The Rising of the Brothers of Light and Dark

by Dark Dienen

chapter 1

Rune looked upon the clear sky as the gentle breeze caressed his coat. In spite of the summer season, the air was deliciously cool to the touch. He could almost imagine being back in the lush green fields of home, spending the day teaching the young ones how to properly channel power into a rune for the desired effect. However, he hadn't the time for such luxuries. He had other pressing matters to deal with.

Like deal with all Tartarus breaking loose.

He traveled amongst the troops of his command, inspecting their equipment with a critical eye. Feeling satisfied that all issues had been dealt with, he began to check the troops of the harness team. Spotting a younger stallion having trouble with his harness ties.

"Not that way, son," Rune assessed, "It'll never stay like that."

"Sorry, sir. I'm trying," the stallion replied, his voice betraying his nervousness.

"Here, let me do it," Rune offered, moving his hooves to the ties. As he adjusted them, he noticed the shaking of the younger pony. "What's your name, son?"

"Green Pasture, sir."

"Of the bottomlands underneath Snowy Peak, correct?"

"Yes, sir. How'd you know?"

"Your accent. Which village?"

"Stony Bottom, sir."

Rune raised his eyebrow questioningly. "I didn't pick the name, sir," Green said with the patient tone of someone who said something a million time and plans to say it a million times more.

"I'm genuinely surprised anyone did, son," Rune replied wryly. "Nervous?"

"No, sir. Scared."

At this answer, Rune finished tying the harness rigging and had a better look at the stallion named Green Pasture. He looked barely out of his teens, his fur and figure still bearing the marks of youth. His light green coat and forest green mane clashed greatly with the bronze of his armor. Although what made him truly stand out from the rest of the ponies here was his light blue eyes. They still had the light of innocence in them.

"Private Green, if you don't mind my asking, what made you join the army?" Green opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly cut off by Rune. "And save that 'It's an honor and the privilege to serve the crown' manure. I mean why you are really here?"

Green closed his mouth and looked contemplative for a moment. "I guess you could say it was because of Princess Violet, sir." Rune gestured for him to continue. "You see, sir, in Stony Bottom, we pretty much kept to ourselves, like most villages. When we heard about the horses from the sea, we didn't think much of them. We just believed that they would overlook our village and leave us alone. When they started attacking, even though I began to have doubts, we still weren't too worried. Once I heard about Pony Coalition Forces forming, I knew it was getting serious. I still didn't join due to thinking that I just wasn't needed, sir.

"That changed once I heard about the princess being taken. I figured, if they could get into somewhere as secure as The Granite Keep, it would be easy to get into Stony Bottom, sir. So I enlisted the next day. That's why, sir. I couldn't live with myself knowing that everypony that I cared about was in danger. Not when I could help stop it."

Rune favored him with a smile. "Remember that and you'll get by fine."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm still scared."

"Look around you. We're all scared, lad."

"Even you, sir?"

"Especially me. Anypony tells you otherwise, avoid them! They're a nitwit!"

Green broke into an uneasy laugh. "Thanks, sir."

Rune gave him a light tap on the shoulder and continued down the line.

After finishing his inspection, he pulled a crystal pendant from around his neck and held it before him. "Twister, respond."

Immediately, an image of a light blue pegasus mare with a grey mane appeared above it.

"About time, Rune! You ready?"

"Just finished checking preparations. Yourself?"

"My troops are armed, armored, and raring for a fight!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Hold that thought," Rune replied, "Arcane, how about you?"

The image of a unicorn stallion appeared next to Twister's image. He had a grey coat along with a white mane and beard, both streaked with black. "We are ready," he replied simply.

"In that case, you may commence when you are in position," Rune replied, putting steel into his voice.

"Hey, Codger!" Twister replied to the unicorn, "When my guys go in, make sure to watch your fire! I'd rather not have to worry about your guys aim!"

"Noted. Out."

With that the images vanished and Rune replaced the crystal about his neck, tucking it into his armor. "Form ranks!" he shouted, his orders being relayed to his troops. All was prepared. Now to pull it off without a hitch.

Rune turned his attention to a fortress in the distance. Earth pony made to withstand not only the might of unicorn magic and to be able to repel attacks from above. He had to admit, there was a certain challenging appeal of finding the weaknesses in one's own fortresses. However, if somepony had told Rune that he would have to attack one of his kingdom's own fortresses, he would have called them crazy. 'Oh, well. These are days for madness,' he thought whimsically.

To the far right side of the battle field, several balls of fire arced into the air towards the fortress. They landed on the parapets of the stronghold, thudding audibly even at this distance. Rune raised an eyebrow, silently complimenting Arcane's placement of the barrage. In spite of the fact that the attack did nothing to the integrity of the fortification, it accomplished the desired effect.

The bombardment of spells were answered by a volley of boulders coming from inside the fortress. Rune smirked, seeing the plan fold out as he had hoped it would. He had no fear that the unicorns would be shielded by Arcane's might. This exchange continued for five minutes before he bellowed his command. "MOVE OUT!"

With that, the hastily but sturdily built siege towers creaked forward under the power of his troops. Rune walked alongside the siege towers, matching their pace with his own. 'So far, so good,' he thought to himself, drawing his sword with his left forehoof. He knew it would be little good at this range, but he knew it was better to have and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Cutting the timing very fine, Twister made her move. From his position, Rune could see her dive towards the fortress with the sun and her pegasi troops at her back. He could almost see the hungry gleam in her eye and the face splitting smile on her face, even from here. He knew that she must have been having a ball.

It was soon cut short as a flight of arrows filled the sky from the castle walls. Most of her troop managed to avoid the arrows, but Rune saw a number of bodies fall limply from the air. He had to admit that detail was a development he hadn't entirely anticipated, but he expected it to be handled shortly.

As if on cue, several fireballs flew to impact the walls and the horses upon it. Several boulders flew from the fortress, colliding with the spells in a fiery explosion. The diminished number of fireballs were then intercepted with force spells thrown from the interior of the fortress.

Twister, never one to leave a fight without making her mark, attempted to charge the fortress again, this time approaching with the wind at her back. Apparently, she had hoped that speed would make the difference. However her attempts were met with a rain of arrows, effectively cutting her force by a third with still no troop landings on the walls.

'Maybe we did our job too well,' Rune thought begrudgingly. Rune hated to admit it, but things were starting to look bleak for the attack. However, there was still the possibility that he might be able to approach the walls without notice and take them by storm.

Unfortunately, those hopes were as darkened as the sky was when the flight of arrows rose to meet his advance. "FORM UP!" his command bellowed above the din of death created by the arrows. As though guided by his will, every soldier not harnessed to a siege tower advanced on his position, facing their shields forward into an interlocking wall of iron. The idea was for the siege towers to continue their advance under the cover of the shield wall as both moved forward towards the wall.

However, as the next flight of arrows found their mark, they ripped through the shields as though they were made of tin sinking into the tender pony flesh that lied behind them. As the wall began forming gaps, the harness ponies began falling victim to stray arrows in their paths. Rune, not seeing any other options, order his troops to fall back behind the siege towers.

The communication crystal around his neck glowed a cyan color. Hastily he drew it forward, Arcane appearing in it's glow.

"Rune, how's your progress?" the unicorn asked.

"Halted. Those arrows are ripping through our armor as though it wasn't even there. Can you take countermeasures?"

"Negative. As long as those trebuchets are intercepting our fire, there's little we can do.

Twister. Respond."

"Kinda busy here!"

"Have your forces break off the attack and prepare to retreat."

"What!?! Retreat! No way! I'd sooner bite off my own tongue than run from a fight!"

"We can't win this way," Arcane replied calmly, "We need to regroup our forces."

"Rune, help me out here!"

Rune was undecided. Twister was known for being able to do the impossible. If she said that she could fly into and out of the gut of a leviathan, not only could she, she'd probably come out with a stack of treasure in her hooves. If anypony could make a landing on those walls, Twister could.

However, as a tactician, he knew the odds of this endeavor were slim. All of Twister's accomplishments were brilliance wrapped in absurdity. They were accomplishable because no pony would ever think of trying what Twister would be willing to try. That was the genius in her stupidity.

Nightshade had left nothing to chance. He saw every measure of the attack and took countermeasure to match it. As much as Rune hated to admit it, Nightshade was probably as good at tactics as he was. Maybe even better.

However, what truly made his decision was the battlefield. The air was thick with the smells of sweat, blood, and death. The bodies of the ponies he commanded lied motionless on the field under a bed of arrows. One in particular stood out among the rest: a body with a green coat, light green mane, and light lifeless blue eyes. A pony whose name was Green Pasture.

"Not this time, Twist," Rune replied, "Arcane is right. I say we cut our losses and fight another day."

Twister grumbled something unintelligible under her breath. "I don't like it any more than you do," Rune replied quietly.

"Fine!" Twister answered, "But I reserve the right to chew you out for it later!"

The sound of horns filled the air as Rune replaced the crystal around his neck. With a heavy heart, Rune gave the order to retreat, leaving the fortress in the distance.