The Marazon Encampment to the South -

“Stay still, Fly,” the prone mare heard above her. “I just have a few more to remove.” Another shard came out and the pegasus tried her best not to scream, but this one was deep. She managed to make it sound more like a growl of anger than the searing pain of having their enemies deadly projectiles being removed from the tender underside of her body between her wing and rib cage. The sound of crystal chimed against the edge of a ceramic bowl while the healer's two assistants around them performed their assigned jobs. One swabbed Fly Away's wounds down with a painkiller and antibiotic herbal wash while the other pressed on the mare's body in specific areas to ease pain and stimulate her immunity and healing. It bothered their physician that as skilled as her assistants were and with all the tools they had to ease pain, her patient was still experiencing so much discomfort. There appeared to be absolutely no reason for it!

“The creature that did this is a monster!” Healing Touch snarled while she worked. “How could he hit a high-flying object with such accuracy when she was flying so erratically and was so distant at the time?”

“Our own archers are nearly as skilled,” one assistant reminded her. “We just don't see their casualties because they are not of our own sisters.”

“Maybe,” Healing muttered, going after another shard. “But these hits had been caused with an uncanny, unnatural accuracy.” She looked at the assistant with a slightly reprimanding tone. “You forget how long I have been in the field with our Queen.” She looked to her patient. “Fly Away, are you sure you don't want to be put to sleep for this?”

The sweat-soaked mare looked like she had been through Tartarus and back, her eyes sunken and dark from lack of a restful morning, stolen away by Sombra's nightmares and now this. “We can't,” she refused. “I have to be ready when we leave and that's as soon as the Queen and Council return.”

“We have gurneys,” the same assistant who spoke before offered. “you will be too tired to make the journey and no one expects you to either fly nor walk after this.”

“You know the injured are held to the back of the advance to protect them, Fly,” the physician firmly reminded her. “The Queen may even send you further South to our sister's villages among the tree dwellers.”

“No!” the damaged pegasus protested. “When her Highness returns, I will ask to stay with the army. I want to see this King taken down for what He did to us!”

Physician and assistants traded glances. “Fly,” Touch spoke as she worked on the last few crystal shards. “you are normally so level-headed in battle. I know this is a horrible thing losing your sisters, but remember your training, your discipline and the meditations. They'll help.”

“Not against this,” she cried, growing agitated again. “You didn't see HIM! I knew this was coming – I KNEW IT!”

Healing Touch nodded to one mare to cease the acupressure treatment and hold Fly Away firmer as the last shard was removed. She also nodded to another to get her a bottle of another tincture and a cloth. “What do you mean you knew, Fly?” Healing asked.

“I – knew. I think I had a vision, a dream, something I saw,” she gasped. “He was there. The same feel of evil was present. We were flying, they both were hit in the same spots as in the dream!” She cried as the last shard was removed, but it was a weak, tired cry, during which Healing took the tincture-soaked cloth and swabbed her patient's wounds one final time.

The three attending mares looked at each other in concern. Visions were to be taken seriously and this sounded like something not to be ignored if it were true. It would, however, have to wait as the final solution they were putting on their patient was a strong enough anesthetic it radiated out from the wounds into Fly's blood and fully dampened the pain, allowing the exhausted mare to succumb to her desperate need to sleep.

Healing Touch gestured to her staff to remove the flyer to a place to rest and recover, shaking her head. She would have to report this to Queen Ainippe as soon as possible.

Hours Earlier with the Crystal Army -

The army advanced as soon as they broke camp, heading as instructed back north, retracing their route back to the bay. King Sombra led, as always, with Captain Iron Blade at his side and five of their six Lieutenants immediately behind. Sombra and Blade conferred at the base of the rocky climb back up. The Captain motioned behind him, calling, “Gale Force?”

A pale blue pegasus with a tornado as a cutie mark galloped up to them. He saluted smartly. “You Highness, Captain. I am at your command.”

“Tell Night Bomber to rotate your flyers down to ground to save their strength for engagement with the Marazons, Lieutenant,” Iron Hoof instructed.

Sombra looked up, seeing six flyers above in two circles – one smaller, encompassing the space above the army, the other slightly higher, on reconnaissance, in an ever-widening pattern that periodically shrank back inwards towards the smaller one. Such freedom they had up there, he admired, briefly yearning to join them. In his shadow form it would be possible, but the new recruits had not seen him yet as such and he was concerned they were not yet ready to experience him in his natural state. He frowned, recalling the harsh lesson in the field that had taught him that so many years ago.

“Sire, are you okay?” Blade asked, seeing his King's moodiness.

'Yes, Commander,” the Umbrum nodded. He cut any explanation short as the earth pony Terrain trotted up, bowing before them. “Terrain,” he acknowledged.

“Your Highness, if I may make an observation that might be of benefit,” the scout began...

High above, Night Bomber looked down at the head of the advance, scowling. “What is that suck-up plotting?” he huffed.

“Sir?” asked his wing stallion.

“Look at that,” he motioned with his muzzle downward. “It's bad enough Iron Blade calls Gale Force to the King's side while I'm stuck up here, now Terrain is there as well. Force is just a Second Lieutenant. I should be the one down there, at their side!”

“Yes sir,” the pegasus nodded. It was no use talking Night Bomber out of such rantings, he had long ago learned. Better to just let him vent up here, safely out of their earshot.

The Lieutenant turned his head quickly away and rode the air currents with as much grace as his jealousy would allow when the ground party including the four stallions looked up to their position. “I should be down there, making up for that farce in the camp. Blade has it in for me!”

“Yes sir.”

Gale Force took off from the front of the line and was heading their way. “Ah, this should be interesting,” Bomber nodded as his second caught up with them.

“Lieutenant,” the newly arrived pegasus saluted.

“Yes, Force, what is it?” the arrogant flyer tried to sound bored despite his burning curiosity.

“We have new orders, sir. Blade requests your presence while I inform the troops,” Gale reported.

Bomber's scowl returned. Below the army could now be seen advancing over the rocky terrain, back up to the plains bordering the hills leading back to the bay. He hated getting his well-polished hooves and armor scuffed and dusty down with the earth division when his flyers would be cleanly over this filthy obstacle within a matter of minutes above them. Why were they choosing now to ground him? He sighed. “Very well, but tell me the orders first, Lieutenant. I want to know what I am flying into before I take audience with Blade and His Majesty.”

“He hates that, you know, Sire.”

Sombra didn't bother looking up at the approaching Pegasus. “I know.”

“If Night learned a little humility, you would not harass him so,” Blade smiled. “dragging him down here with us earth-bound creatures.”

“You are so sure of that, Commander?” the King asked, a slight grin on his features.

“I am, my friend,” Blade smiled back. “doesn't mean I want you to stop, though.”

“Yes?”

“The bastard deserves it,” Blade's grin grew.

“Arrogance breeds mistakes, Blade, as we were so prone to in our youth.”

The Commander threw his head back and laughed. “Don't I remember! The only thing that drove it home was the butt of a sword bashed into my helmet and skull at Kaijeiri.”

Sombra permitted himself the laugh with his friend before Night Bomber touched down, then the mask of King and Supreme Leader snapped back into place once again. It almost fell a second time watching the nearly comical way the Lieutenant tried to side canter with them and bow at the same time as they went over the tricky field of loose granite rocks.

Iron Blade did snicker, but Bomber missed it as he bowed, addressing them. “I am at your service, my King, Commander!” He then quickly turned to face the army's advancing direction before he seriously tripped and landed on his plot.

“Terrain has a novel idea for a formation the pegasai can assume that will perhaps be more intimidating to the enemy,” Blade told him. “Something he learned while observing them during their food gathering hunts.” The Commander glanced back at King Sombra.

“It is an intriguing idea and could serve us well when the time comes,” Sombra agreed. “Train the flyers in this method Terrain passed on to Gale Force. Create a signal to implement it when instructed and inform us of what it is at the next meeting of the Lieutenants.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Bomber bowed. “If I may?”

“Yes, what is it, Night?” Blade answered for the King.

The pegasai balked at the Commander taking away his opportunity to speak directly with the King, but did not dare outwardly protest. “It is a stationary maneuver that requires the army be stopped, sir. When will we be able to practice it?”

“As soon as we reach the bay, Lieutenant,” Sombra answered.

“Uh, Sire, the updrafts from the onshore wind flow may throw off our formation,” he cautiously ventured. “and with the marine layer heavy in the morning, we are unsure whether it returns in the later day or evening.”

“Talk to Terrain about it, Bomber,” Blade shrugged him off. “He knows this land's weather patterns best. Work out with him when best to stop the army's advance and report back to me immediately.”

“Yes – yes, sir!” Bomber bowed to them both and went off to find Terrain, who by now had fallen back to join the earth stallion's troop. Iron Blade looked back occasionally to see what was taking Night Bomber so long to get his answer and report back to him. The Lieutenant had gestured for his second in command to join him from the air, so now all three were conferring. Iron Blade caught his King grunting in amusement.

“He is not completely without sense, but still, best to keep an eye on him. Gale Force is proving himself more competent each day. He may yet take his place.” They both glanced back to where it was apparent Night Bomber was arguing with Gale over something. Returning to concentrating on the uneven ground of their climb, Sombra caught Blade frowning at the lack of respect the pegasus leader obviously garnered with his stallions.

“Perhaps you should arrange for a little denting of that one's skull, my friend. For the army's sake, of course,” Sombra indicated with a smirk.

Blade laughed.

Luckily Nyx had taken a lungful of breath before she fell into the water. Driven down to its bottom by the force of her own body weight, she groped for a way to stay there, reaching out until she connected with a deeply-rooted fresh water plant. She grabbed its base desperately to hang on for fear of resurfacing with the shadow above her now showing it knew where she was and how badly it wanted her. Wide-eyed, she watched the thing above searching, moving restlessly back and forth over the pond, confused as to where she had gone.

The smoky essence felt the drop in the physical floor only vaguely, letting itself spill into the space. It connected with another surface, the water, and could go no further. It still felt fear, was still being drawn to get past the surface, but the barrier of the pond prevented it.

'C'mon, you wretched excuse for a storm cloud!' Nyx cursed at it. 'I can't stay down here all day!' Pushing her fear aside in favor of focusing on a way out, she looked around her for anything she could use as a weapon, or any means of escape available to her. There was nothing. The temple pool was fed by a water source whose aqueduct system was too long for her to get through before she would run out of air and drown. The only thing she could do, she realized, was put herself in a trance to use less oxygen and wait the creature out. It would buy her precious little more time, but she had no choice.

Securing her wrist and ankle firmly to the kelp she was clinging to so she could maintain her depth, the Seeress quickly turned her attention inward, silently reciting the mantras that would slow her body's growing need for air.

Clear of the jagged, granite field, the crystal army picked up the pace, heading back towards the forests beyond the plains they were now on.

It was not long after that the Commander started noticing Sombra's distant look, and now there was a sudden laxness in his usual, crisp gait. He slowed enough the Lieutenants behind had to adjust their pace and like a ripple, the advancing army behind them compensated. “Sire?” he asked.

“Close,” Sombra muttered, trance-like. “I am close to her, Blade.” His voice was darker than usual, heavily echoed. “something is preventing me from reaching her.” His eyes flared green and he stopped dead. “Too far to see what...” he shook his head as he poured more of his power into the connection. The Commander was not surprised to see Sombra's body grow more transparent underneath the armor. “a barrier...”

“Incoming!” someone yelled from just behind the Lieutenant’s line, pointing to the skies. “Bomber, behind you!” they warned.

The wave of reaction and sudden emotion partially pulled the Shadow King out of his trance. He growled in protest, growing solid again. He was so close to the Marazon. He could have her!

Distantly he heard Iron Blade report there were three pegasai Marazon scouts approaching and he recognized the number from the first fear-inducing dream he had taken one of their sleeping army with just hours before. With great reluctance, Sombra recalled his shadow's essence from the lunar temple, drawing it back into himself. Once done, he took a moment to reground, then follow Iron Blade's gaze to the skies above and to the east.

“Iron Blade, I wish to send the Marazons a message,” Sombra instructed. “get the archers to the front line immediately!”

The Commander called and yelled for the unicorn archers including True Aim, to come forward. As they scrabbled to do so, the rest of the battalion waited for instructions, preparing their weapons and watching the scenario play out above.

Night Bomber had been caught unawares, but the outer pegasai line made up for it, racing to head the enemy scouts off as they began to turn to flee. Gale Force took advantage of the more turbulent, faster upper air currents, flying higher, getting ahead of them under the cover of some scattered clouds and diving back down on two of the closest pegasai mares. Looking down to the front lines, he caught a signal from Iron Blade telling him to drive them closer to the army, but not attack, and changed his tactics instantly to comply.

Below, the unicorn archers dove to their position, surrounding their King and his second in command, bows and arrows at the ready. “Wait,” Sombra instructed them personally. “They will come closer. The lagging one will catch up. At my command, fire at the closest two. Kill them, but the last one is mine.” He licked his lips, tracking their movements with a sharp, practiced eye, the thrill of the hunt coming back to his instincts effortlessly. “Yes, little one,” he smiled grimly. “You remember this, I see. Slow, but not beneath our notice...FIRE!” he commanded.

High above, the front two pegasai mares were fatally struck, the arrows aims enhanced by Sombra's dark magic. Their screams were faint, lost to the excited chatter of the archers below at their success. The slower pegasai sped up to try to help her sisters. Sombra tracked her carefully. “True Aim, just you,” he instructed. “target her wing, but only to wound. I want her to carry word back to her army.”

“Aye Sire,” the archer replied, using his magic to draw his bow back and track her movements along the shaft of his arrow. He smiled briefly at the dark aura the King attached to the bow and arrow to ensure its power and his aim, then returned quickly to his target's trajectory above.

In the meantime, King Sombra's horn glowed the red of his natural talent's magics, producing sharp, red crystals to both sides of him. They turned, aiming for the flyer. The mare was not watching her grounded enemy, too busy dodging attacking enemy pegasai who had a harder time with their smaller, more agile counterpart. She, however, was alone and would have no chance against both their threat and this new attack. “Fire!” he commanded quietly.

True Aim let fly his arrow, watching in awe, as the rest of the army did, tracking the deadly red crystal barrage that flew with it from the hoof of their King, towards the airborne mare. Her sudden, jerking movements told them she was hit. “Good work, Aim,” he complimented. Nodding in approval as she frantically banked east to flee, he called up to Night Bomber, seeing the Lieutenant was changing direction to pursue. “Let her go, Lieutenant,” Sombra called, then turned to continue the march north.

“Night Bomber! Stand down!” Iron Blade called up, noting the pegasai was still in pursuit of the Marazon flyer. Whether Bomber lacked sense or sanity or was the victim of a serious deficit of judgment, he disobeyed the order and flew after the lone pegasai. Sombra's surprise at the open rebellion against his and Blade's commands faded quickly, replaced by growl of anger. His reasons for letting the pegasus go were part of a bigger strategy and never to be questioned by his troops, even a Lieutenant!

The Lieutenant continued on, unheeding, seeing the opportunity to claim a prize for his King and win back some favor. It was obvious to the two leaders what the senseless stallion was trying to accomplish. “I will have his wings clipped for this!” Blade yelled, furious.

“Let me do the honors for you, Commander,” Sombra snarled, taking aim again as several black crystals, larger and nastier looking that the red ones he had used earlier, appeared above him.

As Gale Force gave the retreat whistle above them, he saw the glow of Sombra's black aura gathering force below and could guess what the unicorn was preparing to do. “SCATTER!” he yelled to his flyers. He was diving out of the way himself when he heard a choked scream behind him after feeling the rush of air pass over his back. The crystals narrowly missed him and savaged Night Bomber's right wing. The foolish pegasai Lieutenant struggled to control his descent as he fell close to where the two Marazon advance scouts had landed back to ground.

The Shadow King narrowed his eyes at the falling figure. There was nothing worse in his army than outright disobedience, save for treason and spies. The Lieutenant was done as far as his career was concerned. Disgusted, he snorted, “Get Bomber out of my sight, Blade. I will examine the Marazon scouts personally. Have Terrain join - “

“My King, what of the witch at the temple?” Blade asked, his eyes widening at the realization they had forgotten something!

“Blizzards!” Sombra cursed. An unpleasant feeling he was too late hit him like a punch to the gut. Quickly he refocused his dark senses on her presence.

There was no trace. She was gone.

Furious, He slammed a hoof into the ground, the force of the blow and the sharp, black crystals that rose under hoof around them in reaction had the effect of suddenly stopping the mutterings among the archers at their side and the Lieutenants behind him. Their King suddenly shifted into shadow, fueled by anger and frustration. Startled, they backed up further, avoiding the new field of projectiles that grew like grass at their hooves, but wanting more to stay out of the way of the Umbrum's unpredictable anger.

Sombra's pony head formed in front of Iron Blade. Gale Force, who had just joined them, the scout Sure Step and several others who had never seen the demon pony take this form before, stepped back, startled. “Deal with that fool, Commander,” Sombra's voice said in an even deeper, more frightening tone than it usually took. “I must attend to her personally before she is lost to us!”

In an instant, his head dissolved into the rest of his shadow form, the mass of darkness racing over the fields, towards the Temple of the Moon.

Author's Notes:

Remember last chapter I said there would be no more backtracking in time? Yeah, well apparently I lied, lol. If Nyx's time-hopping abilities stop interfering, the story should now proceed in a normal, linear fashion.

So, what happened to Nyx? What is this new strategy Terrain has come up with in intimidate the Marazons with in battle and will the warrior mares be able to stop the crystal army? Find out in the next and future chapters of The Mad Seeress of the North!