1055 AD, November 13th

“Mommy? Mommy?”

“Mm…”

“Mommy?”

“Mmwah? Whuzzat?”

“Mommy, I’m scared.”

Emerald blearily opened her bloodshot eyes and blinked several times until the small brown filly didn’t look like she was behind a pane of glass smeared with Vaseline. She seemed familiar…

“There’s something outside my window.”

“…” The filly was… her… nie- no, daughter! This filly was her daughter! “Erm… Dew…” Emerald sluggishly sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Dew, what’s wrong?”

Dew clutched her teddy tight with one foreleg and nodded her head towards the bedroom door. “Th-there’s something outside the house. I saw it from my window.”

“What are you doing up? You’ve got school in the morning.”

“But there’s something outside!”

Emerald groaned and used telekinesis to turn on her bedside lamp. The scolding she had prepared fell short on her tongue when she saw just how scared her daughter was. Her eyes were wide and vulnerable, and she shook ever so slightly.

Maternal instincts flaring, Emerald ignored her fatigue and got out of bed with a put-upon groan. “Something… outside? What did it look like?”

“It was big and… and tall…” Dew helpfully provided.

“Show me, sweetie…”

Dew nodded demurely and shuffled out of the bedroom.

Emerald followed her child into the hallway and downstairs, using her magic to flip the lights on as they went. It hurt her eyes, but she needed to see where she was putting her hooves.

Falling down these stairs was not fun.

“You saw it out on the street?” Emerald murmured tiredly. Her daughter’s bedroom window faced Canterlot. This was the first time Dew had been frightened since moving in there. “Are you sure it wasn’t next door’s dog?”

Dew shook her head. “No – Curl Ball and his parents went out of town for the month, and they took Mister Cuddles.”

Emerald frowned at the ironic name of that vicious little bastard. “Maybe it was just some pegasus having a night fly?”

“No, mommy!” Dew insisted, her tone taking on a whine. “I saw it standing on the street! Th-then it walked away… b-but it was looking right at our house.”

Realizing that the only way to assure her daughter that there was nothing out there was to actually show her, Emerald sighed as they ended up at the bottom of the staircase and trudged over to the front door.

“Mommy…”

Emerald looked back and smiled softly at her daughter’s hesitant whine. “It’s okay, sweetie. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

She turned back and used her magic to open the door.

“There’s nothing bad outsi…”

Emerald trailed off as she craned her neck to look up at the blank, metal face of the creature, only vaguely hearing her daughter shriek shrilly.

The creature actually seemed just as surprised and only reacted when Emerald’s fight-or-flight instinct kicked in; it ducked in through the doorway and made a wild grab for her, but Emerald was already bolting back, scooping up her wailing filly and dashing back upstairs.

“Fuck! I’ve been spotted!”

Emerald risked a glance over her shoulder in time to see the large creature force itself through the narrow and low doorway with a burst of splintered wood and wall plaster. It stumbled and followed her, and she mewled in terror, barely hearing it yell again as she took her child back into the bedroom and locked the door.

“I repeat: I’ve been spotted!”

“Boss! Boss!”

Nightmare Moon shifted her intense gaze from the cowering messenger – much to the mare’s relief – as the throne room doors were thrown open. Fade flew in as if Tartarus was on his heels.

She rose and got off her throne, stepping off the dais and flinching slightly as Fade came to a sudden halt before her, the wind caused by his wings strong and carrying a lot of dust. “What is it?”

“So I’m searching the city for the griffon dude, but then I see these…” He waved his forelegs in some unrecognizable pattern that he apparently thought was helpful. “Shit, they’re like that Wisp Knight that Ebony stabbed, but smaller!”

“What? Where did you spot them?”

“Downtown – I didn’t get a good look, but I think I saw one snatch up some dude!”

Nightmare Moon paused but only for a moment: time was of the essence.

Turning around, she addressed the mare and stallion that stood beside her throne, ever diligent. At her call, they stiffened, ready to obey. “Ebony – gather every available guard and meet me downtown. Haze – put the city on alert; tell the citizens to lock their doors and stay inside until further notice.”

“Yes, Empress!”

“It will be done.”

“Wh-what about th-the thing you asked for?” The messenger squeaked fearfully, flinching as Ebony brushed past her in a rush. “Y-you wanted to-”

“Blueblood and the ambassador can wait!” Nightmare Moon snapped. “Either help defend your home or warn the city!” She turned back around and lit up her horn. “Fade – you’re with me!”

Nightmare Moon teleported them both outside the castle. Fade briefly tumbled in mid-air from the nausea of the sudden displacement, but Nightmare Moon was already flying off towards downtown, a vicious snarl spread across her face.

‘Just one thing after the other, isn’t it?’

It took Fade a few moments to catch up, but by then they were already soaring high above downtown.

“You see them, yeah?”

“I do…”

Nightmare Moon dove sharply as she spotted two mares – one still wearing a night cap – fleeing from one of the attacking creatures.

She landed before the mares with enough force to put some cracks in the street. Her sudden arrival made them briefly pause and gawk in fright, but they wisely decided she was the better alternative and dashed by, leaving her to stand against their pursuer.

It slowed to a stop beneath one of the street lights and drew a long silver sword with the sound of metal against metal.

Much like the Wisp Knight, it was bipedal and possessed the same overall body shape, but with a few stark differences: it wasn’t as large for one thing – Nightmare Moon was a few inches taller than it – and there was no black smoke rising from any part of its body.

The armor seemed to be in better condition, too, and had a different colour scheme – deep reds and black contrasts – along with a tabard that hung across its chest. The heraldry on it was of a golden tree, but it was not a symbol she was familiar with.

“For what reason do you attack my city?!” She shouted with a hard stomp of her hoof. “Answer quickly or suffer!”

She had an inkling it was smarter than the Wisp Knight – it actually seemed to recognize her as a threat – but it was still jarring when it responded, and quite clearly.

“Sir, I’ve made contact with a larger variant of the species,” The voice that came through the helmet was undoubtedly feminine and spoke in, strangely, Equestrian, but rang with an unpleasant note Nightmare Moon couldn’t identify. “Assuredly hostile.”

‘Who is she talking to?’

“‘Hostile’ is an understatement,” Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes to slits and took a step forwards. “This is my kingdom and these my subjects you are terrorizing, so unless you start explaining your intentions right now, then your-”

The female shifted and the tip of her sword was levelled.

“…” Nightmare Moon shook her head with a low, sinister laugh. “Well, at least there won’t be any of that tiring diplomacy and uncertainty as to whether or not we’re friend or foe.”

Fwoosh

Magic had been relatively ineffective against the Wisp Knight and though Nightmare Moon couldn’t be sure for certain that this female had the some properties, she felt more confident starting off with a more physical approach.

And when the female yelled in pain as Nightmare Moon shot off from a standing point and swooped in for a hard tackle, she felt it was the right choice.

The female landed hard on her back and the sword slipped from her grasp. Nightmare Moon pushed against her chest with one hoof and raised the other, aiming for what she guessed to be the head.

The female gave a sharp gasp, struggled against the hoof, and one arm shot out in a vain attempt to retrieve her sw-

CRACK

Nightmare Moon was taken aback when the helmet’s faceplate dented and she heard a wet, visceral noise from within. “What?” She prodded at the still body suspiciously. “So easily?”

Well, it wasn’t as if she was going to complain about invaders not being as robust as that Wisp Knight.

“So…” Fade hovered close to her side, staring at the body. “No gift baskets?”

“Stay alert,” Nightmare Moon scanned the streets and centred her attention at the far end, where an armored figure kicked at the door of a furniture store. “They had to come through a Fracture; find it and make sure nopony is taken through.”

“On it.”

As Fade flew up into the air, Nightmare Moon teleported down the street and ended up directly beside the knight-like creature. It emitted a masculine cry of surprise and drew a sword fast enough to leave a slash across Nightmare Moon’s neck.

Barely fazed, she threw her weight forwards and knocked them both to the ground with a sinister laugh that bubbled out through the blood that filled her throat.

Ebony led a platoon of Eclipse guards through the crowded streets as best she could.

Ponies fled the downtown district in panicked droves and it was difficult to fight against it and keep formation, to say the very least. She shouted for them to get out of the way, but she was ignored, and it wasn’t long before she got tired of being pushed around and started physically shoving back.

“Miasma, I need your help up here! There’s a lot and I… I can’t…”

“Okay.”

Over the cries of the panicked masses, Ebony heard the guards behind her exclaim in surprise as they were brushed aside like leaves in a hurricane. She breathed a sigh of relief once Miasma showed up at her side.

“Thanks…” The earth pony’s muscular frame was a godsend; she merely had to keep walking ahead of Ebony and the rush of ponies simply bounced off against her, dazed and sore but far from incapable of running. “I didn’t want to waste my magic.”

“Are you okay?”

“Well…” Ebony blinked against the noise that crashed against her sensitive ears. “This is… Ah, it’s chaotic; it’s like when we attacked the castle, but now I have to lead ponies through all of this.”

It had been easier when they were battling the Wisp Knight; there had been a lot more open space and there were no panicking civilians getting in the way. Also, it was more or less confined to a small area, not the entirety of downtown.

How she was supposed to direct anypony in this mess… she had no idea… but her Empress was counting on her; she couldn’t fail.

“Run, run! They’re here!”

Ebony didn’t know who shouted that, but whoever it had been, it sounded like they ran past her before even finishing the sentence. At the same time, the mob of ponies thinned out and she had more room to move.

Fortunate, because three of the creatures Fade had described were heading straight towards them.

“Stop!” Ebony shouted and held up one foreleg. There were several clangs and clanks of metal behind her as well as a few hisses and grunts of pain. “Weapons ready!”

Ebony drew her sword out of its scabbard and felt the thrum of magic as a dozen unicorns charged up their horns – incredibly, not one misfired; the last guard she punished for that must have been particularly memorable for the others.

Miasma reached for the greataxe strapped to her back. Ebony could never understand how earth ponies could manipulate small things such as straps – especially when it was on their back – with such dexterity, but Miasma did it with little trouble, and the beast of a weapon was clutched in her teeth in no time.

“Um… You three!” Ebony shouted awkwardly. The three creatures clad head-to-toe in armor came to a stop a few yards away. They were indeed bipedal and had a similar body shape to the Wisp Knight, but were a lot smaller. Even so, she would only come up to their waists. “I am the Captain of the Eclipse and the Right Hoof of Empress Nightmare Moon – I order you to lay down your weapons and surrender or we will be forced to use… er, force.”

The three exchanged looks and then the one in the middle raised its right hand to do some strange gestures with the long digits on it – fingers, she was sure they were called.

‘Are they… are they going to surren- oh, nope – here they come.’

All three of the invaders rushed towards them with large kite shields held up defensively; the coat of arms was identical to the heraldry on their tabards. They were clearing the distance fast with their long legs and Ebony’s mind scrambled to come up with a response.

“Manoeuvre K-I 2 – go!”

This was a risk: she had done her best to drill the codenames for specific actions and attack plans into her subordinates’ skulls, but was it enough? If even one didn’t remember…

But as Ebony crouched low against the ground and looked back, she grinned in relief when every other earth pony and pegasi did the same, allowing the unicorns at the rear to channel Kinetic Impact spells and send them right over their heads.

The invaders hesitated when they saw the salvo of colourful bolts, but weren’t quite fast enough to dodge, and the explosion of energy sent them falling to the ground, exclaiming in shock and pain.

‘Yes!’

“Move!” Ebony scrambled back to her feet and broke into a gallop, raising her sword high. “Don’t let them get back up!”

Literally kick the enemy while they’re down – was there ever a finer strategy?

Ebony thrust her sword against the breastplate of the closest invader as it shifted into a sitting position. The thick metal punctured with some effort and red fluid squirted out from the gap like a ketchup packet.

The invader gave a horrible scream and Ebony was shocked by how equine it was; as if she had just stabbed a regular stallion, and…

‘You’re still in danger! Don’t stop!’

Despite the stab, the invader was still moving; he – sounded like a he – grabbed at the blade with a metal gauntlet and gave a hard shove. Ebony’s magical grip faltered, but she remained strong and thrust her sword again as he wetly hacked up some blood.

While her sword tasted blood a second time, in her peripheral vision she could see Miasma engaging another invader. Miasma had incredible strength and she wielded a large, heavy weapon; the invader gave a shrill scream as the axe’s blade sliced deep into their breastplate and became stained with red. She went for another blow.

And when Ebony drew her sword back, certain that her foe was either dead or dying, she saw the rest of the Eclipse taking out the third invader.

It was a messy affair; they were all terrified and simply hacked away at the armored creature. One managed to sever an arm, but even that wasn’t enough to…

God, the screaming!

Ebony pushed past Miasma and planted her sword deep into the invader’s faceplate, finally silencing it… him.

“Huagh… huagh…” Ebony saw everypony staring at her. Some were shocked and horrified at what they had done while others were just waiting for the next order. “The… The invaders are hostile… use lethal force.”

She pulled her sword out with a wet, visceral noise; it made her stomach churn as it provoked mental images of what somepony’s face would actually look like with a piece of metal shattering their skull and digging into brain matter.

“The…” Ebony shook her head and pointed to several mares and stallions. “All of you – you’re with Lieutenant Miasma. The rest are with me. Let’s move! Move!”

As the guards blinked and shook themselves out of their daze, Ebony sorted through her frazzled thoughts to send out a clear message. “Veil? Veil, are you here yet?”

“Up above you guys.”

Ebony looked skywards and sure enough, she could see the faint silhouette of a lone pegasus that was circling high in the air. “Can you see where the Empress is?”

Veil was silent for a moment. “Yeah, she’s just passed that brothel Fade says he never visits. She’s got some of the invaders running and- oh crap, I think she just bit one’s head off!”

“Okay, okay…” Ebony quickly checked her surroundings to make sure they were still safe. “Can you give us eyes? Where are all of the invaders?”

“Alright, hang on…” Veil straightened her wings and started gliding in a wider circle. “Okay, there’s a big group to the… the west; two blocks away, near the park. And there’s another group around the old skate park. Those ones are… They’re dragging ponies away.”

“What?” Ebony must have looked strange to the others at that moment, seemingly staring up at the sky, saying nothing, and going through a mix of facial expressions. “What do you mean ‘dragging ponies away’?”

“Exactly what it means! They’ve got some in ropes and pulling them on the ground, they’re carrying them over their shoulders – they’re foalnapping them.”

‘But why? What do they want with us?'

Veil cursed. “Fade! What sort of smart guy tries to- Fade?! He’s too far away.”

“Is he fighting the foalnappers?” Miasma interjected calmly.

“Yeah, but he’s the only one there; should I help him out?”

“No, stay up there and keep us updated,” Ebony turned to face Miasma and pointed over her shoulder. “You try and stop as many invaders as you can here while I go help Fade. The Empress will be fine.”

“Alright,” Miasma nodded once. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Finally, Ebony addressed the guards standing around anxiously. She gestured for them to follow her and started at a brisk run through a nearby alleyway. “Those with me – get moving! We have ponies to save!”

The group assigned to the Captain of the Eclipse quickly ran after her, several guards muttering in confusion and disbelief over their superiors’ latest and most disconcerting ‘silent conversation’.

Miasma ordered her group into line with a curt nod of her head.

Being an earth pony of significant mass with a bloodstained axe between the teeth meant words were often unnecessary to get others to do what she wanted, which suited her just fine.

“Fucking horse!” The invader cursed as he swiped his sword at the air while backing away. “Go on – attack! Attack then!”

Nightmare Moon snapped her teeth at the retreating invader and quickly pulled back as he retaliated with a swing. Her pupils had constricted to thin lines and a copious amount of blood stained her muzzle and dripped from her armor, a reminder of her last opponent who made the mistake of leaving their neck unguarded.

In one smooth motion, she lowered her horn and fired off a twinkling ball of ice before vanishing in a flash of magic.

The invader instinctively raised his shield to deflect the projectile and stumbled when a layer of ice encased and weighed it down. Nightmare Moon reappeared behind him and lunged forwards.

He cursed and struggled, but she had a significant advantage in weight, strength, and leverage, so she inevitably managed to snag part of his helmet in her teeth and violently thrash around until she heard a satisfying snap.

He still screamed despite that, but could no longer move his body, and she swiftly silenced the cries with another pull and another snap.
Releasing the corpse and spitting out the unpleasant taste of metal, Nightmare Moon turned away and surveyed the street for any more enemies.

‘What are they? They don armor and attack in groups, but they do so recklessly and without coordination.’

The only strategic move she had seen them perform was falling back when they realized that she was not a pony that could be so easily felled.

If she had to give them any sort of praise, then it would be that they did not seem to scare easily; those she had fought would either remain quiet or shout insults and curses, but she had yet to meet one that cowered or begged for mercy.

‘Obviously, I need to step up my game.’

There were no invaders or ponies in distress on this street, so Nightmare Moon crouched and took to the air with a powerful leap.

Hovering at a low altitude, Nightmare Moon searched for more invaders, a slightly mad grin pulling at her lips.

She hadn’t had this much fun since that time she fought Celestia.

The time she had won, not the time she was misfortunate enough to lose.

The memory sent a spike of malice through her and she growled deeply as she scanned the streets and buildings. ‘Where are you? Where are the creatures that would dare attack my city?’

…

There!

She dove towards an intersection a few blocks away, where two invaders were running side-by-side, one carrying a small foal over their shoulder.

The wind rushed past as she quickly descended and hit the ground a few metres behind them, running. She didn’t want to risk directly dive-bombing them with a foal in their clutches.

She could easily outrun them and once the invaders realized they were being chased, they knew that as well. The one that had been carrying the foal pushed the wailing colt into their compatriot’s arms.

“Get to the portal!” The voice was female and carried the weight of authority. “I’ll hold it off!”

The female stopped in place and faced Nightmare Moon by drawing her weapon.

‘She’s different…’

So far, the invaders had been bipeds in concealing suits of armor with swords and shields; this female was still on two legs, but her attire was that of a sleeveless, dark coat and form-fitting trousers. She had no helmet – the facial structure was similar to a monkey but with less hair, softer and more refined features, and an abundance of red hair – and the tabard that was present on the others was absent; instead, the heraldry was painted on the belly of her long-tailed coat.

And the sword and shield had been replaced by a much larger sword – an immense thing with a slender blade that had to be near six feet long and about a foot wide.

‘A higher rank perhaps?’ Nightmare Moon’s grin widened as she galloped closer. ‘Maybe this will put some demoralization amongst their numbers.’

The female didn’t seem to be much of a threat – her ‘protection’ looked as though it wouldn’t even fare well against the cold much less a pair of powerful hooves. Not only that, she didn’t carry a shield; the greatsword required the usage of both her hands. She wasn’t very tall or wide either; swinging that thing around wouldn’t be eas-

Clang

SHHHRRRKK

The greatsword’s tip was placed against the ground to the right of the female; she dashed forwards and kicked up a trail of sparks as the metal grinded against stone before swinging in an upwards arc.

Nightmare Moon didn’t expect the dash to clear the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

She also didn’t expect the greatsword to strike her in the chest with enough force to actually send her flying backwards like she was made of paper.

‘I deserved that. I shouldn’t have judged based on appearances. How irritating…’

Throwing out her wings, Nightmare Moon managed to twist in the air and right herself so she landed on her hooves, teeth clenched together as waves of pain resonated throughout. Her armor had saved her from a nasty gash, but the blow had still cracked a few ribs.

‘Unfortunate – I feel as though being able to breathe properly would be invaluable against this opponent.’

Clang

SHHHRRRKK

The same attack, but it just came out so damn fast that Nightmare Moon barely got a barrier up in time. Several cracks formed in the arcane shield, but the female invader recoiled as her sword bounced off, and her moment of vulnerability allowed Nightmare Moon to drop the barrier and charge forwards.

It should have been done then and there, but the female was slippery and agile; the instant she was knocked to the ground, she rolled to the side and Nightmare Moon’s forehooves ended up crushing roadwork.

The female was already up on her feet and bringing her greatsword in an overhead smash by the time Nightmare Moon looked to the side.

Fwoosh

CRACK

She managed to leap in the other direction and the sword shattered the ground with an explosion of dust and concrete chips.

Clang

SHHHRRRKK

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!!” Nightmare Moon yelled as the invader charged through the dust cloud, her sword spitting up sparks behind her. She barely dodged that, too.

What was with the scraping? It should have been dulling the blade’s edge, but she was half-sure it was getting sharper by the moment!

‘She’s faster and more aggressive than the others,’ Nightmare Moon formed another barrier when the invader used the momentum of her upwards swing to spin and slash horizontally. ‘But she’s not as well-protected.’

Her barrier cracked as the swing connected and the invader recovered fast enough to jump backwards – seven feet high and more than double that, surprisingly – before going into a strange stance; her knees bent as the greatsword was drawn back and levelled horizontally with the invader’s chest.

It looked as if she intended to thrust with it.

And she did except she also seemed to slide forwards at terrific speed, her blade slicing through air with a deadly, high-pitched note.
Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and pulled to the side.

Her left ear was shorn off, but she managed to let off a basic spell for casting light, albeit one with more magic pumped into it than what was suggested by safety officials.

With her remaining ear, she heard the invader yelp in pain, and used that noise as a guide; Nightmare Moon pushed her head forwards and up, the strong length of her horn spearing the air until-

Sklutch

Blood dribbled and followed the spirals of her horn to cascade down her helmet. Nightmare Moon smiled sadistically as she lifted the spluttering and gasping invader straight off the ground.

“Y-you…” Gloved hands grasped at her muzzle and the back of her neck. “D-damn you… horse…”

“I am a pony… in a vague sense.”

Nightmare Moon swung her head and tossed the dying female to the cold ground before taking to the air in pursuit of the stolen foal.

The old skate park was more or less abandoned in favour of the new one that had opened up on the other side of downtown, and it was now home only to roaming cliques of ponies, graffiti artists, or tourists that fancied looking at the old parts of town.

And now, several invaders grouped near one of the skating rinks, shouting and threatening the terrified ponies they had gathered.

Ebony and her squadron arrived from the western entrance and were immediately spotted; she held up her hoof and told the guards to wait as the invaders – eight in total – moved to stand in front of their hostages.

Everypony… Everyone was shouting and that unpleasant note that stained the invaders’ words just made Ebony’s headache worse.

“Yo, Ebs!”

Fade was perched on the abandoned kiosk that would have sold and rented out skateboards. One of the shutters had been wrenched open; it explained where Fade had gotten the battered skateboard in his hooves. It looked like he had been using it as a club.

“Fade, are you okay?” She made sure to keep one eye trained on the invaders as she spoke to her friend.

“They can’t do shit against me in the air, but they’re not budging from the hostages!” Fade paused to heave the skateboard at the invaders. It bounced against one’s helmet and they spat out a curse. “Fucking stalemate over here!”

Ebony worried at her lip as she examined the situation, trying to come up with a plan. The invaders had formed a loose circle around the hostages and were deaf to their pleas for release and mercy.

Eight hostages – five stallions, one mare, a colt, and a filly.

Ebony’s heart thumped painfully as she watched the mare comfort the sobbing filly, probably her daughter.

‘Faust, what do I do? What do these things want with them? Why take them here?’

She looked amongst the invaders for a leader or someone who looked like they were in charge.

One of the invaders had no helmet – what a strange-looking species – and a longcoat and trousers instead of armor, but he – judging by the irritated voice coming from his mouth – kept glancing towards the invader at his side, as if for guidance.

So was that invader…?

“Which of you is in charge?!” Ebony shouted. “I want to talk to them!”

The invader that the male without armor had been looking at turned their head in her direction, but simply stared.

She shouted again, straining her voice to be heard. “I want to talk to the one in charge!”

“… Stand down!”

As if a switch had been flicked, the invaders’ threats and orders towards the hostages died down and they stood rigidly, obediently. The filly was within the circle was still crying, but the mother tried to hush her with gentle coos and whispers.

Ebony swallowed nervously and muttered a soft order to the fidgeting guards behind her to keep quiet and still as the invader in charge broke out of the circle and stepped forwards. They didn’t go far, maybe a few feet from the others, close enough to fall back if the situation turned violent.

It was a smart move; strange, considering the last force Ebony had faced seemed to be fans of ‘reckless charge and hope for the best’.

“I am Knight Paladin Esther,” The invader was female and a young one by the sounds of it. “Who am I addressing?”

Ebony shot Fade a ‘what do I say’ look. He responded by flicking his hoof against his chin while raising his tail.

“Very mature…”

“They won’t know what it means.”

“They’ll get the context.”

Seeing no help there, Ebony sighed and hoped her diplomatic skills were up to par. “I am the Captain of the Eclipse and the Right Hoof of Empress Nightmare Moon.”

“Right Hoof?”

“What’s with the names here?”

“I told you all to stand down!”

“I, uh… I demand you release those ponies at once and surrender! Peacefully.”

“I’m afraid I have to decline,” Esther replied. She planted the tip of her sword against the ground and rested her hands on the hilt. “The Rouge Knight Order requires the usage of these unicorns.”

‘Unicorns?’ Ebony took another close look and realized that the hostages all had horns on their heads. ‘Wait, how do they know about us? Have they… been watching us?’

“These ponies are citizens of Canterlot!” She yelled and took a step forwards. “Taking them is… I-if you take them, then it’s a declaration of war!”

“Ebs, I’m pretty sure we’re already at war with them.”

“Hey, unless it’s something that’ll help rescue the hostages, shut it.”

“Shutting it.”

Esther shifted. Ebony didn’t know how, but she knew that the invader’s mood had just taken a turn for the worse.

“Funny – where we come from, destroying a settlement and killing fifty-two innocent people is a pretty solid declaration of war.”

“… What?” Ebony shook her head, certain that she had misheard. “Killing fifty-two…? What?”

“Incoming hostile! Unicorn-pegasus type!”

Every pair of eyes turned to the park’s southern entrance. Another invader carrying a small colt sprinted into view like Tartarus itself was on his heels.

Perhaps not, but the next best thing was as Nightmare Moon dived down from the sky and hit the ground to give chase, bloodstained teeth bared and snapping.

“Empress!”

Even though the invaders clustered around the hostages and were once again hostile, Ebony felt a surge of relief.

Nightmare Moon’s horn shone and a similar glow surrounded the leg of the invader she was chasing. The telekinetic hold didn’t last for very long, but that moment where he stumbled in place and shook his limb out of the hold was all that the Empress needed to catch up and bite down on his shin.

“Stop!” Esther yelled. “Release him now!”

Nightmare Moon flicked her head to the right and sent the invader tumbling down the curved side of a skating basin. His grip loosened, allowing her to simply pluck the small foal from his flailing arms with telekinesis.

She went no further than that and stood at her full height, sending Esther a baleful glare.

“I presume you are the one in charge here?” Nightmare Moon said in a low and dangerous tone. The colt in her grasp was struggling and whimpering despite having just been saved, so the Empress deposited him on the ground, where he then proceeded to bolt out of the park. “The one that is overseeing this… insult?”

Esther was quiet for a bit, looking at the male invader as he climbed out of the basin and trudged over to join them. “… I am the highest-ranking official here at this moment.”

“Empress…” Ebony sent her thoughts urgently. “They say we started this, that we destroyed one of their settlements and killed fifty-two of their own.”

“My Right Hoof over there tells me that you believe we started this…” Nightmare Moon slowly stalked to and fro like a predator, sharp eyes searching for a gap in defense. The invaders wisely kept their attention on her. “Tell me – how is this possible when we weren’t even aware of your existence until tonight, with this pre-emptive strike?”

“…” Esther made a strange gesture: she touched the side of her helmet and nodded once. “You’re the leader here? Of this city?”

“Of Equestria.”

“What would that be?”

“The country you are in. The country that you saw fit to invade under ridiculous pretences,” Nightmare Moon growled and stopped going back and forth. “Are you the ones creating the Entropic Fractures?”

“…” Again, Esther made the same gesture. “You know what they’re called… do you have the technology to create them?”

“No. It took some time and a few unfortunate encounters with your Wisp Knights before we could create the technology to close them,” Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes and her astral tail churned aggressively. “You have deaths to answer for…”

“… So do you.”

“What are you doing that gesture for?” The Empress pressed forwards with a flash of her bloodied fangs. “Are you communicating with someone? I would very much like some answers because so far, all I know is that there’s a group of poorly-trained soldiers rounding up my subjects for ill-contrived reasons and a misplaced sense of vengeance.”

Ebony fidgeted in place, disliking the tension in the air; it felt like a fight could start at any moment. She would not hesitate to strike at the invaders, but she feared for the hostages. So far, they were unharmed – for what reason, she didn’t know and wasn’t sure if she wanted to – but that could easily change.

“Captain…” One of the guards behind her whispered worriedly – a female, probably Ensign Scarlet. “What are we going to do?”

“Keep alert and don’t do anything until I say so…” Ebony whispered back; she heard Scarlet retreat back into the ranks. “Just… try and keep at ease.”

“Our vengeance is not misplaced…” Esther said with utmost conviction. She raised her arm and pointed at Nightmare Moon. “The blame lies with you.”

Again with the accusations, but Ebony truly had no idea how the invaders came to such a conclusion. Esther sounded so sure, but how could they have committed a crime when they didn’t even have contact with these… monkey-like creatures?

“Start elaborating before I lose my patience…” Nightmare Moon demanded with a stomp of her hoof; her horn also started glowing as she called on her magic. “You sent those Wisp Knights, did you not?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Esther shook her head.

Ebony watched the exchange closely… and realized Nightmare Moon had taken a few steps towards the invaders. Even though they should have reacted… they didn’t.

“Bipedal suits of tarnished armor inhabited by black smoke; they look like you, but are larger in size.” Nightmare Moon took a step to her right and spread her wings.

No reaction.

“Ebony, Fade.”

“Uh…” Ebony frowned at the oppositions’ inactivity. Their body language suggested they were still on alert, so it was strange none called out her Empress’ movement. “Y-yes, Empress?”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Illusion spells seem to work on them; they are keeping their attention on a false copy I left in the place…” Nightmare Moon started lightly stepping around the invaders. “I’m going to try and get close enough to teleport the hostages out of there. I trust you know what to do when they’re safe?”

‘Illusion spells work on them? I thought they were immune to… No, I remember Haze telling me… some illusion spells don’t affect others, but, uh… th-they’re a m-manipulation of the light in a selected area or around an object.’

Maybe if Ebony had been standing where the invaders were, then she would have also fallen for the illusion… but fortunately, she wasn’t.

“We do, Empress.”

“No worries, boss – I’ll be on them like flies on shit.”

“Inhabited by black smoke…” Esther repeated as she kept a cautious eye on nothing. “Yes, we call them Irregulars and they’re from our world, but they have no alliance with us… not anymore. If they attacked you, it wasn’t our fault.”

“So you say…” Nightmare Moon stalked closer, flexing her wing so a primary feather was held in front her lips. The hostages were torn between relief of a rescue and fear of their saviour. “However, you also say we committed the first strike, so I’m disinclined to believe anything you say.”

She was so close now, just a hair’s breadth away from touching one of the armored figures; her horn was glowing brighter, channelling a teleportation spell. Ebony was amazed Nightmare Moon was able to keep up the illusion while simultaneously preparing a teleportation spell, especially since she was planning to take eight other ponies with her.

Ebony could barely manage teleporting herself.

“It doesn’t really…” Esther lifted her hand to the side of her head again. “…”

Suddenly, she gave a short laugh, cold and threatening.

‘Uh oh…’

“You know…” Esther murmured darkly. “Maybe you should speak to someone with a bit more… weight to their name.”

And not a second after that sentence, the empty space behind Nightmare Moon literally fractured like a glass window with a sound like a hundred wind chimes in a hurricane.

Ebony gasped and Fade took to the air in shock. “What the fuck?!”

Esther and her soldiers turned to face the Fracture and the one closest to Nightmare Moon stumbled back, shouting, “Holy sh-”

The Empress batted him aside with a wing and dove towards the hostages, her horn glowing like a miniature sun as-

Esther swung her sword at Nightmare Moon and drew a bloody gash across her back.

There was a flash of magic that briefly blinded Ebony and when it faded, four hostages were safely in front of her while the rest were only a few feet away from the invaders’ protective circle, Nightmare Moon amongst them with a savage sneer and ravaged flesh that was already knitting back together.

‘Faust!’

Ebony dashed forwards, past the dazed hostages, shouting, “Get them out of here!” She lifted her sword with telekinesis, racing towards her Empress as Esther and her soldiers charged over.

“Go, you idiots!” Nightmare Moon swept out her wing and – rather roughly – pushed the ponies with her towards the park’s exit. “Or do you wish to remain with them?”

They scattered as Ebony joined Nightmare Moon’s side, sword hovering and primed to swing out. Esther and her soldiers were closing in, but Ebony’s squadron was rushing in from the sidelines and Fade was high in the air, prepping the blades on his wings for an aerial assault.

All in all, the invaders were outnumbered and, she thought confidently, outmatc-

“Have at thee, fiends!”

Something came out of the Fracture, but the light of the anomaly was behind it, so Ebony only saw a glimpse of a shadowy figure, a flash of red light, and then a blur of motion before a tremendous force knocked the wind from her lungs and sent her tumbling through the air.

“I gotcha, Ebs!”

“Oomph!”

A pair of strong forelegs caught her around the waist and she was dangling upside-down for a brief moment before Fade carefully put her back on the ground, right-side up. She was still gasping for breath, but at least the world wasn’t spinning.

“Th…” She nodded gratefully as he landed beside her. “Thanks…”

“I, uh, might have caught a glimpse of your girl parts, so sorry about that.”

“That’s okay.”

“Didn’t mean to.”

“I know.”

“Super-sexy, by the way.”

“Fade…”

“Yeah, I know…”

Ebony looked around and was surprised to see Nightmare Moon also getting back to her feet, apparently after having been smacked aside like a balloon full of helium. Not only that, but the invaders had halted mid-charge and were staring at…

She followed their gaze.

The ponies that had scattered were backing away in fear of the tall figure that blocked the park’s entrance.

He wore the thick armor like Esther, but without the helmet; his skin was a tanned bronze colour and the hair on his head short, militaristic, and dark as night.

“Fifty-two…”

A pale scar ran vertically across the right side of his face, over the ridge of his brow and down to his cheek. The eye was… wrong. The left eye was natural and a dark shade of green, but the right had a cold, artificial look that wasn’t helped by the sanguine colour of the iris.

“That is how many perished in the Obelisk Sector.”

The ponies before him whimpered when he lifted his weapon – a glaive with a long black hilt etched with golden scripture and a wide, hook-like blade painted dark red – and pointed it over their heads.

Towards Nightmare Moon, who returned the gesture with a scowl.

“You… you are the leader of this place? The one they call Nightmare Moon?”

“I am,” Nightmare Moon cast a scathing glare at the invaders. “And you’re the leader of these… cannon fodder?”

“I am Caed, the Knight Enforcer – leader of the Rouge Knight Order,” Caed twirled his glaive and slapped the bottom against the ground, the tip pointing towards the sky. “For the honour and in the memory of those that have perished, you will pay for your attack.”

“…” Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes and met Ebony’s eyes. “A bit dramatic, isn’t he?”

“… Is that not the point?” Caed frowned and suddenly looked unsure. “To announce oneself in a memorable and bombastic manner so that your enemies may tremble at your name?”

“There are more efficient ways to make your enemies tremble. There’s the popular choice of destroying those who attack your city swiftly and mercilessly…” Nightmare Moon grinned cruelly and jerked her head to the right. “In fact, some of your troops can tell you all about it; they’re lying about in the streets… here and there…”

“I am sure they will have plenty to tell me…” Caed said without any ounce of sarcasm. “But right now, I am more interested in you, horse.”

“Pony.”

Caed looked the Empress up and down, lips turning in a frown. “… As you say… pony. I am more interested in you, the leader of our newest nemesis, and your reasons for attacking without reason.”

“Again with this?” Nightmare Moon growled and stomped her right forehoof so hard it cracked the ground. “I’m going to ask only one more time: what exactly do you think we did?”

“… An Entropic Fracture opened up in one of our settlements – the Obelisk Sector…” Caed started pacing back and forth, but he never took his intense gaze off her. “It was quarantined off for study and the citizens were ordered to stay within their abodes so that they would be safe.”

Ebony worriedly glanced back at the other invaders; they were refraining from any sort of attack in the meantime, but were prepped in case they were given the order. The male without the helmet was giving Ebony’s squadron a scathing look as they cautiously kept their distance.

‘They’re sandwiched, but then so is the Empress and me…’

“We managed to establish surveillance to your world through means of a probe…” Here, Caed stopped and his tone became dark. “The first thing we witnessed was a beam of energy, sent by your people, at the Fracture.”

“B-but it just closed it!” Ebony felt as if she had to speak up; this made no sense to her. “We didn’t attack you.”

“… Just closed it?”

SKRAK

The blade of Caed’s weapon flashed down to strike the concrete with a burst of sparks and stone chips. Ebony instinctively drew back and held up her sword; she heard her squadron do the same with a chorus of metallic clinks and clanks.

She barely saw him move to do that it was so fast.

“Tell me, pony – when you ‘closed’ the Fracture, did it create an explosion? Did that explosion wipe out fifty-two innocent lives – men and women, young and old – and leave a crater large enough to fit our largest building? Did it degrade the very soil so that nothing could ever grow there again?”

“…”

“Did it destroy some of your most prized treasures?”

“… No. No, it didn’t.”

“... Pfft.”

Caed’s eyes hardened, if that was possible, and he turned his gaze back to Nightmare Moon. “Why do you scoff at our plight? Do you admit to your crimes then?”

“I admit to nothing,” Nightmare Moon said with a shrug. “We had no idea the Fracture in your world would wipe out one of your settlements; we didn’t even know you were there. We closed the Fracture because it was hanging directly over my city and posed a great threat to our well-beings.”

She paused briefly, staring at Caed with an unreadable expression. For his part, Caed just stood there, listening.

“For what it’s worth, it was not my intention to cause you and your people any harm.”

“… That is it?” Caed murmured. “That is all you have to say?”

“What do you want? An apology for something I had to do to protect my kingdom?”

Ebony shifted in place, her frown curving deeper and her insides turning with unease. “Empress?”

She didn’t get an answer.

“I’ll admit this much…” Nightmare Moon continued. “If you had killed fifty-two of my subjects and destroyed a portion of my kingdom, then I would do the same thing you’re doing. Even so… just because I understand, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand idly by; these ponies are under my rule, so they will be protected.”

“… Hm…” Caed smirked. “It pains me to say this… but I can respect a ruler that would personally defend their subjects.”

“… But?”

“But I will not let my people’s deaths be in vain. I promised them a better future and I intend to keep that promise…” He clenched his empty hand into a fist. “No matter the cost.”

Nightmare Moon shook her head admonishingly. “You are making a grave mistake, Knight Enforcer.”

“Perhaps… but it is better than doing nothing and waiting to die.”

Caed lifted his weapon off the ground and planted the pole against the concrete. The tension in the air was palpable; Ebony mentally groaned as she could feel what was about to occur.

“Knights!”

The Knight Enforcer’s shout carried over the park and the invaders stiffened.

“You have heard the enemy’s side of the story! If you believe them to be truly exempt from blame, then I implore you to return through the Fracture!”

Ebony looked back.

Not one of them went.

“Come on, Knight Enforcer…” Esther said light-heartedly. “Who’s going to pull your dorky ass out of the fire when the going gets tough?”

Caed laughed and shook his head fondly. “Ah, so the reason you all charge into battle with me becomes clear. Truly, I fight alongside jesters in plate armor.”

Ebony grimaced. “Empress?”

“Eclipse – to arms!” Nightmare Moon spread her wings with a powerful gust of wind.

When Ebony saw that she had her ‘Nightmare Grin’ on, she knew this was going to be a bumpy ride.

‘Oh, the things I do…’

Caed swung his glaive to point the blade at her. “Rouge Knights – charge!!”

Author's Notes:

Note 1: For those wondering about the Knight Enforcer's name, the 'C-A-E' portion is pronounced like the name, 'Kay' with a 'd' sound at the end - rhymes with 'spade'.