No halt, no turning back. The advance had been called and together they marched against the city of Canterlot. The sound of their hooves against earth was deafening, the clattering of shields and spears ringing across the lines. Azzal Khan, lord of the Eastern Alliance, Lead the assault from the front lines. They would be relentless, they would show little mercy. Gone were the merry songs of the sea and the trees, now there was only war.

But there was yet still one last obstacle to deal with; that blasted magical shield that defended the city along with the narrow pass to the gate. No unicorn among their ranks was powerful enough to counter this spell, all save a few.

Azzal brought forth the Necromancers, the mad ponies shipped from their homeland. Their dark magic was all that could break through such magic. The overseers released them from their shackles and pointed them in the right direction and they were off like a band of wild animals.

One of the overseers spoke his worry to Azzal, but was met with less that concern. “My lord, how do you plan on getting them back under control again if they break through the shield? What’s to stop them turning on us?”

“Maybe you should be more worried about the battle ahead, overseer. The Necromancers are expendable, nothing more than the first move in the game.”

The defenders inside were helpless but to watch the events unfold beyond their walls. The Necromancers began to leech their black magic, great flurries of spells cast from their horns. On contact with the shield they appeared to do little damage, but after time the effects began to take shape. It began to erode, the magic slowly crumbling like rust in the rain. It gained momentum, the spell spreading across the barrier with a mad hunger, collapsing and decaying.

Their last hope of stalling the attack was gone, there was only one option left for the defenders. They would hold them back as long as they could. Azzal began to play his next hand, sending forth his battering ram protected by ranks of shields. The Royal Guard fired arrows and various projectiles down from the walls, many bouncing harmlessly off of iron while other found their mark between armor and flesh. The ram was a construct simply out of a fallen tree with a metal head hammered to its end, jagged iron ready to crush any obstacle. Guards galloped to the gates defense, the Earth Ponies bracing it for impact.

Like a hammer hitting an anvil, the battering ram hit the front gates. Wood began to splinter and snap from the force of the blow, the Guard doubling their efforts on the other side. From the front lines Azzal called out to his troops. “Hammer them! Bring them crashing down!”

Another solid blow was landed, locks and joints waning under the pressure. Azzal was ready to make his next move. He personally led his Pegasi Axillaries against the outer wall, tossing aside shields and bearing keen eyed spears. They swooped down and landed among the Royal Guard, begging to thin away their ranks from the shy. Azzal unleashed a torrent of lame upon the stricken defenders bellow him, landing with a solid crash. Turning on the spot he swiftly slashed the head from a guard’s body with a single stroke of the talons blades. The Pegasi were fast, deadly, but lightly armoured. The guards began to fight back, using their superior protection to their advantage. Spear and sword bounced off their golden chainmail while their strikes found their marks with ease.

The ruthless cunning of Azzal would pay off though, cornering the defenders on the walls to a standstill. They forced many to tumble off the walls and killed the others with a trust of their spears. The outer walls were theirs, the gates would be next to fall.

But just when it seemed that any hope of holding them back was gone, Luna, Princess of the Night, came to their aid. Ignoring the pleas from her sister she rushed to the front lines and did what she could. Using her magic she cast a spell upon the gates, turning wood and iron to stone in an effort to slow down the attackers. It took much of her energy, but anything to halt the advance was worthwhile.

“Azzal, the Princess is here!” One of the Pegasi called to his lord. “We can take her down while she’s vulnerable!”

It would be a risky gambit, especially with son many guards surrounding her, but if they kept superiority of the skies then they had a chance. “Soldiers, swoop in on my command! Take down the guards, but leave the Princess to me!”

But just then the gates gave way, stone crumbling under the weight of the battering ram and the aid of unicorn magic. They had breached the city. Luna began to hurl spells into their ranks, many falling to incinerating fire or black energy. Necromancers flung themselves into the fray, and like great spear heads ploughed through the guard. But they were frail and unarmored, a quick thrust of the sword silencing them for good.

The damage was already done, the guard’s lines were scattered and the attacks pressed the advantage. Dellas charged through the gates with his forces, crashing against the defenders with a mighty cry of steel and iron. Azzal took back to his wings, leading his troops back into the fight bellow. The Lord of the East had his sighs keenly set upon his true target though; the Princess of the Night.

Rainbow looked into the vast darkness with a curious eye. “Well, it looks empty.” She perked up at the sound of her voice echoing around the stone walls. “Heh, cool. Anyway, we have to find a place to rest for tonight and what better place than this?”

Fluttershy nervously landed next to the cyan mare. “It’s just that…  what if we’re not the only ones here? And whatever it is it must be pretty big. Just look at the size of this thing.”

“You’re thinking way too hard on this. It’s perfectly safe, safer than just sleeping out in the open anyway. Come on, I’ll give you a tour.” Rainbow said in a playfully sarcastic tone. She flew into the opening without hesitation, the timid Pegasus following close behind.

“I-I guess there’s nothing here. But the cave seems to go further back. I don’t like the looks of it.”

“Perfect for a little exploring, aye pal?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her mouth forming into a gasp. “No no no! We can’t do that!”

“Awww, is somepony scared of the dark?”

“No, it’s just that-“

“Do you want me to fly you back home to your cottage?”

“Rainbow!”

The speedster giggled at her reaction. “Aw, come on Flutters, I was just pocking fun. Let’s go and take a look before it gets too dark outside.”

Fluttershy sighed in submission. “Fine, I guess so…”

“That’s the spirit!”

The Cave didn't really reveal much the further they ventured in. The floor was damp and filthy, the roof jagged and dripping. Fluttershy couldn't even make out either side of the cave, except when she collided with them mid-flight. But from the distance came the slight glimmer of something shinny.

“What was that?” Fluttershy let escape from her mouth. “It doesn’t look like water.”

“Oh, it could be gems, or maybe even treasure!” Rainbow Dash sped ahead, not waiting for the yellow Pegasus to catch up.

“Rainbow, my goodness, please hold on a second!” She tried to head towards the sparkling but was growing tired after a long day’s flight.

“Ah, ‘Shy, you’re not going to believe this!” Dash called back from the distance.

“What is it.” Fluttershy managed to force a little more steam, out of her wings, catching up to the cyan mare.

What she saw in front of her she couldn't believe, a great pile of valuable gems, rubies, sapphires. Plates of gold and silver, necklaces of pearl, it was all so wonderful. All of it seemed illuminated by the soft rays of golden day light that crept through cracks in the ceiling. Breath taking. “Neat, huh? Told ya it was treasure”

“Yeah… I guess so.”

“I wonder how it all got here?”

Then it dawned on Fluttershy, the sudden panic rushing through her body. “Dashie, we need to leave now!”

She tugged on her friend’s foreleg, the speedster offering slight resistance. “Whoa, what’s the rush? I don’t see any danger, do you?”

“You don’t understand. This is a treasure horde, that can only mean that a-“

An ear shattering roar echoed down the cave, Fluttershy leaping into Rainbows forelegs. “Dragon!” The great beast came thundering down he tunnel, his mood less that joyful. His great yellow eyes stared down at the pair of intruders, his sharp teeth gnashing and scraping.

“Well… time to go.” Rainbow instantly sped off towards the dragon, skilfully manoeuvring around the monster and out the tunnel while still clutching the timid mare. “Heh, that was easy.”

But it didn't end there, no, it had only just begun. The dragon let out another stone-splitting roar before bursting out from the cave, taking to his enormous wings and powering towards the fleeing Pegasi.

Fluttershy dared to open her eyes for a second, instantly recoiling back into her protectors grasp. “R-r-r-rainbow!”

“Yeah I see it. Just hold on.”

Next Chapter: The Gates Fall Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes