"Move, move, move!" The command rang out as ponies scrambled to find cover. Fireballs, lightning, and pure magic whizzed overhead and exploded all around, pockmarking the land with craters. Whatever vegetation that had previously lived had long since been incinerated and destroyed.

Spitfire grit her teeth as she popped up from behind cover and launched three crossbow bolts in rapid succession. It was a miracle that they had been able to get the repeating crossbow distributed before the rescue mission, but only a select few ponies were equipped with it. It had been an idea of the Sergeants.

"Cover me!" Spitfire heard her coltfriend yell from somewhere to her left. She quickly popped out of cover, her weapon reloaded, and began firing towards the Changelings. A group about twenty feet away behind a boulder moved to return fire, and one of them caught a bolt straight to the chest. The bug went down screaming in pain; the rest rapidly ducked down lest they get shot.

Midnight flashed past, using Spitfire's suppressing fire to his advantage, and unhooked a grenade from his belt. He ducked behind the boulder with the Changelings and pulled the pin with his mouth. There was a metallic clink, and Midnight lightly tossed the explosive over the boulder. There were a few shouts of surprise before a mighty explosion kicked dust into the air. Spitfire nodded, and Midnight returned the gesture before launching straight up into the air. His little maneuver gained the attention of a few Changelings, and they poked their heads out to shoot down the lithe Pegasus. A few well placed shots by fellow Resistance ponies put them down.

Spitfire huffed and looked behind her. Most of the remaining Resistance fighters had made it back to the chariots, and she gave a sigh of relief when she counted hardly any wounded. She noticed Shining Armour pacing in front of Spike the dragon, and figured she should go and inform him of their progress.

"Coveri--"

KRACKAKOOM!!!

The Pegasus Captain yelped when something impacted her head and hit the deck, her ears pinned to the side as a ringing began to take over her hearing. She blinked slowly and shook her head, noticing that many of her allies were experiencing the same thing.

"W-What the buck happened?" She mumbled. There was shouting, and someone was shaking her shoulder. She ignored the shaking and looked towards the Changeling hive.

Smoke wafted through the air, and bits of black material were raining onto the battlefield. Changeling warriors held their ears, and many cried out in what seemed to be horrible pain. A cry came from somewhere far behind her, and she turned.

Spike's friend, Lucy was wailing in pain, her hooves over her head as screamed.

Everything was happening too fast and Spitfire blinked. Her hearing was returning to her, and she noticed people yelling in her direction. She suddenly noticed a certain Unicorn Captain sprinting full tilt towards her. The voices began to gain more clearness, and she thought she heard someone yelling at her to 'stop him.'

But stop who? There was only Shining Armour, and he was running right at her. It wasn't until he was a few feet away that she noticed something was wrong. He held a crazed and panicked look on his face, and his pupils had shrunk to pinpricks. His helmet had been dropped in his run, and his horn was sparking with arcane energy. Panic and fury seemed to be the expressions she was seeing, and her eyes widened. Was he attacking her? Was he being mind-controlled again?

She blinked again, and Shining Armour suddenly jumped over her. She heard his magic discharge as he sprinted through the Changeling lines, and she heard more of her soldiers yelling his name.

Spitfire began to stand up, her head feeling light. She wobbled slightly on her hooves, and reached a leg up to adjust her helmet. There was a moment of confusion where she felt something sticky, and she pulled her hoof away, only to find it covered in blood.

She stood there in shock and looked down. Her helmet was laying in front of her, a small hole just through the top. She reasoned that whatever had hit here had grazed her head.... or maybe it hadn't? Her breathing began to get heavier as she tried to take a step forward, but only managed to fall onto her stomach as her legs gave out. Her surroundings became blurry, and darkness was slowly entering into her vision. All she could hear was the thump of her heart, and the muffled noises of the world around her.

Spitfire didn't know how long she was laying there in a heap, but the sounds of battle had once more commenced. She once more saw green light flying through the air, but she noticed it's trajectory was wrong. With the way her head was facing, she had a good view of the entrance to the hive, and all she could see were the Changelings as they seemingly fired right back into their home.

The yelling picked up, and the sound of crossbows and Unicorn magic lit the air. Spitfire groaned in pain when a rough hand suddenly grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and began carrying her. The vision on her left had turned a bloody red, and the world swam as she bounced along with the footsteps of whoever was carrying her. She heard heavy breathing, and she felt heat wash over her when Changeling magic splashed across the figures back. Looking up with glazed eyes, she could see it was none other than Sergeant Dean.

Spitfire then proceeded to pass out, her body going limp.

*****

Midnight could only watch as the Prince sprinted towards the hive. A massive explosion had swept across the battlefield, and the Pegasus could tell just by looking into Shining's panicked expression what he was about to do. He was about to spring into action when his target took off like an arrow. He yelled to get other ponies' attention, and they caught on quickly. A few tried to subdue the Prince with their magic, but the spells harmlessly deflected off of a shield that had been erected. Midnight's panic grew when he saw Spitfire sitting on the ground, a far off look in her eyes as she stared at the approaching Unicorn.

"Stop him!!" He yelled into his radio, but it was too late. Shining leapt right over Spitfire, and continued onwards. He bobbed past Changelings, only a few bothering to try and attack him. He was inside the hive before anyone else could say a word.

There was a sudden silence on the battlefield, and Midnight noticed nearly everypony staring at the spot where Shining had disappeared. That is, until a green streak cut through the air and slammed into a nearby soldier's chest. The stallion went down with a cry of surprise, and the rest of the small army sprinted to cover. Midnight suddenly found himself beside a whimpering Swift Spear. The poor Private was gripping his crossbow like a teddy-bear, and tears leaked from his eyes. Midnight grimaced as the intensity of magic tripled, and nearly the entire Resistance was forced into a cover. A few unlucky ponies were hit, and went down under the ruthless barrage.

"T-This is Sergeant Dean, I have the Princess, over."

Midnight's radio crackled, and he nearly jumped out of his skin from the sudden voice. He scrambled to answer, but was interrupted by a cry of surprise. The magic coming towards the Resistance ceased instantly, but the sounds of magical discharge still littered the air.

Looking out of his cover, he took in every detail.

He saw Spitfire, her body laying on the ground beside her helmet. He could see her chest rising and falling. Beyond his injured marefriend, he could see the masses of Changelings launching magical barrages towards the entrance to the hive, where a dark blur jumped from cover to cover in an attempt to get through their lines.

Midnight immediately knew it was the Sergeant, and quickly took command.

"FOCUS FIRE ON THE CHANGELINGS!!" He screamed in order to be heard, and the soldiers opened fire without hesitation. Magic, arrows, and other projectiles flew through the air and collided with the distracted Changelings, destroying the majority of them in a single salvo.

The Changeling's broke apart and scattered, their morale broken as confusion seeped into their ranks. No one else knew, but their commands from their Queen had been severed during her battle inside. The result was mass panic as the Changelings received no orders, and were forced to choose between fleeing, or being cut down.

A mass exodus of black bugs suddenly took to the air and flew as far and fast as they could to escape. Some stayed behind to fight, but there were so few that all they could do was cower behind their cover. Midnight watched as the Sergeant sprung from his cover and sprinted with everything he had towards friendly lines. Green magic whizzed by him as he ducked and weaved through the chaos. Midnight could see the purple form balanced over Dean's one shoulder, and confusion came across his mind upon seeing the Sergeant's other arm hanging limply by his side.

Midnight once more took notice that Spitfire was still on the ground and unmoving, and he promptly lept into action. He had just popped out from behind his rock, when a scream from the Sergeant stopped him in his tracks.

"GET BEHIND COVER!!!" Even through the helmet, his voice carried across the battlefield. A few soldier's looked at him in confusion, but Midnight had heard the fear in Dean's voice. It then suddenly dawned on him that the Sergeants pack of bombs were no longer attached to his body, and his face paled at the realization.

It seemed that the other members of his squad realized this too, as they began yelling for ponies to get behind rocks and crevices. Midnight turned and saw Prince Trignar (who they had found on their way in) grab Spike and Lucy and duck down into a gulley behind the chariots. He had no time to figure out if he meant to do something harmful to them, but he couldn't focus on that now; he had to get Spitfire.

As it turned out, he had stood still a second too long, and the Sergeant was already down and scooping her up. The Lieutenant stood like a statue as the Sergeant took off towards him, and it wasn't until the Human was basically on top of him that he snapped out of his stupor.

Dean dropped the Pegasus Captain behind the boulder and ducked down. His now free hand grabbed Midnight by his armor and yanked him down, and just in time.

There was a split second when time itself seemed to stop. Soldiers were ducked down out of harm's way, and the bugs momentarily stopped firing their magic. One pony sported a pocket watch in their armor, and just as noon-hour struck, the world went white.

The sheer volume of the explosion caused a massive cry of agony to erupt from every living thing within twenty miles of the blast radius. Ears began to bleed, and there was no other sound other than the earth-shattering explosion. This took less than a second before the shockwave hit. Had Midnight not been behind the boulder, his skin would have likely been torn from his body. He ducked down lower into the dirt, his body on top of Spitfires, as fire washed across the land next. There were screams of fear and pain, but the Pegasus could not see what was going on. He lay there for what seemed like days as the ringing in his ears continued. Everything was pain, but he grit his teeth and tried to steady his breathing.

Ever so slowly, the Lieutenant looked up and towards the hive... or more the lack thereof. Nothing but a charred crater remained. The sand had been turned to glass, and a small cloud resembling a mushroom towered into the heavens. Midnight could only gape in shock at the sight.

He stood there for a full minute before a hoof tapped his shoulder, causing him to turn. A nurse stood before him, her lips moving, but no sound coming out. Midnight tilted his head to the side, and the nurse lit her horn.

A feeling of intense pain suddenly hit the Pegasus, causing him to hiss and squeeze his eyes shut. As the seconds drew on, he slowly was able to make out various noises. The ringing died down, and the pain turned to a dull throb. He quickly opened his eyes, only to find the nurse had moved on to the next pony.

Looking around, he found that the Sergeant and Twilight were once again missing, leaving Spitfire layinging at his hooves. Panic set in once he saw she still wasn't moving, and he quickly bent down to roll her over. He felt her barrel with a hoof, and was relieved to find that he could feel her chest rising and falling. Her heartbeat was going a hundred miles a minute, and her muscles were locked up. Midnight deduced she was in shock.

He quickly hoisted his marefriend over his back and began walking towards the chariots, which had somehow survived. His eyes scanned around, and he found multiple unicorns laying on the ground, their horns smoking from mana-burn. He winced in sympathy, but he figured it was them who had saved the chariots.

Midnight's muscles started to quake, and his eyes were beginning to droop. He hadn't said a word in the last five minutes, and when he opened his mouth, he began to cough and hack.

A pony, Cobalt, ran up to him and took the Captain from his back. Midnight merely grunted in thanks as his stomach churned. The battle was finally catching up to him now, and he realized that if he didn't do something quickly, he would end up just like Spitfire.

Thankfully, the yelling of a certain Sergeant distracted him from his sorry state.

"I WANT EVERYONE ON THE CHARIOTS AND READY TO GO IN TWO MINUTES!!"

Midnight saw a nurse trying to get the Sergeants attention, but the man was ignoring her. Twilight was off of his shoulder, and looking to the side, the Pegasus could see she was lying in a chariot just behind Dean. The Human paced about and gave orders, but he never strayed more than a few meters away from the Princess.

"Captain Armour! where is Captain Armour!" Someone yelled from within the crowd of soldiers. Any talk or movement suddenly ground to a halt, and the only thing making noise was the breeze. The Sergeant had frozen at the words, and his head began to shake. Whispers began among the various ponies, and more than a few held panic. Midnight himself was at first confused, but upon turning and facing the remains of the hive, he suddenly realized what had happened.

Tears appeared in his eyes at the implications of what had happened, and a somber cloud seemed to descend across the landscape. Midnight shook his head, his mind entering into a stage of denial. Many others held similar feelings as they all turned to look at the blasted landscape, the realization that the leader who had kept them alive for two years was now dead.

*****

Dean stared helplessly across the small sea of guards. He was once more running high on adrenaline, and it was a miracle in its own right that he was still standing. He heard sad and depressed murmurs coming from the troops, but he knew that their emotions would have to wait, for they were still in danger. He brought his arm up and lifted his helmet from his head. He could feel blood and sweat trickling down the sides of his face, but ignored it.

"Soldiers!" Heads turned towards him, and Dean suddenly realized how much attention he had. Every single pair of eyes seemed to stare through his very mind, body, and soul. Their tired eyes were a reflection, and Dean knew that he had to play his words right.

"Today... Today, you all performed admirably in the face of overwhelming odds. Had it not been for your determination, and your unshaken resolve, your Princess would not have survived. However, there were casualties today, and each pony that didn't make it to see their Princess safe will be able rest knowing their sacrifice was not in vain! Right now, we need to get back to our friends, and our families. This war is not over, but today was a grand victory!! You and your fellow ponies are heroes!!!"

As he spoke, ponies' heads began to lift, and determination seemed to set into the once depressed atmosphere. They had won, and while there had been a cost, they had succeeded.

"Their sacrifice will be remembered, but only if we survive to win this conflict! For the brave soldiers who sacrificed themselves, for the Princess, and for Equestria... let us return home, and begin the plans of your planet's liberation!!"

There was an uproarious cheer, and the ponies immediately set about gathering their things and preparing to leave. The last of the injured were being treated by the corpsemen...ponies, corpseponies, and Dean couldn't help but let a smile touch his face. The sun was at its zenith, and he could feel the warm rays on his neck.

This was all striped away when the face of Shining Armour appeared before him like a mirage.

Dean shivered as he stared blankly ahead. Dark thoughts and ghostly whispers circled around him. The voices of his dead friends and fellow soldiers only drove home the realization that he had let another die. He could have stopped Shining. He should have stopped Shining. Surely there was a way he could have survived? Surely there was a way?

Dean turned and looked back at the sleeping Twilight. Her mane and tail were frazzled, her feathers were in complete disarray. A small frown was on her muzzle as her chest rose and fell. Dean would not have been so worried if it weren't for the large lump bulging from her stomach.

While he had killed the thing inside of her, he still couldn't erase the image of seeing that monster moving about within his friend, likely trying to tear her apart from the inside. Thinking about it made his stomach turn.

The Human turned when someone called his name. His eyes fell upon the little red Unicorn mare as she trotted up with a stern expression. He noticed that her eyes were zeroed in on his arm, and he gave an audible sigh.

This was a mistake. The corpsemare's ears twitched as she approached, and her stern look morphed into a scowl. She stopped just in front of the Sergeant and looked up into his eyes. Dean merely raised an eyebrow.

After a few moments of silence, the corpsemare spoke.

"Your arm, Sergeant." The look on her face dared him to challenge her. Dean even thought he saw her quivering in anticipation for his next words.

"I'm fine, ma'am. There are others--" He was cut off when the mare snorted and lit her horn. Dean blanched.

"Everypony who needed attention has gotten it. You are the last one. I can understand you want to leave A.S.A.P. But your arm needs to be fixed." She trotted to his side and nudged his broken arm with her nose, causing him to recoil and hiss in pain. The corpsemare smirked, causing Dean to huff.

"We need to wait till we get back. Your magic can't get through my armor, and I don't have time to take it off." The corpsemare paused for a moment to mull over his words. She stared at him with a critical eye, and Dean shuffled under her gaze.

Finally, her frown turned into a tired smile and she nodded.

"Very well, Sergeant. But as soon as we get back, you are heading right for the infirmary." She pointed an accusing hoof at him, to which he chuckled.

"Sounds good. Also, I'm smart enough to know that a few unicorns protected the chariots in the blast, but what happened that caused them to pass out?" He turned and gestured with his head towards a chariot further down the line. The mare raised an eyebrow before answering.

"It's called mana-burn. Those unicorns over-taxed themselves trying to protect the chariots and burnt all their magic reserves dry. They will be in the hospital for about a week I would say." She looked behind her and shook her head. "I best head to my squad. Everypony is ready to go Sergeant, we are awaiting your command."

Dean watched as the Unicorn trotted off and shook his head. He had so much to learn about magic still, and the recent battle with Queen Chrysalis only reinforced that point. First, her magic had somehow gotten past his armor, and second... something had happened. All he knew was one moment he was facing down an army, and the next, he was massacring them. Never before had he felt so powerful. It was beyond anything he had ever experienced! Was the magic of this world affecting him? Did he harness some kind of power that had previously been dormant?

'Heh, maybe I'll grow a horn outta my head!'

He smiled to himself as he slipped his helmet back on. He keyed up his radio, but hesitated. He slowly turned towards the remains of the hive and glared into the crater. So much death, and so much destruction... and it wasn't even his main target. The Changelings merely chose the wrong side of the war, and paid the price. Sure, their actions were barbaric and downright evil, but then again, they themselves were merely trying to survive. Dean prayed that they weren't the only ones of their kind, for he did not want to be responsible for the genocide of a species. However, he did not feel remorse. They tried to kill his friend, and they did not know that her survival meant that they still had a chance to win. He could mourn later.

Dean turned and limped over to the chariot holding Twilight, Spike, and Lucy.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road, people. Someone would have seen that explosion, so follow Lieutenant Midnight." He heard his squad passing the order down the line but paid it no mind. With a stoic posture, he hopped onto the chariot and sat down. His legs formed a small barrier, keeping the unconscious Princess and the two teens away from the edge. His fear of heights went ignored as he blinked. He wasn't afraid of blood loss, for his cuts had already begun healing, and he would know by now if he had been poisoned. He felt the chariot shift beneath him, and the last thing he saw was Lucy holding Spike as he tearfully looked down upon his sister.

Dean's eyes closed, and he was once more thrown into the land of nightmares.

*****

Princess Mya BlueBlade walked in front of the long line of Elven soldiers. Each one was wearing pristine armor, and held their light spears in a professional manner. These soldiers were fresh from training, and the Princess could feel their anticipation for a battle.

Behind the Princess, her small squad of Elite Guards marched behind her. They held their heads aloof, for they were above the standard soldiers to their immediate right. Beside the Princess, a Dark Elven Lieutenant followed, his face beaded with sweat as the inspection progressed.

"My Princess." Mya stopped and regarded her second in command, Commander Kioti. He was holding the communicator of his comrades back-mounted magi-comm, and she could hear muffled voices talking from the other end. She waited patiently as Kioti nodded his head. His eyes seemed to be staring at a spot on the horizon, and Mya couldn't help but look as well.

Her eyes narrowed as something dark floated through the air far in the distance. It was hard to make out with the blistering sun bearing down just above her, but she squinted her eyes nonetheless.

Mya scowled when she recognized the smoke wafting in the air, towards her intended target. It would appear that the Resistance had struck ahead of schedule, and Kioti's next words only confirmed her suspicions.

"Princess, Scryers in Canterlot suddenly found that they were able to see within the Changeling hive. They have just informed me that the Resistance has moved in and are assaulting the hive as we speak." Kioti replaced the communicator and slipped his helmet onto his head. Mya turned and addressed her new troops.

"Soldier's of the Imperial Army!" The battalion seemed to straighten upon being addressed. Their feet stomped in unison as they once more came to attention. Mya smirked.

"Today, the foolish Equestrian terrorists have chosen to attack the Changeling hive. They wish to save their Princess! Our mission is as follows: We will wipe their pathetic excuse of a Resistance from the face of the Earth, and we will slaughter every Changeling in our path. We will then take the last Alicorn, and you all will know honor! You will go down in history as heroes of our mighty Empire! Soldiers, to the Skiffs!!"

There was a mighty cheer, and the battalion of Elves jogged in formation towards their designated rides. Mya herself double-timed it towards her own ride, and with a magically enhanced jump, landed on the main deck. The Captain gave a salute as he powered up the vehicle, and Mya heard the thumps of her soldiers landing behind her. She gave a hum as she took a seat, and the Skiff slowly took to the air.

While it was true that the Elves were stronger than the ponies in terms of magic, their technology was sadly lacking. The Skiffs were made of a thin metal, as any heavier would require balloons and impede upon their renowned speed. A single lucky bolt of magic from a Unicorn could have the capability of destroying the vehicle in a single blow. Research was still being put in so that shielding enchantments could be used, but the current ones the Elves utilized reacted... explosively with the enchantments keeping the Skiffs afloat.

Mya glanced over the side and noticed the small armada following behind her skiff. By herself, she would have reached the hive in ten minutes. However, with the sixty some Skiffs making up the little fleet, it would take longer.

"Princess, I think I see something!" One of her soldiers called as he peered through a Spyglass. Mya rose and walked over to stand beside the Elf, and he handed her the scope.

Brining the device to her right eye, she spent a second zeroing in on the hive. It was blurry at first, but soon enough she was able to make out a massive battle taking place. The Equestrian Resistance was nearly a mile away from the hive itself, but their magical energies easily covered that distance so they could engage the Changelings. The bugs themselves were seemingly in disarray, and a small cloud of Changelings was attempting to flee. Individual figures were hard to make out, but she caught sight of a flash of purple on top of a tall biped. Even at this distance, she had no trouble seeing the famed Demon in Metal as he sprinted towards the lines of the Resistance.

Lowering the spyglass, she called back to her Captain.

"Dresden, more speed! If we can do a fly by, we can--"

There was a flash, and Mya's eyes widened. She turned, and for a brief second, she thought she was staring at the sun itself. Within seconds, a massive fireball had replaced the Changeling hive, and her eyes followed the ground as a straight, nearly transparent line came speeding towards her Skiff. Her eyes widened when she recognized the shockwave and was about to yell orders when it suddenly hit.

Mya stumbled back and landed on her rear, cursing as pain shot up her back from the impact. She heard her soldiers cry out in equal surprise, and the Skiff pitched right when the Captain fell over.

There was a brief moment where everything was weightless, and Mya felt her stomach rise into her throat. It all came to a stop when the Captain regained control, and the Skiff was righted in the air.

Gasping for breath, the Princess stood on shaky legs and whirled on the spot. Her eyes searching the horizon for the remains of the explosion.

She saw the cloud of smoke towering into the air, but the sounds of yelling diverted her attention. She turned and looked at her second in command, who was pointing behind them and yelling at the Captain to stop. Mya ran to the edge of the skiff and looked over the edge, her eyes widening at what she saw.

Nearly a dozen skiffs lay far below, their forms burning in the desert sun. Mangled metal and bodies were strewn about, and a few survivors crawled around on the ground. Mya scowled when she noticed a few of the Skiffs still in the air behind them were smoking.

She had underestimated the power of that explosion and how it would mess with the light vehicles. Many of their Captains had oversteered or panicked upon losing control, and the result had been disastrous. She was now down about a hundred and fifty soldiers.

"Princess, what are your orders? The rear guard sees a few survivors among the wreckage below." Mya continued to stare at the flaming metal before snapping her eyes to Kioti. He held a grim expression on his face, but frowned when she looked back down. Mya huffed and turned her back to the disaster below.

"We do not have time for a rescue. We will pick them up on the way back."

Commander Kioti nodded before relaying the message through the Magi-comm. Mya felt her ire rising and a scowl decorated her face.

'Useless recruits, I don't have time for this!'

The small fleet finally continued forward, but Princess Mya knew that their delay had cost them. Judging from the smoldering crater they were approaching, and the lack of Equestrians, they were minutes too late. The Skiff began to descend, and Mya's scowl only grew darker.

Bodies were littered half a mile from the crater itself, and there wasn't a single sign of life. Anger welled within the young Princess, but her squad did not feel the same way. They all stared at the destruction in shock, wondering what could have caused such devastation.

While certain spells could cause such a phenomena, they were only held by the most powerful magic users. Chrysalis was ruled out, as she would not blow up her own hive, and the only other magic user powerful enough would be the Emperor.

"What in the name of the Destroyer happened..." Captain Dresden's words caused the many soldiers to nod in agreement, as they had never witnessed such a thing. They each had been to the hive before, and they knew that such an explosion would have to be utterly immense to annihilate it.

"Could... could the Demon in Metal have done this?" One soldier asked. The group looked at each other with uncertainty. This cloud was immediately lifted when the Princess called to the Captain.

"Land us over there," she pointed to a large flat area behind a large boulder, "and signal the rest of the battalion as well."

The skiff touched down, and Mya jumped from over the side. Her feet hit the ground, and she could immediately feel the residual heat from the explosion. Black shards and debris were littered about, and she could see further in the remains of the Hives foundation.

Followed by her Elite Guards, she slowly walked towards the crater. Her eyes scanned forward as a gentle breeze blew smoke through the air. She heard the rest of the soldiers disembarking, and stopped to allow her squad to catch up. Commander Kioti stood beside her as he looked around, a frown decorating his worn face.

"The troops aren't going to like that the Princess escaped. Morale will fall if we don't provide something." His words rang true, and Mya put a hand under her chin in thought.

A quiet whimper, barely audible, sounded off to her right. Mya slowly turned her head, and saw two pairs of eyes looking at her from under a crushed wall. She smiled devilishly, and the eyes promptly disappeared.

"Commander, the Hive had an underground complex as well, no?" She began walking forwards, forcing her squad to follow. The soldiers had spread out, and some were following her in loose formation. The rest either stood guard, or scoured around the area. Kioti gave Mya a look of confusion before nodding.

"Yes, they do have an extensive underground system, but judging from the explosion, most of it was likely vaporized. Why do you ask?"

Mya simply walked up to the crumbled wall, and using her magic, lifted the heavy object into the air. Commander Kioti walked up and stood beside her, a grin slowly forming on his face. A flicker of blackened smoke seemed to drift through his eyes, along with the Princess. A few more soldiers began to approach, and once they saw what the Princess had found, they ran about gathering their kin. Horrible sneers and catcalls were heard, and the Princesses smile only grew wider. Said smile never reached her eyes.

"Princess... I think you've solved our little problem."

"Indeed I have, Commander, indeed I have..."

Nearly a hundred Changeling hatchlings and adolescents stared up at the Elves in terror. They knew they could not take on the might of the Dark Elves, and so they only hoped they would be shown mercy. They were allies after all... right?

"Round them up, Commander, you and the soldiers need to blow off some steam. I hear Changelings are some of the best when it comes to pleasure. We will set up camp away from the crater, and you boys can have your fun." Mya saw the commander lick his lips at the young and fresh meat. More soldiers had returned by this point, and at Mya's words, they gave a collective cheer.

As the Changelings were rounded up, Princess Mya couldn't help but frown. The Alicorn had escaped her, and this was unacceptable. However, with her inside knowledge, she knew of a plan that was being created by her father. In the next few days, all she had to do was wait for the signal, and then victory would be theirs.

An evil smile adjourned her lips and she chuckled. No need to worry about that now; there was a little celebration to be had.

Mya walked off. Soon, she would prove her worth to her father, and to the Empire.

*****

Dean's eyes flashed open, and his body immediately tensed. He took note of his current status, and found that he was green across the board. His armor was equipped, his weapons were holstered in their respective spots, and he had no wounds. At the current moment, he could see nothing but inky blackness, and he sniffed as his eyes darted from side to side.

Something was wrong.

Dean slowly turned in a circle, his feet silent failing to make any noise as he tried to analyze his surroundings. He did not recognize this place, and he had a sneaking suspicion he was dreaming.

But how could that be? His dreams were sometimes vivid, sure, but there was always a setting, and always a reason. Three things typically happened in his dreams: The Guardian would visit him, that strange monster would terrorize him... or he would end up seeing things he had tried to push to the recess of his memory. He was calm and collected on the outside, but for the last... Well, Dean didn't know how long, he had been having vivid nightmares of gruesome memories that had been seared into his brain. All the guilt, pain and suffering seemed to take over his subconscious, and there was nothing he could do except wake up and push on. The dreams always got progressively worse, but ever since coming to this magical planet, he had ended up losing sleep, and they had become almost realistic to the point where he had a hard time telling real from fake. It was tearing him apart, but he knew he couldn't, and wouldn't quit. For his mission's sake, and for Twilights.

The only question now was figuring out which dream this was.

Dean suddenly felt a presence shift in the depths of the blackness, and the hairs on the back of his neck shot up. This feeling he was getting was unfamiliar, and he instantly realized that something was very, very wrong. He took an involuntary step back as a strange feeling overcame him, and his limbs suddenly grew heavy like lead. A crushing feeling suddenly began all around him, squishing his insides, and suffocating him. This wasn't like that monster, his nightmares, or anything he had experienced before. There was a... cold presence all around him. He felt it on his skin, in his bones, and within his mind. The suffocating feeling suddenly got to the point that he felt his muscles starting to tear, and his body started compressing in on itself.

Dean couldn't breath, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. He wanted to scream, as the pain was only getting worse and worse, but no sounds came. The sensors on his suit weren't going off, which confused him; whatever was doing this was not using magic, and it was only affecting his body.

"So, if it isn't the Human himself." Dean nearly burst into tears from the sheer sound of the voice. It was all he could hear, taste, and somehow smell. He couldn't and wouldn't describe it, for there was no comparison that he knew of that could come close to whatever it was that was happening to him. The very sound made him feel small and insignificant, an ant standing amidst a titan. His other four senses were instantly overloaded, and he could feel blood trickling from his ears and tear ducts. The thought of breaking down nearly consumed him then and there.

Then it stopped.

Another, more familiar feeling came over him and Dean grit his teeth as he tried to turn his head. The pressure around him stayed the same, and a popping sound resonated in his skull. He felt an immense pain as his tendons and muscles screamed at him to stop, but he didn't listen. Whoever this being was, they were messing with the wrong person's dreams.

With a scream of rage, the Sergeant turned and brutally hurled a right hook at the figure standing behind him. He had aimed perfectly, and his mouth twitched into a sneer as his fist sailed towards a hooded head. The effect of his punch would be devastating.

His sneer turned into shock, however, when said figure raised its hand faster than he could follow, and caught his fist in its open palm inches from its hooded head.

There was a moment of stunned silence where Dean stared at his immobile hand in shock with his mouth open. He hadn't seen the being move, and that fact alone scared him. His eyes slowly faced the hooded figure, but he couldn't see under the cowl. His shock slowly turned to horror when a thin mouth opened, and a hundred razor sharp teeth came together into a sinister smile. Blood dripped from the teeth, and maggots seemed to be buried in the gums.

Then it’s eyes opened.

The Human couldn't look away no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. It was like staring into the eyes of Medusa herself, except instead of turning to stone, he saw only horror.

This very being before him was sitting on a throne of blood and bone, two large scimitars on its hands, and a necklace of various entrails around its neck. An unrecognizable sigil was on the beings forehead, and a pentagram hovered above its head like a hologram. A pile of naked bodies, butchered and torn asunder lay at the beings feet. Rot and decay wafted through the air as demonic monsters walked about the bodies and did indescribable things to them. In the background a city was wreathed in fire, and an eldritch horror beyond what could be described hovered far above through the cover of the clouds. Its tentacles, teeth and eyes seemed to burn through anything they saw or touched, and it spoke in a language older than time itself. Then there was more... so much more.

Dean screamed. Not in pain or effort, but in primal fear. He began to wildly thrash as his eyes forced themselves shut, and he suddenly found himself on the ground, vomit pooled underneath him. A dark cackle caused him to look up with hesitancy, and the once impenetrable Human coward in fear.

"Mortal flesh and blood; the abomination that is Mankind bows before me. All the suffering, hatred, war, and death that your species has wrought... I am your creation!"

"W-What the fuck are you talking about." Dean's speech was slightly slurred, and his head spun ever so slightly. He could see the gnarled feet of the being before him, and the smell was nearly enough to kill him then and there. This went ignored however, as the being was speaking again.

"That matters not, for I am the one in control of this mindscape and you who possesses it. You have caused quite a stir, Human, and I am finding this most unpleasurable. I am here to examine the blockade to my ultimate plan."

"And what makes you think I'll let you. Get the fuck out and leave me alone.” Confidence was returning to Dean, and he found himself slowly standing on shaky legs. The being had somehow "toned down" its voice, thus allowing the man some relief. He didn't know what or who this being was, and he certainly wasn't going to be playing its games. This was just a dream after all.

"And what makes you think this is a dream?"

Dean froze as his eyes widened. Did... did it just read his mind?! Wait, this being had mentioned how this was his mindscape. His eyes widened, and the hair on his neck stood on end. What this thing was hinting at was impossible! How did it get past the neuro-link?! The man slowly looked around in growing horror. If this was true, then there was only one way to find out. He closed his eyes, and brought forth a memory he had long had buried.

A square suddenly flew in from Deans right, and a scene flashed across it. A young child in a blue and white onesie was laughing as he ran around with a teddy-bear in his grasp. A bigger man with salt and pepper hair waddled after the boy, and a tear slowly leaked out of Dean's eye as he stared at the memory.

"Dad...?" He whispered.

Then the realization hit him. Horror began to creep through his body, and a renewed fear of the being before him sprung forth. It was true; this was his mind! But if this was his mind, and this being was here talking to him....

"W...Who the hell are you?" Dean whispered as he took a step away. The Guardian had said that he was trying to protect Dean's mind, but obviously that hadn't worked. Who was this new player? What did it mean when it came to analyze him, the blockade to her plan or something?

The being raised its arms and held them wide, and that horrid smile once more appeared. There was a dark chuckle, and the eldritch energy radiating from the being multiplied an infinite amount. He took another subconscious step back in fear as the being began to levitate off the ground. Dean's vision became like static, and a massive Migraine began to form.

"I am the one who snuffs out the light, I am the one who brings the Darkness. I am the monument to the sins of Mankind, and I am the scourge of the Guardian."

Dean's eyes widened. He recognized those titles, and he couldn't stop the shiver that ran up his spine. This.... monster had gotten inside of his mind, and it terrified him more than anything. He knew who this was.

"Feel your fear consume you, Human, for you stare down the Master of Chains, and the Harbinger of Evil. Say. My. Name." Dean felt something jolt his shoulder, but he paid it no mind. His focus was on that face, the one whom he had thought was a mere fiction. The mastermind behind this entire war stared back at him, and its smile only grew.

"Y-y-you...." His pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and his whole body trembled. He felt like collapsing on his face, and never rising again. The feeling overwhelmed his training, his discipline, and his own instincts. The only thing he could feel was fear. "Y-You a-are..." He couldn't do it. This was all a bad dream. He would wake up in bed with Marie at his side. He would see her face, and then he would check on his son and find him to be alright. This was all a bad dream, nothing more. There were no ponies, no geocidal Elves, and there was no... no...

"Destroyer." Dean squeaked out. This monster was in his mind, and there was nothing he could do but pray that none of this was real.

"This is all too real, Human, and I think I am going to make it even more so. I have decided that you are indeed a threat, and therefore you will die, suffering and alone. Your mission was doomed from the start, and now, you will be able to witness how your coming betrayal leads to the destruction of all that you hope to save."

'Coming betrayal??'

Before he had a chance to react, red lightning suddenly rained down from the Destroyer and smashed into Dean. Hundreds of thousands of watts flooded through his body, frying his insides and attacking him at his core. He couldn't think, couldn't move; the world was nothing but horrific pain.

Sergeant Dean Forrester could do nothing but scream.