~Training Camp~

One of the stallions saw Diss bite his commanding officer so he charged her and held onto her other wing. Apache nodded to the others to follow suit so that in the end, one horse was on her left wing, Apache was on her right wing, and a stallion kept charging her and ramming into her chest repeatedly.

Diss flipped backwards and got her wings released. She flew up a couple feet above in the air, taunting them.

The soldiers backed up as Apache signaled them to. They then all started to go back to their training as if nothing had happened. Apache himself smiled inwardly but showed no sign of any kind. He just walked up to a stallion and yelled at him for slacking off. This occurence would cause any horse to wonder what had happened and would have stunned them.

(I was thinking that Diss could go and report to Diablo about the training grounds and what she saw while they were all distracted. Including the fertile soil that she tested when she rolled in the dirt. Let me know what you think. BTW Diablo is in Hell's Canyon currently.)

(That's a good idea. I'll do that.)

Diss fluttered in the air before she flew away. "But mark my words, I will come back!" she said as she flew away.

Apache now chuckled. "I'm sure you would go back to being suicidal. I know I would if I looked like that." The other stallions laughed but soon got quiet as training started up from where it left off.

Diablo got to the northern edge of Rockyosa before the rest of the troops and he looked down on the valley, an evil grin on his face. ~Perfect for a battle. It will end up like Hottsa by the time I'm done with it.~ He turned when he heard hoofbeats and then watched as his 100 troops came into view. "Trogen, get your men prepared for battle. We will attack this evening. I will take Devin, Yuko, and Fred (lol) with me and attack from the north. Meanwhile you take 48 of your men and attacked from the west. The remaining 49 will attack from the east with Nightmare leading them. We will drive them towards the rocky south, that way they will be pinned. Are we clear?" Trogen and Nightmare nodded. "Good." Diablo then trotted off proudly towards the woods to survey his enemy.

Apache Clouds stood around his three most trusted officers and discussed training methods. "What is wrong with how we are training them now?" Tyrus asked. "It is not sufficient, they aren't pushing themselves to the max." Sharon replied. Apache spoke up. "Also with that mare troubles, Coal is out of action until his wounds heal up. It's only a few minor cuts but I do not want them getting infected." Claymore started to get angry as that earlier mare was mentioned. "Mares should be restricted from this vecinity." They all agreed.

Meanwhile at the northern edge of the land...

"It's still light out you fool, why would we attack now?!" Diablo nearly took the head off of Fred. The evil king walked away from the numbskull buckskin and walked towards Devin and Yuko. "After this battle, Fred's gonna accidentally fall off a cliff here." He was serious and the others nodded. "Now do you two understand the battle plans?" They nodded again. "Good, now we just have to wait till nightfall. With the element of surprise and darkness on our side we are sure to win." He looked out across the plain at the training camp and grinned.

Diss and Shay both galloped in and skidded to a stop near the edge of a cliff. They scanned the area untill they saw Diablo. The both turned and ran towards him.

Diablo saw the two mares coming and turned to meet them. "Speak quickly, it is dusk and I wish to be ready by the time it is completely dark out." He said in his usually stern tone.

Shaysey stepped toward Diablo and spoke quickly. "I can attack from the inside. Diss can't, of course, because they would recognise her. But I could pretend to have been injured and they will take me in because the pegasus stallion played some game with me. While you are attacking, I could attack the soldiers inside of the campgrounds. I have seen that this would be a perfect strategy and that we would be garunteed a win.

(Her moon on her forehead let's her see the future. Kinda. If that's allowed.)

((Just make it so that she can't see too far ahead into the future, only like a day or so.))

Diablo was silent for a moment. "If you double cross me you can be sure that you will die slowly and painfully." He then looked over towards the training camp. "Alright but you wait for my signal before attacking. At midnight tonight you will see a small fire in front of that large bouler on the eastern side of the meadow. When you see that then you may attack, but you will not touch Apache Clouds...he's mine." The evil king then turned and walked away, the three commanders following.

Shaysey turned and walked slowly to the training camp, limping on her left hind foot. Diss watched after her and then turned and dissappeard after Diablo.

Diablo looked behind him at Diss. "If you have something to say then speak up, otherwise leave us be." He spoke in an angered tone.

Apache Clouds was talking with Sharon, Tyrus, and Claymore when he saw in the distance a dark figure of a horse. He could tell who it was though by the marking on her face. "Excuse me for a moment." He said to the three and walked in the direction of Shaysey. "How did you know where I was?" He was curious because he never had said anything to her, only to Diss.

Shay looked up at the Pegasus stallion and then pointed to the moon on her forehead with her eyes. "I can see some things in the future with the help of the crescent on my head. And if you think that I have something to do with that white pegasus mare, you are terribly wrong."

"I'm not going to say anything. I just got out of sight so that the pegasus wouldn't see me. Or would you like me to fail your battle attempt." said Diss coldly. She walked away from Diablo and watched the camp from a hidden spot.

Apache was a bit suspicious when she mentioned the pegasus mare but instead replied. "I wasn't even thinking that." He smiled then led her to the center of camp. The soldiers had had enough of mares and were on their guard when they saw Shaysey. Apache didn't bother about it and continued on to the center. "I must warn you about Coal, he recently had an unpleasant encounter with that white pegasus mare and will most likely hunt you down if he knew you were here. He's that pitch black stallion with the scar on his right eye." The pegasus stallion pointed his nose in the direction of the muscular stallion.

Diablo snorted in the mare's face. "We were surrounded by trees, I was just going to the troops to tell them to prepare their attack. So next time you decide to talk back to me atleast make a reasonable excuse." He didn't yell but his voice was rather loud and stern, making the point get across. "I'm not the leader of the darks for no apparent reason." He then continued along his way as Diss departed. When they reached the soldiers he nodded to the three commanders. "Get your troops and take your positions, I will go give Shaysey the signal when you are all in place." He then turned and walked down to the boulder where was to light the fire.

Apache had finished talking to Sharon, Tyrus, and Claymore and was on watch at Beacon Rock. For some reason he felt like he should be extra cautious on this dark and gloomy night.

Shay looked at Coal and resisted smirking at him. She knew Diss would have something to do with him. "I do not like the pegasus mare either. She is on the lights, if you can believe it, but so am I." Shaysey lied easily. "In the short time that I knew her, she had already humiliated me enough." Shay hung her head down in mock sadness and continued to limp after Apache.

Diss looked up at the sky to see if there were any clouds. There was one, a very thick and dense white cloud. Careful to not be seen, she flew up to the cloud and hid herself in it, watching the events below her.

Diablo grinned as Shay was taken among the lights. He careful put a few sticks in a pile and flicked his tail so that a few sparks flew from it onto the fire. The wood was very dry and caught fire instantly. It was a small fire though and unless you knew to look for it, it couldn't be seen. He then looked around the valley and saw the dark figures of his soldiers. "Let's see how fast we can slaughter those horses." He grinned again and waited patiently for Shay to start distracting the lights.

Apache Clouds stop in his tracks, feeling something very strange. He felt slight fear and anxiety like something was creeping up on him, what he didn't know was that this was true. Diablo's battalion surrounded the lights except on the south side, which led to a rocky outcrop. He then turned to Shay and tried to shake away this odd feeling in him. "I'm sorry but you must go now. Come back tomorrow if you would like but you must leave now." He quickly led the mare to the edge of the camp and looked around still trying to figure out what was happening. ~I feel as if fear itself is hovering over me, what is wrong?!~ He tossed his head and looked at Shay, an undescribable expression on his face. "Please go."

"I can't!" she cried out and as she limped toward him, she stumbled and fell. There was a loud crack as one of her feet fell wrong.

Apache quickly reached her side and struggled to help her up. It was no use though, her foot was broken and she couldn't stand. "Claymore! Tyrus! Sharon! Quick come here, it's Shay...her foot is broken!" The three stallions quickly came over and checked the mare. "We can't move her sir. It could cause greater pain." Tyrus told his commander.

Diablo started blowing through his nose heavily with anger as he watched what happened. "That imbesile! She will pay dearly!" He looked at the edge of the western forest and nodded his head at Devin and then did the same towards Yuko who was hidden in the eastern edge. Just there was loud thundering of hooves as the two battalions attack the flanks of the lights. Diablo smiled and climbed to the top of big boulder. He reared up and let out a loud neigh that would make any horse shiver in fright.

Apache Clouds first heard the hooves then the neigh. "No! It can't be!" He then saw Diablo himself rear in anger. The three other officers looked to their commander. "Orders sir!" Apache gathered his senses and though quickly. "Claymore take 40 horses and attack the west troops, Sharon take 40 as well and attack the west troops, and Tyrus take the remaining 23 and defend the camp from any stranglers that may feel too brave." Sharon and Claymore were already gone gathering their troops but Tyrus turned to Apache. "What about you sir?" The paint pegasus turned to the officer with vengeance in his eyes. "To finish this once and for all." He then galloped off towards Diablo. Tyrus gathered his 23 troops and formed a circle around Shaysey and the camp.

Diss flew through the clouds until she was right above Shaysey. Then, she plunged toward the ground and galloped away from the trops, neighing shrilly. She taunted them as she flew up and tried to get them away from Shay.

Shay fixed her foot on the ground secretly so no stallions noticed. She smiled to herself. They were stupid to believe that her leg was broken It was she who made that cracking sound and twisted her leg. Very carefully, she repositioned it and got up. Galloping away, she thanked Diss in her head for distracting the stallions around her. Shay galloped up a hill and to avoind any more trouble for herself, she went off towards Grenu.

Tyrus saw the pegasus flying above them and instantly recognized her. "Men watched above yourselves as well!" He called to his troops.

Claymore and Sharon and plunged into the dark ranks and were now fighting for their lives and the lives of all other lights and neutrals. As they fought the sky seemed to be having a battle as well. Where the lights were they was a beautiful starry sky, but where the darks were they were gray gloomy clouds blocking out all beauty from the night sky.

Apache Clouds stopped when he came within hearing reach of Diablo. "You will regret ever attacking the lights!" He yelled. The Evil Lord only smirked and called back to the pegasus in an unearthly voice that seemed to make the world crack beneath them. "No, no I don't think I will. The hells of this planet will awaken and I shall rise to be their king. You and your pathetic rebellion will me crushed under me and everything you are and that you stand for will disappear out of this universe!" His voice grew louder as he spoke and then at the end Apache couldn't take it. He charged and Diablo charged as well, his smirk faded and was replaced with an undescribable evil look. When they reached eachother they both reared up and lashed at one another. As they did so the sky seemed to yell down at the battle below. Lightning struck the earth harder then it ever had in 1,000 years. The thunder rattled the earth and shook the highest mountain.

Diss flew above the stallions and dissapared into the clouds again. She flew to where Diablo and Apache were fighting and floated above them a couple hundred feet. She watched the stallions eagerly.

Apache lashed at Diablo's shoulder but the stallion was too fast. Diablo dodge the pegasus' hoof and took that chance to ram his side. Apache Clouds stumbled backwards as he gasped for breath. Neither said a word and Apache quickly regained his footing. This time he waited for Diablo to make the first move. Seeing this, Diablo charged forward but right at the last second swerved to the side and rammed him again this time on the other side. Apache stumbled again but this time it took a little longer to gain his footing. Diablo smiled inwardly as his opponent started to slow down. Apache didn't give up though and instead of just getting up and attacking he instead put his weight into his hind legs and charged at Diablo. In turn, Diablo stepped to the side but not quick enough and Apache just barely grazed his left shoulder. If Diablo was hurt he didn't show it and Apache started to wonder if the legends were true that spoke of the Evil Lord never even have lost his footing before.

This went on for 15 tortuous minutes and even after that time they were still going at it. Apache had taken 2 blows on each side and his breathing was becoming heavy. Diablo had been hit only once on his right and left side.

Diablo again charged Apache but this time he didn't change and ram his side. Apache thinking that he would go for his side again turned a little to the left, exposing his chest. He fell back onto side and lay there gasping for air and blood drizzled from out of his mouth and nose. Diablo too took in a heavy breath, the only sign of any weakening. Again neither of them spoke, but this time Apache didn't get up. He was too weak and he only lay there concentrating on his next breath. This gave Diablo time to look around at the battle. His western troops were overrun but the eastern troops were standing strong. He frowned at the sight, a chance that he may lose.


((I was going to have it so that the lights start winning and so Diablo pulls his remaining troops back. The lights win but they are very badly injured and it is probable that their leader, Apache Clouds, may never fight again.))

(Sure, that works. Or maybe something else will come along...)

Diss continued watching the stalions but when she noticed that Diablo's troops were being defeated, she soared off toward them and started fighting some of Apache's stallions.

((The only thing is that I can't have either side defeated. That will happen when Romeo and Diablo fight, which also means Princey needs to be on.))

Diablo watched her and even though he knew she would get injuries he said nothing. Apache struggled onto his legs and looked up at Diablo. "Defeating me will not win you the war. Romeo will come and you will fall." Diablo reared up and neighed in anger. He then slammed his hooves onto Apache's back. "Romeo is dead." He lied to the pegasus. Before Apache blacked out and image of the dead light unicorn on the ground with Diablo towering before him. "No..." He then collapsed to the ground and to anyone around him it looked as if he was dead. Diablo smiled at the limp body and then galloped towards the battle. The darks seemed to have more strength as he came closer, but because they feared him. The lights did not know of their leader's death and so fought with great strength. One stallion charged Diss and knocked her off her feet under all the trampling hooves of the other horses. He smirked and after biting her on the left shoulder he galloped off to fight a dark stallion. Diablo saw her fall and decided that the damage he had caused would give him enough time to rebuild his army while they only repaired theirs. "Enough! Our time to reign has not come! We will fight again in the future, but for now we wait!" The darks did not quite understand the Evil Lord's words but they obeyed nonetheless. In a matter of 5 minutes the valley was empty of darks and all was quiet, except for the occasional cry of pain from a fallen soldier. Apache Clouds was still unconscious on the bloody grass where he and Diablo fought. Sharon had suffered a leg injury and now was walking on three legs. Tyrus was unscathed and he was the one that found Apache in his current state. Claymore was killed in the battle and in the years to come you can see a stone pile there with a gigantic tree beside it, a memorial for the courageous soldier.