> Speech Increased To 2.5
>  by EdBoii
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Trixie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Skyrim Guard



It was a fine day in the magical land of Equestria. Birds were chirping and the wind was blowing a calm and gentle breeze over the fields and forests, caressing the land and its inhabitants with love and tenderness. Few were those who did not enjoy the day and its glorious endeavors to make everypony happy and joyful.

But one such mare existed that would defy the calm atmosphere and peaceful calm. 

Trixie Lulamoon walked slowly and depressed through the wheat fields outside of Fillydelphia, thinking about the humiliation she had experienced earlier that morning, and the day before, and the one before it...

"Blasted ponies and their foolish ignorance! Do they not know that Trixie is the best and most powerful mare in Equestria?!" Trixie kicked at the ground angrily and snorted in annoyance. It was all Sparkle's fault as far as she knew. If it hadn't been for that unicorn she would still have her cart, her fame, and her reputation. All of that was gone now, and the whole of Equestria knew it.

From town to town she had wandered, seeking her audiences of old, but nopony payed her a second glance anymore. She was a showmare without a stage, without a public. 

Trixie sighed sadly and kept on walking, the wind brushing past her mane and coat as she moved. The unicorn was heading towards Manehatten, hopeful that the news had not reached the coast by the time she got there.

Trixie looked up at the skies and searched for a sign, a phenomenon that would grant her fame and power like the one she used to hold. Clouds moved softly and carelessly through the blue sea of above. No premonitions or prophecies were seen by her that day.

Letting out another sigh, Trixie moved ahead. Barely noticing the increase in the strength of the wind as she moved.

The wheat fields began to sway back and forth, pushed and pulled by the ever increasing power of nature. Trixie cast a worried look around and quickened her pace, not wanting to be caught by a storm in the middle of a field. The blue mare ran through the wheat and as far as she could into a nearby forest, hoping that the branches of the tree would be enough protection from the wind.

But alas! That was not the greatest of her worries, for the winds and thunder that followed were but signs of a much greater power brewing atop of the skies! From a land of ice and cold, a far stranger creature than the world had ever seen was being dragged into Equestria!

The sky rippled like water and a column of fire, ice and lightning descended unto the land, scorching the wheat beneath it. Trixie gasped and hid behind a large oak tree in hopes of not being harmed by the blast that resulted after the elements collided with the ground.

"Ponyfeathers! What in the hay is going on?!"

An area of twenty five kilometers was suddenly illuminated by red, blue, and white light as the column exploded and faded into oblivion, leaving the fields burnt and useless. 

Trixie slowly emerged from her hiding spot, lips quivering with fear and eyes wide.

"Sweet Trixie, what in the name of Trixie has happened?" The conceited mare moved slowly towards the ravaged fields, containing her breath as the scent of scorched dirt filled her nostrils.

She gasped when she saw what awaited her amid the smoke and burnt wheat.

A biped creature clad in scale armor with a yellow cloth running down his shoulder to his waist. The creature sported a metal helmet and a sword. It was a male, given away by the muscular arms and thick build. He was standing in the middle of everything without even noticing the destruction around him.

Trixie gulped and took a step forward.

"M-maybe this is the sign I was waiting for? Will this strange being help Trixie rise to fame once more?"

The closer she got, the stranger the being became. He just stood there, looking off into the distance without a care in the world. Occasionally glancing around or flexing his arms, but nothing more. He was the epitome of stillness.

Trixie stood beside him, carefully thinking to what to do. She took a deep breath and raised a hoof to gently prod the creature.

She froze as he turned to see her, eyes looking indifferently through the thick helm, gazing into her own. Trixie gasped and fell on her back out of fright, the biped simply looked at her for a little longer before speaking in a very deep and thickly accentuated voice.

"You're the one who cast those illusions. Impressive."

Trixie gaped at him for a couple of seconds, wondering how he knew of her special talent, or how he survived the explosion of light of a couple of minutes before. Perhaps he was some sort of magician? A god? Maybe he was a creation of Discord's back when he ruled the-

"No lollygagging."

Trixie blinked and frowned. "Who are you to tell the Great and Powerful Trixie how to act?! Such insolence! Why you-"

"You're that one from the college. Heard about you."

Trixie blushed furiously as the memories of her wild college years rushed through her mind. Turns out that drinking and a bathroom mirror did not go well with her narcissistic tendencies.

"What?! Tr... Trixie doesn't know what you're talking about! It's all lies! Meant to soil Trixie's good name! Trixie swears!" She looked from side to side, worriedly hoping nopony was hearing the awkward exchange.

"Trouble?"

"N-no! Not at all! We do not want any trouble! Here, have these coins and make sure not to tell anypony about this ok?" Trixie pulled out a bag of bits and threw them at the guard's feet before dashing out of sight as fast as her embarrassed legs could take her.

The guard did not notice her leave, nor did he pay much mind to the bag of coins at his feet. He just stared off into the distance and flexed his muscles once more.

"I'd be a lot warmer and a lot happier with a bellyful of mead."

And so he departed, making his way to the nearest settlement in the horizon.
> Luna
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Skyrim Guard



The cold night air swept through the streets of Fillydelphia, chilling the passersby that remained outside after the sun had set. The moon shone in the sky above, illuminating the streets with its silvery glow as the ponies moved about hurriedly back to their homes. Fearful of the shadow that descended from the skies.

Ponies rushed to cover as the dark chariot touched the ground, the dark and mysterious guards pulling it glowered menacingly to any who would dare look upon their mistress as she exited the carriage. Dark and powerful it was, strong and mighty. The princess of the night touched the cobblestone road and looked around.

"Splendid, nothing has changed..." Luna sighed and lowered her ears as she was met with the frightened glances of a dozen ponies. She wanted nothing else than their love and respect, why could she not have it?

The dark mistress of the night turned to her faithful knights and nodded once, for nothing else was needed. Both stallions were as alienated from the world as she was, both were as lonely as she had been for millenia. Thoughts and feelings were easily exchanged but with a glance between outcasts.

The night guards nodded their reply and took to the skies, leaving their mistress to her duties while they returned to a lonely castle, cold and uninviting, full of those whom did nothing but judge and avoid them. Yet another night for the night guard.

The princess turned her gaze to the wheat fields beyond the city borders, noticing the burnt crops and the cloudless skies. The magical blast from earlier had cleared the skies better than any pegasus team could, and scorched the land with more ferocity than the mightiest dragon. It had been miraculous that nopony was hurt and now Luna was to investigate it's source.

The princess moved through the buildings till she reached the edge of town, expecting to find the source of the disturbance in the near surroundings. As far as their knowledge of the event went, some form of magical phenomenon obliterated the fields and grasslands. With nothing better to do, and wanting to regain the love of her subjects, the princess of the night decided to take upon the dangerous task herself.

Now there she was, wandering the open fields after leaving the buildings behind. Searching she was, for whatever creature was foolish enough to threaten her ponies. Because no matter, oh, no matter how horrid! How bestial, how hideous or deformed! It did not matter the amount of fangs, or claws, or-

"Staying safe I hope."

"Ah!" 

Luna gasped and turned around as fast as her startled hooves would allow her. Her breath coming out ragged from the fright and adrenaline that coursed through her veins. 

"WHO GOES THERE?!"

Luna stopped at the sight of something... something odd. She shook her head and stared. She simply, stared. The creature before her was as strange as could be, with armor from somewhere else far from Equestria, a body that resembled the ones of species not native to her home. 

Most unsettling however, was the way he stared back. Empty and seemingly lacking in intelligence, the creature looked like a very contrasting piece of the scenery.

"Bit late to be wandering around, isn't it?"

The dark princess' horn was aglow and ready to strike should she be given the slightest excuse, she was ready and experienced in magical combat. But she wasn't trained to face a beast such as that.

"Everything alright?" 

Her brow furrowed and her stance normalized, but her horn stayed prepared. The situation was, confusing, at best.

"WHO ART THOU? WHAT IS IT THOU SEEKED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THIS OUR FAIR NATION!"

Luna intensified the glow of her horn and took a step forward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Watch the magic!"

"GIVE US GOOD REASON!"

The strange being stared at Luna, in defiance, she could only guess. His gaze met hers and both looked at each other as if they were mortal foes. A battle would spark, of this she was certain. The beast against the goddess, a tale worth of remembrance and song! 

"I need to ask you to stop. That... shouting... is making people nervous."

"Huh?"

"Heard about you and your honeyed words..."

---/\--- ( \0/ _\0/ ) ---/\---



Somewhere in the eastern city of Manehattan, amongst the tall buildings and small apartments. A lonely mare spat out her cereal as the cheesiest, most emotional, and one sided conversation unravelled.



---\/--- ( € _ € ) ---\/---



"A-and t-then s-she just banished me! J-just like that! I mean, what sister does that?!"

Our hero found himself laying down on the grass, in pretty much the same manner he would have been should he be standing. Rigid and oddly still. However, that was not the strangest sight by far, not at all.

With her head resting on his chest, tears falling down her face and sniffling uncontrollably, was the princess and sovereign, ruler and mistress of the night. Princess Luna.

"By the gods, I don't know what to say..."

"I know! I-I know! Who would ever do such a thing?!"

She broke down into another fit of weeping and wailing, letting the sadness and sentiment of a thousand years free after decades of holding them in. The emotions flowed freely and unabated, it continued until the early hours of the morning as she unleashed her frustrations into our hero's ears.

By the time she was supposed to end her night so her sister could commence her day, she stood and smiled at her confidant.

"We- I would would like to thank you, friend. For listening to me in my hour of need. Say, what is your name?"

"What is it?"

"Yes, your name. What is it?"

Luna chuckled lightly and nodded for her friend to continue. Such a silly creature.

Our hero thought long and hard about the question, just as he did with every single thing he ever did. One does not simply attack a man that can shout his enemies off a cliff because he stole a sweet roll without thinking about it, right?

"What are you doing that for?"

Luna frowned.

"Is it not customary for friends to exchange names in your homeland?"

"Everything alright?"

"Yes, yes of course. It's just, well, strange for me not to know a friend's name... I should probably get going however, I'll be needed back in Canterlot."

"No lollygaggin."

"Yes, of course. Farewell friend, I hope we meet again."

Luna unfolded her wings and departed, leaving a silvery trail behind her that lifted the dark skies and gave way to the orange dawn. Moments later, a yellow sun began to float upwards without a care in the world.

"Watch the skies, traveller."

Our hero turned around and walked away.

Only to stop in front of a generic tree, flex his muscles, and stand guard. This went on for the rest of the morning before he walked back to the spot he had originally been at before, and stood guard there for the rest of the day.

At night, he resumed his walk in search for the nearest town.
> ShiningHill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


ShiningHill


Skyrim

His armor clanked loudly as he ran, the sun shining overhead as the chill in the wind bit down on his face. It was cold, it always was in skyrim, and the Dragonborn could feel it in his body as he moved. It was yet another day in the land of the nords.

He ran across the plains of Whiterun with his two handed sword on his back, his shield on his back, his other sword on his back, his four pairs of gauntlets, three boots, four fur armors, six daggers, five potions of varied purpose, two iron helmets, three cabbages, a bee, butterfly wings, Blisterwort, Bleeding Crown, bones, alto wine, mead, deathbell, ten sweetrolls, clam meat, dog mea- seriously? What do you even need that for? leg of goat, mammoth snout, carrots, potatoes, and many amulets of many different gods he neither worshipped nor appreciated in the slightest, but gave cool bonuses, all on his back, pockets, under his helmet and a few others stuck in places we should not mention...

The great hero of legend ran across the tundra, wary and cautious as he moved in a steady pace, fully aware of the many beasts that could cause his downfall. He was a warrior, a fighter, a true hero of legend and bane of all evil and-

Ooh! Tundra cotton!

One cannot face the evil of the dragons without a steady supply of fluffy cotton, you know...

After the mighty hero had gathered cotton, butterfly wings, and slain many dangerous and vile mudcrabs to his heart's content, he resumed his gait towards the great walls on the horizon. 

Ah! The great city of Whiterun! Her tall walls became visible as the Dragonborn approached it. The city shone in all her glory. All seven buildings and, like, twelve residents reflecting upon her prosperity.

The dragon hunter moved up the path that led towards the city's gate. He passed many merchants that offered him their wares, but he knew better. Skooma, not even once. Unless he took it from a dead merchant for free, in that case it was ok.

Our hero, bearer of a mighty and powerful name worthy of only the strongest of warriors, trained in many forms of combat, master of over three hundred ways of slaying dragons, and brave commander of many men, Richi Phelps, approached the gates and awaited to be allowed inside. He waited and waited, staring ahead at the lone gate left unguarded.

Umm... Where was the guard that was supposed to let him in?

Equestria:

Our hero walked without hurry across a different type of area. He was surrounded by many grassy fields, a few trees on the west that made way for a much larger forest a little ways back, and a vast expanse of flatlands. It was the border between Fillydelphia’s wheat fields and Hollow Shade’s dark forest.

The brave guard stopped walking and stared dead ahead at the forest. Images of frost trolls, bears, spiders, spriggans, giants, wolves, bandits, assassins, and many other foul monsters passed before his eyes as he stared. Our hero was ignorant of what lay beyond the trees, but he knew from experience that forests held many dark and dangerous creatures. It was the wisest choice to avoid the tree line than to brave its darkness, lest he found himself under the claws of some untamed creature of the wild.

And so, with the great aid of profound knowledge from past experience, and no little supply of common sense, the wise guard of Whiterun made a beeline straight for the forest…

He walked for a few minutes without stopping, the air growing colder as the sun fell into the horizon, making way for the night. It was chilly, but nothing compared to Skyrim! As a guard, he was used to soldiering on outside the comfort of a building and hearth, holding a position beside a wall for hours on end with a sleeveless cuirass for warmth. Commander Caius was such an intelligent man; of course sleeveless armor that also ended just above the knees was the defense of choice for weather such as Skyrim’s!

With thoughts about how great Skyrim’s military was, what with the main strategy being charging into the fray regardless of enemy numbers or strength, only to fall to your knees wounded, surrender, and then stand back up only to fall again, the guard continued his march well into the dark forest. The trees above blocked out the moonlight, making the atmosphere dreary. The random fog and wolf howls only accentuated it.

*Ribbit*

The guard stopped. He had heard a noise from the nearby bog, and as all who adventure know, there is no better place for safe adventures than a bog amid a dark forest. The guard turned and walked off into the forest, leaving the faint dirt path he had been following.

The trees loomed menacingly over him, looking down with evil intent. The chirping of the crickets was ominous and omnipresent, the howling of the beasts strong and unrelenting. The guard stopped as he reached a clearing, a small pool of water resting in the middle.

*Ribbit*

A small toad, not larger than the palm of a giant and slightly smaller than the foot of a troll, was in the middle of the water. The toad stared ahead at the guard, and he stared back. Both their gazes were kept for a long while, the toad’s throat expanding and deflating as its sound escaped and flew into the guard’s ears.

“What is it, Argonian?”

*Ribbit*

“Trouble?”

*Ribbit*

“No lollygagging.”

The toad remained silent for a little while after the guard’s words. It remained staring ahead, looking at, through, and beyond the guard. Its gaze was that of wisdom untold.

The guard stared back for several minutes, possibly admiring the mighty creature before him, or simply indulging in what seemed to be both of their favorite pastimes, staring ahead. 

Eventually, the guard simply turned around and walked back towards the path, decided to continue whatever it was he was doing before. He traced his path back through the trees, keeping an eye out for the dirt path he had left behind. He found it after a few minutes, standing where it had been before.

The guard walked down the path and deeper into the forest, paying little attention to the loud thumps behind him and the muffled croaking sounds behind his back. He continued walking until the fog began to grow thicker and he could see little more other than a few meters in front of him.

The brave guard eventually stopped.

He was being followed…

Our hero turned around as swiftly as possible, making certain to keep a hand on his sword and the other on his shield. The guard unsheathed his weapon and readied himself, entering the traditional combat stance. Knees spread as if giving birth, shield raised to cover all the important areas except the chest and neck, and sword at the ready.

And then it came, out of seemingly nowhere, a shape emerged from the fog. It was a white stallion clad in gold and violet armor, a horn atop his head and a spear on his hoof. The stallion approached and spoke in a voice full of authority.

“You’re out late sir.”

Our hero looked at the stallion with his characteristic non-caring gaze, his sword still firmly gripped by his hand. He answered with a question, not really caring for the answer.

“Bit late to be wandering around, isn’t it?”

The stallion started circling around the guard, his spear at the ready and his eyes never leaving our hero’s sword arm.

“Mind telling me why you’re sneaking about? I don’t think I have to tell you what the Legion thinks about thieves, now do I?”

The guard turned to look at the stallion, an officer he could only guess, and one of the empire…

“You come talking to me wearing imperial armor? You got stew for brains?”

The stallion clenched his jaws and glared at the guard, his spear raised and aimed at our hero’s chest. Shining his armor was and his spear gleaming as well. The stallion took a step forward and his chest swelled in pride and anger.

“You dare oppose the might of the Imperial Legion?”

“You come up to me, fists raised? You looking for a beating?”

And so, with the final words having being spoken, the stallion and guard shouted their war cries and met in the middle. 

“Remember the Emperor!”

“For Skyrim!”

The white stallion thrust forward, keen on impaling our hero. But he was clever. The guard raised his shield and blocked the attack, the force of the blow being absorbed by the wood on his shield. He faltered not, and after a grunt of annoyance, his own attack was well under way. 

The guard swung his blade and the stallion was forced back, unable to neither block nor parry.

“Pigsticker like that’s not going to get you far. Best visit the blacksmith.”

The stallion glared and swung the speartip at the guard, his resolve unwavering and his step sure and certain. He assaulted with a combination of swings and thrusts, so fast and savage that our hero was unable to hold his own. The guard was forced back against a tree, and the stallion asserted what would have been a final blow, had it not been for an ally of our hero’s.

The armor clad stallion lit his horn and aimed it at the guard, intent on finishing the battle in a single strike. But before his shot could leave, a long and sticky muscle shot out from the fog and smacked him across the face. 

Huzza! For it was the toad!

The benevolent and slimy knight of the bog emerged from the fog and defended our hero in attitude selfless and bold. The stallion was struck, away he fell and his concentration shattered, his magic bolt missing the guard by inches alone.

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Watch the magic!”

The toad of might and valor took the fight home for the white knight, forcing him back with thunderous laps and licks from his dexterous tongue. In the end the stallion could no longer hold, and his spear he was forced to drop.

“I yield! I yield!”

The toad stood proud and indifferent before his captive, the guard walked towards them and spoke to the stallion.

“You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defense?”

The stallion looked at the guard sourly, anger in his eyes. He then replied, almost spitting the words out with disdain.

“Bet you think you’re somethin’ huh? You call yourself a citizen of the empire? No respect for order, no respect for law. You make me sick.”

The guard and toad looked down at the stallion, defeated and at their mercy. Our hero sheathed his sword and the toad its tongue. The guard ordered the stallion to follow with a gesture of his hand.

“You’re going to rot in (closest named jail)”

The stallion gave him a confused look before standing and following the guard down the path. The toad walked behind him, blocking the only escape route. The three of them walked down the foggy road until they could barely see a foot in front of the other. The only thing to mark their passing was a rusted old, green sign with words written in white letters. It stood ominously by the side of the path, nothing visible behind it. 

It said;


Welcome to Hollow Shades.


> Hollow Shades Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades


“Is that… fur? Coming out of your ears?”

“For the thousandth time, yes! Yes it is! I am a pony, and I have fur in my ears! Is that so hard to understand?!”

“What is it, imperial?”

“You’re getting on my nerves! That’s what!”

*Ribbit*

Our heroes marched through the fog and foliage, wading across a shallow stream and into a minuscule wheat field as they followed the path deeper into the forest. It was dark, terribly so; it had come to the point where not even the fog was visible, as night had obviously descended upon the small group of heroes.

The toad and the guard, followed by their prisoner Shining Armor, had been walking for several minutes in complete silence. Not a bird, a raccoon, nor an alicow present to fill the night with beautiful sounds of chanting, raccooning, or mooing magically through cow-horns.

It was eerie to say the least. The trees loomed over our brave heroes as they jumped over fallen logs and twisted roots that stretched over the unkempt dirt road, making the trek perilous and exhausting. Yet they kept up their pace, intent on getting Shining Armor to the nearest jail—which was something the confused stallion could not truly understand, as any jail they went to would belong to Equestria anyways.

But their peaceful walk would not last long. There, amidst the darkness and shadows of the trees, a creature lurked. The beast watched with undefined intent as our heroes walked through its territory, but as stealthy as it was, it couldn’t avoid every single twig.

*Snap*

The guard turned around on his heels and stared. He looked through the trees and searched for the source of the noise, his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.

Shining Armor stopped walking and turned to face the guard—eyebrow raised and steady on his hooves, ready to defend himself should an attacker appear. The stallion did as the guard had, and eyed the woodland around them; he tried his hardest to see past the fog and darkness, but all was in vain.

“You hear that? I swear, there’s something out there. In the dark.” The stallion eyed the guard, slightly unsettled by his words.

“What do you mean? You can’t tell me you’re afraid of a few trees, right?”

Our famed hero turned to look at Shining, his helmet concealing any manner of expression he could have had, and he spoke.

“I fear the night. Because werewolves and vampires don’t.”

Shining Armor blinked, a light chill running down his spine as the thought sank in. The stallion turned to look at the surrounding flora with a more wary eye; steeling himself for an attack should it come. His horn glowed in-

‘Wait… I can still use my horn!” 

Facehooving for his own stupidity, Shining Armor set his magic free on his two captors, and sent the guard and his slimy companion tumbling backwards with a strong magical push before darting away into the darkness, his eloquent words echoing through the shadows.

“So long criminal scum!”

The guard fell on his backside, managing to land on a small puddle of slime and staining his cuirass on the last three lettered part of said word. His trusty companion faring no better, as his beautiful toad-face landed square on a differently-colored puddle of equal matter.

“Be careful!” Hollered our dear protagonist as he slowly stood back up, his sore backside still wet with what seemed to be lime-colored green goo. But alas! His excellent choice for words would not save him this time! For as he stood; the slime that had collected on his butt began to fall onto the ground and pile up behind him, taking the form of… something.

“By the gods! What manner of power is that?” The guard looked on in passive non-caringness as the slime piled up and began to transform into the shape of a lime-green earth pony with a cutie-mark depicting a gooey pool of light purple liquid.

The mass completed its transformation and glared with evil glee at our beloved hero, both of its pale blue eyes shining with malice.

“Ha! I gotcha, fool!” The slimy pony took a threatening step forward, with his body and pale orange mane dripping as if made from liquid—which it probably was.

“In all my years, I’ve never seen such a thing…” was the confused reply from our hero as he tried to process the economic implications of such a creature. Would it permit for easier unification of wooden structures and allow for cheaper building materials, or was it too difficult to acquire so that only jarls and thanes would be able to construct with it? And would it drip for that matter? It certainly wouldn’t-

Oh, right! The fight! Ahem.

The slimy pony winced slightly, and its ears drooped downwards, but it didn’t break its fighting stance.

“I’m not a ‘thing’ you know; just because I’m a Goo-Pony doesn’t mean you get to call me names…”

It was then, right in that precise moment, that our hero realized something. He had seen it before and not too long ago either. It had plagued the mind of another pony, and so it plagued this one’s as well.

The pony and guard stared at each other, one seeking a way to bring the second one down, and the other attempting to find the words to mend injured pride. But as all of this happened, it was behind them that a second battle took place.

“Stop! Please! It hurts!”

Pony screams filled the air as a valiant struggle took place between toad and equine. Neither surrendered, none gave up ground as their foe advanced. It was a god-thought battle of the ages, and it seemed like there would be no victo-

“I give! I give! Please stop licking my tummy!”

Wait… what?

The toad retracted its tongue and jumped backwards, doing a backflip before landing behind its prey. Said pony was sprawled on the ground, squirming and struggling to contain the giggles and laughter that the thorough belly-licking had left in its wake.

Our brave toad croaked in its heroic and elegant manner before eyeing the pony with indifference that almost rivaled that of our beloved guard, but fell short on the amount of style required to carry it out. Regardless, the mare before it melted almost immediately, and quite literally too.

She gave a final giggle before turning into a pool of liquid that resembled a rose in color, and lurched towards our toad of a hero. The toad gave a startled croak but managed little else as the oozing substance completely surrounded it and rendered any movement impossible.

The rose-colored goo gave an echoing giggle as the toad was encompassed and immobilized; it sounded ethereal and omnipresent, with its source undefined and mysterious. But the owner was well known, and made itself apparent as the mare’s face modeled itself out of the shapeless goo.

“Hey there…” Said the mare’s head; now fully formed and staring straight at the face of our toad.

The amphibious hero stared right back at her, and out of its mouth came the most eloquent piece of speech ever listened to or admired by sapient beings. Sadly enough, it was so pure that by simply not being there to hear it, you become unworthy of its words. Thus, you may never hear it.

The mare smiled, and planted a light peck on the toad’s head causing no reaction whatsoever. It was an iron-hearted toad.

But back to our beloved guard we must return! For he was amidst a combat of the ages against a foe of similar prowess, and the fighting was about to increase in intensity.

The goo-pony lashed out with a hoof, but the blow was absorbed by the… huh… he didn’t even try to avoid the hit; he simply took it to the chest and grunted out a threat. Incredible training these guys get…

Matters not! For as the monster pony puzzled over his failed attack, the brave guard raised his arm—sword in hand, and brought it down with tremendous force against the pony’s head. The blade slashed cleanly through the abomination of nature, slicing it apart in a clean swipe.

The pony’s legs buckled, and his body fell apart; turning into a pool of slime before our guard. Our hero turned around and faced the trapped toad.

To his unsurprised nonexistent shock, the toad was already free and staring intently ahead, at seemingly, nothing. The guard reciprocated the action, and for several minutes nothing happened.

“Staying safe, I hope?”

*Ribbit*

“Trouble?”

*Ribbit*

The guard swiftly turned around, preparing himself for another attack thanks to the well-timed advice from his faithful companion. He was ready before the werepony struck.

A savage howl raged through the ears of all present as the half-wolf half-pony burst from the concealment of the trees and lashed out at the guard; his shield was barely able to block the worst part of the assault, and he came out from the attack with nary a scratch.

The toad hollered a mighty war-cry that rose into the very heavens before leaping in defense of its comrade. The powerful *ribbit* echoed ahead as the toad landed squarely on the face of the lycanthropic equine; effectively blinding it for several precious seconds.

The guard recovered from the previous blow just as the wolf threw the toad aside in anger; it landed a few meters away from the dueling fighters, unmoving.

“You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defense?”

The werepony snarled viciously, pale cream fur mixing in with the fog around it; a bright two-toned blue and pink stripe ran down from its head and all the way back to the base of its neck, contrasting vividly with the dark atmosphere of the forest.

The guard glared with uninterested strength and steeled resolve of the likes which only a rock could conjure. The werepony began circling around him, and he made sure to keep himself between his injured comrade and the beast. Alas that he did not pay closer attention to the puddle of slime he had believed defeated! 

Our brave guard suddenly lost his footing, feeling the ground disappear from underneath him and then reappearing far too close to his face for comfort. Standing on his back was the lime-colored pony from before, his hooves leaking slime into the guard’s cuirass.

“Ha! Gotcha again, fool!” 

From the corner of his eye, the guard could make out the struggling shape of his toad-friend. The slimy knight placed leg after the other, trembling greatly as it tried to move forward; concern showing clearly across his otherwise passive features, and the desperation in his step was obvious in the way it continued onward despite the obvious pain it suffered.

On quivering legs and broken bones, the toad tried one final time to defend its friend. It opened its mouth and aimed, tongue ready to lash out at the attacking werepony. 

But stopped as it caught the guard’s look.

“Stay out of trouble, Argonian.”

Such few words, but so sincere. The toad stayed its tongue and watched helplessly as the goo-pony encompassed the guard in its slime and forced him to move ahead, deeper into the forest. The werepony howled into the night one final time and followed.

It was there, amidst the darkness of the forest and the shallow dampness of the woodland, that a toad; a simple swamp beast with no more thought than the average rock, finally realized what it had gained, and what it could lose.

With a pained croak, the toad returned to its attempts at moving. Earnest in its task to rescue the guard.

To rescue its friend.

> Hollow Shades Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades


*Ribbit*

The fog had lessened. 

*Ribbit*

The darkness had not left.

It lingered–heavy and daunting, always a constant reminder of the injuries and the pain sustained. The toad struggled greatly as it placed a slimy leg after the other, refusing to give way for the darkness that had begun to gather at the back of its mind.

It was cold.

*Ribbit*

Even its own croaking sounds could not break through the cold monotony of the forest. Not the wind; nor the birds, or the soft, tender caress of the solar rays could ease its pain–for there were none. 

Trapped beneath a thick blanket of merciless foliage; stuck forever; damned to see its only friend be dragged into the shadows for devouring. The toad saw the trees. 

No tears fell from its face. No quiet sound of suffering left its throat. Only the soft croaking could be heard; only the increased rate of its blinking eyelids could ever be seen and believed to have been mourning and pain of the likes few should sustain.

It simply croaked as it always had, until a soft *Ribbit* broke through the stillness of the night before the toad stopped moving.

*Crack*

Hoofsteps.

Squishy and fast-paced; moving hurriedly towards our fallen hero. The goo-pony mare slid the rest of the way from the trees and landed next to the unmoving toad.

"Oh no! Please get up!"

The rose-colored pony placed a trembling hoof on our hero's body, trying desperately to ease the toad back to its feet.

"Please, please, please! Oh no! I never meant for this to happen. I didn't know a werepony was following us!"

The toad didn't respond. It simply kept its eyes staring ahead, looking hopelessly in the direction its friend was taken. The goo-pony wept tears full of regret and viscosity, but stopped as realization dawned.

Standing back to her full height, the goo-pony replaced a frightened look for one full of determination.

"I'll help you get your friend back."

The toad twitched.

"And I'll help you get out of Hollow Shades."

*Ribbit*

A tongue shot out from our hero's mouth and planted a long, slimy, sloppy, and very grateful kiss on the goo-pony's cheek. She giggled madly and half-swooned, but managed to regain composure. The blush remained though, making a sizzling sound as some of the goo on her cheeks evaporated.

"Not now! We have to save your friend first, silly!"

The toad was rapidly swept up in a wave of red goo, and both love-slimes rapidly slid down the path in hot pursuit of the werepony and the guardnapped guard.

Into the darkness.

***

"It's a werewolf! To arms! To arms!"

Both of our guard's captors groaned miserably and kept on walking; trying their best to ignore the frantic moving of their captured guard.

"Werewolf!"

The were-pony whimpered and tried to cover its ears with a paw; the goo-pony sighed and morphed its ears into rock-shaped lumps. Both had walked for less than five minutes with the guard prisoner, and they were about to snap.

"Is that... fur? Coming out of your ears?"

They had tried setting him free, but then he'd just attack them; they'd also tried losing him in the thick foliage of the forest, but that was even worse. He would run around the entire place shouting madly that he'd find them, or that 'You can't hide from me'. 

In the end they just gave up.

"Wait... I know you."

The were-pony yelped as if physically struck and desperately tried to bury its face inside the goo-pony.

"Hey! What the-!!"

More whining and yelping followed as the terrified were-pony desperately clawed at its companion; trying like mad to get away from the scary chatterbox.

"No! Get out, out, out!"

Our beloved guard had long been released from his bonds, and he now calmly walked alongside his captors. 

"Be careful!" Said our hero, eyeing the dangerous frivolities in which his newest acquaintances rejoiced with a wary look. He never did like lollygagging.

"Darn right she should be!"

The goo-pony clung to a tree branch as the were-pony barked and clawed at it, demanding that the slimy one come down from it to serve as her refuge. 

Our guard looked on at the odd scene, wondering. His gaze staring off into the nothingness as it normally did; his thoughts piercing time and space as they ought to; his mentality trespassing the barriers of existence itself.

"Gah! She's got my leg!"

"Put that down!"

***

Toad and pony swept through the foliage of the forest, breaking branches and destroying bushes as they went. Like an unstoppable tsunami they went, and their passage was marked by the gooey trail left behind their wake.

*Ribbit*

"I know! We have to catch them, but I can't go any faster!"

Our brave toad of valor heard this and doubted. In one swift motion, the toad turned around so that he was facing the goo-pony's rear and jumped. 

"Gah!"

The resulting impact caused the mare to yelp as the toad did the toad equivalent of spurring a horse onward, and our heroes were propelled faster and farther into the woods.

Needless to say, it was quite a surprise when they were met with a horde of undead. 

Our brave toad warrior emerged from the goo-pony's butt, where he had become stuck after his valiant effort to accelerate the speed of their journey. His toady eyes gazed ahead at the undead, that his mare companion had not noticed yet, as she had been to busy panting and blushing with her eyes closed for some reason.

No matter! Our rating and setting does not allow for much more than that insinuation anyway, therefore, onwards! 

The brave toad warrior jumped from the mare's butt and landed on her head, his little toad legs sticking into her gooey mane and providing a steadfast grip. 

*Ribbit!*

He croaked, and the mare woke from her reverie. 

"Gah! What in the horseshoe is that?!"

She shrieked and planted her hooves into the ground, causing both of our heroes to skid to a very slippery and perilous stop. Toad and mare screamed - or did the amphibious equivalent of screaming, which is very similar to a chicken's burp - as the zombie ponies turned their heads to look at them.

"We're gonna die!"

*Ribbit*

***

*whistles* "That is one... big hammer."

"What the-! I'm trying to pee!"

"What do you aim to do with that hammer, friend? Knock down a house?"

"Stop looking at it! No! Don't touch it!"

An angered stallion shouted from behind a tree, as our hero - the beloved guard of strength and might - rummaged through his toolbox. He had found a really nice hammer, and he was admiring it with indifference few could master.

This, for some reason, angered the stallion.

"No! Bad monster, bad! Put it back!" 

Shouted the stallion as he zipped up his pants and angrily stomped his way to our hero. His fur was a yellow-green color, and his mane was deep brown. He stomped his way with great noise as his hands he waved with alarum.

It is not everyday that one would meet an anthropomorphic pony.

Off to the side of the tree were the scene unfolded, were the were-pony and the goo pony from before. Both were sitting under the cover of a dead oak tree, looking at the confrontation.

The were-pony growled something at the anthro pony, and the goo-pony translated.

"Yo, Nini. Bonny's saying to hurry it up! She hungry bro, but she no can eat nothin' if you don't open it up that tin can."

Bonny, the were-pony, growled again and bared her fangs, one of which was slightly chipped. Our hero's helmet had a corresponding dent on the side too.

"I'm trying, Lime, but he doesn't stay still... Where'd you find this guy anyway? He's fidgety."

Nini, the anthro pony, made a face and grabbed a wrench. 

"Alright, dude. Just stay still..."

Nini neared our hero and placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to bring the wrench to his helmet. Sadly for him...

"I find your hand in my pocket, I'm going to cut it off."

...our hero disagreed.

Nini yelped and drew his hand back faster than a rabbit runs from a fox, his brow covered in sweat. His voice a squeaky little thing, he mumbled an apology and backed away.

Bonny growled. Lime, the goo-pony, sneered, and Nini squeed as ponies do.

It seemed like Nini was about to be scolded, but then...

"Wait... I know you!"

Bonny whimpered and backed away. Lime winced, and Nini gasped.

"It's a werewolf! To arms! To arms!"

Screams of desperation filled the night.
> Hollow Shades Part 3: The Adventure Returns!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades Grand Finale
Speech Increased To 2.5






It's been a while, hasn't it?

Toad and Goo-Pony stood amid the foe, facing them without fear nor fright! They were brave fighters and warriors of-

"We're gonna die!"

*Ribbit*

Well, they were as brave as possible. Points for trying. 

The undead army surrounding them advanced slowly but steadily towards them, leaving no escape routes for our trapped heroes. The night grew darker and the situation was most dire! Our beloved protagonists faced the worst possible situation, and there was none who could save them. This time the undead would feast.

The toad stood beside the whimpering Goo-Pony, staring ahead into the emptiness of the undead's eyes. They moved slowly and erratically, as if overwhelmed by massive amounts of alcohol in their system, but their eyes still showed the same amount of emptiness as-

*Ribbit*

The toad understood then. With precision the likes of which had never been seen before in Equestria, the glorious slimy knight executed a three-hundred-and-sixty degree jump over everyone's heads and landed behind the undead. Its shining green skin glimmered beneath the moonlight and reflected it across the entire area to cause a mesmerizing effect that momentarily blinded everyone. The Goo-Pony mare wowed in silent awe while the zombie ponies slowly turned around to face the other way.

The toad landed on its legs and a cloud of dust rose around it. Its slimy eyes were fixed on a specific spot in the nearest tree's bark, but it was obvious that its full attention was centered on the undead at all times.

*Ribbit*

"You're so brave!" Cried out the Goo-Pony mare, but the toad did not let her praise be a distraction! A toad has to do what a toad has to do always, and in this particular situation that meant kicking zombie butt.


Turning around with speeds that rivaled even a snail, the toad faced its foes and gave them its most ferocious and disinterested glare of pure bravery and might unparalleled by anything on the face of Equestria! The zombies advanced, but their own empty stares were met with that of the toad, and they found themselves sweating and feeling something they hadn't felt in a very long while:

They were nervous.

The toad kept his stare; it's invisible ray of intensity blasting at the pupils of the undead with such ferocity... No mortal equine nor man could ever hope to withstand the strength of that stare. Oh, dear reader, understand this when I tell you: the stare was more powerful than that of a highschool student in the middle of history class at the last hour before being able to leave.

The undead could not take it. For all their strength, their numbers, and their resolve to feast upon the flesh of the living; they were mere reanimated mortals. They felt the sweat building on their brows; they felt their knees grow week, and the stare pierced through theirs until they could do no more. They averted their eyes at the last moment, and the toad took his chance.

Toad stare intensified.

The Goo-Pony mare gasped, the world stood still for a moment, and the zombies felt fear for the first time in their new lives of undead-y undeadness. The toad looked ahead. The undead faltered and fell, one by one, until there were none left standing. The toad's stare tore through them all in a matter of seconds, and they collapsed by the sheer power of carelessness that irradiated from its eyes.

"You did it!" The Goo-Pony mare cried out with a giant grin adorning her face. She slid over to the toad and picked it up in her forelegs. "I knew you would save us!" 

*Ribbit*

"Ohohohoho... Maybe later." She said, giggling. "But we have to find your friend first!"

*Ribbit*

"Right. Right... Hmm." She scratched her gooey head and thought long and hard. "I know! Let's follow that sign!" 

Truly, a giant sign with bold words painted in red screamed from beside the pathway "THIS WAY!".

*Ribbit*

"Damn right it is convenient!"

Our heroes charged onward into the unknown!

***

"Could sure use a warm bed right about now..." 

"TAKE IT! TAKE EVERYTHING, BUT PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE!" Screamed the terrified Succubi. "DO YOU WANT OUR DOORS TOO?! HERE THEY ARE! GO NOW! PLEASE!" 

"Everything's in order." The guard said as furniture and doors rained down all around him from the balcony of The Ridden Mare. Our hero turned around and continued on his patrol around town. Truly, it was a beautiful night for guard duty. Although the panicking and screaming monster ponies all around sure were a strange sight, but the guard couldn't see any hostile NPCs around, so he just assumed it was like that one time the mammoths started flying.

Either way, our guard soon noticed a commotion nearby, so he decided to do his duty to the world and help out in any way he could. Our hero approached the gathering crowd of townsponies and stood to the side of them as a very angry pony covered by a heavy trench coat, shades, and a hat shouted angry pony words at the assembled crowd.

"We can't let this creature terrorize our town!" He was saying. "It has attacked the chickens, frightened the Succubi, taken a dozen of our Straw Pony farmers and locked them inside a barn, and now he's running around our streets without anyone to stop him!"

The crowd shouted in agreement and raised a large selection of crude, improvised weapons.

However, our hero would not allow such a strange creature talk of him in such a way! Our protagonist sucked in air, metaphorically, and spoke:

"Sheathe those claws, Khajiit." He said, and the entire crowd gasped.

The angry pony that had been shouting just seconds before suddenly found himself in trouble. Everyone stood aside to let the guard walk up to the pony. Both contingents stared at one another for many seconds, before the pony spoke out.

"Wh-what?! You can't tell me to shut up! I-" The pony said, angry, but unsettled by the empty gaze of our hero. It was deeply penetrating.

"Uch. Been tending your hounds? You smell like a wet dog."	 

The pony gasped and took a step back, while a few nervous laughs eased their way out of the crowd.

"Y-you insolent! I am Pierre du Mont Blanc! I am the most important! The most influential! The mayor of Hollow-!" The pony started to glow a deep red color, and our hero realized that the pony before him was invisible. His clothes were the only thing that made it possible for him to be seen, and still the anger flushed his emptiness until he glowed like a torch.

"You wear the armor of a brigand. Best not cause any trouble on my watch." 

The crowd gasped and a few Oooohs! erupted all around. Unbeknownst for our hero, Pierre du Mont Blanc was facing charges for corruption and tax evasion. The red in Pierre's invisible body glowed hotter.

"Why you little-!" He half-shouted, but our hero was swifter.

"Hands to yourself, sneak thief." Our hero said and walked away, while the cheers of the crowd broke the silence in its entirety and drowned out the angry curses of Pierre. Our beloved guard sauntered off into the night to carry out his duty as best as he could. Meanwhile, the rising sound of a hundred ponies saying "Buuuuurn!" echoed through the night.

In the far distance of Hollow Shades' farthest crop fields, a terrified Werepony, Goo-Pony, and Anthro Pony huddled together; trembling at the memory of a guard and his lines...
> Hollow Shades Part 4: The Adventure Re-returns!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades Grand Finale Part 2
Speech Increased To 2.5






In Hollow Shades the night was fast coming to an end. Celestia's sun hovered just over the thin horizon, showering the treetops of the swamp in golden-green tones. But it wasn't the trees or the light that mattered, but the things that moved underneath. From the town hall, Pierre du Mont Blanc poured over an old map of the region, completely naked under a heavy raincoat and black fedora. It was very obvious for everyone involved.

"So..." Juniper Fields, his secretary and a vampire pony, cleared her throat. She was seated behind a desk a few ways to the side from her boss, with only a typewriter between her and how naked Pierre was. 

He was very naked.

"For the last time, Miss Fields," he deadpanned from behind his polarized spectacles, still naked, "I am invisible. It does not matter. Yes?"

"Still tho."

A very heavy, uncomfortable silence fell between them. You could hear the sound of a teensy little fly stuck behind the wall plaster, precisely five paces and two hoof widths to the right of the mayor. Do recall this oddly specific description, I do swear it will matter later.

"Still what?" he asked. "You're naked too, you know? The only thing you're wearing is a bowtie, for Celestia's sake!"

The vampire mare bit her lip. Oh, she knew. 

Suddenly feeling very exposed, Pierre closed the belt of his raincoat and tightened it hard enough to bite him. He cleared his throat and dabbed a few droplets of invisible sweat from his face, upsetting his spectacles in the process. 

"Anyway. We have to do something to get rid of this.. this monster! before he ruins my chances to be reelected." He smashed a hoof against the desk, startling the vampire mare. "I want ideas. Good ones, and I want them yesterday!"

From across the room, seated on a little stool, a mysterious figure shuffled on his seat against his bindings and muttered words muffled by the gag in his mouth. Pierre stared at him a while longer, unsure of what to think, what to do, painfully aware of the very intense stare Juniper Fields was giving him from behind her typewriter. He shuddered. His entire campaign, heck!, his life itself was in jeopardy! Now the creature that had built him his fortune, his most trusted advisor, seemed to have nothing more to say. Trembling, as he always did when he tried this, Pierre crossed the room and removed the creature's gag.

"The entire town is at my throat." he muttered. "If I run now, creature, will I ever be able to recover?"

The creature stared at him a moment. His next words were a punch to the gut.

"Face your death with some courage, thief."

Pierre said nothing for a moment. He just trembled. "No! I'm not done yet. I built this town from scratch! I won't... I can't leave it behind. Without it I am nothing... I made Hollow Shades what it is now. I won't leave it." His voice was breaking.

"You made it? I was sure I'd find you face down in the dirt."

"Shut up!" he screamed, and grabbed the creature by the collar of its clothes. "I don't need you! I don't. I don't!" He repeated it like a prayer, shaking the creature hard and weeping invisible tears. Behind him Juniper Fields fanned herself hard with a stack of papers, eyes glued to the scene.

"You're still alive?"

Pierre stopped. He was on his knees, shivering, when the question shocked some sense into him. He was, wasn't he? A smile broke his lips. Yes, he was! He was alive and still as powerful and wealthy as ever, and nothing would stand in his way!

"Yes!" He laughed maniacally, hooves raised to the ceiling as random, unrelated lightning thundered outside the window! It would have been more impressive if he weren't, you know, invisible and all. But still. "I will get rid of the monster and reclaim Hollow Shades as mine! I WILL GET BACK WHAT IS MINE! MUAHA-AHA-AHOO-AHA-AHEEHEE-AHA-HOO!"

Overwhelmed by Pierre's seductive laugh, Juniper Fields bit off a chunk of her typewriter and fainted. The creature merely stared.

"Have you always been that ugly?"

***

A ways away from the town proper, a lone figure made his way across an empty field, strewn with crushed pumpkins and broken fences. His tall, imposing, mighty silhouette clashed against the gloomy backdrop of the town, and as he walked the very image of power seemed to be projected from each determined step. Truly, he was a being of radiant and immeasurable power! He was the guard!

"Gotta keep my eyes open. Damn dragons could swoop down at any time."

Watchful as ever, the guard of legend cast his gaze across the field. It seemed empty, but then again, experience had taught him that even the quietest patrol path could be crawling with enemies. That or it must have been the wind. One or the other.

Anyway! Fully alert, our legendary hero trained his sights on the path ahead, and lo and behold, a pony!

"Hello, monster!"

Our hero stayed still. Perfectly silent, waiting for the moment to strike or defend himself! Also the pony wasn't within detection range. It was a tiny pony, small and squishy, much like all the little equines—pale white of coat, with a buttery-yellow mane and ruby-red eyes—but this one was evil!

Brave and clever, our valiant hero reacted immediately! As the evil, stubby pony prepared her malignant machinations to be cast against him, he did nothing! Because she was still too far away! But he would have, surely, had she been but a few steps closer. Trust me. Confused, the mare dragged herself forward on her haunches. 

"Helloooo? Mister Mooooonsteeeer?" she said, and scooted a scoot too close! At once, mighty and with speed to rival even the fastest Dwemer trap, our legendary hero drew his sword and assumed his battle stance, startling the mare out of her skin.

"Only burglars and vampires creep around after dark. So which are you?" The rasp of true, nord steel sang in the cool, morning air. 

With her mouth in the shape and size of an ostrich egg, the mare stared at the mighty guard. 'How did he know?!' she thought, as every hair from the top of her mane to the tip of her tail stood at attention. Two long, sharp fangs glinted in the faint morning sun, and her cutie mark—a crystal goblet full to the brim with blood—shone under the glare of dawn. She tugged at her bowtie.

"W-well," she stammered, looking for words that could save her pony behind, within the wordbox all ponies had inside their pony brains. But there was naught but pony within. "I... you see, I am not..."

Astute beyond common understanding, our heroic guard understood then. He sheathed his sword.

"I know Thieves Guild armor when I see it. You're not fooling anyone."

In that moment Juniper Fields realized just how out of her depth she was. The monster clearly knew she was working for the mayor, and her infiltration/seduction/kidnapping/falling-in-love-and-moving-to-the-Pony-Alps-to-start-a-life-together-only-for-the-both-of-them-to-forget-what-it-was-that-had-made-them-fall-for-each-other-in-the-first-place, leading-to-a-life-of-frustration, resentment-and-desperation, that-would-lead-to-a-rough-falling-out, divorce, and-eventual-reunion years later, when-they-both-would-be-ill-and-only-then-would-they-realize-they-could-have-worked-through anything had-they-only-listened-to-each-other mission was ruined!

"I know your kind, always sneaking about," he said, and turned around to leave.

Juniper Fields stared at him a moment, trying to process those words. Quickly, shock turned to anger. He didn't know her at all! No pony did, and he did not have the right to just lump her up with ne'er do wells and no-good robber ponies like that! She stomped her hooves and ground her teeth together until it hurt. Juniper put one hoof forward, breathing hard, and prepared to charge.

Ahead, the guard didn't move. He didn't flinch, or even make the slightest attempt to defend himself. He knew his words truly were his sharpest and truest weapon. For behind him, the little pony's angry hoof began to tremble ever so slightly, and she fell on her hindquarters with a sad, deflated squeak. She was a bad pony. She couldn't deny it anymore, not when so boldly confronted and exposed. With big, teary eyes, Juniper looked up at the guard and extended her hooves. She'd never wanted a hug so bad in her life. 

The guard turned to face her. He looked at her, through her, with a penetrating gaze that managed to both bore deep into her soul and look right past her at the same time. In that moment, more than ever before in her life, Juniper Fields felt naked and exposed, her very spirit laid bare to be judged. She began to salivate. Just a bit tho.

"Well. I'll let it slide this time. But you'd be smart to take that off. Someone might get the wrong idea."

Juniper squeed like no pony has ever squeed before and barrelled straight at the guard—tearing off her bowtie in the process—now free from Pierre's evil influence. She hugged dat guard. She hugged him like there would be no tomorrow, like the world might end and he was the last bit of solid matter left in existence. Her soft, plushy hooves squeezed him hard enough to make the armor creak under the pressure. In doing so she felt strangely... whole. Warm and fuzzy inside, Juniper the vampire pony smiled and buried her muzzle against the guard's chest.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Watch the magic!" the guard said, and Juniper let go with a wide, beaming smile. The magic... of friendship? Had he truly meant that? No way! 

"Do you... do you really mean that, Mister Monster?" 

Our heroic, merciful guard stared straight ahead in complete silence. But he didn't need to say anything more. Juniper could see it in his empty gaze—he truly did mean everything he said. With a nod and a little grin permanently etched into her face, Juniper bid her new friend farewell and watched him turn and leave in the direction of the forest, happier than she'd been in a very long time.

A few minutes passed after he had disappeared before she realized her mistake. Juniper was a bit slow.

"GAH! THE MAYOR'S PLAN!" she screamed and leapt a tree's length up into the air. "I HAVE TO WARN HIM!"

***

"It's the town!" the goo pony mare said, as she and her slimy companion broke through the cover of the trees. The Hollow Shades day market was just setting up outside town, and a few of the day ponies had begun to set up shop as they walked up to the first few rows of stalls—eye wide open in case they spotted their guard friend.

"Anypony's seen a tall, armored non-pony creature around here?" the goo pony mare asked, while the worried toad watched on from atop her head. But alas! Pony after pony said the same. They'd all seen him, but nopony knew where he'd gone... Tired and with low spirits, the two brave heroes settled down on a quiet street corner to rethink their strategy over a small breakfast.

"I'm so sorry," the mare said, hooves wrapped around a jelly and jelly sandwich without bread—goo ponies are extremely sensitive to gluten, you see—eyes cast down. "I was so sure we'd find him, too!"

*Ribbit*

"You're right, at least we know he was here." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, you always know what to say to cheer me up!" She smooched the toad on its toady cheek, and took a big bite out of her sandwich.

"Want some?" 

*Ribbit*

"Sure!" She smeared her jelly and jelly sandwich over the toad and let its toady skin absorb the nutrients, like you do.

*Ribbit* 

"I know! It's my favorite, too!" Satisfied and ready for more action, our heroes stood and readied themselves to renew their search. But as they did so, a pony appeared from just beyond the street's end. It was a mare, but not just any mare, and the goo pony recognized her almost immediately. Juniper Fields, the mayor's assistant, trotted up the street with a look of determination on her that she'd never seen before. 

"She's not wearing her bowtie!" the goo pony gasped, as the vampire mare walked past them, with a small entourage of skeleton ponies right behind her. They all looked like ponies on a mission, but what that mission was? Well, it couldn't be any good for them, surely.

*Ribbit* 

And our toady friend was correct, in a way. Forces of darkness were arraying themselves in secrecy to unleash a battle the likes of which hadn't been seen in Hollow Shades since the age of Nightmare Moon. What they did not know, however, was just how great the magnitude of their struggle was becoming.

*Ribbit* our knight of slime and loyalty whispered at his friend, and the goo pony stared in disbelief.

"No, you can't leave me!" she said, eyes wide and heart breaking. "Please, your friend needs you. I need you..."

*Ribbit*

The toad leapt from the sidewalk to land next to a drain. He turned one last time to look at his friend's eyes, so full of sadness and tears. 'Please' the goo pony seemed to say, lips quivering. But for our toad the path ahead was clear and righteous. He knew what he must do.

*Ribbit* he promised, and with those poetic final words, he leapt into the drain and let the current carry him away. 

Alone and distraught, the goo pony mare wept bitterly as storm clouds gathered over Hollow Shades' skies. A light drizzle began to fall and sizzle against her gooey body, and she knew she must seek refuge. But in that painful moment, she let the rain burn away at her goo and carry her slimy tears away, just like her friend had done. All alone and heartbroken, what was the point in carrying on?

She stomped the ground with a trembling hoof. No. She wouldn't let the pain hold her down. With her other hoof she wiped away the honey-like teardrops falling down her cheeks, and clenched her jaws. They had come so far together... and she knew he wouldn't abandon her. She knew he would fight to the last for his friends, and as certain as the goo must stick, she too was his friend and he was hers. 

"I will see you again," she said in a whisper, under the heavy rainfall as thunder echoed above. "And when I do, no evil or storm will keep us apart. I promise, my brave amphibian prince. I swear."

With those words, the goo pony mare stood and turned in the direction Juniper had disappeared in. With narrowed eyes and a newfound purpose burning in her heart, the goo pony mare chased after her. If somepony knew what had happened to the guard, it would be her.
> Hollow Shades Part 5: The Machine!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades Grand Finale Part 2.9
Speech Increased To 2.5






Juniper Fields closed the door behind her and sighed deeply. This was it. If she really was going to do this, then there was no backing out after this point. Biting her lip, she toyed with the key to the Mayor's secret vault, where she knew he kept... it. The secret, the key to his wealth and the reason he was still mayor of Hollow Shades after all these years. She'd helped him for so long... but something in the way that creature had spoken moved her. She wanted to be a better pony.

Juniper was afraid, standing there in the lobby of the town hall, staring ahead at the one door she knew led to the cellar, and then to the secret vault hidden deep underground. If she did this, then she knew too that her life as the mayor's assistant was over. Heck, her life may be over, period. She knew what the Mayor was capable of, and it really frightened her. But she wanted to be better, and so she took her first step towards that dreadful door.

She never saw the gooey punch coming.

It came out of nowhere, fast and furious like a bald man in a car, and it smacked her straight in her vampire jaw. It also immediately exploded into a spray of goop and slime, because you know, solids vs liquids. But the damage had been done! Juniper sputtered and gagged as sweet, raspberry-flavored goo-pony goop got in her mouth and eyes.

"It got in my nostrils, too!" she shouted, and slipped on the slimy, rosy trail the goo pony mare had left in her wake, as she infiltrated the town hall unseen! 

"Where is my friend's friend, Juniper?!" the goo pony mare shouted and landed a second hit. This one got aaaall up in Juniper's earholes. It was very uncomfortable. 

Reeling, Juniper stumbled backwards and landed on her rump with an audible squeak! Almost immediately the goo pony was on top of her, around her, and trying to force her way inside her throat to choke her. It was a most terrifying scene, like watching someone spit out their strawberry smoothie in reverse. But more violent, and if the smoothie was screaming.

"GIVE HIM BACK!"

"No! Waitpleasenotagai-!" With a mouthful of goo-pony firmly wedged between her jaws, Juniper's words turned into stifled mumbling. All around her, the skeleton ponies tried their best to help, but the gooey mare simply slipped and melted between their hooves.

"Tell me! Tell me now!" the goo-pony mare said, forcing herself down Juniper's windpipe more and more, not quite realizing that she needed it to speak, and breath. Not just yet. 

"Wait," she said at last, as said realization finally hit her. Juniper was hitting her too, but each pony punch got a little weaker than the last one, until they felt more like little taps. "Ooooh... Right. Air."

With one fluid motion, the goo-pony dislodged herself from Juniper's throat and slid away a few paces. She reformed into her trademarked battle-pony fighting stance, and glared at the sputtering vampire mare.

"Okay, that was a... uh... a warning! Yes, and there's more of that if you don't give him back, like, right now, Juniper!"

Juniper Fields coughed out a chunk of goo the size of an orange and fell flat on her back, staring at the ceiling—with a fierce blush spread across her cheeks—and waited for the ache in her throat to subside enough to be able to speak. 

"I am... trying to... help him!" she wheezed out at last, fanning herself with a hoof. "The Mayor... is trying to... kill him!"

The goo-pony gasped. But that could not be! She had to do something. Her toad friend counted on her, and she would not let him down. So, with her newfound resolve newly restrengthened, she stepped forward and planted a hoof firmly down in front of the vampire pony. The look in her eyes screamed 'spill the beans!'. It was a funny look.

"Jelly Squish what the hay!" Juniper spat out another load of goo and struggled to her pony knees. "You could have killed me!"

Jelly Squish squinted her eyes at her. Oh, but she could have! That and more, and Luna knew the vampire pony maybe-kinda-sorta deserved it, too, for all the evil stuff she'd done for the Mayor. But Jelly needed her to upend the kettle. Also, pony jail was a thing, sooo maybe flat-out murder wasn't a very good idea either. 

The goo-pony glare intensified—a little something she'd picked up from her friend—and Jelly asked one more time.

"Where is he, Juniper?"

Juniper suddenly felt terribly exposed, like somepony had dropped her in the middle of an archery contest with a great, big target painted on her rump. She wanted to avert her eyes, but found that she couldn't. The way the jelly eyes fixed on hers was almost hypnotic. Cold sweat built up on her forehead and ran down her neck, but when she reached to tug on her bow-tie, she remembered she no longer had it on.

"In there?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She raised her shaky hoof and pointed to a broom closet just off to the side. "He's really good at staying still. Like, insanely good."

Jelly Squish opened the closet door, and squee'd with happiness. For there, standing before her in all his might and glory, with a mop leaned against his head, was the Guard! In his vast wisdom, he'd remained perfectly still and silent, and only now broke his silence.

"We need to do something about these vampire attacks," he said, and from the back Juniper cried out in agreement.

"Yes! Let's stop attacking the vampire! Thank you!"

The guard's gaze settled on the goo pony—so potent and full of silent intellect far surpassing that which the common pony could ever hope to comprehend—and Jelly Squish smiled. With him on their side, they couldn't lose. It was on!

***

They were all squished together inside the broom closet, trying against hope to find a semi-comfortable position that didn't involve stepping on anypony's face. They were failing. With her face tightly compressed between the Guard's helmet and the Jelly Squish-coated wall, Juniper groaned.

"Sorry everypony, but my office is literally the only place the Mayor won't suspect," she said.

"Your office is a broom closet?" Jelly Squish's voice echoed all around her. The goo-pony was basically smeared all over the two of them, and the entire room smelled of strawberry. 

"Yeh! It's pretty cozy, I know," Juniper wiggled around a bit, just enough to free her hooves and reach for a green crayon. "Alright, so here's the problem..."

The Mayor had a machine. A terrible, powerful machine beyond ponykind's understanding, and he'd been using it to summon gold from other dimensions. Obscene, ridiculous amounts of gold, that could easily flood and ruin Equestria's economy ten times over, and then he world!

"...and he's going to use it to summon a monster to hunt you down," Juniper finished, gesturing with the crayon at the Guard. The entirety of the wall before them was also covered in green scribbles and stick figure drawings, showing all three of them—and a toad, at Jelly's insistence—eating ice-cream.

"By the Gods! What manner of power is that?" the Guard asked, and Juniper shook her head.

"I have no idea," she said, and shuddered. "One day he simply left his office and headed into the woods, and when he came back a few days later, he was changed, like he'd been gone a lot longer. He'd been having a lot of money problems before that, too. But when he came back, he was just loaded up with gold. Nopony knew how, but Pierre just became the richest pony in Hollow Shades overnight."

The great Guard quietly contemplated this for a few moments. Then, without warning, he stepped out of the closet—pushing the two ponies out ahead of him, and startling the skeletons standing guard outside.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Jelly asked, stumbling over herself and Juniper to get to her hooves. 

"You can't leave! There might be a huge monster outside trying to eat you!" The vampire pony clung to the guard's boot, desperately trying to hold him back. "Where would you even go?! It's the middle of the day!"

"I mostly deal with petty thievery and drunken brawls. Been too long since we've had a good bandit raid," he said, still advancing with the little pony stuck to his leg.

"You can't be serious! You're going after him?!" the two ponies shouted, perfectly synchronized, eyes as wide as dinner plates. That made our great hero pause and turn to face them, and the sheer power radiating from him was enough to make their pony jaws drop.

"Stormcloaks, Imperials, dragons. Ain't no matter to me what I kill." The guard fixed the two ponies with a penetrating look that dripped determination. "Let them come."

And so, with his trusty sword firmly secured at his waist, and all the courage and bravery of a true son of Skyrim, the guard of myth and legend stepped out the door into the bright morning light, ready to fight!

But Juniper started to sizzle under the sun, so they had to go back for a parasol.

***

The depths of the marsh were usually alive with sounds and noises as varied as there were stars in the night sky, but not today. Around the brave Toad the reeds and foliage barely moved under the weakest breeze, and not a cricket or frog sang its courtly chant at his approach. There were no fish who dared break the surface of the Holy Pond of Froggus III—and all birds and insects had declared an unspoken truce—for today was a solemn day, a day of supplication. Today it was deathly quiet as our valiant Toad parted the tall grass and leapt out onto the Lily Pad of Subjugation, to beg of the Holy Council their mercy.

*Ribbit* he called out to them, careful of the intricate nuances of speech employed in courtly speech. One misstep was all it would take for the Great Toady Ones to take offense.

Silence, for the longest time it reigned, until at last a great figure broke through the thickest part of the underbrush—carried on a massive banana leaf, held aloft on the backs of a small army of opossums—and the massive girth of The Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad entered the scene, voluptuous and glorious in all his slimy glory.

*Ribbit* the great toad of eternal corpulence croaked under the weight of his silver crown, and a great choir of voices rose up in an angelic echo of toad voices. *Ribbit! Ribbit!* they chanted, and even one so great as our Toad hero felt shivers run down his toady skin. 

*Ribbit* our Toad of legend then ventured, bold as ever, but rash. For his was the way of the Outer Toads, the wild ones, whose power derived from the freedom of the distant and forbidden ponds. He was not skilled in the ways of toad court, and alas, now he must pay for it dearly.

The Great Grandmaster's tongue lashed out in anger and struck our hero across his unblinking eye. It was a mighty blow, powerful enough to make our Toad of humbled pride quiver in his toadiness. But he held his ground, the memory of his fair and gooey maiden, and his tall and mighty friend firmly held in the forefront of his heart. 

*Ribbit* he said again, and the Great Grandmaster now heeded his words, though he did so with growing ire. For he was as his ancestors, and the Great Toad Empire had been built on fire and slime. The Grandmaster was not one to be trifled with, and even if our hero had invoked the ancient traditions that now shielded him from The Grandmaster's rage, he still tread on thin lily pads. 

*Ribbit* The Grandmaster said, and our Toad hurried to explain his plight with great and poetic eloquence the likes of which had never before, and would never again, grace the great Halls of Toad.

*Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit! Ribbit?* he said, and the entirety of the court went wild with praise and calls for mercy. Toads of all sizes and species rose on their legs and let their great weight strike the ground in unison, to cause such a storm of sound that the entirety of the swamp trembled. As one they cried out *Ribbit!* and our Toad of magnificence and unchallenged eloquence felt his heart rise with emotion.

But alas! The Great Grandmaster was an old and wizened toad of many years. He would not be so easily moved. And so, with a stern and unreadable look in his eyes, The Great Grandmaster groaned, and the rumbling of his toady throat silenced every voice around him instantly. Even the wind ceased at his command.

*Ribbit?* The Great Grandmaster asked, and our Toad of might replied without hesitation.

*Ribbit!*

*Ribbit?* the mighty leader of Toadkind stressed, and his words cut through to our hero's heart like a burning blade. The question stung. It stung his heart, to know that things had come to such a point, and to realize that there could only be one way forward if he truly wished to save his friends.

But could he do it? 

A silence befell the entirety of the court. No toad had ever been asked to give up so much, and for such an alien concept as friendship? Truly, what could this be and what value might it hold, to drive a toad of such stature as our Toad of legend to make such a painful sacrifice? But in his heart he already knew the answer to The Grandmaster's question. 

Without a doubt, our Toad stood up on all fours, straight and proud.

*Ribbit* he said, and his fate was forever sealed.
> Hollow Shades Part 6: Destroy the Machine!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades Grand Finale Part 2.9.1
Speech Increased To 2.5






They moved quietly down the deep, humid tunnel beneath the town hall—careful not to disturb the loose pebbles and skittering bugs that covered the uneven stone steps of the winding path—until they came across a fork in the way. Two branching tunnels that split from the main downward descent into darkness. One led East and up, back to the surface, and the second went West and kept straight across the ground.

“Dead end,” Juniper said as they passed the fork and ignored both exits. “There’s lots of tunnels like that, that just go back and twist around each other, to keep ponies off balance.”

“And the other one?” Jelly asked, as she eyed the second tunnel, angled upward and away from the earthy dungeon. “Where does that lead to?”

“Just the surface,” the vampire pony shrugged, “somewhere outside Hollow Shades, I guess. I haven’t really explored most of these. I just know the Mayor had them dug out, just in case.”

Their descent was marked by the quiet dread of the unknown. Every step echoed off the rocky walls and trailed ahead of them like an alarm, and their very breaths hung heavy in the warm, uncomfortable air of the underground. By the time they reached a small plateau, all three of them were short of breath and sweating hard. 

The two mares led the way, with the guard behind them and the skeleton ponies trailing at the back—having learned their lesson after the guard stormed out of the town hall, ready for action, but without a clue as to where it was—and Juniper carried a small lantern that hung from her saddlebag. It was just bright enough to illuminate the tunnel ahead by a few meters, but not too bright. If there was anypony down there, at least the light wouldn’t be the one to give them away. They had the guard’s heavy gear for that.

“Some advice, friend,” he said, as the vampire mare adjusted the bucket she wore as a helmet. “That armor won’t offer much protection in a real fight.”

Juniper scrunched up her muzzle. “Oh yeah? Well at least I’m not the one rattling and clanking around in the dark!”

The guard paused for a moment, and the rings of his chainmaille hauberk jingled and clinked against each other from the sudden stop. 

“Best offense is a good defense, am I right?” He glanced up at Jelly Squish. The goo-pony mare giggled and nodded from atop the guard’s helmet. 

“Don’t take his side!” Juniper turned to face them and stomped on the ground; her muzzle scrunch intensified by a factor of ten. “It’s not fair! You’re not... even wearing... anything...”

Juniper’s eyes went cross-eyed for a moment as realization slowly dawned. Jelly Squish was naked! While a crimson shade quickly flared on her vampire pony cheeks, she turned back around and pressed her bucket tighter against her head. Luckily the others didn’t seem to take notice!

“Lightly armored means light on your feet. Smart.”

“I know!” Jelly Squish said. 

They proceeded into the darkness ahead, past the plateau and deeper into the earth, until they came upon a pair of iron doors closed shut by a locked up bolt. Juniper walked up to it with the keys jingling in her mouth, and opened the lock after she fumbled with it for a bit. With a loud, ominous groan of rusted metal, she pushed the bolt aside and the heavy iron doors yawned open before them, like the maw of some dormant beast. A gust of air entered the cave-like room ahead, and the light of the lantern flickered slightly. 

“Well,” Juniper stammered a little, but her voice held for the most part, “this is it, you guys. Is everypony ready?”

Behind her, the famed guard of unmatched power unsheathed his blade and readied his shield. Atop his head, Jelly Squish scrunched up her muzzle and frowned, ready to deliver a serious dosage of butt-kicking. For her own part, Juniper sucked in a deep breath and tried to stifle the worst of her fears. Then she stuck one hoof in the darkness...

...only to feel the guard’s hand on her withers. She stopped.

“You hear that?” he asked, and nodded at the quiet blackness within the room. Juniper strained her ears, but try as she might, she couldn’t make out anything but the slight crunch of dust and pebbles under her hooves. “I swear, there's something out there. In the dark.”

The vampire pony gulped. “I-I’m sure it’s n-nothing,” she said, and took one tiny step forward into the unknown. “Come on, e-everypony! We need to hurry...”

Slowly, the group made their way into the secret vault with nothing but Juniper’s lantern to light the path. It was a spacious place, empty and dirty, with nothing in the way of furniture or equipment of any sort—at least, until they came upon the middle of the cavernous cellar—and there, at the very center of the floor, was a deep depression. It took all their luck not to stumble and fall into the steep incline.

“Woah!” Jelly Squish peeked from behind the guard’s head. Perched upon his shoulder, she had the best view of the horrendous machinery that lay at the very bottom of that great crater. 

It was a massive contraption, at least three times as tall as the guard himself, and wide enough that six pegasi could stand side by side—wings fully extended and never touching—across its breadth. Its overall frame seemed to be brass and iron in the shape of a wire-frame bowl, rusted and decayed to the point it seemed rickety and frail, but strong enough to withstand the rest of the Machine. It’s body was a monster of tubular wiring, support beams, and heat exhausts. Huge and bulbous protrusions of some sort of netting hung from it, seemingly at random, and they pulsed with unknown purpose. A sickly-pale, steely glow emanated from its core—barely visible through the brass and iron, but very much alive with movement—trapped within the very heart of the contraption. 

There it lay, the dreaded machine, operating by rules all its own and fully engrossed in some terrible task as unknowable as it was dangerous to our heroes. And it did all of this in perfect silence.

Jelly took a shaky breath and slid down the guard’s back and onto her gelatinous hooves. She slid closer to the edge of the crater. The depression was slanted at a steep, but not impossible angle, with marked ‘steps’ of sorts, staggered to form an uneven stairway down to the center from all angles. The rock was oddly smooth, like it had melted and flowed to coat the steps before solidifying over them, but there was no buildup down at the center. There was only the Machine. 

“By the Gods! What manner of power is that?” the brave guard asked, but got no response from his companions. They stared in awe at the monstrous thing in the depths of the earth beneath them, where neither sun nor moon shone, and the only light was that sickly glow that came from the dark innards of the iron and brass body of the Machine. Even Juniper, who had seen it already, could do little more than gawk at the monstrosity of it.

It was an impossible thing from somewhere beyond, and by all laws of nature and reality, it should not exist in their realm. And yet...

The Machine began to hum. A low rumble, powerful and terrible, that made the ground itself shake from under our heroes. The dread glow intensified then, and the brass and iron beams began to rattle fiercely against their bolts and binds. The Machine had awoken.

“What is going on?!” Jelly shouted over the now deafening shriek that the Machine spewed into the vault. She had asked Juniper, but the vampire mare did not hear her. Even if she had, she couldn’t have replied. Not with the fear that gripped her.

“It... it’s been activated!” she cried, and desperately backed away from the edge of the crater as it shuddered and groaned under the strain of the living monster in its depths. “We have to get out of here! It’s... it’s a trap!”

But it was too late. From all around them came the sounds of claws as they skittered across the stone floor. Dozens of them, if not hundreds. Closer and closer they came, from behind, from across the vault, and from all around them. The guard tensed the moment the first of the monsters came into view. Jelly Squish’s eyes widened and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. Juniper screamed.

Surrounded and with nowhere to run, our heroes and their skeleton pony minions watched as hundreds of pincers clicked! and clacked! with malicious intent.

The mudcrabs had come.



Worse still was the voice that followed after them...

“Well, well, well... what do we have here?” the Mayor said as he stepped out from behind the Machine—his invisible fur coated over by a pale cream and his trench coat to protect him from the sun—with two burly bat ponies with newly-lit lanterns on his trail. They were broad, heavyset creatures of the night, clad in a silvery-white armor that was unlike anything the Lunar Guard was issued. They opened their fanged mouths and hissed at our heroic protagonists, fully surrounded and ensnared now that the mudcrab menace had edged ever closer to their little group!

Blood racing and temper aflare from being captured in so terrible a trap, our guard of mighty martial and spoken prowess leveled his sword at the mayor, and growled at him, “You come up to me, fists raised? You looking for a beating?” 

Pierre simply smiled—a cold, calculated smirk, so devoid of humor and so dark that it chilled the blood of the two mares—and raised a hoof. Something gave him pause.

“This is your last chance, Juniper,” he said then, and his stone glare settled on the trembling vampire mare. “Come with me. Now.”

Juniper Fields was shaking from her hooves to her blonde mane, painfully aware of the size of the monstrous pincer-claws of the hundreds of alien beasts surrounding her. Each was at least the size of a small foal, and they looked vicious. 

But there was one thing that was stronger than fear, even one so terrible as the kind she felt in that moment. Though it took all her strength, Juniper shook her head fiercely. She would not abandon her friends.

Pierre’s glare turned into a snarl, and he let his hoof fall. Almost immediately, the two bat ponies hissed and extinguished their lanterns, plunging them and Pierre into darkness once more. Then came a gust of wind, a flash of steel and the crash of glass and metal as one of the winged ponies slapped the lantern from Juniper’s hoof.

“H-hey!” she cried out, but it was too late. The lantern hit the floor and its light weakened, flickered, and died. The valiant guard swung his blade hard, but the bat pony merely chuckled and deftly flew away, perfectly shrouded in shadows. 

“I can’t see! Where are they?!” Jelly Squish backed away from the skittering sounds that came from all around, and pressed herself tightly against Juniper’s back. The vampire pony stared into the emptiness, catatonic as terror and the monstrous creatures closed in around them, faster than she could process. The sounds were a storm and she was caught in the middle, with nowhere to go!

But there was hope. There was the guard!

“Gotta keep my eyes open. Damn dragons could swoop down at any time,” he said, as yet another of the bat ponies made a pass at him in the shadows. He felt the air as it parted, and the lightning-quick shift in pressure as the pony swung an armored hoof at his head. It was only sheer luck and his own great skill that allowed him to dodge the blow before it landed.

But the mudcrabs were now mere meters away! The sound of their chitin frames against the stone was so loud he could barely hear himself think. Worse still, his companions were frozen in shock and terror. It would all fall to him.

“No lollygagging!” he said, and picked up the nearest pony in one arm. Slimy goo seeped over his fingers and through his armor, but he paid it no heed. There was fighting to be done!

“Eep!” the goo-pony mare cried as the guard yanked her up.

“Vampire!” he then shouted out and nudged Juniper out of her trance. “To Arms!” 

The vampire pony shook her head clear and nodded once. “R-right! Let’s gooo-aaAAH!”

The first of the mudcrabs was upon them.

The guard swung hard against the beast, and his steel sword broke through chitin and flesh as it sent the mudcrab hurtling through the air and over the heads of its thrice-cursed brethren. But no sooner had it landed, than a second mudcrab fell into place to replace him, and two more right behind it. So the guard stepped forward, in all his glory and fierce determination, and swung again, and kicked out, and slashed and hacked and carved a bloody path across the swarm.

But it wasn’t enough. 

“Juniper, we have to go!” Jelly Squish shouted out as the guard carried her through the sea of mudcrabs. She bucked and punched as fast as her gooey legs could manage, desperate to keep the mudcrabs from climbing onto the valiant guard’s exposed back. But it was a losing battle.

“I can’t see!” the vampire pony cried out. “I can’t see! They’re— eep! They’re climbing on me!”

It was then that the guard stopped. The exit was just ahead—he could faintly see its outline against the glow of the Machine—and he knew that he could reach it. The mudcrabs were many, but they were no match for him. The skeleton ponies still stood their ground against the worst of the crustacean tide, and though the bat ponies kept harassing his advance, he knew that he could make it. 

“Juniper!” Jelly Squish screamed. All that could be heard of the vampire pony was the sound of her frightened sobs. The guard’s hands clenched around his sword and shield until the knuckles turned white.

He could not leave a friend behind.

“Watch the skies, traveler!” he shouted, and turned with a speed that startled the goo-pony mare on his shoulders. He drew back his shield arm and, with a force to rival the mightiest dragon of legend, the brave guard threw his shield across the cavernous darkness!

Juniper yelped as a powerful force slammed into the mudcrabs on top of her and blew them away in a shower of snapped legs and shattered chitin. Tears flowed freely, and a little trail of snot wriggled its way down her scraped nose. There were pinch marks everywhere on her body, and more than a few of them dripped blood or had fur torn from the skin. But she was okay, and help was on the way!

A thunderous force stomped across the cavern and past the last of the surviving skeleton ponies—the guard ignored the mudcrabs as they pinched at his heels and legs, and he shrugged off the blows as the bat ponies rammed into his helmet and shield-less body with their armored hooves—to reach her, who had not long ago been his enemy. Juniper could scarcely believe it as she felt his arms wrap around her midsection and lift her up.

“Everything’s in order...” he whispered, and turned back to the exit. For a moment Juniper could almost believe it.

But then the iron doors slammed shut and the sound of the bolt as it locked into place filled the room.

And the mayor’s wicked laughter was the last thing they heard, before the army of mudcrabs descended upon them...
> Hollow Shades Part 7: Level Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hollow Shades Grand Finale Part 2.9.3
 Speech Increased To 2.5






The fight that ensued was bitter, cruel, and painful—the mudcrabs fell upon our heroes with a fury unlike anything Equestria had ever seen, and had they been made of any lesser stuff, our valiant protagonists would not have survived—but they were brave and they had nowhere to turn, and where hope fails, desperation holds. Surrounded on all sides, and under heavy assault from both land and air, the brave guard held his own with steel and determination, and two frightened ponies clambered up high on his arm and shoulders.

Frightened, yes, but not without valor. For even as the unending tide overwhelmed the stalwart defense of the guard, Juniper and Jelly kicked and punched and bit with all the strength they had in their little pony bodies. Long after the fear and terror had congealed in their hearts, and their screams of horror had been replaced by tired grunts of pain every time a claw or pincer cut them, the two mares still fought on.

The pile of mudcrab carcasses around them was witness to the ferocious struggle. The heavy breaths of the two circling bat ponies—exhausted after dozens of passes and strikes that had failed to fell the mighty guard—was testimony to the willpower on display. Had there been any hope for relief, for reinforcements, or an opportunity for escape, then surely our heroes must have prevailed...

...but there was none.

The mudcrabs tore at the fur of his boots and the skin beneath, and the guard cried out through gritted teeth as his sword arm cramped. His knees trembled from exertion, and his breath came ragged and uneven. The pounding of his heart was a thunderstorm in his ears, and he could no longer hear the bat ponies as they rushed him. So much sweat had pooled over his forehead that it was almost impossible to keep his eyes open. Not that it mattered in that terrible darkness.

An armored hoof struck him across the iron helmet and tossed his head to the side. Stars danced across his vision, and pain flared all through the left side of his face. The taste of copper was vibrant in his mouth. The guard staggered back a few steps and the mares cried out as he struggled to regain his balance.

“This doesn’t... look... good...” he said between gasping breaths. Blood dribbled down his chin.

“What are we going to do?!” Juniper’s voice was tired, and though the unmistakable tinge of fear smeared her every word, there was something else, something darker.

“There’s nothing we can do...” Jelly Squish said, with that same, dreadful feeling to her words.

Resignation.

“I can’t... get a beat... on him...” the guard mumbled as he turned, doing what he could to ignore the flare of pain every time the mudcrabs tore pieces off his clothing and scratched deep gouges into the flesh of his legs. He looked for the bat ponies in the pitch darkness, but it was useless.

“We don’t... stand a chance...” he muttered, and his knees buckled under him.

“Woah!” 

“Wah!” 

The two mares fell to the ground as the spent guard collapsed to all fours. His sword clattered away, drenched in gore and badly chipped after so brutal a battle. Useless, it came to a stop at the edge of the mudcrab army and was quickly lost under the unending tide of skittering claws.

The beasts took pause, as though they had come to comprehend the magnitude of their losses, and a sense of primitive fear had taken hold of them. But in their hollow eyes there was nothing but the desire to feed. They surged once again, relentless and primeval. Hungry for their kills.

Spent and with nothing left to cling to, our heroes waited for death to come.

Still standing through the burning pain of her many wounds, Juniper sniffled and hugged the guard’s arm to her chest. ‘I got to be a good pony in the end,’ she thought, as tears streamed into her fur. ‘I made a friend.’

Jelly Squish growled at the horde of crustaceans as they came. Gooey tears ran freely down her cheeks. Her final wish—to see her valorous Toad one last time—would go unfulfilled.

Our mighty guard, laid low at long last by the unstoppable horde, raised his gaze to watch the faint outline of the monsters against the unnatural glow of the Machine. To have come so far and seen so much, only to perish in such dreadful darkness against the backdrop of some alien monstrosity... the thought would chill the blood of lesser men, but he merely watched the end approach in silence.

The first of hundreds of claws rose to cut at his throat, and a loud hiss! caught his attention. He turned in time to see the vague silhouette of an armored hoof ram into his head.

The world went dark.

***

It was dark inside the cell. Only the faintest rays of moonlight filtered through the iron bars of the city jail, and even those were smothered by the heavy cobwebs and clouds of dust that infested the tiny space where our hero was now held captive.

Our brave guard awoke with a start—he half expected to see the vicious claws of a mudcrab before him, ready to strike—but instead there were iron bars. His cell was the largest, but that meant little for one of his height. He had to kneel and bend his neck just to fit in the tiny room. Both his hands were manacled, as were his legs, with iron chains as thick as his thumbs that were bound to the stone floor. His head was secured to the wall with a length of rope, and his sword and shield were nowhere to be found.

"Hey, you...” came a voice from somewhere to his right. Our brave guard tried to turn, but the rope held fast. He could only shake his manacles to show he could hear whoever had spoken.

“You're finally awake...” It was a nord’s voice! He strained hard against his bindings, desperate to see who it was. “You were trying to cross the border, right?”

The Guard nodded, a feeble gesture against the rope. It had not been long since he’d left the wheat fields whence he’d first teleported in and crossed into the dread wood of Hollow Shades.

“Walked right into that Imperial ambush,” the voice continued, raspy and tired, as though it had gone long without a drop of water. “...same as us, and that thief over there."

That gave him pause. Us?

A light flickered to life from the corner of the dungeon, and then he saw it.

Bones. Dozens of them. Human skulls, ribcages, femurs and vertebrae coated the stone floor of his cell and the adjacent ones. In one of the cells opposite his, he saw a scrawny man, more dead than alive, chained much like he was. Another nord! The ‘thief’ as the voice had named him, shivered slightly within his bindings and sighed. He was not long for Sovngarde.

“Shor’s bones,” our beaten guard muttered. His jaw ached fiercely, and he tasted blood with every word. “Did it kill them all...?”

The voice did not reply. There was no need. From the far side of the dungeon, with a lantern in his cream-coated hoof, the Mayor approached...

“If it isn’t my monster...” Pierre said as he came to a stop at the bars of his cell. The invisible pony wore his usual trenchcoat and cream-slathered fur, as well as a pair of dark sunshades. His lips were pursed into a grimace. “Not quite as intimidating now, are you?”

“You're going to pay!” the Guard growled and strained hard against the chains. They clinked! and rattled against their bearings, but held. Pierre simply watched him, impassive, cold... like he’d done this a hundred times.

“You can scream all you like,” he muttered. “But nopony is coming to help you. Nopony ever does... aren’t you curious about your little friends? Hmm?”

The rope groaned against the force of the guard’s muscles. A few strands frayed, but once more his bindings held.

Pierre grinned. “Oh yes, I have them here, too. Not that it matters.” His expression darkened. “You won’t see them again. Nopony ever will.”

The mayor turned and gave a stiff nod. The two bat ponies from the cavern entered the dungeon, with a length of chain held in their mouths. At its end were several collars.

“Get him and the others downstairs,” he said. The two bat ponies exchanged a glance.

“Him too?” they beckoned to the thief, barely conscious in his binds. “There can’t be much left in him, Mayor!”

“I want it all,” Pierre hissed, eyes wide and teeth bared. “Nothing wasted. I’m running out of time! The princesses are onto us and the Machine must be fed...”

The bat ponies nodded and moved into the cells with practiced ease. They chained up the thief to a collar and released him from the floor and wall. The man all but collapsed to the ground. Then they went for the voice, and when they finally came for the Guard, they had a tall, withered nord chained up to the second collar. His blonde, dirty hair was matted and filthy, as were his clothes. The man looked like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

But the moment they tried to put the collar on him, the Guard fought back. He tossed, turned, and kicked and punched as best he could. It soon became obvious that he would not go peacefully, especially not with as little as a collar on his neck.

“Stop! Stop it you fools,” the Mayor stepped up and pushed his lackeys aside. He glared down at the Guard. “You will be drained. One way or another.”

Our brave hero looked at the Mayor. He knew his situation to be hopeless... there was no way he could escape, and eventually, Pierre would get what he wanted... but he would fight him every step of the way, and the Mayor knew it too.

“What do you want?” the Mayor asked him.

What did he want? Behind the thick iron of his helmet, past the stoic gaze that he had always worn, something happened. But what was it he wanted? Memories flooded his mind; guard duty, to stand before Whiterun’s gates as the hours passed by; the occasional wolf or brigand that roamed too close to his posting... guard duty... day in and day out, from sunrise to sunrise, as the days went by and weeks turned to months... Whiterun. The gates. The fields.

Guard duty.

“B-brigands I can h-handle...” he muttered. Each word was a struggle against himself. “...b-but this talk of dragons?” He bit his tongue and groaned against the effort each sentence forced from him. “...world's gone... mad... I say...”

“I say...” He couldn’t breathe. He could hardly speak. But for the first time since he first had opened his eyes, the Guard realized that he could do something more.

“I need to ask you to stop...” He forced himself to keep going.

“By Ysmir... you've helped... save the... Gildergreen...”

Pierre arched an eyebrow even as a smirk formed on his face.

“...you look tired... friend!” he shouted.

Exhausted, he collapsed to his knees. Before him Pierre said nothing for a while, but simply grinned.

“Silvermoon,” he said at last. “Let Juniper and the goo-pony go.”

A pause. “You, uh, you sure Mayor?”

“Let them go, Silvermoon.”

The Guard trembled from exertion, but a shiver of something new also washed over him. Relief. Even if he had to go to the Machine, at least the mares would be okay... his friends would be safe.

“As you say, Mayor.”

Without struggle, the other bat pony latched the collar onto the Guard’s neck and hauled him up, now free of his bindings. As they led them out and back into the depths of the secret tunnels under the town hall, the nord spoke to him in a whisper.

“I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits.”

The guard did not respond. It didn’t matter anymore.

Quietly they went into the depths... to the Machine.
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 1
Speech Increased To 2.5






Juniper knew something was wrong. The air of the tunnel was stale and the incline kept its downward angle for far too long to lead to the surface. There was no way they were headed for the exit...

“Just a little more, you two.” Silvermoon poked them with his spear. “Door’s just up ahead...”

Yeah, but a door to where?

Juniper turned to look at Jelly Squish. The goo-pony had a sad pout on her that hid a fierce determination in her eyes. They’d been captured, yes, but they weren’t beaten. Not yet. The two mares knew something bad was about to happen, and though Juniper had never seen the Machine at work, she knew that whatever fate awaited their brave and captured Guard, it must surely involve that dreadful contraption...

They had to save him. But how?

“There,” Silvermoon grunted as he jabbed at Juniper’s bum with the blunt end of his weapon. The vampire pony eeped! and jumped at the sudden break from her thoughts, to find that she was face to face with another iron door. This one was much larger than the one that led to the secret vault, though. A thin layer of dust covered the thick iron bolt, closed shut and secured by a heavy-duty lock, almost as big as her hoof. 

“Here.” Silvermoon tossed them a single key and stepped back, with his spear at the ready. “Open it.”

Juniper and Jelly exchanged another, far more worried look. Just what had they gotten into? 

“I don’t have all day! You wanna leave, or you wanna go back to the cells? Hurry up!”

Juniper swallowed hard and fumbled to pick up the key. It fit into the lock perfectly, and it clicked! open with only the slightest bit of resistance on the turn. A new lock? She wouldn’t know. She’d never been this far into the secret tunnels...

She pulled the lock loose and lifted the heavy iron latch with her hoof, then slid the bolt free of its catch. As though pushed by some invisible force, the heavy iron door slowly groaned open into the room beyond, and a pungent stench wafted over the two mares. They gagged as it poured into the tunnel, and the lantern Silvermoon had strapped to his saddlebag briefly flared as its flame caught something in that putrid smell. 

But the stink was not what shocked them the most. It was the room itself, and what was within...

...a great cavern yawned open before them, with a skylight at the furthest point in its ceiling, almost ten meters high. Moonlight streamed down into the cave, and illuminated a moss-covered floor, strewn with animal bones of all sorts and sizes... Juniper and Jelly were in no position to judge, but some of them looked suspiciously equine. 

Worse still was the thing that loomed far above the ground level, atop a ledge that overlooked the entire room like an eagle’s nest. It was enormous, far taller than even the Guard, and with arms so thick they could be tree trunks. It huffed and puffed the moment it saw the two frightened ponies, and beat its meaty fists against its chest, then reared back on its hairy legs and glared at them with three black eyes filled with primal bloodlust. 

It opened its great, fanged jaws and roared. An explosion of sound that reverberated through the cave and down the tunnel like an earthquake.

The cave troll had seen them and there was nowhere to run.

“AWW HECK NAW!” Jelly Squish and Juniper screamed and tried to turn back, only to meet face to hooves with Silvermoon’s applebucking technique. 

“In you go, ladies!” he laughed, and kicked. 

...only to jam his hind legs into Jelly’s gooey tummy, down to his haunches. 

Silvermoon cried out in shock the moment he realized his mistake, and tried hard to dislodge himself. But it was too late. The goo-pony slid up his body and popped! back into shape on the other side of the door, as the bat pony plopped down to the floor and scrambled to get back on his hooves.

Behind them the cave troll howled as it cleared the cavern floor with apeish strides and leaps. It stopped ever so briefly to lob a big, wet chunk of... mud at them. It struck the top of the door frame with a wet smack! and splattered outwards like so much smelly shrapnel.

Juniper’s eyes went wide as saucers as the mud went everywhere—it drenched the door, the floor, and some of it went up as high as the ceiling—but some of it specifically flew straight for her! A big, steamy, and lumpy glob of muddy muck threatened to splash all over her mane and face, and it was all she could do to think of something—anything!—before that happened. Desperate, Juniper screamed and shielded herself with the closest object she could reach...

Silvermoon yelped as two supernaturally strong hooves gripped him by the flanks and lifted him up. But he hadn’t the time to complain, not before a tonne of yucky, slimy, and very chunky... mud crashed into him... and believe me, dear reader, that when I say into, what I mean is very far into him.

“OH MY PONE, IT GOT IN MY MOUTH!”

Truly, the resulting pink eye would have been the stuff of legend, had some rather pressing detail not made itself very apparent just then.

“Juniper!” Jelly cried out from beyond the threshold, and saved the vampire mare’s life. Juniper jumped through the open doorway just as the cave troll’s fist slammed hard into the ground where she had stood but a moment before. Enraged, the monster bellowed and thrashed, and took out all his anger on one very unlucky bat pony.

“No! You gotta help me! It’s got meeeeEEE!”

Juniper and Jelly Squish sat on their haunches just on the other side of the door. Their little pony jaws rested on the floor, completely slack. Their big ol’ eyes were open wide, and their pupils were the size of pinpricks. They watched in silent shock and horror as the cave troll did unspeakable things to the bat pony. Things that surely would push this story’s rating up into the Mature, and then through it, and over into whatever comes next. 

“Are legs supposed to bend that way, Jelly?”

“Mine can...” the goo-pony answered even as they both cringed at the wet crunch! that followed from inside the room. “I’m not really sure if yours are supposed to- what is it doing to his face?!”

“Oh my Luna,” Juniper moaned. “I think I’m going to be sick...”

Sufficiently traumatized for the day, the two mares quietly shut the door and secured the bolt into place. Then, in the silence of the empty tunnel—with only the faintest sounds of most perturbing bodily contortion that came from inside the cavern—they reflected on the horrors of equine frailty at the mercy of nature’s more primeval beings.

“So,” Juniper ventured after a while, as she twiddled her hooves. “I know a pretty good therapist...” 

Jelly Squish gasped. “Therapy buddies?!”

“Oh, do you really mean it?” Juniper clopped her hooves together and both mares leaned in for a hug. “Yay!”

But there were pressing matters at hoof!

“Alright, therapy buddy!” Jelly said. “What’s the plan?”

Juniper scrunched up and rubbed her chin with a hoof. Behind them, a huge dent appeared on the iron door. It was distinctly pony-shaped.

“We need to rescue...” Juniper paused and her scrunch intensified. “Wait. This is so awkward, but... what’s his name?”

Jelly Squish shrugged. “I’unno. He’s my coltfriend’s friend, tho.” Both mares pondered the question for a while, as they did their best to ignore Silvermoon’s alternated staccato of screams, followed by whimpers, and then a wet squelch! as some body part or another was forcibly detached. 

“I mean,” Juniper rubbed the back of her neck, “we could ask him later. I guess it doesn’t really matter as long as we rescue him, right?”

Jelly nodded. This was wise! 

“So! Let’s rescue our friend!” 

“Right!”

Both mares turned their backs on the battered door to race down the tunnel and back to where their friend was held... when the very audible slam! of the heavy iron door against the tunnel floor froze them in place. Then came the sound of slow, steady, and very heavy breathing, followed by the worst case of morning breath ever experienced by ponykind. 

Juniper and Jelly Squish gulped. Silvermoon—or what was left of him—moaned. The cave troll groaned a grave, guttural groan that sent a shiver down both ponies’ spines.

...and it attacked.
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 2
Speech Increased To 2.5






In the darkness of the underground vault, the beaten Guard grunted as the Mayor’s bat henchpony tightened the straps to his binds. They ran across his neck, over his chest, arms and wrists, his thighs and legs. Clearly designed to hold humans, our hopeless Guard also noticed that within this hidden section of the Machine there were also many other means of confinement. Most of them were meant for inhuman creatures, and some were designed for beings he couldn’t begin to imagine...

“We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief,” the nord said beside him. They were all strapped to the Machine, separated only by a thin metal plate, like a fin, between them. Suspended above the Guard was a strange, needle-like proboscis of glass and iron, aimed right at his scalp. 

“No...” the thief wheezed. The Guard did not need to see him to hear the shudder in his words. “...this can't be happening. This isn't happening..."

But strangest of all was the dreadful feel of the metal against his body. It thrummed! with a powerful vitality, almost like a monstrous heartbeat. It was warm to the touch and every so often he would feel a tremor course all through the machinery, pulsing and pumping like veins under the rigid framework. A cold chill gripped him as he realized that his own heartbeat fell in sync with the Machine’s hideous palpitations. 

Then it began to rumble. A terrible groan that spread from its innards and over the crater where it stood, until it reached the outer walls of the underground cavern. Dust and pebbles crumbled down from the ceiling as it shuddered, and the stone and earth over the Guard’s head began to part. It happened then... the Machine began to rise.

“What is it?” he asked no one in particular. There was no possible answer to calm the terrible feeling in his gut. 

The very earth underneath them groaned and suffered under the strain as the Machine tore free from its binds and levitated high above the crater at a slow and steady pace. The bat pony watched from a distance away, frozen in fear as the aura that had permeated the air around the Machine intensified into something more... something beyond evil and malice, otherworldly and so terrible no mortal being could hope to understand it. 

It was then that it spoke. 

The Guard grunted in pain as the Machine’s insides shook and rattled, and a word was expelled into the air like so much refuse. He did not know what it meant or how he knew it was a word at all, for it was spoken in a speech he did not understand. But its very utterance froze the blood in his veins.

And as it spoke, the Machine rose higher, and the ceiling parted wider to invite the cool midnight moon through the gaping maw of the cavern. It flooded over the captured Guard, almost blinding after the near-total darkness of the cave. But soon he regained his sight, and before him, on a charred and lifeless glade, stood the Mayor...

“It is time,” he said, robed in black and completely invisible underneath. A book in his unseen hoof, with strange etchings that made the Guard’s eyes water if he looked too long. “The final preparations are complete, the carriage is here and the moon is highest! My moment of triumph is now!”

Even as he rambled, the Machine rose higher, until it had cleared the wound in the earth and levitated a few meters over the ground. Almost at once, with another word uttered in its foul language, that injury seared shut into a scar of rock and loose earth, blackened by the dark magic that had sealed it. There it hovered, awaiting its master’s next command.

Pierre approached the Machine. Though he could not see him, the Guard knew his eyes were on him as he spoke.

“...and now you die, monster.” He could almost feel the smile through his words. “But don’t worry. It will be for a worthy cause... my new home in Griffonstone will be just lovely! AhahahaHAHAHAHA!”

The Guard turned away from the deranged pony, to look at the trees of the swamp. Perhaps, he hoped, he might catch a glimpse of his friends before the end. Something to give him hope and solace before the inevitable. But his heart was at peace, for he knew his death had bought him something precious. For that he could die at ease.

The Mayor’s laughter stopped, as though these thoughts had also crossed his mind. A cruel chuckle escaped through his teeth, full of venom.

“I hope you’re not looking for your marefriends, monster...” That chuckle again. It tensed the brave Guard’s shoulders to hear it and set his every sense on alert, like a wolf’s howl on a full moon. He turned to face Pierre.

“Did you really think I would just let them go and ruin my beautiful plan? Hmm?” A cold, terrible feeling washed over the Guard and made his insides tighten. But it couldn’t be! He had promised! His life for theirs... he had promised...

“There shouldn’t be much left of them by now...” the sick grin the Mayor sported needed no eyes to be seen, “...not after the cave troll is done with them... ahahahAHAHAHA!”

The Guard strained against his bindings.

“You’re already dead!” he hissed through gritted teeth, but the Machine came to life even as he spoke. Like snakes, the leather straps shrunk around his neck and chest, and dragged him back against the metal of the monstrous thing. The thrumm! grew in strength and a red glow seeped from within the cracks and spaces between gears and levers... and soon the Machine had awakened in full.

On the ground the Mayor stepped back and when next he spoke his voice was sobered and almost sane. A heavy weight hung on the air around the glade. It made the very air denser, almost impossible to breathe. 

“It’s time we begin...” Pierre said and moved to open the book...

*Ribbit*

“What?” He turned around towards the source of the sound. But there was no one he could see, at least on his own eye level. A brief glance down revealed a small, reddish little creature on the ground, with a tiny toothpick strapped to its back. A small frog.

“What the-?” Pierre sneered in disgust as he raised a hoof over the little amphibian. “I told that Midflight Indigo idiot to clear this field before tonight! Ugh!”

The Mayor stomped down with all his pony strength. But the frog was quicker, and in one swift hop! it cleared the area and landed safely away. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the tiny amphibian sped away into the underbrush of the forest to parts unseen...
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 3
Speech Increased To 2.5






“Whatever!” the Mayor howled. “Machine! I command you to ignite! Ignite and let my dreams become fulfilled!”

He opened the book, and the Guard felt as all light dimmed in the world, and the heavens above filled with dark and unnatural clouds. Lightning spat out from that impossible darkness like arrows sent to punish the earth, and the thunder that followed was cannonfire. But he did not feel anything after that, other than the terrible pain...

He screamed. The nord and horse thief screamed, too, as the proboscis over their heads stabbed down into their shoulders with a long, sharp needle as thick as his ring finger. It tore through armor, skin, and muscle like so much paper to lodge itself into the very bone underneath. It throbbed and shivered as it drilled into their marrow, and the blood and bone dust rose in a fine mist around the wound, while the sound of metal as it scraped against living tissue filled the night air. 

The Machine began to feed.

“Yes! Hahaha! Take it all! Feed and give me my precious gold!” The Mayor cackled as a violet and crimson gash appeared in the sky above them, shielded from view by the dark storm clouds. Only those directly below could see the full splendor of its terrible horrors, and as the Guard tossed his head back in a howl of agony, he saw it too.

The image of home twisted and roiled in the fel energies within that cut in reality. He could see Whiterun, and Falkreath’s woods, and the great marshes of Morthal. He saw Solitude in all its splendour, and the frozen shores of Winterhold... He saw all of Skyrim in a flurry of images. Every blade of grass, every man and woman, and all the beasts that lived within its endless wilderness. He saw everything, from the mountains to the seas, and the cities and villages, down to the deepest darknesses and crevices underground... 

Then the Mayor placed a hoof on the dark book’s pages, and began to recite some dark incantation in that terrible speech the Machine had used, and all images ceased. The rift in the sky coalesced into a single image...

A dark mist came into view that covered the lower half of the rift, and at its very bottom, an elongated rune blinked into existence. It hovered in place, at the beck and call of its insidious master’s command. 

The Mayor howled in that terrible speech once more, and runes flared to life as the elongated rune danced across the dark mist, and it left behind itself a line of solid white runes...


‘player. additem 0000000f “999” 


What those terrible words meant, no sane mortal could possibly know... but immediately the sky began to pulse and bleed into reality. Hundreds upon hundreds of gold septims followed, an unnatural rainstorm of wealth beyond measure... right onto the glade.

And the Mayor laughed and howled in mirth as his riches materialized before him. No sooner had they stopped, that he chanted that terrible spell again, and summoned more.

And as he did, so did the iron needle scrape! and bite! into the Guard’s body, to tear another scream from him. Beside him the nord screamed as well, but the thief had gone quiet and still. More and more gold rained down upon them, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Even as the Guard’s throat grew raw from all his screams, and all his tears had dried out, the Mayor continued his vile incantation...

...but not for long. He raised his hoof once more to call on the dark powers of the Machine, when a loud stomp! and thud! tore his attention away from the book and toward a wooden trapdoor just a few dozen meters away. He knew what the little wooden door was, of course. It led to one of the many tunnels he’d constructed—an easy way out of the glade, if it ever came to happen that he must flee—but there shouldn’t be anyone there! He had never told either of his henchponies where it was!

The Mayor stared in quiet shock as the trapdoor burst! outwards in a shower of splinters and bent iron hinges, and two terrified mares scrambled out of the wreckage with a screech to end all screeches. They pawed and scratched at the soil with their hooves, and hauled themselves out of the trapdoor's threshold with all their pony might. And not a second too late, for just as Juniper's tail left the darkness of the underground, a massive, clawed hand reached out and tried to grab her.

...and the cave troll followed.

“A cave troll?!” the Mayor shouted, as the massive head and shoulders of the monster emerged out the tunnel entrance and into the moonlight. The beast howled with unbridled delight as it sighted all the fresh new victims on the glade, and with one powerful push of its arms, it leapt clear of the hole and onto solid ground, and charged after the terrified mares, deeper into the glade...

...and the Mayor!

“No, no, NO!” he growled, and slammed the book shut. At once the proboscis inside the Guard’s shoulder stopped, and he collapsed into his bindings. He breathed hard and ragged, and shuddered with the pulses of pain that throbbed all around and inside the gaping wound left behind as the Machine retreated. 

Above, the sky trembled and the great rift ceased to exist. Skyrim faded away from view and all that remained was the storm and lightning. 

On the ground, the Mayor jumped out of the way and towards the Machine, as the cave troll and the frightened mares closed the distance. He trotted up to a strange panel that had extended down from within the bulk of the alien artifact, and pressed down hard on a button. Instantly the Machine began to growl and sputter, and from one of its many exhausts came the sound of its insides as they reignited with evil intent. Its glow intensified briefly, and then it happened.

The Guard tried to raise his voice to warn Juniper and Jelly, but he could hardly hold his head up to look at them. His every breath was a struggle. There was nothing he could do as the two mares ran straight into the glade, and the swarm of mudcrabs that had suddenly materialized in front of them...

Juniper and Jelly’s eyes widened and their scream of fear froze in their throats the moment they realized their mistake. But it was too late.

The first of hundreds of mudcrabs opened its pincers wide with vicious hunger, as Juniper dug her hooves into the ground to try and stop. It rushed forward alongside its brethren, hungry for blood and flesh, and nothing could stop them this time...
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 4
Speech Increased To 2.5






But it was then that it happened.

It began as a rumble all along the treeline. A low murmur, like so many droplets of storm rain in the distant horizon... yet it grew, louder, stronger, and fiercer than the greatest hurricane. The world seemed to stop for everyone in that glade, and even the cave troll halted in its charge as the very air came alive with the powerful thud! thud! thud! that came from beyond the forest.

The sound was not enough to distract the mudcrabs, however. The first one—its mind too simple to understand what had happened—snapped its claws shut around Juniper’s foreleg...

...only to have it slashed! clean in half! It reared back, shocked by the sudden pain and loss of its limb, and never realized what it was that killed it. Next anyone knew, a mighty toad in shining plate armor landed on the mudcrab and crushed it under its weight. 

“You came!” Jelly Squish screamed in happiness, as her mighty toad warrior of legend opened his mighty mouth and used his tongue to cleave another mudcrab in half! Then a third, and a fourth, and soon they fell back in awe of such a mighty being. For even those as simple as the mudcrabs knew majesty when they witnessed it.

The toad used that brief lull in the fight to turn to his fair maiden and extend his long, slimy appendage to stroke her cheek and dry her tears. 

*Ribbit* he said, and she knew with all certainty that he meant it.

But the mudcrabs would not stop forever. Soon they rallied and marched forward again, and all together against our toad, they knew their victory to be assured...

But he was not alone.

From the treeline came the rumble in a volume and magnitude beyond even the grumbling of the Machine, and the underbrush parted to reveal a great caravan of armored opossums in heavy plate and maille. They hissed! and aaaa’d! as they marched forward, and on their backs they carried together a mighty castle of wood. Upon its battlements there marched him, the Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad and lord of all toadkind, encased in a suit of armor so magnificent and gilded in gold and silver, encrusted with precious jewels...

...and behind him emerged from the underbrush the army of the swamps. Banners fluttered in the wind, warhorns sounded deep in the forest, and the shining reflection of the moon gleamed off of hundreds of suits of polished armor. Lances and spears shivered in anticipation under the mighty roar of the storm-fueled winds, and upon the eyes of every toad present, there was the thirst for battle.

The mudcrabs turned to face the arriving force of toads and clicked! and clacked! their vicious claws in excitement. For they knew nothing but the thrill of the fight and the promise of flesh to consume. They knew no fear, and would not surrender nor run. This was to be a battle to the bitter end!

The Great Grandmaster then bid his opossums halt and stood upon his throne. He turned from one side to the other to face all his forces, and as his mightiest knights and champions took their place at his side—all mounted on armored opossums, raccoons, and skunks—he spoke.

*Ribbit!*

And his army, all as one voice, roared back in response, *Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!*

...and he turned to face the foe and our mighty toad of legend, already engaged in fierce combat. Then, with one mighty lash of his powerful tongue, he signaled the charge to commence.

*Ribbit!*

...and there was only the sound of armor, and the hisses! of war-opossums, and the great war cry of thousands of amphibians as they leapt into battle. There, in the middle of the field they met, and the uproar of their clash was thunder unlike any the sky had ever known. The first lines of mudcrabs were crushed! and beaten to a pulp under the great weight of the strongest and mightiest of the toads and their steeds, but there were so many... soon the toads found themselves ground to a halt. 

And the melee commenced.

***

Pierre watched in horror as the battle developed before his eyes. Helpless, he knew that it was over, even if he wanted to deny it. He knew on a deep level that there was no way forward. Not after this. Forces beyond his control were now involved and even if he should win here, there was no future left for Pierre du Montblanc in Equestria... 

He knew he must run.

But there was a deeper and more powerful madness in him that demanded blood for this affront. A visceral fury ground his teeth together and made his hooves shake, as he gripped the panel and furiously reconfigured it. He lifted his gaze to the Guard, then, and though he could not see it, he grinned.

“Whatever happens, monster,” he said, “there is no way you can win...” 

He pressed the button then, and the Guard screamed silently as the Machine stabbed into him, and drained his very essence to summon forth a new horror onto the field...

***

The cave troll died in a swarm of mudcrabs. They ate into his legs, and toppled him with the weight of their numbers. It did not matter how many died. It did not matter how much it thrashed, even as they climbed over his back to bite at his neck... there were too many. 

And the same would soon happen to our mighty toad. For even as he fought fiercely and drove huge numbers of the enemy into an early grave, more and more swarmed in to replace the fallen. Yet he fought on, alongside Juniper and Jelly Squish, though the two mares were beyond exhaustion.

Surrounded and with all hope fading fast, our mighty warrior of toad still had to come face to face with the new threat before any other...

The horker broke through the tide of mudcrabs without care or worry for how many perished trampled by its charge. It groaned in that powerfully deep voice of the northern frostlands, and stabbed! at our valiant hero! Its tusks missed by but a fraction of a centimeter, as the toad leapt back and out of the way at the last moment. It lashed out with its powerful tongue, and slapped the horker across the face. A fierce, bleeding welt was left behind, but unlike the mudcrabs, the horker held.

It turned back with a powerful hatred on its blubbery face and pressed the assault!

Reeling, about to shatter under the fierce opposition, the toad ceded ground even as he struck out with its tongue. Juniper and Jelly Squish did what they could to keep the mudcrabs at bay, but they too were driven back. Soon the horker would push them too far into the mudcrab tide, and all would be over...

But then came the sound of trumpets. Dozens of them, and they signaled the charge of the light cavalry! Our brave toad and the two tired mares soon found themselves surrounded by hundreds of frogs! Red, and green, and blue... every color imaginable—like a great amphibian rainbow—washed over them as the blowgun-armed frogs flanked the mudcrab formation and leapt over their ranks, far too nimble and quick to be caught in their pincers...

...and poisonous! Soon a storm of darts slammed into the mudcrabs, the ground, and the mighty horker. Most bounced off the thick carapaces of the mudcrabs, and the powerful blubber armor of the horker, but some found gaps... tiny crevices between plates, or the soft, tender flesh under the horker’s eyes. These darts sunk in deep, and deposited their payload.

The toad gave a mighty *Ribbit!* as the frog light cavalry darted away onto a new section of the battlefield, to deliver their mighty assault where it was most needed. For there before them, the great horker groaned and thrashed in pain as the poisonous glands of the frogs worked their wonders. It collapsed onto the ground, dead, and took out an entire platoon of mudcrabs with it! 

All around the effects of the poison took their hold on those mudcrabs unlucky enough to have been hit, and they left many gaps in the crustacean phalanx. Our mighty toad turned to Jelly Squish and Juniper.

*Ribbit!* he said, and the two mares nodded. There would be a time for rest, to lament their wounds and try to recover, but it would not be this one. This was a time for battle!

“YAAAH!” the mares screamed alongside the powerful *Ribbit!* of our toady warrior, as they delved into the mudcrab ranks...
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 5
Speech Increased To 2.5






Elsewhere on the field, the Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad swung his mighty tongue-mace in a wide arc and clobbered a half-dozen mudcrabs into paste with it. His war-opossums were all around him, unshackled from his throne, and set loose upon the enemy. They hissed! with mighty glee as they pried open the carapaces of the mudcrabs to feast on the fleshy insides, and made much slaughter wherever they tread.

All beside him, his most trusted knights continued the fight through their losses. Many toads lay slain all around, and death had spared neither peasant nor noble. In grief they had carried away the Earls of Frogsworth and Cantertoady from the battle, bloodied and unconscious. Though they held hope, they knew that the Duke of Wartswith would not survive the hour.

Many opossums and skunks had perished as well, and their riders fought on through their grief in their name. So that Fluffy and Cuddles the Raccoon would never be forgotten, they screamed their names as they waded into the mudcrab tide. 

So much destruction... but now the Great Grandmaster had seen the evil of the Machine at work. Now he knew that their cause was worthy.

*Ribbit!* he croaked, and rallied his mighty knights to him. For it was time. *Ribbit!* and to the Machine! To end its hellish domain over the town of Hollow Shades and its swamplands! Honor and glory, death or victory to toadkind!

And they pressed on and drove a bloody wedge into the heart of the Mayor’s army, across the ashen glade and within tongue-lashing distance of the Machine’s unholy glow... and there, as the Great Grandmaster lifted his eyes to the Machine, the first of the horkers stormed through the mudcrab lines...

*Ribbit! Ribbit!* the great leader of toadkind croaked at his commanders and brave captains, to hold together and beat back this new unearthly tide... but the might of the horker would not be denied. The blubbery ones tore into their lines with a ferocity unseen since the great crocodile wars of 1227 BTE. 

Titanic and unmatched in weight and girth, they used their tusks to gore and tear apart the front lines of brave toad knights, and the sheer power of their presence sent the lesser toads-at-arms into a rout. On the backs of the horkers were mudcrabs, too, and they leapt down onto the chaos the horkers left in their wake, to crush any hope of rallying the battle lines.

The Great Grandmaster watched in shock, even as his companions croaked and nudged at him to retreat. 

He never saw the great White Horker approach...

Its advance was marked by a terrible rumble deep in the earth, and the sound of its mighty rolls of blubber as they scraped against the ashen dirt. It broke through the scattered mudcrabs with ease, and shoved aside its horker brethren like so many stalks of wheat. Unstoppable, the White Horker lowered its mighty tusks and pierced through Sir Leapylegs’ and Sir Jumpy’s armor. The two great knights struggled feebly for a moment but soon fell still.

Then it roared! and there were none who could resist. Knights and lords, opossums, raccoons, frogs, and skunks all turned and fled. The great army of toadkind was on the run.

All but one.

The White Horker looked down to find a lone warrior who still stood. The Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad held his ground and looked on the fell beast with passive, inexpressive, and valorous eyes. 

*Ribbit* he said, and battle was joined.

***

On the far flank of the battlefield, our valorous toad saw the army of kin crumble and break, and the Great Grandmaster as he entered combat with the indomitable beast. His insides tightened and fear took hold of his amphibious heart, for he knew the day would be surely lost if he did not act soon. 

*Ribbit!* he cried, and the exhausted mares at his side turned to look at him with shock. 

“You can’t be serious!” Juniper had to shout to be heard over the din of battle. All around them a surviving detachment of frogs and toads had rallied to our brave heroes, to try and win back the flank and secure a safe retreat for the rest of the army. 

“You can’t do it alone!” Jelly Squish hugged the toad to her gooey chest as tears pooled in her eyes. “I won’t lose you again. I can’t!”

*Ribbit* the toad of valiance replied. For as much as it pained him, such was the state of the battle that if he did nothing, they would all be lost. 

Jelly Squish said nothing. She feared that if she let go he might disappear and never come back. That the world might lose all color and scent, and all her days from then on would be gray and empty, like a great stretch of road in the dead of night, that she must walk alone until the end of all things. She held him in her hooves and felt the slime of his body against her own, and the quiet beat of his heart over the sound of her sobs. 

But she also knew that he was right.

*Ribbit*

She shuddered. But little by little her hooves let go of her love, and through the tears in her eyes, she managed a smile.

“Please promise you’ll come back...” she said, and her valiant knight nodded. 

And he leapt away, into the fray and madness of combat, to aid the Great Grandmaster and bring down the terrible beast. For his kin, for his friends, and for the mare he loved. 

Into battle!

Alas, he never reached him. Dark wings extended over the battlefield, and the sound of armored hooves as they cut through the wind reached our brave hero but a moment too late. From the darkened skies descended the mayor’s lackeys, a dozen bat ponies robed in midnight-cloaks. They crashed into the field with the power of gravity and their own wingpower, and wrought such havok as was before unknown to toadkind. 

And our hero was their first target.

“Midflight! Down there!” the Mayor’s voice broke through the air as he waved an invisible hoof towards our valiant toad. Midflight Indigo, the leader of the bat ponies, ignored his master’s frantic pointing and dove down hard for the largest, most powerful, and most handsome toad he could see, for surely that must be their leader.

He was right. Midflight aimed his armored hoof and fell upon our brave toad like a meteorite. Locked in melee with a dozen mudcrabs, the great toad could do little more than glance up at the incoming pony before the inevitable impact. 

“NO!” Jelly Squish screamed, held back by Juniper’s hooves as a dust cloud rose over the battlefield from the sheer power of the impact. The sound of it had hit them like a detonation, powerful enough to send the smaller frogs reeling and stumbling. Even the mudcrabs halted in their assault.

And when that dust eventually settled, a single bat pony took to the skies once more, to search for his next target. He left little in his wake... only a small crater, with the still body of a brave toad.
> Battle of Hollow Shades Part 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Battle of Hollow Shades Part 6
Speech Increased To 2.5






Under the shadow of the Machine a pit formed in the Guard’s chest—an emptiness that made the breath freeze in his lungs, and his heart stop dead in his ribcage—as he watched his friend fall. His muscles lost all strength they still had, and he collapsed fully into the hold of the dreadful contraption from beyond. In his shoulder the proboscis sunk deeper, as it searched for more to take away, to eat and grow strong from his misery... but how much more could there be?

The nord and thief were quiet now. Not even the faintest groan could be heard. Across the field all the brave toads and frogs were on the run or fallen, and soon the rest of his friends would be lost too. What more was there to take from him? When he’d finally found something... in this strange little world, where he’d become more than just a guard... the Mayor, the Machine, had taken from him everything. So what else was there? 

And the Guard trembled. His bones shook and his muscles quivered under a new, powerful feeling. Something he’d never felt before. A deep, burning rage mixed with so much sorrow filled his mortal frame, and it gave him strength where before there’d been none. And it gave him defiance, and stripped away all pain and agony. He lifted his gaze to the robed shape of the pony who had tied him down and taken his friends from him, and he realized that his hands were fists, and his arms raged against the iron and leather that bound him. But more than just that...

...they were winning.

He stood and threw his weight against his bindings. His breathing was hard, his forehead was coated in sweat, and his every joint screamed against the force his muscles exerted on them. But so too did the leather straps around his arms and chest, and those that held his neck and legs. He pushed, groaned, and raged wordlessly as he strained against the Machine, and he could swear it fought back with evil intent. But it could not contain him. Not anymore.

Pierre glanced up from his book, and though the Guard could not see it, his expression blanched. Whatever it was that the Mayor saw through the eyeslits of his helmet gave him pause, and when he finally smirked, the smugness was gone from the gesture.

“Heh... you should just give up, Monster,” he said. “I’ve won! Take a look arou-”

And the first of the straps broke.

Pierre shrieked! as the iron rivets popped loose and the leather strip that had held the guard’s left wrist broke apart to shreds. 

“N-no! You can’t do this... I won’t let you!” The Mayor pulled open the book. The effect was immediate—through his skin, the Guard felt the searing power of the Machine intensify and flare to life—but it still wasn’t enough. In the distance the Guard could hear the desperate croaking of the toads that still fought on, trapped by the mudcrab tide. He could hear the sad howling of a goo-pony mare as she fought hard to reach her fallen toad. His friend.

The second strap ripped! apart and his leg was free. Then his head.

And the Mayor slammed a hoof against the panel, and a burst of pain ignited inside the Guard’s shoulder as the proboscis drilled into him. He screamed but did not stop. With his free hand he grabbed the evil machinery and roared as he forced it out of his body, and before the wide, fearful eyes of the Mayor, he snapped it off the Machine.

It landed at Pierre’s hooves with an ominous clang!

The Mayor watched the proboscis with quivering lips. It sputtered with malignant energy, spasmed for a moment, and went completely still. For a moment frozen in time nothing happened. All sounds around him dulled and the battle seemed so far away, it was like part of a distant dream. But then the final straps snapped, and reality brought Pierre crashing back to the real world.

Before him the Guard stepped out of his prison. Blood trickled down his armor, and he walked with an unsteady limp... but he could walk and he could fight.

“You're going to rot in the Dragonsreach Dungeon,” the Guard said. Pierre felt his blood run cold.

“N-no! Never!” he hissed. “I’d rather die!”

The Guard smiled under his helmet. 

“That can be arranged.”

The Mayor felt the fist slam! into his face before he ever saw it come.

***

Midflight Indigo soared over the battlefield with a smug little grin on his face. He was having a rather good day! Even if not much of it made sense... but he’d come to expect that ever since he started to work with the Mayor. Normal just wasn’t in his daily routine.

‘Three o’clock,’ he signed with his hooves to his wingpony, as they banked West and back into the fight. The pony in question, Grim Withers, nodded curtly and took off on a hard dive with a collision course with the ground. Midflight didn’t bother to watch the rest of the dive—he trusted Grim to do his job—and he had other things to do. 

‘Well, hello there...’ he thought as he caught sight of a rather peculiar sight. On the ground, some thirty or so meters ahead, a huge white horker was in the middle of a duel with a large toad in shining armor. Hundreds of mudcrabs surrounded them, many of them crushed or smashed to pieces by the duelists, but none dared interrupt the fight. 

Midflight watched the fight for a few moments, completely enthralled as the toad leapt and dodged out of the way of the horker’s fierce attacks. It was a losing battle, however. The toad was clearly slowing down, and the horker had only just begun. It would only be a matter of time.

Midflight chewed on the sight for a moment. No way he was getting involved, he decided in the end, after another glance at the squashed mudcrabs all around. These monsters the Mayor summoned barely tolerated each other! Luna only knew what they’d do to a pony!

With that thought, he banked slightly to the South and back the way he’d come to scout out new targets. It didn’t take long. Frog and toad strongholds had popped up everywhere after the rout, and now he had at least a dozen different desperate holdouts to pick from for a dive-bomb. 

It was then that he realized Grim never came back.

Midflight frowned. ‘What?’ Grim was a professional, and they’d flown dozens of missions together since waaay before they took up work with the Mayor. It wasn’t like him to mess up his dives... he should be back by now.

The confused bat pony flight leader turned his head from side to side. Then he banked hard to make a full scan of the entire battlefield. 

Midflight Indigo felt a cold chill run down his spine.

There was nopony up there with him. No sign of Grim, Blackberry, Cherrytooth, or Grizzle... nor anypony else. To his left he had the glade where the Mayor’s eerie Machine glowered and hummed with supernatural powers he didn’t dare begin to wonder about... and to the right he had the swamps, and the endless darkness of the midnight sky.

But there was no sign of his flight team.

Perhaps they’d headed back to the town hall? Midflight swallowed hard. He didn’t believe it for a second.

Then he saw it. A shadow, a flicker of starlight high above his position, at an altitude that was impossible for anypony in his flight team to achieve. Midflight stared, slack jawed, as the mysterious figure glided far above him with an ease and grace unlike anything he’d ever seen before... did the Mayor summon a flying creature? 
 
...did the Mayor summon an alicorn?

By the time Midflight realized who it was, it was already too late. 

“WHO DARES DISTURB OUR BEAUTIFUL NIGHT?!”

Princess Luna fell upon the shocked bat pony with all the strength of a missile.

***

And the tide turned for the final time.

The Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad hit the ground hard as the White Horker pressed one mighty flipper over his battered and dented breastplate. Greatly bloodied and bruised, it glared over his broken body, filled with horker wrath and eager to crush him. The mighty beast reared back its tusks for one final strike, and the Great Grandmaster closed his eyes.

But the strike never came. In that moment a dozen colorful blasts! tore through the mudcrab ranks, and a magical shield enveloped the Grandmaster. The full power of the White Horker slammed! with terrifying ferocity against it, and was deflected. Shocked, the beast reared back to try again, when a second volley of magical blasts peppered its blubbery side and made it groan. Then another, and another, until the air was so full of magic bolts it was impossible to keep one's eyes open because of the glare. 

In inexpressive awe, the Grandmaster turned his gaze away from the thrashing and blaring of the White Horker to watch the trees. It was then that he saw them.

From the forest emerged the golden gleam of Royal Guards’ helmets and barding. At least a full platoon of unicorns, led by a white-coated captain with a blue mane. And they advanced as they blasted away the mudcrabs with volley after volley of well-aimed magic shots. The toads and frogs that remained rallied behind them, and soon the Great Grandmaster croaked in tired joy. His battlelines had formed anew. His banners fluttered in the wind. His struggle was done.

With an exhausted but contented sigh, the Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad croaked his last *Ribbit*, and passed on to join his mighty ancestors, under whose guidance he would know no shame... only endless bogs and mires, with lily pads strong enough to hold even his voluptuous size... clouds of flies, as thick as chimney smoke... bugs as large as a grown toad’s eyes...

His eyes fluttered shut. The Grandmaster was home.

***

Juniper shuddered under the cool breeze of the early morning hours. Sunrise should have arrived by then, but it took little more than a glance at the sky to know the reason it hadn’t. The vampire mare watched as Princess Luna soared over the battlefield, her horn alight as she wreaked havoc upon the mudcrabs and horkers. 

At least a half-dozen Night Guard had arrived with her, and they’d made short work of the traitor bat ponies. The entire lot of them, along with the Mayor’s main henchpony, were cuffed and tied together a ways behind the chaos of the fight. Or whatever it had turned into... between the Royal Guards and Princess Luna, it sure wasn’t much of a battle anymore...

With little more to do, Juniper sat next to Jelly Squish and held her as she cried. 

Her coltfriend was in bad shape. Two of Princess Luna’s best medponies were on the case—after they’d been thoroughly assured it wasn’t, in fact, a prank—but they made no assurances.

“Uhh... I mean, I guess we technically can operate on a toad... right, Sugar?” the medpony had said, and turned with a quizzical look to her partner. The other mare had nodded sagely, as she chewed on her lollipop.

“Just like Highschool, Little Bee. Just like Highschool.”

“Yeah!”

Now they waited as the battle died down all around. The Royal Guard and the toads had all but cleared out the mudcrabs and horkers, and it was just a matter of time before they finally reached the Machine...

Juniper watched that dreadful thing in the distance. She hoped her friend was alright...
> The Finality of Things
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Finality of Things
Speech Increased To 2.5






The Mayor hit the ground hard. All around him the world turned and twisted, and spun out of control. Shapes and shadows danced around him, constantly they came in and out of focus, and disappeared before he could recognize them. Mudcrabs? Ponies? For a moment he was sure he’d seen a Royal Guard! But it was all he could do to keep awake. He shook his head to clear it, but all he managed was to make the bells inside his brain ring louder and angrier.

“What...” he mumbled, and slowly the glade came into view. “No...”

The battle was lost. The last of the mudcrab battlelines was broken, the horkers were reduced to a handful, and yes... the Royal Guard had come. They stormed out the treeline and blasted magic bolts into what remained of his forces, and the Mayor knew as he saw that golden barding and crested helmets that everything was hopeless.

“Midflight!” he groaned, as he dug his hooves into the dirt. “Get the chariot... we have to get out of here... we gotta-” But his henchpony was nowhere to be seen. None of them were. A great, dark pit formed in the Mayor’s stomach as he realized how empty the sky was. Empty, except for one terrible shadow that loomed overhead, with stars in her mane...

“No. This can’t be happening!” But it was. Pierre grit his teeth as tears formed in his eyes. It was over.

A heavy hand grasped him by the collar of his coat and the invisible pony was lifted up high by the strong arm of our mighty Guard. He dangled limply in his grasp and slowly turned until he was face to helmet with the impassive, steely gaze of his greatest foe.

“You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defense?”

The Mayor stared hard into the dark void of the Guard’s eyes as his own mind slowly began to unravel. He’d been so close... everything had been going so well until he showed up... everything...

“...would have worked out just fine without you,” he spat. “I would have gotten away with it all, if it weren’t for you and your stupid toad!”

The Guard drew back his arm to deliver one final punch to knock the Mayor out cold and deliver him to justice. One hit, a short walk over to the Royal Guardsponies, and all would be over. Pierre would go to prison, Hollow Shades would be free of his influence, and no one else would suffer the terrible wrath of the Machine. Equestria would know peace from its horrors.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

In one swift motion fueled by hateful madness, the Mayor lifted up his hooves and slid out of his trenchcoat. He hit the ground with a soft squee! and shook his shades away from his face. Fully and completely naked, the brave Guard had no way to see where he had gone.

And no way to defend himself from the kick that knocked the wind from his lungs. 

The Mayor struck him once in the stomach, and the exhausted Guard hit the ground on his knees with a pained grunt. A second buck rammed hard into his shoulder, where the Machine had so terribly wounded him, and tore a muted cry from our battered hero. But it was the third and final kick that allowed the terror that would follow to happen... Pierre reared back on his front legs and bucked hard against the Guard’s helmet, and knocked him flat on his back.

Dazed and hanging on to consciousness by sheer willpower, our stout Guard lifted himself on his elbows and tried to find the Mayor before he could escape. But he did not intend to flee... not anymore.

Cackling madly, Pierre dashed for the control panel of the Machine and began to reconfigure it for one final, terrible task... to wreak havoc and make everypony who had wronged him pay the ultimate price for his defeat. If Mayor Pierre du Montblanc couldn’t rule Hollow Shades, then nopony would. If he couldn’t be the richest pony in Equestria, then he would make sure there wouldn’t be an Equestria at all!

He worked silently and quickly, with deft and practiced ease as he pressed the runes and entered his vile commands into the Machine. Dozens of lines of that incomprehensible language went in, one after the other, until a great block of that alien language had accumulated in the darkness of the panel’s screen. But he had not yet sent the commands. No, for the Mayor had no desire to win the battle any longer, nor to summon more vile creatures into the world... 

Above the battlefield the Machine’s glow dimmed and intensified in pulses of ominous crimson light. To the unwitting spectator these would bear no greater meaning... just the beeping lights of a construct, like flickering candles on a chandelier... but the truth was dark and alien, and in these flashes of tenebrous light the Machine hid a horrid and unnatural secret. The glow of these lights cast its glare over the panel where Pierre quietly worked his evil, and in silence it pondered the rhythmic pattern of the Mayor’s inputs...

Desperate, the Guard rose to his feet and searched for the Mayor... but it was hopeless! How could he ever hope to find the invisible pony? 

“FRIEND!”

A blur of white and yellow slammed! into the Guard and sent him tumbling down to the ground for a second time. But this was no foe! 

“I can’t believe I found you!” Juniper cried as she squeezed the Guard between her hooves. “I th-thought I’d l-lost you FOREVER!” The vampire mare wept and smeared pony snot into the Guard’s cuirass as she buried her face into his back. 

Sprawled on the ground, with his face pressed into the ash and his injured shoulder sandwiched between the soil and about 200 kilos of pony, the Guard muttered something between a sigh and a groan. 

“...these vampires are becoming a real menace...”

“Oopsie!” Juniper rolled off of him and offered her best apologetic smile. “Sorry! I’m just so glad you’re alright!”

But there was no time!

“You there,” the Guard said once he had regained his breath. “What do you know about this?”

He took the discarded trench coat and shades and showed them to Juniper. The vampire mare squinted hard as the gears in her pony brain cranked and turned...

“It’s the Mayor!” she gasped! “Oh no, we’ll never find him!”

Indeed, the odds seemed to have finally turned impossibly stacked against our brave heroes. But it was then, at their darkest and most impossible moment of need, that Juniper realized the true nature of a most powerfully powerful power she’d had within herself all along!

“Wait a second...” she muttered. The sound of machinery and pistons working overtime in her head could be heard all the way to Fillydelphia. Steam and smoke churned out her ears as her eyes crossed and her muzzle scrunched. Such was the level of thought going on in her brain!

She gasped! like nopony had ever gasped! before once she finally realized...

The Mayor was naked!

All around her Juniper saw ponies... clothed ponies. The Royal Guard had their armor, Princess Luna had her royal regalia, the bat ponies were covered in rope, and Juniper had a moist towelette over her shoulders that the kind nurses had given her... and the nurses had their hats! But that was it! Everypony was wearing something except for her... and the Mayor!

“I can find him!” she said then, and looked into the eyes of our hero with a determination unlike any she had ever felt before. Our brave Guard looked into her eyes in turn, and knew without doubt that he could trust her. He nodded, and the vampire mare scrunched like she had never scrunched before, as she set her eyes to scan the battlefield...

Juniper focused hard. She looked into every gap between mudcrabs, toads, ponies... everywhere she thought the Mayor might hide. She did a full 180 sweep of the battlefield, and then turned around to face the dreaded Machine...

Juniper gulped. It was a terrifying sight, but the feeling of dread wasn’t what she was focusing on. She cast her gaze over and beyond the Machine, looking for something... special... The vampire mare squinted hard as sweat pooled on her pony forehead, and she started to lose hope as the seconds mounted and nothing turned up... But then it happened! As she cast her gaze over the command panel, a feeling washed over her... She tensed. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat quickened to a very familiar rhythm.

‘N-naked...’ she thought. Then a smug grin spread across her face.

She pointed a triumphant hoof over at the panel. She’d found him!



Pierre’s maniacal grin threatened to split his head in two as his hoof hovered over the final rune. His vengeance was at hoof! If he could not win, then nopony would! Before him the control panel showed the complete list of all the runic combinations and their effects. He had finally found the one he needed... the one that would show them all not to mess with Pierre du Montblanc!

He entered the dreaded incantation with glee...

‘qqq’’ 

With wide, bulging eyes, Pierre savored the moment before his vengeance would be complete... and his hoof slowly moved to press the input button.

But something made him hesitate... Above him, alien and inscrutable, eternal and malignant, the Machine seemed to loom and glare over the invisible pony like an all-seeing monolith. For the first time in his life, Pierre felt eyes on him. Eyes that could see him. A cold dread washed over the Mayor.

But he had come this far. He was not about to stop, especially not because of some stupid alien hunk of metal! Even as the weight of the Machine’s presence weighed down on his mind, he entered his command into the console... 

...and nothing happened.

He pressed the rune again, harder this time. Still nothing. Then a third time, and a fourth, and with a cold feeling of fright in his innards, Pierre slammed his hoof hard against the panel.

Nothing.

Slowly he turned to face the Machine. Unknowable, it hovered in silence over the glade, and without eyes it glared at him, and without ears it listened to his racing heartbeat... and without a mouth it spoke to him.

‘Betrayer,’ it said, and Pierre felt his blood run cold.

The Mayor had no words. His mind went blank, and in his very soul there was nothing but horror. He did not see as the display on the panel cleared and new runes flared to life on their own, nor did he notice their dark meaning...

The first set of runes was entered.

‘tim’ 

...and the Mayor felt a strange sensation wash over him. If he had not been so utterly terrified, he might have realized that his body felt oddly reinvigorated... then the second set of runes flared to life.

‘coc <CrabRave01>’

...and a dark, terrible portal opened up before the Mayor’s eyes, invisible to all others but him. What happened next took place within the span of a millisecond—so fast that not even a single speck of dust had time to cross from Equestria to the other, dark dimension—and only the Mayor saw in detail what horrors awaited him beyond his world.

First the very air split, and a window roughly the size of a grown pony flared to life. Dark and outlined in the very void of the night sky, the window showed a glimpse of another world... a world far beyond Equestria, alien even to Skyrim, if only in location. Second, the Mayor noticed something terribly familiar about this new world. Hundreds of thousands of shapes moved in a deep, terrible darkness within a vast, empty space. There wasn’t a single feature within this alien landscape, except for the writhing, crawling shapes that completely blotted out the floor.

Mudcrabs. Hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of mudcrabs. Far beyond the scope of what little light managed to seep through the portal, they extended like an endless blanket into the endless void of this strange dimension. Their pincers clicked! and clacked! with malicious glee, all too familiar to the Mayor’s ears. He’d lost count of how many adversaries and foes he had fed to the foul beasts... how many times he had heard those pincers in the darkness beneath his town hall.

Now they snapped! for him.

Third, in the time it took a snowflake to melt, the Mayor was sucked into the portal to fall amid the ravenous mudcrabs, never to be heard from again...

***

Juniper pouted as she kicked at the dirt in front of the Mayorless control panel.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I could swear I’d sensed him right here...” 

The Guard shrugged and patted her head.

“Everything’s in order,” he said, and the vampire pony smiled up at him. 

Behind them the Machine rumbled! and rattled! as its insides twisted and turned with power unknown to ponykind. Within seconds, the binds that held the nord and thief came undone and they fell to the ground. Then, with a glare of crimson light and a flash of blinding darkness, the Machine disappeared...

The Guard watched it in silence during the few final moments it lingered in Equestria. Its twisted metal, its insidious cogs and gears as they worked their unknowable designs behind rusted plating... he watched it and for a moment he could swear it watched him in turn.

Then it was gone.
> The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The End
Speech Increased To 2.5






The battle was over. Without the dread power of the Machine to bind the remnants of the mudcrab army together, they scattered and broke apart under the Royal Guard’s advance and the merciless fury of the vengeful toads. The day was won and all that remained was the exhaustion and loss of those who had survived the struggle.

Into the night sky rose the song of the toads, as they mourned the brave amphibians and swamp critters who had been lost to the pincers of the foe. Greatest among their cries were those raised to the Great Grandmaster of the Knights of Toad, whose body was raised onto his throne by his surviving knights. His remaining opossums then carried the throne into the swamp, ‘aaaa!’-ing and ‘hissing!’ in mourning as they went, and a great procession of solemn toad warriors escorted them. 

But they also raised their croaks to our valorous Toad, who had led them into battle and stood his ground so gallantly. His unconscious form was elevated onto a medical cot by two very weirded out medponies, while a choir of hundreds of toads and frogs sang in perfect harmony for his swift recovery. 

There, amid the fallen and the victors, a Guard and two mares stood by their friend’s side and waited with bated breath for the news. Juniper wrung her hooves together, while Jelly Squish bawled her gooey eyes out and regenerated them, only to bawl them out again.

But our Guard merely watched in pensive silence with a knot in his throat and an ache in his heart. For the first time in his life, his most illustrious speech had failed him. He had no words of comfort to offer, nor any encouragement or valiant statements to make. He had only the worry that churned and twisted in his mind, and a dear friend on the brink between life and death.

His hands balled into fists as the medponies worked tirelessly to stabilize the Toad. Everything else was a hazy mist at the edge of his mind, and the world moved on around him at frightening speed. By the time Little Bee and Sugar Drop finally wiped the sweat from their brows and approached with the news, the traitor bat ponies had been officially arrested and taken away, the clean up crews had cleared up most of the battle, and the wounded had been taken to a field hospital tent.

Two mares and a Guard watched the medponies approach with their hearts frozen still.

“He’ll be alright,” Sugar said with a tired smile. “You’re lucky you got to him in time. Any longer and the damage would have been irreversible.”

A collective sigh left our heroes, and Jelly Squish edged closer to the cot. 

“So he’ll be fine?” she asked, with big, gooey eyes that threatened to break into another fit of crying at the slightest hint of bad news.

“Sure as sure,” Little Bee beamed, and shook her hoof at the sky. “You hear that Mrs. White? Who’s the ‘no-good slacker without a future’ now, huh?! I saved this toad! I SAVED A TOAD!”

Sugar shook her head. “Highschool was rough for Little Bee.”

Jelly Squish sat down by her Toad's unconscious form and breathed in deeply. Juniper and the Guard followed suit, as the pains of the days prior slowly caught up with them, and to simply stand became an effort. Minutes turned to hours, but they did not notice them. They slept soundly through most of what remained of the night and well into the morning.

All through that night the toad song flowed in from beyond the treeline, and as our heroes rested in the glade, the toads and frogs sang of bravery and great deeds, and deep ponds beyond the silver veil of eternity. Though our brave Toad could not respond, deep in his slumber he heard them. Their end of their bargain was done, and though it pained him, he knew that now he must uphold his own. 

With his silent blessing, the toad army retreated back into the swamps to occupy his birthright—the Outer Ponds, wild and deep, and ancient beyond living memory—they would now add to the Knights of Toad's holdings and allow them new grounds on which to grow healthy tadpoles and lay their eggs. He was a prince no longer, but as the warmth of his friends seeped into him and their quiet breathing soothed his soul, he knew it was all worth it. 

***

It was a quiet day that followed the battle of Hollow Shades. 

“Bam! Three in a row, Little Bee,” Sugar Drop said and marked a big ol’ ‘O’ on the Ultimate Tic Tac Toe board.  “Read ‘em and weep, kid. Read ‘em and weep!”

At least as quiet as it could be, with two medponies hard at work, hunched over a fierce game of most tactical and strategic prowess.

“Aw, dang it!” Little Bee scrunched up and crossed her hooves in defeat. “I don’t get this dumb game... Why can’t we just play regular tic tac toe?”

As the two discussed the superiority of Ultimate Tic Tac Toe over its simpler counterpart, our heroes watched their fallen comrade breathe gently under the bandages. His slimy body rose and fell rhythmically, finally stable after the great efforts of two amazing, life-saving ponies.

“No, you’re the numbnuts! Tic tac toe is perfect! It doesn’t need any of this stupid...!”

Indeed, for the gallantry of all medical personnel is without equal. 

Our mighty Guard, battered and bloodied, sat next to the unconscious body of his friend in complete silence. With a hand on the cot and his inscrutable gaze in the distant treeline, he watched the seconds pass as the day slowly came into view in the distance and the full toll of the battle made itself apparent. 

Beyond the medical tent the field was littered in the bodies of the fallen, the crushed shells of the crustacean menace, and the great, blubbery mounds that were the remains of the horkers. All of it surrounded the empty space where that once monolithic monstrosity had once stood, as imposing in its absence as it had been in presence. 

Though it all was said and done, the Guard still wondered, and the weight of his thoughts kept all sleep at bay... what had become of the Machine? 

What would become of him?

But it was hard to linger in the darkness of those thoughts. At his feet, Jelly Squish was fast asleep inside an empty pickle jar, after much insistence that she couldn’t sleep on the cot next to the Toad. Beside her, Juniper was passed out cold underneath a blanket and seven layers of sunscreen, with a foreleg wrapped around his ankle.

A sense of peace and quiet took hold of him, the kind that keeps you rooted in the present and makes you wish it could last forever. It was as though he were seeing a sunrise for the first time, and he wondered at all that had happened. It was... nice, he decided as he admired the sun over the horizon. Even the bad, when mixed with the good, seemed so much brighter under the light of that sunrise.

The sound of hoofsteps broke through his reverie. He turned slightly so as not to disturb the sleeping ponies, and came face to face with a great, blue alicorn with a mane of stars. Princess Luna smiled, though her expression was worried and tired.

"Word is spreading like magefire,” the Guard said, as she took a seat next to him, careful not to wake the others. “The great evil has been vanquished. You have truly saved us all."

Luna’s smile moved a little, though she shook her head. “We cannot accept such praise, dear friend. It was thine companions and thineself who so bravely faced these terrors before we ever became aware of them. It is us who must thank thee, for without thine great acts of valor, we know not what might have befallen Equestria this day.”

She moved to bow her head, but the Guard placed a hand on her withers. The Princess looked up to find his pensive stare fixed on her.

“I know of your deeds, and am honored to address a member of the Companions.”

Luna did not know what to say, so she said nothing and merely nodded her thanks. What more could they possibly need? Together they watched the rising sun as the battle for the truth of tic tac toe raged on in the background, and the last remnants of the battle of Hollow Shades faced the light of day. The beaten and battered arms and fallen standards of the toads, and some of the fallen who were yet to be retrieved.

“He was very brave,” she said at last, with a nod towards the unconscious toad on the cot next to them. “His warning came not a moment too soon, but alas, it was still not soon enough. We were too late to prevent this terrible combat. So many wounded...”

“I have a lot of respect for the Restoration School,” the Guard nodded solemnly, “Skyrim could use more healers.”

“Indeed,” Luna said, while Little Bee tried to force feed Sugar an IV pole while laughing maniacally. “The medical officers truly are the best of us all.

“I’m just sorry nothing could be done for the others of your kind.” Luna sighed. The ponies had done all they could, but there was no way to reverse the terrible toll the Machine had exerted on the nord and the thief. They had passed peacefully in the early hours of the dawn.

“No matter what else happens,” he said, as he scratched Juniper behind the ears. The vampire leaned into the scratch and her hind legs kicked a little under the covers, “the guards will always be grateful for everything you've done.”

“You are gracious, my friend,” Luna said. “Hopefully now Hollow Shades may begin to heal from Pierre’s foul influence. A full investigation must be made to uncover how deeply the conspiracy runs, but...” 

She trailed off and shook her head clear of such thoughts.

“But it is of no consequence at this moment. You must be tired, my friend.”

“Could sure use a warm bed right about now...” the Guard agreed most sagely, and Luna giggled. “How do you do, thane?”

“Oh! Well...” Luna blinked. She hadn’t expected that. “We... I am a bit tired as well, but there are still things that I must attend to right now. Worry not, however. I’ll have Captain Armor escort you and your friends into town to rest.”

Our cautious hero paused for a moment, and Luna smiled knowingly. 

“Worry not! We are aware of your altercation with Captain Armor, but rest assured, he has been made aware of all your efforts in service to Equestria. He is most impressed with your dedication to her safety.”

“Disrespect the law, and you disrespect me,” the Guard said with a shrug, and gave Juniper a little ear rub. The mare rolled over under the blanket and hugged his hand to her chest, drooling a little over his gauntlet. Beside her, Jelly Squish made her pickle jar shake in time with her breathing, and on the cot, the Toad croaked peacefully in his sleep. 

In the distance the sun had fully risen. Somewhere beyond reality Skyrim still existed, the giants roamed the plains, and sometimes mammoths reached orbit... but now our Guard had found something else... perhaps even better. And in that moment, under that tent and surrounded on all sides by crazy ponies, toads, and a field where victory had been hard won... our Guard knew he wouldn’t trade it for the world. No matter which one.






Together they gently snored their exhaustion away,



Those friends whose battle was done,



Who had together claimed the day,



Against terrible odds risen and won,



*



Against crustacean and crook they fought,



And dread Machine that doom forebode,



Forces of evil great havoc had wrought,



With Princess, and Captain, and army of Toad,



*



Though mudcrab snap and horker growl,



And bat pony deal a mighty blow,



Against horrors and terrors most foul,



They never ceded ground to the foe,



*



It wasn’t Skyrim, this land so far away, 



But it was home, and he wouldn’t have it any other way,

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Epilogue
Speech Increased To 2.5






Trixie glances up from her morning paper to regard you with an unamused expression written plainly across her features. Her eyebrow arches, her lips purse, and her coffee cup levitates up to her side from the little table where she’s seated. A sigh escapes her nostrils.

“Trixie sees that you’ve come back for more...” 

You nod.

“Well, it would seem you are in luck,” the showmare says, and lays down her paper on the table between you two. “There is one more slice of story left to be had... and the Great and Powerful Trixie shall be the one to tell it!”

The showmare clears her throat and smiles. “Now! After the Great and Powerful Trixie defeated the monster in the outskirts of Fillydelphia and victoriously departed...”

You frown and cross your arms. Trixie stops to regard you coldly.

“Fine,” she says, with a roll of her eyes. “After the Dumb and Blackmailing Guard defeated the Mayor of Hollow Shades...

...

...

...

“Hey! You’re finally awake!” Juniper beamed over the sleepy Guard as she jumped in place, her big ol’ pony grin as wide as could be. “Come on, sleepyhead! You’re gonna be late for your first day of class!”

Slowly, our Guard fully opened his eyes and turned to look at the vampire mare as the first rays of moonlight streamed into the room through the open curtains. She must have opened them, he groggily thought as his brain’s higher functions slowly turned on inside his skull. It was a rule of their household not to leave curtains or shutters open during the day, in case Juniper ever got up for one of her midday snacks. 

“What is it? Dragons?” our disoriented Guard said, and raised a hand from under the fluffy covers to rub sleep from his eyes. “Gotta keep my eyes open... Damn dragons-”

“Hey! Language, mister!” 

Oops. The Guard shut his lips and winced. 

“Sorry,” he said, and offered a sheepish smile to the frowning vampire. “Old habits... die hard.”

Juniper’s expression softened a little, but she still tutted at him and shook her head. “You can’t do that in school, you know? What if you have a dragon classmate? You gotta be more careful!”

“I know,” he said and stifled a yawn. Slowly he sat up and stretched. “I’m still... waking up.”

Juniper leapt from the bed and made her way to the door. “Well, you’ve been practicing really hard and it’s really paid off! So just keep it up, alright?” 

He nodded, and satisfied, Juniper’s smile returned in full force.

“Awesome! Now, up and at ‘em. No lollygagging!” 

The Guard rolled his eyes and got out of bed as the giggling vampire practically hopped down the hallway. She was in a good mood, though it was hardly a surprise. Last week’s election results had just come in, and Mayor Fields was due to begin her duties pretty soon. 

Either way, the scent of pancakes soon flooded the room and the Guard knew that they called for him. He took a moment to relish that scent, the feel of his soft pajamas against his skin, the wooden floorboards against his bare feet... it was a brave and wonderful new world he lived in, in more ways than one. But his stomach rumbled and broke through his reverie, and he headed downstairs as he ran his hands down his blonde hair to tame it a little.

“Good moooorning~!” Jelly Squish called out from behind a gigantic stack of pancakes, seated at the kitchen table with Juniper at her side. “Sleep well?”

The Guard offered a big thumbs up and a warm smile. “It was... fine.”

“Awesome! Come on and eat up, or you’re gonna be late!”

He took a seat and glanced over the kitchen counter, over at the stove where a familiar toad worked the pans and spatula with unholy dexterity. 

“Destruction magic's fine, just don't go burning down any buildings,” he called out, and the Toad answered with a hearty *Ribbit!*

“Be nice, boys!” Juniper said through a mouthful of pancakes coated in a very runny strawberry syrup. Or at least it I think it was- you know what? Definitely strawberry. Don’t question it.

*Ribbit!*

“I don’t care who started it!” 

With a flip of the pan in his dexterous tongue, the Toad flipped a ten-stack of pancakes high in the air and across the room, to land neatly on the Guard’s plate. 

*Ribbit*

“Hail, Companion!” The Guard stabbed into his pancakes with gusto, and all four sat at the table to enjoy their breakfast. 

It was just another morning, one of many since the fateful battle of Hollow Shades, and the first of many more to come. 

***

Elsewhere in a sandy beach east of Hollow Shades, a different group of ponies was also in the middle of breakfast. They just weren’t enjoying it as much.

“Come on, Grim! Cheer up a little!” Midflight smiled at his fellow bat pony, as he tossed a bucket of chum over the wooden fence. On the other side, the hundreds upon hundreds of mudcrabs who had survived the battle writhed and bunched up as they fought for the scraps of stinky fish the bat ponies fed them. 

Grim took a deep breath to calm himself, and immediately regretted it. The stench of fish guts, mudcrabs, and horker dung was so strong in the air it was impossible to smell anything else. 

“Midflight,” he said at last, eyes closed and teeth clenched shut, “next time you find ‘an easy job’, please don’t call me about it.”

“Oh, you grump! Come on!” Midflight slapped him on the withers with a big grin on his face. “It’s only thirty-four years to go! And you know what? There’s nothing a little song can’t help! Ooohh~!”

“HEY YOU TWO! THOSE HORKERS AREN’T GONNA SCRUB THEMSELVES!”

On the far side of the Fillydelphia Mudcrab Sanctuary and Correctional Facility, Betty the Horker belched a mighty belch that turned into a torrent of horker puke midway. It hit Billy the Horker square on the side, coating him almost entirely. Worse still, it set off a chain reaction of horker vomiting that stretched across all fifty pens. 

Ashen-faced and a little more dead inside, Grim Withers went to get the brush.

***

Behind reinforced steel doors, deep under Canterlot Mountain in the very depths of the earth, two unicorns lazily tapped away at a control panel under the looming gaze of a massive monitor—illuminated with strange, golden dots that blinked in and out of existence every few seconds to the sound of a vibrant ping!—while the clock on the wall ticked on and on. One of these blew a large gum bubble out of her mouth.

“Let’s get this bread, dawg.”

Beside her, the second unicorn groaned. 

“Please stop saying that, Glitter.”

Glitter snorted and a smirk tugged at the edge of her mouth. “Whatever, lame-o. You’re just not hip, like me! Swag.”

“Cringe slang won’t fix your marriage, Glitter. Nor will it earn you the love of your children.”

“Wait wha-”

“You lost them, Glitter.” Creamtart turned on her swivel chair to face Glitter’s shocked expression. Her own eyes were empty, black orbs in her gaunt face. In their polished surface Glitter saw stars and the cosmic void extend itself endlessly into forever, and her own self adrift in that blackness. 

“You made your choice, Glitter,” Creamtart continued, and her voice was a gurgling, guttural rumble that manifested itself inside the shocked unicorn’s mind. Creamtart’s lips did not move one centimeter. “When it mattered most, you chose your ‘long furby’ collection over your family.”

“H-hey! Those are vintage! They’ll be worth millions in a few years, just you wait!”

“You’re alone now. Alone in the void with furbys. With nopony to blame but yourself...”

An awkward silence descended on the room. Heavy, like the stack of divorce papers Glitter had signed just earlier that week, pierced solely by the endless pings! from the monitor and the sound of psychic energy crackling in the background.

Glitter scrunched.

“You’re kinda rude sometimes, you know?”

Creamtart’s eyes flooded with color as they returned to normal, and she shrugged. 

“At least I don’t hang around an arcade on my day off and try too hard to be included by a bunch of teens. What are you, 26? Yeesh.”

Before Glitter could reply, the reinforced steel doors to the laboratory slid open with a bright flash of green from the access panel, and Princess Luna entered the room. 

“What news have thee to report?” She strode into the room like a battering ram, and startled the fight out of the two unicorns in the blink of an eye. The two mares were all work in a matter of milliseconds, as they ran through every system scan and report on the console and secondary data displays, with frantic keyboard taps.

“Nothing to report, ma’am!” Glitter half-shrieked, as she hurriedly switched tabs and closed a few kitten videos she’d had on the side. To help her concentrate, of course. “Situation’s stable and hasn’t strayed from baseline for the last 24 hours, ma’am!”

“All sectors at ease, no new ingresses or egresses, and all known anomalies remain idle or contained, ma’am!” Creamtart droned in her usual monotone, but at a slightly higher pitch than usual. Sweat dripped down her forehead.

Luna stepped behind the two mares and stared intently into the monitor. “What of the psychic net?”

Creamtart’s eyes went dark once more as she delved deep into the psychic ocean that permeated the surface of the realscape. She probed deep into its darkness with her mind, and though it resisted, she had done it a hundred times over. Like a knife through honey, she searched.

“Chaos energy remains within expected parameters—so, all over the place—but aside from that, I haven’t detected any peculiarities, ma’am.”

Luna said nothing for a while. Her eyes scanned the surface of the monitor like she expected it to blaze to life in red alarms, pings and error messages blaring all over the place. Pandemonium. But nothing happened. 

“Where is it...” she muttered, and her gaze drifted to the area surrounding Hollow Shades. 

“Where is what, ma’am?” Glitter asked, her voice a tiny squeak.

But if Luna heard her, she didn’t show it. She had eyes only for the monitor, and the hellish memory of that dreadful thing, that abomination that had blackened the earth wherever it trod. That vampiric contraption that bled its victims dry, and lured the foolish and greedy with promises of power in exchange to be fed the very essence of living beings. 

Alas, it was nowhere to be found. And perhaps that was a good thing? Luna didn’t know. For all the relief she felt to know it was no longer on Equestrian soil, or anywhere else on the face of the planet, the lingering memory of its horrid frame still haunted her waking hours... the thought that it still existed somewhere out there, waiting for its next victim so it could feed... 

She drowned a shudder as she ran a final glance over the monitor. Nothing. The pings still came in their placid rhythm, and the map of her nation was undisturbed. Everything was in order, as a dear friend of hers was wont to say.

“Keep thine watchful guard, gentlemares,” she said at last, and turned to leave. 

“Princess?” 

Luna stopped and half-turned. She was met with the big, watery eyes of two scared little ponies, and her heart melted.

“Worry not, my dear subjects,” she said, and her voice was a little kinder, somewhat softer, and every bit as firm and reassuring as they needed to hear. “Everything’s in order.”

The Princess of the night left the laboratory and the steel doors closed shut behind her. 

Glitter turned to Creamtart. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t tell on you for being creepy in the workplace! So inappropriate!”

Creamtart rolled her eyes. 

***

Clearing her throat, Trixie nods once and smiles, pleased with herself. 

“...and there you have it, friends! The ugly truth!” She brushes a speck of dust from her cape and smirks. “Trixie told you it would be bad, but did you listen to Trixie? Nooo! You just had to hear it, didn’t you? Well, worry not! Trixie can now tell you all about the Good version of the story! Trixie’s Version!

Wait, where are you going?! Come back here this instant! TRIXIE DEMANDS THAT YOU—”


The End 2.5