The crisp, frosty morning air bit against his skin as the sun broke over the horizon. It wouldn’t be long now until the writhing hordes of the enemy would arrive on the far outskirts of Pegasopolis and he would route them, thus saving his aunt’s kingdom and securing his place as the successor to the throne; these savages would never stand a chance against his highly trained regiments or his own skill with the blade for that matter.
Prince Blueblood smiled to himself as he rested his forelegs on his sword: the Dentim Ignis. It had been bestowed on him by his aunt when he joined the ranks of the Canterlot guard as part of his royal duties. The sword had been passed down since the three kingdoms united millennia ago and it was a magnificent, one of a kind weapon hoof forged from the tooth of an ancient dragon and enchanted by Starswirl himself; it was unbreakable and eternally keen of edge. Its long elegantly curved blade was engraved with intricate wards that glowed white hot from the dragon’s soul that Starswirl had magically trapped within so that the wielder could call upon the searing flames at will, sadly however the magic that calls forth the fire from the sword’s heart is ever drained by use and so it cannot be used too eagerly or it will lose its power forever. The prince smiled once more as he thought about this minor drawback; why should he care about such cheap tricks? He was trained by all of the best swordfighters in Equestria, surely such perfect skill didn’t need magic to augment it, but his aunt did insist he take it just in case.
As he stood watching his three thousand elite troops take up formations he thought back to the moment he was granted the use of such a superb sword. It was granted to him several days ago when the scout party returned from their reconnaissance, he could see it all now….
***
The scout party burst into the halls of the Canterlot Castle; the party was exhausted and badly injured with the unconscious Lightning slung over Muscle's back. Celestia rose as Diamond collapsed in front of her, his breathing laboured. “P-princess...it is the Changelings, they head for Canterlot.” Celestia stared over the party as Diamond spoke.
“Thank you, you have all done well. We will mobilize our forces to meet them immediately.” She turned to Twilight. “Princess Twilight, see to it that they are taken to the infirmary and looked after, they appear to have been through a lot. Then I want you to meet me back at the council room.”
Twilight nodded in response and took a few stallions with her to carry the exhausted party to be treated for their injuries. Meanwhile Celestia gave out orders to have her guard gather the war council once again.
It took mere moments for the veteran officers and the royal family to gather in the large rotunda with a single round table covered in tactical maps in the centre; Blueblood sat next to the current commander of the Canterlot garrison: Colonel Dash Silvertail, he was a tall and slender black stallion unicorn with a well maintained silver mane and gleaming golden armour. He had known the Colonel for many years and he trusted no other with the role of commander more than him; he was a silent colt for the most part, but when he had something important to say everypony listened and in the midst of the arguments that filled the war room no voice was clearer.
“Princess; according to the report made by the scout party the main changeling force will be at Canterlot’s gate within the month if we do not act quickly. Fortunately there are still four cities in their way Pegasopolis, Trottingham, Detrot and Manechester; by the time we mobilise our forces they would have already taken Pegasopolis, but we can still stop the advance if we fortify the city walls of Trottingham and ready an army to garrison it. Of course, this means we would need to evacuate the city and… it also means we would have to sacrifice the citizens of Pegasopolis….” He took a moment to contemplate the price that would need to be paid for the rest of Equestria; it was a lot of innocents to abandon, but if the sacrifice of thousands could save millions then surely it was a worth while trade. Still, it sat poorly with him; not just because he couldn’t save those civilians, but because that was where he grew up and where his family lived; worse still was the anger he felt at the fact that no matter what he did he was now powerless to save them.
The prince could see this pain in his comrade’s eyes and slammed his hoof on the table to break the moment of silence. “We can’t sacrifice even one more pony to those savages! Surely there must be a way to buy time until our main army can get there…”
“There isn’t a way!” Colonel Silvertail yelled in his anger. “I’m sorry my lord, but there is no other option, Pegasopolis will fall either way.”
Finally, a cough echoed through the tense atmosphere and drew all eyes to the white royal mare sat on her golden throne. “The lives of my subjects are not pawns to be sacrificed, if anyone here has an idea even if it seems fruitless then speak; I don’t want to lose even a single more innocent life to these beasts.”
After several moments of silent whispers and rustling of maps one of the officers slammed his hoof down on a map of the city. “I have it!!” he exclaimed as he drew a circle around a red mark. “There’s a small bastion on the outskirts of the city; it’s garrisoned by only a hundred or so stallions, but if they could distract the force for a few hours we could reinforce them with our main force.”
“How do you expect a force that small to hold for more than a few seconds; they’d be massacred!” Another officer yelled as he looked at the small bastion on the map.
Colonel Silvertail sat silently mulling over the options, but no matter how many times he thought it through he could find no other way. He took a deep breath and held his head in his hooves; suddenly he felt a hoof rest on his shoulder and he turned to see his friend, the prince smiling at him reassuringly. “Prince..?”
“Don’t worry Dash; your family will be alright, even if I have to defend them with my own hooves… and you know how I hate to dirty my hooves.” Blueblood joked as the officers argued among themselves. Suddenly, another officer shattered the ruckus of the war room as he chirped in with an idea of his own.
“Conscripts! If the citizens are going to die then let them die with a sword in their grips…” He exclaimed as all attention fell upon him; the old earth pony captain cleared his throat then turned to the Princess before he continued. “Your highness, the bastion outside Pegasopolis will fall within moments of the changeling assault no matter how we look at it, but if we call all stallions in the city to arms under royal decree then they may have the numbers to hold the line just long enough to evacuate the bulk of the city and buy the main army time to arrive.”
Princess Celestia took a moment to consider the options laid out before her; she knew this was the best way, but it would still cost her subjects dearly and that was still a price too high for her. Before she could speak her orders the door to the war room burst open and a messenger limped towards her; he was beaten and tired from whatever had befallen him, but he continued to struggle into a bow despite the several wounds on his legs.
As he winced in pain he looked at the princess and removed his helmet. “Your highness… changelings have fallen upon Buckingham in numbers beyond counting… none were spared…. My sergeant, before he died ordered me to bring you this…”
With that the young soldier took a small box from his saddlebag and handed it to the royal mare; inside the box was a small yellow crystal that glowed with blinding magical light.
“Thank you; you have served me well…” Celestia turned to another guard that stood in the room and gestured to him to help the messenger to his hooves. “Please take him to the hospital immediately.”
As she looked at the eldritch crystal in her hooves she knew that if the Changelings have taken Buckingham then they have the east border of the kingdom and it wouldn’t be long until Canterlot becomes surrounded entirely; there was no more time to discuss options, her mind had been made up for her. She turned to princess Twilight Sparkle who had sat silently through the whole argument and handed her a scroll and quill before standing up to face the officers.
“Gentlecolts, the changelings have the eastern borders of our kingdom; this is no longer a battle to save a city this is a battle to save our country… Princess Twilight send a letter to all E.U.P. guard outposts that all… I repeat ALL able bodied stallions are to report for active military service and all other citizens are to evacuate to the safety of the rural towns that surround Canterlot. Prince Blue Blood, Colonel Silvertail, I want you to take any forces you need to crush the enemy’s main force; if we can defeat their queen the rest should falter and retreat. You have a day to marshal an army and ready it for battle… good luck.”
***
As the sun slowly climbed higher in the sky Blueblood watched his bodyguard finish directing the last of the elite warriors to their positions; with only minutes until the distraction force leads the enemy back to the battlefield he took a moment to think about the bravery of the citizens who took to conscription without hesitation, they’d managed to reinforce the outpost with easily enough soldiers to make the changeling force give chase and buy time for the main army to arrive.
Colonel Silvertail trotted back towards the prince who seemed lost in thought, he looked remarkably well groomed and rested despite the stress of the last few days; his blue diamond armour was polished to mirror perfection and his blonde mane didn’t have even a single hair out of place. The prince didn’t move an inch as Silvertail removed his helm to address his friend.
“Your highness the preparations for battle are complete and your bodyguards are waiting for you to return.” He said and took a small bow towards the royal.
“Ahhh…” Blueblood sighed with a smile. “I suppose I should go and grace them with my magnificence.”
As soon as he tied his long blonde mane back and replaced his helm he was lead to his bodyguards who were waiting in perfect ranks of gleaming gold plated armour and shining spear tips. The squad was small, but very intimidating; each warrior of the prince’s thirteen hoof picked bodyguards were equipped with enchanted armour and weapons to make them almost unstoppable.
The Prince drew closer to the unit and drew his magnificent sword from its gilded, highly ornate, jewel encrusted sheath. With an inspiring cry he thrust the blade aloft and let the incandescent light shine across his army; the blinding glow from the heart of the Dentim Ignis burned as bright as Celestia’s sun and raised gasps of awe from every stallion in the seemingly endless ranks of Blueblood’s army.
Colonel Silvertail smiled inside his helmet at his friend’s natural showmanship; sadly there was no time for a heroic speech to rouse the troops as the overbearing gleam of the prince’s sword drew the attention of the Changeling forces that were being lead by the remainder of the distraction force.
“Stallions to war!!” the prince cried as his unit fronted the charge into the pitch black tidal wave of changeling flesh.
In perfect unison the army of over ten thousand highly trained warriors followed the prince’s beacon of light with a mighty roar. “For Equestria!!!”
The thunderous roar of stampeding hooves shook the ground beneath as the endless hordes of charcoal flesh clashed against the gleaming ranks of the Equestrian guard; the writhing, savage mass of bodies forced their way to the front of the fray while others trampled their own comrades in an attempt to tear the throats from the pony defenders.
Wave after wave of bestial fury broke against the anvil of the pony’s shield walls only to redouble their efforts in another display of unrelenting ferocity; Colonel Silver tail did his best to reinforce the ranks of strong earth ponys as they pushed back yet another savage onslaught.
Across the ocean of bloodshed the prince and his thirteen guards carved a gory path to the enemy’s heart; his eternally sharp blade sang as it cut through the bodies of his assailants as easily as it cut through the air. Everyone of his bodyguards slew the enemy around them in their droves, but still no real headway was being made and at every turn they found their target: the enemy commander was nowhere insight.
The Prince took a deep shuddering breath as yet another challenger fell to his mighty skill, his muscles ached from the constant melee and his vision was becoming blurred from the blood that had seeped through his helmet’s visor; he threw another blow and severed one of the beast’s front legs before head butting it to the ground. He was revolted and disgusted at the state his beautiful equipment was now it, but for now that was the last thing he was concerned about. As he thrust his magical blade into the chest of another savage he heard the blood curdling wail of several war horns emanating from the ranks of the changeling forces and watched in surprise as the hordes of pitch black flesh began to withdraw.
He began to laugh as the enemy fell back to the edge of the battlefield. “Ha ha ha! Watch the cowards flee from our splendour!” He took another deep breath and continued with his orders. “Form up for pursuit!! Leave not a single savage standing!!”
With that announcement his bodyguards began escorting him back to the makeshift camp.
“Your highness we need to reform and stand ready for their next assault, let the stallions rest and treat their wounds; please don’t be hasty my lord.” The sergeant of the unit stated as he took the prince’s helm for him.
“Very well sergeant, let them lick their wounds for now; We’ll finish them soon enough…” Blueblood said as he shook the fresh blood from the Dentim Ignis’s blade.
The next few hours were uncomfortably silent as the battlefield sat deafly silent as the E.U.P. guard reformed their ranks ready for any sudden assault from the changeling hordes. Blueblood shook with the adrenaline that now coursed through his veins; this was his first real battle and his bodyguards had told him that their first kills had made them feel sick, but this… this was invigorating beyond compare; he felt noble and powerful like a divine scythe of justice reaping the souls of the evil.
“My lord!” Yelled a messenger as he entered the command tent.
The messenger was clad in deep blue armour with a silver trim and a bat-like crest on the helmet. His fur was a muddy brown and his pitch black tail was an unkempt mess, but most noticeable of all were his leathery bat-like wings which matched the crest on his helmet and his golden eyes that shone like the heart of an inferno. There was only one place in all of Equestria you would find such warriors and that was in Princess Luna’s personal guards. Considered to be the best of the best for their skill and ferocity; it is said that to witness one in battle was to know true fear and to face one in combat was to feel your very soul recoil in pain.
“Prince the night guard reinforcements have arrived and are awaiting your instruction.” The bat-pony warrior stated as he removed his helmet to reveal yet more tangled black hair.
Seeing the state of the messenger’s mane reminded Blueblood of his own blood drenched and tangled locks; suddenly, as if by magic the battle was the last of his concerns.
“Colonel; deal with this for me…. I need to fix my mane before the next bout.” He said as he began combing his long blonde hair.
Colonel Silvertail sighed and rolled his eyes at his friend’s vanity in the face of such danger and turned to regard the messenger. “Have them rest and wait until nightfall, then when I issue the command to fall back they are to filter into the melee and continue the battle while the day forces rest. Although, if all goes well we should have pushed them back before that.”
“Understood sir…” With that the messenger bowed and exited the tent.
***
Minutes of eerie calm became hours of anxious waiting as the changelings stood poised for assault at the edge of the battlefield, but never made another attempt to strike.
Colonel Silvertail didn’t like it; they weren’t behaving the way they were before, they should be charging.
Finally, after far too long waiting the blood curdling screech of the war horns sounded once more and the tidal wave of black flesh began rushing across the field in a thunderous roar of hoof beats and snarling growls.
“This is it warriors!! First volley…. FIRE!” The Colonel ordered to the artillery ponies that were waiting behind a shield wall of large earth pony stallions.
The artillery ponies were all muscular earth ponies with trebuchets attached to their backs, these catapult like weapons threw huge boulders into the charging ranks of the barbaric changeling hordes, crushing many beneath their overwhelming weight.
As boulders crashed into the hissing ranks of the enemy Blueblood once again strode out into the bloodshed alongside his thirteen bodyguards; suddenly the first of the thirteen fell, his throat had been torn away and he collapsed choking on the thick sticky blood that gargled sickeningly from the gaping wound in his neck.
The prince tried to help the gasping warrior, but he was quickly pulled back by one of the remaining twelve bodyguards who formed a defensive ring around the royal.
Colonel Silvertail slashed and kicked his way through several changelings as they smashed their way past the front ranks of the pony soldiers. Something was wrong. Silvertail gazed around the battlefield, examining it between blade strokes. The Changeling movements in this fight...yes it was easy for the ranks to mix in a brutal charge such as this, but the Changelings seem to be charging from within the E.U.P ranks... ”No...It can't be...” Silvertail muttered to himself, half in shock at his revelation. “We were never winning this battle...The Changelings took the place of our soldiers...I need to reach Blue Blood!”
The body count grew ever higher as night began to approach, Silvertail carved his way through any who drew close to him, scanning the area for Blue Blood. Seeing the sun setting he hoped that Luna's Night Guard would arrive soon...but they never came. He called for the retreat but very few could respond.
One by one the warriors of the Equestrian guard fell and were pushed into a fighting retreat; each soldier fought valiantly, but they perished all the same.
Colonel Silvertail watched as his soldiers died in waves of carnage, those that broke from combat slipped in the blood soaked mud or tripped over the shredded corpses of their fallen brethren; the brave few that stood stubbornly, died with blade still clutched between their hooves; each hero was torn asunder and reduced to masses of rent open armour and deep, gaping wounds.
The prince faired no better; his twelve remaining bodyguards slowly whittled down to just one, he was scarred and bleeding profusely from the many wounds that covered his body. His golden armour was a mangled wreck and his sword was nothing more than a hilt with a few shards of blade protruding from it.
This brave stallion’s life was measured in mere moments and he soon collapsed from the blood loss; he had escorted the prince as far as he could, but he was still a long way from the makeshift camp that they had set up before the battle.
Prince Blueblood was alone now and his armour was starting to fail him, but he continued to battle his way back to his own lines in a vain hope that he would find some help.
***
As the thunderous roar of battle raged around the campsite, the changeling saboteurs moved into their position outside the night guard’s tents; the plan was simple they were to wait until the final assault and dispatch the more elite warriors during the resulting chaos. It worked without a hitch and within moments the once mighty soldiers of Luna’s personal guard were mere piles of ragged flesh as the razor sharp fangs of their foe tore through their bodies before they even had a chance to strike a blow.
Amongst the bloodshed and carnage a single night guard stirred from his slumber as one of the guards that stood in front of the tent slipped in through the tent’s door; his disguise: the form of a white stallion in gold armour began to recede to reveal the charcoal black flesh and opaque turquoise eyes of a changeling assassin.
To the would be assassin’s surprise he wasn’t met with the sight of a sleeping target, but rather a wide awake and very ready warrior fully clad in dark blue armour with two razor edged obsidian blades equipped in battle stance.
Caught in a brief moment of shock the changeling was too slow to react and quickly felt the keen edge of the obsidian swords expertly dissecting him as he stood powerless to save himself from the onslaught. Within mere seconds the charcoal black flesh had collapsed in a heap of gore as blood gurgled from the open wounds that covered his body; the night guard stood with one sword still gripped between his teeth and the other held by his tail as he looked down at the corpse of his foe, he knew with this that the plan had gone very wrong. Without another moment’s thought the night guard galloped from the tent and joined the fray…
***
With a sickening crunch razor sharp teeth ripped a chunk of flesh from the prince’s rear leg before their owner was cut neatly in two by the Dentim Ignis’s enchanted blade. Blue Blood staggered for a moment as the sharp pain from his leg jolted through his body; he cringed at the thought of the scars that forever ruined his looks, but at this moment the pain from his wounds were much more important.
He took a shuddering breath and grunted as he found himself surrounded by yet more changeling aggressors; he was slowed by his wounds, but even with the pain that wracked his body he was still more than a match for the undisciplined assault of the rank and file changelings that sought to slay him and within moments they were all left as piles of bloody meat.
The prince staggered through the corpses that surrounded him, both changeling and equestrian bodies littered the ground. His vision growing blurry as the changelings finished butchering the last of his soldiers; they turned to him, ready to pounce as he prepared his final stand. The Dentim Ignis flickered a crimson blaze around the royal unicorn, his horn glowing and joining with the blade’s power. Sparks igniting the air in a flash of incandescent light, catapulting the burning remains of those unlucky enough to not be incinerated in the release of the blade’s power. The Dentim Ignis grew dim, now little more than an ember burning in the once blinding sword.
His last energy spent, the prince dropped to his knees.
Colonel Silvertail stumbled cautiously through the charnel pit that surrounded his friend; he was no longer the noble shining figure of inspiration that he once was, instead he was a broken, exhausted shell of his former self.
As he drew closer towards the fallen prince he forgot the roar of battle that surrounded them and he ran to help his friend to his hooves once more.
“Prince are you alright?” Dash asked as he used his weary frame to help the royal rise.
“Dash… I can’t walk…” Blue Blood stated as he struggled to hold himself up.
“Blue Blood… sir… don’t give up we can escape this…”
“Dash, I’ll only slow you down…” the prince smiled as he looked at his destroyed hind leg.
“Sir I can’t let you fall here; princess Celestia would never forgive me…”
Blue Blood laughed as he passed his sword to the colonel “here, take my sword and tell my aunt how I died a hero…” with that he lifted the colonel’s sword with his teeth and used the last of his strength to push away his friend.
“Sir…” colonel Silvertail protested.
“This is an order colonel… take my sword and tell of my bravery…” with that the prince raised the borrowed sword with his magic and yelled to the massed hordes of changelings that were slaying the few remaining warriors. “I am prince Blue Blood of Equestria; the greatest sword fighter in the land and I challenge your best warrior to take my head in melee…”
As the changelings began their charge the prince turned to face the colonel “Go Dash…”
With that the colonel fled from the scene only turning back once as the prince gave a blood curdling death cry; he watched as the savage hordes tore the royal limb from limb, with a grim sigh of despair he fled off towards the nearest place he could call safe.