Sins of Harmony

Volume 1: Balance of Power

Chapter 24: An Empire of Shadow

March 25th, 1005 ANM

Crystal Empire, outskirts.

Midday

"Lucius! We're getting overrun! We can't hold them all at the rate they're increasing!"

"Cal'vel! Smoulder! We've got a flight incoming, just hold out!" Lucius said into the radio. A second crackle sounded:

"Smoulder here, we missed one of the rabid dragons, its a big male! Its heading right for the city! 1 minute out!"

Lucius looked in the distance, seeing a faint dot growing larger. He left the city limits, saying to the suspicious guards watching him: "Don't try to stop me."

The dark grey and black maned Unicorn formed a shadow beneath him, and sunk to the floor to speed off to meet the dragon at ground level.

Travelling faster than any pony could gallop, Sombra reformed on the snowy plains, grinning as he saw a crystal field near him, with some as big as he was.

The Big male dragon bellowed, itself a light yellow colour, as it had eyes only for the Crystal Empire in the distance. It turned out that the gem like look of the city would make it a magnet for the dragons.

Flying fast at 1000 feet up, the Dragon showed no signs of noticing Lucius, yet.

Snarling, Lucius focused his dark magic on the crystal fields, breaking loose some wagon sized pieces. Grunting, he magically hurled them skywards like artillery rounds.

The Bull dragon roared as it avoided the crystal fragments, as Lucius's aim wasn't reliable enough for 1000 feet or more lobbing. The Bull turned and saw the Unicorn on the ground, and bellowed at the challenge.

Standing his ground, Lucius readied more crystals around him as the yellow Bull dragon dived at him. Closer to the ground, the Bull Dragon let loose a molten stream of flames as he flew overhead. Lucius yelled in reaction as he turned to a shadowy mist to quickly dodge it.

Reforming as the Bull soared overhead, already turning for a second pass, Lucius knew what he'd practiced.

The Bull came in, fire charging in its body as it dove closer to the ground.

Lucius focused, and launched crystal spears from the ground as the Dragon reared its head to fire.

The crystals tore through the dragon's wing membranes, and the bull crashed hard onto its legs and began to skid as it bellowed in pain. Lucius's red eyes widened as he saw the Bull Dragon sliding over the snow towards him, unable to stop before him.

Turning to shadow, Lucius passed under the dragon's sliding body, reforming just as it stood on its feet, an ear splitting roar aimed right at him from only 40 feet away as the Bull made to kill him on the ground.

Lucius roared back, and charged his horn as he focused on the crystals around the dragon's feet. Relishing in victory, Lucius flicked his red horn upwards.

Crystal spears shot from the ground to skewer the Bull Dragon in 5 places.

Lucius found some satisfaction from the Bull Dragon's weak groaning as his roar was cut short, yet he felt sick immediately after. He'd worked with dragons, and here he was taking pleasure in offing one so cruelly.

Shaking his head, Lucius reminded himself: "It had to be done."

Turning to shadow, Lucius made sure to be ready to come out again if any more dragons slipped by Cal'vel and Smoulder while the reinforcements took over in the next hour.

Crystal Empire

Princess's castle

Negotiations had been quick, as the situation was readily accepted with dragons in sight of the city behaving as warned.

Even so, Cadance had been watching the distant fighting through a telescope when she saw the Sombra clone dispatch the closing Bull Dragon in such a graphic manner.

Gasping in shock, she turned away to see her husband, Shining Armour, walking to the balcony where she stood with Razak and the two Changelings in tow.

"What's wrong honey?"

"Nothing. Just, the fighting is getting closer. And its just that, Lucius, was a bit extreme with one that got close."

Razak got out his binoculars, seeing exactly what Lucius had done, whistling as if impressed: "That's savage."

Shining smiled a bit as he said: "We've talked to the Caninberian reinforcements, and spreading the message across Equestria is underway. They have vaccines and knockouts in gas forms, but we have to be ready to lower as many to the ground as possible with our magic if they're flying. Some of them may be affected more than others, and might just drop to the ground like flies." Shining Armour read off the report in front of his face.

"Is this how it will work across the country?" Cadance asked.

"Yes. But they warned that any that are too far along in the disease will not be affected by the attacks, so, lethal force is meant for them." Shining Armour said.

"Simply put, any that don't get knocked out in mass sedative strikes, kill 'em. Give about 2 minutes, see if they're still as angry, if not more, and target those for death." Razak reinforced.

Cadance thought it over, and said solemnly: "We have no choice. And the reinforcements from Caninberia?"

Razak began to speak, when one of the Changelings tapped his shoulder pointing to the West: "Squadron incoming."

Looking West, they saw a pair of fast moving dots, Caninberian based Oceanic Alliance fighter jets, heading to the target zone.

If one looked at them close up, the air burst gas bombs they carried would be seen slung beneath them, 2 of them, along with a gas dispenser for spraying midair.

The Changeling said: "The gases shouldn't have any adverse affects, provided you keep them away from the city."

Cadance couldn't help but still give the Changeling and his associate a look of suspicion, for deeply personal reasons. But she knew they were doing what was for the best.

"I must thank you, for offering us this help. I though that with the recent events, the Oceanic Alliance wouldn't want to help us in any way."

"Lady, the fact is that this threatens us, Equestria and wherever it spreads. If we made a cure in time to help and it happens to be your territory we have to let it loose in, we're not going to complain about differences like that." Razak pointed out. Shining Armour disapproved of the Dragon's bluntness in front of his wife, but Candance had always been more laid back among the Princesses.

"Are you sure you must leave?" She asked.

"We have to regroup in the South. We've done out part setting up a defence in the North, but now that flights in will start bombing the migration to cure it, your defences and theirs can deal with the more rabid ones." Razak said.

Razak bowed, gesturing for the Changelings to go on ahead and get ready to leave for Ponyville. As the Dragon made to leave, Cadance stopped him from leaving the palace balcony:

"Wait. Before you go, I got a letter, from your brother."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Razak replied, an almost automatic response at this stage. He'd been told to conceal Kurze's existance.

"Look, we know about Kurze now, that he's Spike. He wants to meet you, and those two stopping the Migration for now out there." She smiled slightly at the thought of them coming together.

Razak didn't smile, or frown, but said as he turned: "I hope for his sake he accepts us for who we really are. I'm not losing another sibling."

He turned, his thoughts fretting over finally, officially meeting his brother. But he'd tainted their relationship already, with the train attack. What was to become of him and Kurze when their first meeting was one of violence and aggression?

1 Hour later

Crystal Empire, outskirts

With air strikes from Caninberian bases beginning gas runs on the dragons that arrived, and Crystal Empire guards levitating any dragons more sedated than others safely to the ground, a system had been established.

But as more and more dragons arrived, it was only a matter of time when war would heat up between the dragons too far lost and the defenders.

Having flown aboard a low flying cargo aircraft and boarding the rear ramp, Cal'vel, Smoulder, Razak, along with Lucius and the 2 Changelings [the 3 of whom rode Cal'vel to the aircraft to board midair] rested as they headed South to Ponyville.

Ponyville was their target, to regroup with the others, and determine which places would need defending more than others.

Razak heard Smoulder, his surrogate mother, mutter aloud: "This system works, but all it means is that there will be more dragons too far lost to be cured further south, than ones that can be saved.

Things inevitably wouldn't be so smooth as they went South, in more ways than one.

March 25th, 1005 ANM

Ponyville, Town Hall

Late Afternoon.

Having only been in the town yesterday to hold that urgent meeting, Celestia and Luna had returned to Canterlot to coordinate with the stabilising situation in the North. Well, stable for now.

Twilight had to deliver a letter that Celestia had passed on to her to Mayor Mare, giving a brief report on the situation:

Caninberian reinforcements and Crystal Empire have stable way of curing a large majority of dragons, projected to decrease Migration infection by 50% over the next week, covering the entire Dragon horde.

A warning, expect a higher proportion of later stage infected among the Dragons that continue South. Higher chance of conflict guaranteed, garrisons from off Migration route Equestria cities being moved to counter Migration.

Expect a garrison from Canterlot to be moved to Ponyville, but be sure to increase volunteers for emergency services in town.

General Hardhooves, Councillor for Defence.

"We've got more of those Hephaestus people coming from the North to meet the others out in the forest, they're the ones who helped establish an effective way of dealing with the Migration." Twilight reasoned.

"Oh, yes. But, uh, between us Princess, the townspeople still are shocked at their 'emergence' yesterday." Mayor Mare said.

"I know they didn't exactly come to us how we'd want, but they came to help." Twilight explained.

"You must forgive us, its just, we're not used to many of their kind being so, organized, or friendly. Some of them we thought were extinct frankly." She commented.

"Its alright, but they're not here to harm us. But when they've helped they'll leave, as they said." Twilight replied.

Mayor Mare nodded in thanks, and said: "One question, I've heard rumours concerning your Dragon assistant. Something about him meeting with them alone?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes, saying: "Spike wouldn't betray us, if that what rumours are saying."

"Oh no, your Highness, I know that! But, rumours like these are something to keep a mind of." She blanched, embarrassed at her angering the princess slightly.

Sighing, Twilight said: "Its a personal matter to him. He found out about his parents through them."

"I see. I'll say no more of it. But Princess, what do you think will happen with the Migration when it gets to us?" She asked.

"I don't know. I was taught how to spread friendship, keep peace, maintain harmony. This is different, ponies are risking their lives trying to combat this virus and save as many lives as possible."

"But I know that desperate times unite even bitter enemies. The ones camping in the forest prove that." Twilight finished. She walked out of the mayor's office at that moment, done reporting the warning to the town head.

The next stage begins, and the downside is that unlike the Crystal Empire, there will be more dragons on the rampage than ones that can be killed by the time they get to Ponyville/Canterlot general area [the midlands of Equestria]

Cities like Manehatten and Trottingham, or Stalliongrad aren't in the direct path of the migration, so they'll get off lucky.

Of course, the ones that manage to get all the way to the midlands will be among the more rabid, stronger, faster, hardier and the more difficult of the Dragon Migration.

Or, though less likely, the ones that got infected later than all others or were best at avoiding getting bitten.

As usual, please review and critique as one would.

And no, I will not have those teenagers from the Dragon Migration episode turn up more aged and rabid, like Garble. I'm not that predictable, nor would they, they'd be too young still to get THAT far with the strategic gassing and curing of those that can be cured underway.

And I did my research, as bigger dragons will be less affected by the sedative gas, so the ones needing catching will be younger ones. Dosages and all. Also, a situation like this would warrant a sudden mass production of surgery grade anaesthesia gas, along with an aerosol form of the cure for mass dispersal.

Any government would get their shit together in a situation like this, at least any that had an interest in keeping public favour by actually facing a crisis.