1055 AD, November 6th

“Two bits more…” Weaver grumbled harshly, glaring straight ahead. “Can’t believe that…”

Funnel Spark flexed her right wing and laid it on her husband’s back sympathetically. “Things are just… complicated right now, honey.”

“Complicated my ass,” Weaver looked over his shoulder with a sneer. “That stallion was overcharging us. Bloody leech – taking advantage of ponies like that.”

Funnel Spark frowned, knowing he was right. When Nightmare Moon had taken over, everything was thrown into disarray, from public transport to basic transactions. The Royal Court, or whatever it was nowadays, was attempting to put things back in order with the help of the new guard force – Eclipse – but she knew it was going to be a while before everything went back to normal.

‘Huh, normal… No way things will be normal around here with that monster in charge. At least the sun still comes out.’

Funnel Spark also knew that Weaver was taking the coup of Canterlot particularly bad considering he had been a guard himself. Not only did they have to fall back on their savings, but he was forced to sit idly by while the Eclipse pranced about.

He told her how he recognized some of them, how they were some of the criminals he had arrested, and how they were using their positions of power to get away with petty grievances, minor vandalism, public threats – abusing the law was a pet peeve of her husband’s, and it was quickly starting to become one of hers, too.

They turned into a side alley and trotted away from the noise of the crowd; business in Canterlot could be slowed but not stopped.

They were halfway down the alley when Weaver came to a halt, horn suddenly lighting up.

“Weav-”

“We’re being followed.”

As if on cue, an Eclipse pegasus dropped down in front of them. Funnel Spark gasped softly and stepped closer to Weaver, fear filling her heart.

“Hey there, horn-head. Remember me?”

The pegasus had a silver coat under all that armor and a black mane, unkempt but clean. His yellow eyes glared out from beneath his helmet with malicious intent. His wings were fully extended, the span long enough for his primaries to scrape against the two buildings that made the alleyway.

Funnel Spark trembled a little when she noticed that there were blades attached to his wings, glinting dangerously.

“Weaver?” Funnel Spark said, wings half-spreading in fright.

“Honey, I want you to fly straight home and lock the doors and windows.”

The mare looked at her husband, horrified, and shook her head. “I’m not going to leave you here!”

“I’m not arguing this,” He didn’t turn away from the guard, but his gruff tone was directed at her. “Go straight home, lock the doors and windows. I’ll be fine.”

Stubborn despite her fear, Funnel Spark shook her head again. “No. We… We’ll take him together.”

“Faust damn it, I said-”

Green light briefly blinded her and Weaver was suddenly falling on his side, mouth curled into a grimace and eyes wide in shock. Funnel Spark shrieked and turned the way she came, inhaling sharply as an Eclipse unicorn strolled forwards, horn bathed in a deep green aura.

“Should ‘ave taken his advice, lass,” The unicorn smirked cruelly, emerald eyes roving across her body in a way that made her feel sick. “But more’s th’ merrier, eh?”

“G… go…” Weaver choked out as quickly as his slack jaw muscles and tongue could manage.

Funnel Spark’s dilemma – whether she should flee or stay by her spouse diligently – was mercifully short as the pegasus guard tackled her from behind. She shouted in pain as she hit the cold ground, her saddlebags coming loose and spilling the groceries.

“So you must be Funnel Spark,” The pegasus pinned her down using his superior body weight and strength and leaned in close, his hot breath washing over her ear. “The lovely mare married to that big galoot drooling everywhere. He’s really let himself go; you need a real stallion to tend to you, huh?”

Funnel Spark screamed and struggled. “H-help! Somepony help us!”

Her cries were heard and several ponies appeared at the alley’s entrance, their confusion quickly turning to horror.

One stallion stepped forwards, but the Eclipse unicorn snorted and stood straight, legs stiff and head tilted back slightly so his glowing horn pointed skywards.

Even those that weren’t familiar with unicorn society and the significance of such posturing knew a warning when they saw one.
Gradually, the onlookers left, some more eagerly than others.

“Well, that was rude,” The pegasus grunted as Funnel Spark’s struggling landed a glancing blow. He simply pressed himself onto her with more force, lips peeling back in a wicked smile. “Although I really like a screamer.”

Funnel Spark wailed louder as she felt a firm poke against her flank.

“B…bastards…” Weaver was practically frothing with rage, nostrils flaring with every intake of breath. “Get… off…”

“Hurry up, would ye?” The unicorn guard looked over his shoulder lazily, still facing the entrance. “Yer not th’ only one with needs.”

“Oh, but you can’t rush perfection…”

Funnel Spark cringed, cheeks wet with tears as he caressed her face in a mockery of affection. He snickered and nipped her ear, drawing a pained yelp.

“And this is one perfect piece of ass.”

He shifted and lined up with-

-the weight suddenly left Funnel Spark’s back.

Free of his filthy touch, she scrambled to her hooves and darted over to her husband, eyes wide with desperation as she got ready to fight for both their sakes.

The Eclipse pegasus was thrown into a cluster of trash cans, their putrid contents spilling all over him amidst the clatter of metal. The remains of sour yoghurt dripping into the crevices of his cuirass, he cursed vehemently and puffed himself up, wing blades snapping outwards.

“Who the fuck wants to play the… hero?” He balked. “Oh shit.”

“Yeah, that seems about right,” Fade nodded in agreement as he folded his wings. “Now, what’s all this yelling about? Can’t deal with rejection? Plenty of other fish in the sea, ya know.”

The pegasus – Fade reckoned his name was Barrel Toll or something like that – shifted, movements cautious. “Just having a bit of fun… boss.”

“Fun, yeah?” Looking over his shoulder, Fade gave the frightened mare a charming grin. “Do you have a rape fantasy?”

She shook her head, feathers ruffling in anxiety.

“Few do, strangely enough,” He turned his gaze to the unicorn guard – Valiant or some ironic crap. “So you guys remember how Nightmare Moon had that whole speech where if she caught you abusing your power without her permission she’d send you to the sun? I think you might have confused ‘sun’ with ‘Las Pegasus’. Either that or you’re a complete dumbass.”

Barrel chuckled nervously. “Boss, come on – we’re all part of the Eclipse, right? You can have the first go if you want.”

“Yeah, see, unlike you, I don’t get my rocks off by forcing myself on a mare. I like to pleasure a lady and I am very good at that.”

Miasma took a moment out of her day to roll her eyes on some strange inner stimuli.

“Ay, who cares?” Valiant said with a shrug. “We’re defendin’ th’ city; who’s ta say we can’t ‘ave a few perks?”

“Defending?!” At this, Fade actually felt enough genuine anger to not laugh in the unicorn’s face. He fully turned to face him, glowering darkly. “What defending? Me, my friends, and my sister have been busting our asses keeping this city from falling apart, and we don’t need you idiots making things worse when you’re supposed to be making them easier!”

Snorting aggressively, he spun on Barrel, and stomped one hoof, making the other stallion jump in surprise.

“Now get the hell out of here before I beat both your asses raw.”

Barrel and Valiant glared at him heatedly, but obeyed, the former flapping his wings to fly over the alley and float beside his partner. As they left, Fade exhaled and rubbed at his eyes.

‘Stallion, soon we’re gonna have to order the guards to arrest themselves at this rate. What I wouldn’t do for a drink right about now…’

“Sorry about that,” Facing the couple, he gave a casual shrug. “Newbies – you know how it is, yeah?”

The mare delivered an astoundingly dark glare that made his mane stand up. Faust, there really was nothing more terrifying than a mare scorned.

“This happened because of you…” She snarled, trying to help her husband to his feet; the paralysis seemed to be wearing off. “You and… her. Don’t expect me to thank you.”

Fade gave a weak smile. “Oh come on – you’re hurting my feelings. A little thank…”

She snorted, puffs of steam blowing from her nostrils.

“Annnnd that’s my cue to leave.”

Zipping up into the air, Fade wiped his brow and exhaled in relief.

Her words echoed in his head. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, she was right; that wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for him and the others. Fade was never a stickler for rules, but rape and murder were big no-no’s in his book, and he had indirectly caused the near-success of the former.

It… wasn’t a good feeling.

He figured it’d get better though; Ebony and Nightmare Moon were both smart and they were good at figuring out that confusing leadership and political stuff, so it was only a matter of time before everything wasn’t so… out of control.

‘Shit, when does the fun stuff of being in power start?’

Sighing, Fade rolled to the right and flew towards Canterlot Castle. The telepathy he and the others shared had a limit, and the last thing he wanted was to get yelled at because he wasn’t in range when Ebony needed a shipment order to be deliv-

-his mane stood on end and a powerful shiver ran through his body.

“Holy-!” Driven by pegasi instincts, he rolled off to the side, muscles tensing in preparation of the lightning.

Something certainly hit him, but it wasn’t a lightning bolt, and as he hovered in mid-air to look around, he realized that it couldn’t have been one; there was no lightning scheduled for today. Even so, whatever invisible force hit him carried enough energy to make his mane and fur stand on end and make his stomach churn sickeningly.

“What the hell…?” Fade looked back the way he came, eyes narrowing beneath his helmet. “Yeah, bullshit nothing happened; what hit me?”

He looked up.

“… Awesome…”

Haze gave a short hum of faux intrigue before placing the stack of papers down. “My dear Blueblood, I’m afraid that you will not be able to bully your way into my good graces, and I certainly know you won’t be able to charm your way.”

“This is ridiculous!” Blueblood fumed, gesturing emphatically as his face went red. “First, you have the audacity to imprison my aunties, then you seize half my fortune, and now you’re barring me from the Royal Archives?! The gall! The… the nerve!”

“Your fortune is going to a good cause, if that makes you feel better, and the Royal Archives if off-limits to everypony without authorization, not just you,” Haze hoofed over the papers and the prince angrily snatched them up in magic. “The Empress is busy researching and wants no distractions unless it is of the utmost importance.”

“Hmph,” Blueblood scoffed haughtily. “You think that now you’re the go-to stallion for addressing the concerns of nobility you’re suddenly above us all? My blood is ten times more pure than yours; need I remind you your great-great grandmother was a pegasus?”

“I am well aware of my lineage, Blueblood,” Leaning in close, Haze flashed his sharp teeth. “Are you aware of how badly I can thrash you even without magic?”

The prince’s eyes widened and he took a few nervous steps back. Haze drew some amusement from the fear in his face.

“You…” Blueblood growled in frustration and stomped his hoof. “You were always a disgrace, Dusk, but seizing power in such a brutal fashion just confirms how much of a common thug you are!”

“Are you quite finished?” Haze casually examined one of his polished hooves. “Don’t you have an empty mansion to pitch a tantrum in?”

“Mark my words…” Blueblood turned on his heel, tail flicking in annoyance as he stalked down the corridor. “You’ll rue the day you crossed me.”

“I wait with baited-”

Haze’s ears pricked up at a distant rumble and he saw Blueblood stop with the same twitches.

Frowning, Haze turned and trotted over to one of the many balconies overlooking the city. Fresh air tousled his fur as he squinted in confusion at a strange shimmer hovering near the opera house.

“What in the world…?” He could only manage looking at it for a few more seconds before his head started to hurt and he turned away, watching as Blueblood came out onto the balcony with a curios gaze. “Empress, are you receiving me?”

“I am,” Her connection was strong, but swayed slightly, like she was distracted. “What is it?”

“There seems to be a disturbance occurring over Canterlot, near the opera house,” Haze looked back again. Had it grown larger? “I cannot accurately describe it, but it appears to be a distortion in the air.”

“A distor…?”

She trailed off, as did the connection. A few moments passed before the doors to the Royal Archives were flung open, allowing Nightmare Moon to stalk out.

Blueblood shrieked like a filly, but the alicorn paid him no heed.

“Empress, is…?” Haze had a sneaking suspicion of what the anomaly was, but didn’t want to believe it to be so.

“An Entropic Fracture…” Nightmare Moon confirmed with a narrowing of her eyes. “Ebony!”

“Y-yes?” Haze heard his friend’s voice in his head.

“Rally whatever guards are available and meet me near the opera house.”

“The opera house? Why w- Sweet Night, what is that thing?”

“A sign that things are about to get interesting,” Nightmare Moon turned back to Haze as she gave her wings a quick flare. “Haze, you are in charge of the palace in my absence; send word out to Miasma and Veil, but inform them to keep to their tasks until I call for them.”

He nodded. “What about Fade?”

She rolled her eyes. “Probably at ground zero.”

And then she took off.

“Everyone back off! Yeah, the big wavy thing up in the sky is very pretty, but you all seriously need to back off a few yards! You want some dire bunny to pop out and bite your nuts off?”

For ponies who thought themselves to be high-class, they sure did gawk the same as the ponies from downtown.

Stallions and mares left and right pointed up at the distortion in the air – it had to have been half the length of a hoofball field now – and muttered amongst each other, more than a few mutters containing the words ‘entropy’ and ‘fracture’.

Fade didn’t know what an Entropic Fracture looked like, but if the one above him wasn’t that, then he’d swear off mares forever.

‘Please let me be right…’

In the midst of shooing off some foals with cameras, Fade noticed a black spot in the sky in the corner of his vision. He didn’t pay it much mind, but as it grew larger and he could make out some distinguishing features, he felt a surge of relief.

“Hey, boss! This is totally an Entropic Fracture, right?”

“It is,” Nightmare Moon landed with a harsh clap of hooves on cobblestone and the crowd drew back in fear. “The first one we can actually confirm to exist and with visual confirmation no less.”

Fade breathed a grateful sigh for all the hot mares he had yet to meet. “So is that bad?”

“No, it’s actually wonderful news and we should celebrate.” Nightmare Moon quipped, completely deadpan.

‘I think Veil might be rubbing off on her. Or was she always like this?’

Fade scratched at his head as the alicorn walked forwards, closer to the opera house, and craned her neck up, examining the tear. “So what do we do?”

“First, we need to lay down a perimeter,” Nightmare Moon gestured to the opera house. “You go inside and evacuate anypony that might still be in there; Ebony and a contingent of guards shall be here shortly. Once you’re done, report back for further instructions.”

‘Ugh – work, work…’

Hiding the grimace on his face, Fade flapped his wings and flew forwards to brazenly throw open the opera house’s mahogany double doors, not because he was in a hurry, but because he always wanted to make a dynamic entrance in a place of culture.

“Oh, that’s not good.”

“Can’t believe we have to deal with…”

“Should have wrote up that will ages ago…”

Ebony scowled in annoyance as she and the platoon of guards arrived in front of the opera house. “Lips shut!” She barked, briefly looking over her shoulder to shoot an icy glare. “And keep those civilians back!”

As the guards went about ushering the gathered crowd back in their own undisciplined yet still effective ways, Ebony trotted closer to Nightmare Moon, whose calm and collected demeanour assuaged a bit of her fears.

“That’s an Entropic Fracture?”

The best way to describe it would be to say that the sky itself had cracked; a jagged line, half a mile high in the sky and large enough to swallow the castle, emitted a brilliant white glow that caused Ebony’s sensitive eyes no small amount of discomfort. Even when she squinted it was still impossible to anything through the fracture other than pure whiteness. The way it just hung there, silently, was highly disconcerting, even without the knowledge that something might come through it at any moment.

“It could not have come at a worst time, or a worst place,” Nightmare Moon said with a scowl, tearing her gaze away to meet Ebony’s. “At the very least, we have a prime specimen for study. Ebony, tell the guards to set up a perimeter around the opera house, three blocks in diameter. I sent Fade inside to evacuate the building, so be wary of any ponies leaving.”

“R-right,” Ebony nodded. “What about the ponies who live around here?”

“Send several…” Nightmare Moon paused to look up at the sky again, seemingly debating something, before quickly turning back. “Yes, send several pegasi to each house within the perimeter’s radius and inform the occupants to remain indoors for the next twenty-four hours.”

“Understood.”

With a nod of acknowledgment, Ebony turned her attention to the guards, her mind a whir as she put names to faces.

“Whirlwind, Breeze Shot, Falling Azure – you three take the north and east side of a three-block radius and inform the residents to remain indoors. Vex, Unity, Dazzle Dance – you do the same for the south and west sides. The rest of you fan out and set up a perimeter using roadblocks and signs. I want a pair stationed at each street leading to here. Absolutely nopony is to gain access…” She paused. “Uh, unless it’s another guard!”

Some of the guards looked a little lost, but the majority of them saluted and set off to do their assigned tasks. A few of them took the time to guide their confused comrades, which Ebony was grateful for.

“You’re getting good at this.” The Empress’ voice sounded in her head, a tinge of admiration in the tone.

“Th-thank you, Empress…”

Ebony was grateful for the compliment and it did wonders for her confidence, but personally, she still thought Haze would have been more suited for her occupation. He never lost his composure and she was sure that calm veneer would garner him the respect amongst the guard force she seemed to be failing to achieve.

‘Should I be harsher in dealing out punishments? Get a new training regime? Maybe…’

The sound of irritated ponies brought Ebony out of her thoughts. She looked towards the opera house as stallions and mares in fancy clothing were politely escorted out by Fade.

Of course, ‘polite’ meaning that he spouted off helpful hints that they would die a gruesome death if they didn’t ‘get their asses moving’.

It got results if nothing else.

Ebony stepped to the side to allow some of the crowd to pass. One old stallion chose to stop and address her instead.

“Some guard captain you are!” He spat, wrinkles making his scowl seem astonishingly deep. “Can’t even control your own!”

Briefly stunned by the sudden confrontation, Ebony balked for a bit before feeling a swell of anger, and she narrowed her eyes with a snarl, remembering at the last second to show off her sharpened teeth.

The old stallion flinched at her display, but kept a stiff upper lip otherwise, even going so far as to hold his head up high and trot away at his own pace.

Ebony bristled as she closed her mouth, trying not to feel the sting of his words. ‘I will be respected… feared…’

“Hey, long time no see!” Fade was a welcome sight even though their last meeting was only just under a day ago and Ebony felt some tension leave her body as he softly touched the ground, wings folding against his torso.

“Nice to see you, too.”

“Been busy, yeah?” He chuckled, noticing the fatigue in her voice. “Same here. Fly a message here, fly a message there, stop crimes being caused by our own guys – gotta say, I’m developing a new respect for the Royal Guard dudes.”

“You have no idea…” Ebony exhaled in exasperation. “It feels like no matter what we’re doing, Canterlot just isn’t getting under control.”

“It’s only been a week, yeah?” Fade reminded her reassuringly. “It takes me three days to get around to doing the dishes. I mean, it used to; now that I moved into the castle, I can be lazy since the servants’ll do it all.”

“So that’s why I keep finding bread crusts in the hallways.”

“I don’t like those parts – sue me.”

“Just try not to leave them near my office,” Ebony gestured up to the massive rift in the sky. “So did you see anything when it appeared?”

Fade shook his head. “Nope. The skies were clear and then all of a sudden – boom, right above me without any warning. Well, I got sort of a tingle up my neck like when there’s lightning all around, but that’s about it. Now the thing’s giving me a headache whenever I look up.”

“Just appeared?” Ebony grimaced in worry. “If they can just appear out of thin air…”

“Nothing’s coming through it,” Fade said and looked up to examine the anomaly. “So that’s something to- ah shit, me and my gorgeous mouth…”

“What?”

With dread, Ebony looked up in time to catch the final few seconds of something’s descent; something large.

“Prepare yourselves!”

Nightmare Moon’s command was easily heard by all in the immediate vicinity. Ebony called on her magic and rushed to her Empress’ side as the foreign object struck the cobblestone ground, hard enough to leave a sizeable hole and send up a cloud of dust.

“Eclipse – formations!” Ebony added her own order with a magically-augmented shout.

Amazingly, the Eclipse guards on the scene responded quicker than she expected, setting up a half-ring – admittedly wonky – around the smoking crater, earth ponies in front, unicorns in the back, and pegasi hovering above the ranks.

Spears, swords, and halberds – all crafted from steel that was painted black and decorated with silver – were held in mouths, magic, and wings alike, and though some of the weapons trembled from their wielders’ less than stellar composures, they were at least were pointing at the right thing.

Perhaps, most incredible, nopony had run away at the first sign of danger.

“Keep those weapons steady!” Ebony yelled and drew her own sword from the scabbard attached to her side. “Do not attack unless I or the Empress say so!”

“No premature shit!” Fade added as he hovered above her, the blade attachments on his primaries glinting in the sunlight.

The captain of the Eclipse steadied her nerves for her first confrontation with something from the other side of the Fracture, eyes narrowing as she tried to peer through the dust and smoke.

A dark figure stirred in the crater, its large stature immediately obvious as it shifted from a prone position to all fours, and then to a sort of half-crouched bipedal state. The sounds of metal scraping against dirt and stone accompanied every movement the figure made, and when enough of the debris cleared, Ebony could see why.

Plate metal covered the bipedal figure from head to toe, seemingly charcoal grey in colour, though Ebony could see small areas which looked like tarnished silver, suggesting the grey was due to constant weathering of the elements. Coincidentally, the armor’s design was similar to the Eclipse’s, with numerous sharp angles and spikes designed to intimidate and invoke fear. However, the figure’s armor went one step further by not leaving any gaps or spaces to reveal the pony… thing… that was beneath it.

Well… there was actually a very noticeable gap in what Ebony guessed to be the helmet, but all that she saw was black smoke curling around in the space, the same smoke that billowed out from the figure’s missing left arm and the jagged gash running along the cuirass.

‘What is this thing?’

“Who or what are you?” Nightmare Moon echoed her thoughts, breaking the tense silence that permeated the area. The Empress’ eyes were cold and analytical. “Why have you come here?”

The invader rose to its full height, towering over even Nightmare Moon by a good metre, and shifted its remaining arm.

An arm attached to a hand with five digits – four claws and a ‘thumb’, as dragons and griffons called them – and holding a sinister-looking scythe.

Ebony swallowed nervously at the wickedly curved hook; it was as long as her body and the metal pole it was connected to was four times the length of her body. It was a monstrous weapon that looked large even on the invader.

“I certainly hope you’re not thinking of attacking…” Nightmare Moon growled menacingly, eyes narrowing. “You will not live to see the sun set.”

The creature actually seemed to regard her words for an instant…

… and then it attacked.

Unleashing an animalistic roar, it rushed towards Nightmare Moon, bringing its scythe in a horizontal swipe, perfect for a decapitation.

Ebony inhaled sharply at the speed of the assault and instinctively brought up a barrier, though the red wall of magic was over-layered by one of dark blue.

Ebony watched in horrified fascination as the scythe cleaved through the Empress’ barrier like it was nothing. The weapon actually passed over Ebony’s head because of her size, but she could still feel the wind brush her face, deathly gentle.

“Fool!” Nightmare Moon however, was forced to hop back, a flap of her wings giving that necessary bit of speed which saved the scythe from cutting her neck. “So be it!”

Recovering, Ebony lashed out with her sword as she shouted, “Eclipse – attack!”

Though her sword had been crafted from steel, the blade thick, strong, and sharpened to a razor’s edge, it ineffectively slid off the creature’s cuirass as it struck, producing a burst of sparks. The creature responded in kind by performing an overhead smash that Ebony barely managed to get away from, the wicked blade impaling the ground.

A bright flash followed a moment later as Nightmare Moon blasted the armored figure with an electric spell, though that too, was ignored as it tore the scythe free and performed a wild 720 degree spin, forcing the rest of the guards to back up as they attempted to close in, one unfortunate mare squeaking as her halberd’s blade was shorn off.

Unexpectedly, the invader staggered as it finished its spin, and promptly tripped over its own feet with an eerily equine moan, unceremoniously face-planting into the ground.

“Wail on the helpless!” Fade – who else could it have been? – shouted as he swooped in, primary blades screeching against the back of the invader’s cuirass.

It was a sound strategy however, and Ebony joined in the fray as the invader was assaulted with blades and spells. It continued to writhe under the flurry as it used its only arm to push itself up, scythe still tightly clutched in hand.

The thing was being electrified, stabbed, clubbed, and scorched, yet it barely even acknowledged it.

What it did acknowledge was Nightmare Moon jumping into the air and rocketing downwards to violently stomp on its back.

The ground trembled beneath Ebony’s feet from both the blow and the invader bellowing in both anger and what she hoped to be pain. To her horror, the armored figure then proceeded to twist its helmet around and roar up at the Empress, black smoke frothing from the jagged hole.

Nightmare Moon gave an unimpressed sneer and reared up on her back hooves, intending to deliver one final stomp.

PSSSSHHH

“What?!”

Ebony took a fearful step back as the invader disconnected from the waist up, a churning sea of black smoke following its path. She took another step back when its arm did the same, effectively extending the reach of its scythe by tenfold.

“Aren’t you-” Nightmare Moon flapped her wings and moved back, out of its range. “-full of surprises?”

Ebony yelped – very high-pitched, to her chagrin – as the scythe lashed out in her direction, forcing her on the defensive as she held her sword awkwardly. She felt so useless; nothing she did seemed to work and she couldn’t even go near it for fear of dismemberment. Nightmare Moon trained them to fight other ponies, not… whatever this was.

‘Focus, Ebony! Think!’

The captain of the guard swallowed nervously as the invader’s lower half rose to one knee while the top half flailed about, preventing anypony from going near, or getting a clear shot. She watched as spells simply passed through the smoke, disturbing it but never causing it to dissipate.

If it wasn’t harmed by that, then why did it react so strongly to Nightmare Moon stomping down on…?

Ebony looked up at the top half, noting the crumpled portion of its cuirass, and how smoke was shooting out of a tiny gash that had formed from the deformation.

“…” She gasped and turned to the guards, who were now starting looking very uneasy and unsure of themselves. “All of you listen up! I want every unicorn with a spear to aim it at the legs! If you don’t have one, get one from an earth pony or pegasus!”

Frightened as they were, her orders were followed fairly quickly, and a dozen spears were soon hovering in the air by an equal amount of unicorns. The invader was either too occupied with Nightmare Moon to notice, or did not recognize the danger.

“On my mark, hit those spears with a Kinetic Impact!” Ebony held up her right hoof, crimson eyes narrowing as she watched the figure’s lower half regain its balance. “Hold it… hold it… and fire!”

The air was charged with magic as several spells occurred simultaneously.

The aloft spears shot forwards and struck the invader’s lower half as it finally stood on two legs and inadvertently made itself a larger target. Many tough metal points pierced the thick plate armor and smoke spewed out like blood.

Ebony smirked victoriously as the invader bellowed again, louder than before, and the top half floated backwards, dragging the unresponsive lower half along the ground. Its movements were undeniably desperate.

“Don’t let it get away!” Ebony cried as she tried to hold down its lower half with telekinesis, only to find that it was akin to grabbing a wet bar of soap with one’s hooves.

“You’ve made your decision, creature!” Nightmare Moon snarled as she flew towards the top half, horn glowing with deadly power, and a vicious smile on her face. “Now die with dignity!”

The invader roared and swung its scythe at empty air… which then proceeded to surge forth.

“Empress, watch out!”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened in shock and pain as a distorted, crescent wave struck her in the chest. The impact of highly-pressurized air knocked Ebony and a few nearby guards clean off their feet while every pegasi in the area tumbled, wings flapping frantically to keep themselves balanced.

Telekinetically adjusting her helmet so she could see again, Ebony scrambled back to her hooves, and snatched up her sword.

She saw the invader descend to the ground, where it proceeded to lay motionless, breaths intense and strained.

‘Now’s my chance!’

Running forwards and then stopping in front of the invader, Ebony drew back, her sword following suite. The tension behind her magical grip built and built until finally, she stepped forwards and threw her body weight into the thrust of her weapon.

The jolt as her sword struck the hole in the invader’s helmet made Ebony’s teeth shake, but the wide blade tore through the armor far enough for the tip to pierce the back.

The invader let out a resonating roar as it floated into the air with smoke shooting from every gap, Ebony’s blade still lodged in its head. The cry seemed to echo across the entire city and Ebony swore she felt her bones vibrate from the intensity. She stepped back, unsure as to what it would do next.

Black smoke spewed from its face in torrents as it thrashed and clawed at the sword’s handle for several terrifying moments…

… then it went lax, and crashed to the ground.

Ebony watched in awe as the smoke dissipated into a passing breeze. Several pieces of the armor unclasped and split apart, allowing her to see that there was nothing on the inside.

‘It’s… empty? How? A golem?’

Wetting her lips, Ebony took a cautious step forwards and reached out with telekinesis to grab her sword’s hilt and drag it out from the corpse. The grind of metal on metal made her wince.

“Is… is it dead?” One of the guards asked nervously.

“It’s not moving…”

“Fuckin’ A, did you see that thing move?”

“Hey, is the Empress alright?”

‘Nightmare Moon!’

Ebony turned to where she had seen Nightmare Moon fly back from the force of the creature’s seemingly magical attack.

A dozen yards away was a huge furrow of cracked cobblestone and shifted dirt where Nightmare Moon had landed; it led all the way to the wall of shop for silverware. To Ebony’s relief, her Empress was already ducking her head to fit through the sizeable hole she made in the mortar, a dark scowl on her face.

“Empress!” Ebony rushed over, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Nightmare Moon flexed one wing to remove a layer of dust before replying, “A few ribs pierced my lungs; nothing to worry about,” She wiped a bit of blood from her muzzle as she approached the remains of the invader. She examined them briefly before turning towards Ebony with a smile. “Nicely done.”

Ebony flushed at the compliment. “It’s… I wish we could have taken it alive.”

“I’m not even sure if interrogation would’ve worked…” Nightmare Moon used one hoof to kick at one of the armor pieces, producing a sharp noise. “Its movements were wild, erratic; you can’t get answers from a rabid dog.”

Ebony nodded in agreement. Out of her peripheral, she spotted several guards milling about, relieved and proud of their victory, but now at a loss as to what to do next. Remembering her own orders, Ebony moistened her lips and cleared her throat.

“You all did good today!” A compliment seemed an appropriate thing to say. “But I’m not seeing any roadblocks being put up!” She stamped one hoof on the road. “Let’s go, ponies! Let’s go!”

It was all the encouragement they need.

As the guards quickly set about continuing their previous assignments, Ebony trotted to Nightmare Moon’s side. Fade joined them, too, sweating but brimming with triumph.

“Hey, who kicks ass? We kick ass!” He stretched out one wing and – taking care to mind his blades – pulled Ebony in close for a hug. “That was some quick thinking with the spears, yeah? And then you follow it up with a sword to the face! Faust, it was so badass!”

Uncomfortable with the close proximity – Fade may have been her friend, but she wasn’t a big fan of being touched so suddenly – Ebony laughed awkwardly and tried to push him off.

“Thanks, but could you maybe…?”

Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed as she tried to levitate some of the armor. She managed it far better than Ebony, but the frown on her face said it all – the armor still held the strange properties that made it incredibly difficult to get a magical grip on.

“I’m taking these back to the castle,” The Empress declared as Ebony finally wriggled free. “Continue sealing off this area, Ebony. Fade, go inform your sister and Veil of what’s happened. When your tasks are complete, return to the conference room in the castle.”

Nightmare Moon craned her neck to glare up at the anomaly, hanging over their heads like a bad omen.

“We have a lot to discuss…”

Author's Notes:

Note 1: Telekinesis is foal's play for most unicorns, but few have the finesse needed to wield a weapon like the unicorn knights of old did; one must be aware of where their weapon is at all times and to keep it steady when it strikes a solid object, lest it rebound out of one's magical grip and cause self-mutilation. Those who pursue this path however, are able to wield weapons with a level of dexterity, finesse, and a wider range of motion than most other races can achieve. The tales of unicorn knights first dazzling their opponents with a macabre dance of flashing swords before swiftly ending their lives are not mere hyperbole.

Ebony uses a different style of this swordplay developed by unicorns. Instead of using a light, curved sword to make quick slashes as unicorn knights were fond of doing, she uses a thick, straight sword to make violent thrusts and the occasional swipe. Her technique - taught by Nightmare Moon - also implements a large - almost exaggerated - amount of body movement which makes it appear as if she is following her weapon's momentum. Such a technique can be considered 'high risk-high reward', as any miss can easily be punished, but a direct hit is sure to cause grievous damage.

Surely, the unicorn knights of old would be appalled by this 'brutish' style of fighting?

Note 2: What would be better to face?

Something not of your understanding actively hinting at malicious intentions?

Or something not of your understanding that may have once been civilized but is now reduced to attacking anything that moves?