Prologue- Dread Lord Prism
As I cast my gaze over the crest of the hill, onto the village below, I could not help but crack a smile. The sleeping town below had not the slightest idea what wrath was about to be wrought upon it. In the hills surrounding the village, my comrades have taken up positions, poised to strike. Finally, I may feel the joy of battle once again.
I raised my hoof, signaling the attack to begin. Six ponies with bows drew back their strings and fired arrows, heads wrapped in burning rags, onto the roofs of the cottages below. I chuckle as the orange streaks fly across the sky. The thatch used by ponies for roofing could burst into a raging fire with one clean hit. All the arrows hit their marks at various points in the town, and in mere minutes, a roaring inferno had erupted to cast an orange glow across the early morning sky.
We charge down from the hilltops, onto the cobbled streets of Trotstown, which now were overrun with startled ponies, running frantically in all directions. I, along with several of my heavily armored stallions, barrel down the main roads, striking down any pony who could not stay ahead of us. The flames had already begun to grow to engulf much of the town. There would be no shelter to be had inside, and no mercy to be found out.
Further down the street, towards the town square, a small group of colts and stallions had hastily thrown a mess of tables and carts together to make an improvised barricade. They stood behind their wall, pitchforks held in quaking hooves, in a desperate measure to stop our advance.
My closest lieutenant, a pegasus named Whirlwind landed beside me with a salute, "Sir, it seems they had been preparing for our arrival. The men are attempting to forestall our progress while their mares and foals escape to the south."
"I have accounted for this," I assure him, "Fly your marauders around and capture or kill anypony who tries to flee. Nopony is to escape alive." In spite of our best efforts, it seems some survivors had managed to alert the world of our presence. Not that it matters. The Equestrian Royal Guard is a pathetic excuse for an army, led by perhaps the softest pony in all of Equestria; Celestia. Our forces had met on a few occasions, each time resulting in the complete slaughter of their numbers.
"What of escaping pegasi? Should we not kill them first?" Whirlwind asked.
A smug laugh from behind him caused Whirlwind to turn. Static Cling, another close associate of mine, stood at his back, her horn crackling with electricity. "The archers and I are more than capable of dealing with any escapees. Observe." She inhaled deeply, the electrical aura growing fiercer with every passing moment. She found a target, a frantic red mare flying in an erratic fashion, trying desperately to distance herself from the town. Static loosed an electric blue blast of lightning, arcing through the air, finding the mares heart. She screamed and convulsed, her wings locking up and putting her into a tailspin as she fell from the sky, landing somewhere off to the south. In the off chance Static's bolt hadn't killed her, the fall would certainly have.
"Well done," I say approvingly. Static blushes at my words, her affections for me all but written on her face. I have yet to acknowledge her antics, however. I have made it clear that if Static wants to initiate a romance, she should ask me plainly. I have little time for her subtle hints, which are much less subtle than she realizes.
With that demonstration, and the fear that Static may turn her power on him should he not follow orders, Whirlwind leaves to hunt down the escapees, leaving the barricade to me.
With this section of the town purged of life, my armored companions have begun to collect around me. Most of them have lances strapped at their sides, turning them into steel-shelled juggernauts. I however, have an axe strapped to my back. This weapon has become the stuff of nightmares in Equestria. It thirsts for blood, and I shall sate its thirst.
"Dreadcolts!" I scream. We break into a gallop barreling down the path towards the barrier, the sound of iron horseshoes clattering along the path, filling the air with the beat of our hooves. Some of the defenders flee in terror, but most remain firmly in place. I cannot blame the cowards. Ours is a fearsome visage. Twelve ponies, wrapped in menacing steel armor, running straight towards you with a raging inferno in the background is the stuff of nightmares. One they shall never awake from.
Their improvised weapons, pitchforks and hoes, are quivering like leaves. As we near the barricade, I spring from the ground, sailing over their weapons, their wall, their heads, landing behind them, axe drawn and ready to strike. My purple eyes find a young, handsome stallion, with a brown coat and chestnut mane and a violin marked on his rear. I laugh. This will be too easy.
My eyes, my very gaze is rumored to have the power to freeze ponies where they stand. I know not whether this is because of my magic, my presence, or some other factor, but all I know is that almost nopony has ever been able to maintain their cool fighting me. There has only been one, in fact, that has presented any sort of a challenge- Captain Shining Armor. I had the privilege to duel him many moons ago at the Battle of Canterbury, where he managed to save one of his soldiers with a shield spell, before momentarily locking me in combat, before being forced to retreat. I hope to one day finish that fight, as that fight made me feel more alive than I had in ages.
Down falls my axe, rending head from neck, severing through skin, muscle and bone. His head spiralled through the air before landing at the feet of a frightened yellow mare, who stood in an alleyway, clutching a golden harp.
"D-d-diminuendo…" She gasped, "You k-k-killed him!"
I smiled a toothy grin before beginning my approach. The mare was lovely, no doubt about that. Surely she would fetch a handsome price on the auction blocks of the Griffon Kingdom. However, on occasion I take a mare I fancy as a sort of trophy of my conquests. Lately I have begun to grow bored of Cherry Blossom. Perhaps it may be time to replace her.
She lost control of herself in a quaking fit as I approached her, axe still dripping with her coltfriend's blood. When I reached a distance of three lengths, she began to cry, pleading me to come no closer.
A bolt of lightning arced out from behind her, sending her body into spasms, screaming as she collapsed in a heap. I looked to her assaulter in annoyance, "I had that under control before you so rudely interrupted me," I scold.
"Sorry commander, but we'll have to get her out of here, and there's still more to catch."
I sigh. She's right. I do not have the time to be toying with my prey. Unfortunate because it is so much fun.
I redouble my focus, back toward the colts at the wall. I had left my men unnattended after I slew the stallion known as Diminuendo. My armored stallions could not jump the barricade as I had been able to do, and thusly were furiously bucking at the wall, trying to knock it down. With Static's lightning and my axe, we returned out full attention to them and prepared to get to work.
"STOP!" Boomed a voice from up in the clouds. We cease our attack to find the source of the sound. I look toward the sky. Since the battle had begun, a massive thundercloud had formed over the village. From within its dark form, Princess Celestia emerged, flanked by several dozen members of the royal guard. As she descended to the ground, the cloud broke into a torrential downpour, extinguishing the fires.
The development is a welcome one. I smile as Celestia alights before me. "Hello Princess. It is a surprise and an honor to have you here today. I had feared that I would have to wait until I was at the gates of Canterlot before you would dare show yourself to me, but instead you have so kindly offered yourself to be slaughtered today."
Celestia met my gaze with her own, as hard as iron. "Your reign of terror ends today, Prism. I have allowed you to menace my people for too long. Never again will anypony have to fear the name of Lord Prism or the Dreadcolts."
I gagged. I had anticipated Celestia's speech to be droll, but she had reached a new level in predictability. Truly, I have eagerly anticipated the moment I might cross horns with the Sun Princess herself for ages. Some might dismiss the desire to spar an Alicorn Goddess as nothing short of madness, but unlike everypony else, I have seen the signs. Celestia has grown weak, and is prime for overthrow.
My suspicions began when my spies in Canterlot brought word that in a head-on-head clash, Celestia had lost a fight against the queen of the Changelings. While all seemed to attribute the incident to Chrysalis growing too powerful off the energies of Shining Armor, I knew otherwise. There should be no power in Equestria greater than she, no matter how engorged a changeling becomes. Then I realized it. Why she lost, and why Celestia has seemed to be more and more helpless in dealing with problems herself. She has gotten weak. One thousand years of peace has made her weak, just as it has made the Royal Guard hopelessly incompetent. One must practice their skills constantly, lest their abilities begin to atrophy. The accursed peace has rendered Celestia soft, as has her diet of cake and tea. I on the other hand have been forged in a crucible of violence, and have kept myself strong on a diet of hay, oats and hardship.
Now is the time to relish my greatest victory. I draw my axe and begin taunting my opponent. "Well well Celestia," I laugh, "I had not expected to see you today. I had figured you would at least throw your favorite underling at me first. What was her name? Midnight Glitter?"
Celestia grit her teeth at my jeers, the words cutting into her as if they were a blade in itself. "Call off your attack Prism, we need not settle this with violence."
"And what if I choose not to? Will you strike me down? Come Celestia, I dare you, soak your horn with my blood."
"I will not end you Prism. That was never my intention, nor will it ever be."
It is at this point that I lost my composure. I break into a howl of laughter, egging her on further. "You're pathetic Celestia. Your head has always been soft. You couldn't kill Luna, nor could you kill Discord. And in spite of how many lives I've taken, you refuse to end me."
"My sister has been redeemed and Discord made an ally," She countered, "Far more productive than killing them."
"And yet you can claim responsibility for neither yourself. It seems a thousand years of peace has left you soft in the head." I focus my eyes on her rump, her voluminous, ample rump. "And it seems a thousand years of cake and tea has left you soft in the rear."
That pushed her over the edge. "I had hoped that we could reach a conclusion that was mutually beneficial today, Prism, but you have forced my hoof." She ascended into the air, wings spread wide, as her eyes took on a white glow. I cared not. My armor is protected by an enchantment that protects me from magic. No matter what she throw at me, it would make no difference.
Then her horn took on a black aura. This took me aback. The enchantment did not cover dark magic. Never before had I anticipated her capacity to use the magic deemed evil. An ebony blast shot from her horn, enveloping me in its shade, eliciting a terrifying scream as the pain seared at my mind.
* * *
Lord Prism fell to the ground, limp and seemingly lifeless. "Lord Prism is defeated! Retreat!" Whirlwind screamed. Their leader taken from them, the Dreadcolts dissolved in an instant, scattering like insects off in every direction.
A pegaus of the guard landed at Celestia's side, offering her a salute as he spoke. "Milady, should we give chase?"
"No." She said calmly, "Without Prism they are no threat to anypony." Princess Celestia turned her attention to the villagers, who had begun to gather around their savior, "Forgive me for not arriving sooner."
"It is quite alright your Highness," The mayor, an elderly unicorn bowed, "Had you not arrived at all, we would all have perished."
A young colt, still too young to have his cutie mark, approached Celestia, "Lord Prism, is he-"
"Dead? No, he is not." Celestia sighed, "But worry not, he will never threaten anypony ever again. I have taken his memory away from him. He will not remember his life as a conqueror. My hope is that if he can be taught the power of Friendship, perhaps he might become an asset to Equestria. And I know just the pony to teach him.
* Later at the Golden Oak Library *
"Oh buck oh buck oh buck!" Twilight screamed. "Princess Celestia wants me to look after HIM?"