and exploit it, to force the Watu regulars to fight so as to disband their posts and to force him to move from what he thought was a secure location on the ship. Not only that, how had he managed to get the timing down so accurately?
"What about our pegasi?" Blood demanded, looking at a map of the ship on the table in front of him.
"They are in the clouds..." the Elite trailed off.
"What's wrong? Why are you silent?" Blood asked looking at the Elite's masked face.
"The clouds... are broken, sir."
"Broken? What do you mean by 'broken'?"
"The were suddenly blown apart. The force has caused confusion and many were crushed by the sudden movement, but most of of the pegasi are keeping away because of the Wallarmbrusts. There is no rain over the Eleonora, so the bolts and the shooter's line of sight is clear." The Elite pointed towards a window where the water glistened with the silver reflection of the moon's glow. Indeed, the sky was clear, but Blood could also see the darkness and rain not far away.
"The pegasi will commit! What do they think this is? A game?" Blood roared, slamming his hoof onto the floor. Even the Elite could not help but flinch at the raw display of rage from the highly unpredictable unicorn.
"Sir, the regulars will not win this battle. It is lost." The Elite stood stoically to one side staring into the distance.
Blood paced around it. "Very well. Order the remainder of our forces to escape through the hold and head to the rear of the ship. We are leaving the Eleonora. Understand?
"Yes, sir. Sir, should we inform the others in the battle?"
"What for? That rabble have outlived their usefulness. It is their incompetence that has led them to this inevitability. Let them die, or whatever it is weaklings do," Blood replied and walked over to his prisoners. He stared at them all. "Well, seems like the rhino is useless with that broken knee. Shall we kill him now?"
"No!" Providence yelled. She then stumbled and emptied her guts onto the floor. "S-s-stop..."
"Oh. I forgot about you. How does it feel? Would you like more?" Blood took a syringe and showed it to the pegasus. "Unlike you, my Elites have had years of training to resist assaulting me if they see me hold onto a vial like this. You, on the other hand, will not. I see that your body is automatically demanding that I give you another dose."
"N-n-no!" Providence grunted, but there was no use denying it. Her body yearned for that vial. It needed to feel that sensation. She needed to injected that poison into her body. She knew it was bad but she just could not resist. "I... I need..."
"Kill the rhino. Bring the rest," Blood stated and turned away.
Providence followed automatically. Her body did not listen to her mind. As much as she wanted not to follow the unicorn, the need of that narcotic was too great. She could not fight it.
At the order, Iron held onto the dagger that was given to him tightly. He would not go down without a fight. The determination gave way to fear as he saw the Elites pulling out their crossbows and loading their bolts. Knowing fully that staying where he was meant death, the rhino turned towards the nearest window and with all his might, pushed through the glass and down towards the deck far below. The Elites ran to the edge and peered over to see the rhino lying motionless below them. They exchanged glances with another before aiming their crossbows down at him.
Zecora yelled and tried to push past the Watu to see if Iron had survived, but the two closest Elites were having none of that and easily subdued the zebra. "Leave him alone! Are your hearts made of stone? He has fallen to his death. Why waste your breath?"
The Elites again looked at one another before shrugging, taking aim and emptying a salvo straight down. If the fall hadn't killed him, then those bolts certainly would.
Hope had finally evaporated from Zecora. How could these Watu and Elites be so cruel? She could not understand how they could go so far. She had heard tales of the ponies and their kindness, how they always seemed to welcome those with open hooves, yet she could not see anything but senseless murderers here. How could any pony, zebra or thing be able to be so ruthless to another living creature? Sure, her kind were not unfamiliar to suffering and could inflict as much pain as these Watu, but her kind did not enjoy it. These ponies; these Watu, did.
"You. Come." The Elite shoved Lucky with the butt of his spear.
The stallion yelped and did as he was asked. "Y-yes, s-s-s-sir. P-please don't h-hurt me..."
"Move!" The Elite yelled again.
Lucky yelped again and slunk down, practically crawling on the floor in a feeble attempt at putting as much distance between himself and the Elite. He led the way through the door that Blood and Providence had left through. He could see the mare ahead still trying to resist the urge to follow, but it was as if she was constantly entranced. She fought it as best she could, but it no matter how hard she tried to turn around her body would remain fixated on the red unicorn.
Down they went, back into the bowels of the ship. The familiar sight of the dim lights made Zecora feel knotted on the inside. She had put up with that for what seemed like ages, and returning to it dampened her already hopeless mood. The dimly lit corridor seemed to go on endlessly until they spotted a familiar shape at the other end. It was a door and when they entered, they were plunged into a wide area, also barely lit, but with empty cages all around.
A loud howl echoed from somewhere and a pack of dogs spotted them. They quickly charged at them, but the Elites moved with practiced precision and aimed their crossbows at them. For a brief moment hope had returned to Zecora. The dogs seemed to be fighting back against the Watu. If they managed to somehow kill the ones around her then maybe she could get away to safety.
Alas, that was not meant to be.
As the dogs charged, the front few crashed into the bars of the cage, their excitement getting the better of them. The others managed to weave around, supposedly avoiding the bars in their way. The Elites were having none of it and fired their crossbows into them. Each yelped as the bolts found their mark, making some of the canines collapse mid-step. The few that managed to survive instantly turned away, fleeing with the tail between their legs and crying at the top of their lungs back into the darkness. It was clear that they were no match for the Elites.
"Stop standing there gawking." Blood growled shoving the zebra with his hoof. "Go."
Zecora walked forwards and carefully stepped around the newly deceased dogs, careful as to not step in their blood. The Watu, on the other hoof, were not bothered at all and walked through the crimson puddles without a care.
"Oh Celestia, oh Celestia, oh Celestia..." Lucky whimpered as he stepped by the bodies.
On they went, straight between the cages. Sometimes another small pack of dogs would spot them, but they would disappear into the darkness before the Elites could even raise their crossbows. Perhaps the dogs realized that they were not to be trifled with, much to Zecora's increasing dismay. Through the cargo decks they walked, each time keeping a sharp lookout for any potential surprises.
Suddenly a loud bark echoed from behind, a deeper and more powerful burst that felt closer than it really was. Zecora spun around out of instinct and spotted the outline of a large dog standing where they had come. Two eyes glowed menacingly in the low-lit corridor and but it wasn't hard to tell that this dog was different from the ones they had been meeting all along.
"Alpha!" An Elite shouted and pointed a crossbow towards the beast.
The creature took a step back and seemed to meld into the shadows. The bolt fired from the crossbow sang towards its intended target, but all they heard was the sound of something clattering across the floor. The Elite had missed.
"Go out there and kill that thing!" Blood ordered, kicking an Elite with his forehoof towards where the creature had been.
Without question, one of the Elites charged forwards with his sword drawn. He was swallowed by the darkness and was lost to sight. They all waited looking at one another, then back towards the hall.
A sickening shriek erupted that was cut unceremoniously short.
Blood growled. He looked around and spotted the outline of another door not far from them. In the darkness, they were at an disadvantage. They needed to go somewhere where there was light. Then they could fight them. "Stick together. Tight formation. Eyes open. Towards the door. Go!"
Onwards they continued, a dangerous look on Blood's face. A howl came from behind them followed by several more.
"Move!"
Eyes all around them. They were surrounded now. Only that door was free. Only that door led to their salvation and they needed to get to it quickly. The sounds of the canines around them slowly drew closer and the Elites started to falter. They were unsure as to turning around to fight, or still continue their desperate pace towards the door.
"Ignore them! Go!"
With those words, the Elites turned and charged towards the door. So far, so good. Nothing seemed to be getting in their way.
A few feet from the door, Blood suddenly came to a halt. Lucky, unable to stop in time, slammed into the unicorn. He might as well have slammed into a pillar, the unicorn did not even bunch from the impact. The others came to a stop next to their leader, confused and wondering what was going on.
"Sir?"
"It's a trap. They set us up. They forced us to come here. Why else would they keep their distance behind us? They could have placed an ambush all along How were we supposed to see in this light!" Blood stomped his hoof and glowered at the door. "I should have realized when they were not catching up. Stay here. If anything should happen to me, kill them. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Blood took a step forwards and pushed the door open.
Lupus bit down on the neck of a Watu warrior unlucky enough to face him. He felt the iron taste of blood drip on his tongue, the warmth practically intoxicating. There was a sharp pain on his left side where a stray bolt had hit him and passed through, but he felt unstoppable. He felt alive. In all his years as the alpha of alphas, this was the only time where he felt that he had a purpose. The purpose was simple; he was a simple decoy. He was there to ensure that the Watu were distracted long enough for his omega. That was what he was told to do. He had been given an order and he would fulfill it. His omega deserved that much at least. If it cost him his life, then so be it. He had regained honor and pride for his pack. The Silver Moon would have a reason to walk with their tails tall.
"Regroup! Shields up!" came a call from the left flank as a group of Watu banded together. The laid their shields out in front of them and got their spears ready.
"Don't let them form a line!" Lupus barked. "Slaughter them!"
There was not even a pause as the words left his mouth. Two dozen dogs rushed the line from all sides. The Watu tried to compensate by forming a circle, but they had no cover for the one place they least expected. Above. The dogs, using their comrades backs, launched themselves over the shield wall and into the middle. There the commander put up a good fight, but he was no match for the canines that ripped him apart with their claws.
The other Watu broke in a charge to get away from being closed in from both sides, a tactic that spared them a horrific fate. They were not broken. Even with one of their commanders dead, the Watu still fought hard. At least some did. Others broke off and tried to flee, only to be met by a pack of betas eager to make a kill and claim it their own. They learned quickly that they had no choice.
"Why am I even here!" a small fox screamed as he dodged the heavy blade of a halberd as it swung wide. A dog to his right yipped as the blade cut into him. He flailed a moment before lying still. "I'm too delicate to be here!"
A knife whizzed by his face and a Watu crumbled in front of him as a dog on his back bit through his neck.
It was chaos. Everything was a confusing mess of bodies. Ponies and dogs alike, back to back, magic bursting here and there, weapons swinging around. Was the fox going to live through this?
"Back!" another commander yelled to a group. "Back! Slowly! Watch the flanks!"
Again the dogs launched themselves into the air in an attempt to get behind to Watu line, but this line was different. This line was not like the other they had overrun. As the dogs leaped into the air, they were cut down by bolts as a line behind them fired into the air. Bolts that missed flew into the chaotic battle. Those that did get behind were cut down by lighter armed Watu that did not allow them to regain their balance.
"Heave!" the commander yelled, and the line pushed forwards a step, their spears emerging from behind the shield wall. Plenty of betas that were too close did not know what hit them. After the strike, the line began to retreat once more. The dogs moved along with them. Before they could think, the order was shouted again and another step was pushed, spears again slaying those that were too eager. This time, as the line retreated, the dogs kept their distance.
"No! Don't let them gain too much distance!" Lupus commanded, but his voice fell on deaf ears as the betas were too scared to obey.
Too late.
A wave of bolts sung from behind the line as they were fired straight into the dog's semi-formed line. The Watu backing off had forced them to make a line, something that dogs were not trained nor meant to do. They were hunters. They worked together while chasing their prey down. They were not meant to stand and face a standing army like this. They did not know about tactics and strategy. They were not trained to follow orders like the Watu, they were trained to obey direction.
Lupus understood that if the Watu were allowed to set the pace, then they would shift the tide of this battle to their favor. For him, as an alpha, he understood because to him it made sense. A beta did not have the luxury of that type of thinking. They only lived to serve, to fulfill a designated roll in a pack, a roll that they put themselves in based on their strength. Intelligence counted as strength as well, and he was the only alpha here. He would have to lead this pack properly. He would have to lead them as the omega would.
"Betas! Charge to the sides. Hit them where their shields are shortest!" Lupus commanded, his voice deep and loud.
There was only the most briefest of pauses as the canines looked at the alpha. They understood. If they were going to make it out of this, they would have to obey him completely. They would have to concede to his authority, as he had done to the omega. They had no choice. They had to obey.
"For alpha-Lupus!" a call was heard. "We obey!"
"We obey!" came from the others, and obey they did.
As the dogs rushed into the Watu flanks, Lupus stood atop a pile of dead and looked at the chaos around him and howled again to the moon.
He wanted to let his omega know that they were no longer decoys anymore. They were hunters in every sense of the word, and many knew that they would leave this plane and join their pack-mates in the dream world. There they would continue to hunt forever more.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
868 users online
1,386,929 hits today, 2,814,898 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.®
awesome battle
DUDE THAT WAS AWESOME! I loved your background explanation. It is a serious counterpoint to the battle scene. It is a perfect explanation of how the MLP-verse was formed. Seriously besides some minor mistakes her and there, I don't have any complaints. Can't wait for the next chapter to come out. Blood is finally gonna die, can't wait for that to happen!
Why can't i write a battle as good as this? This story is awsome!
Jesus motherfucking baby Christ. Deathtap could easily become the best adult book writer in history if he/she wanted to, and then make 600M every month even after 2 years of his latest book release.
I now hail to you, your mightyness.
*They
*of
Pick one or add hyphens.
rang true or rang tragically true
The tenses don't match; should probably switch this for these.
*carved
*Her
This is quite literally, one of the most exciting things I have read.
that was epic!
Umm... Kinda... Redundant...
Ugh... Bad grammar...
I think you mean but...
That is just... Ugh...
There should be an n at the end of that...
Now I feel bad for pointing little mistakes out...
Btw, great story! I will continue reading.
5500282 I always appreciate things like this. Thanks for spotting those errors for future readers.
I´ll be honest with you. For the better of the story, it was an annoying OOC wankfest for me, with the only thing left was that Semper was secretly the brother of Celestia and Luna who had his wings and horn removed at birth somehow. I just kept reading for the sake of killing a rainy day.
But this and the chapter before changed this. The background lore you give us, the raw FEELINGS you poured into it, the insight into the Diamond Dogs, the moment the clouds broke and Lupus received the blessing of the moon... I honestly had to choke back tears, so god damn riled up you and your wonderful writing skills got me!
I salute you sir/ma´am.
This. This type of story is why I read. The background. The characters. The well though out side character. The chills. All the chills. THIS IS SO EXCITING
I salute you /)
7344851 Motion furthered.
twentypercentcooler.net/data/sample/be/10/be107d6d04d324a84d64cafe829f4bea.jpg?1315208616
I love worldbuilding and all, but I was really not in the mood to read all this idealogical stuff when I wanted to see this through. I want this mission to come to a close already, I want to see the primary thing I came for: Semper and Pinkie.
Skimmed this chapter. Looked ahead, saw no end in sight. Done reading.
Not gonna lie. The mythology bits, outside of the parts where they directly related to the canines, were boring. I ended up skimming through them after the first segment as they just end up being a chore to read and feel like a fairly one-off thing, not even giving Luna and Celestia much shift with their mentions.
I find it intriguing that the pony-manipulated weather should end up intersecting with griffon territory and creating a sort of dead zone. Certainly, for the ponies to have an utopia they're not afraid to trample over others to keep it, including both that and exiling anypony who steps out of line into a fate of certain misery.
So Nightmare Moon has been finally awoken as a result of the battle, due to make her full return soon thereafter.
I love the worldbuilding you have for everything. From the dragon's past to the canines' beliefs and ugh, so good!!