The Veins Run Deeper

by Thunderblast


A Little Game Called Revenge: Part II

Zipline stood by, vigilant in his position atop the clock tower spire. The swarms of bat ponies once in his line of sight now vanished with not one, nor any traces of activity down below. Yet, despite the current appearance, he knew they were there, waiting for the perfect moment.

Across the eerily-silent village, Stormfire repositioned himself to a more-shrouded location with still a near-perfect view of the ground below, and little to no blind spots to prove a disadvantage unlike before.

Through his binoculars, Zipline scanned the area, primarily near the western tree line, where the first attacking wave originated. Only moments ago did he observe masses of thestrals flooding the cobble paths, and to have them simply disappear as rapidly as they did aroused suspicion for not just him, but everypony below trusting his view to alert them of a next attack.

Flying up to the spire and landing behind him, Skye Racer asked softly. "What's it looking like, Zip?"

"That is just what I am trying to put together," he responded with evident concentration in his speech. "They were there, and now they aren't."

"Perhaps they retreated?" Skye blinked twice, pondering it in his own mind. "We kicked massive flank down there. It wouldn't surprise me."

Zipline glanced back at the grey pegasus, gaze meeting his own. "That? That was nothing. The weak led the charge. Every one I saw when they ran out in the open were heavily armed and proportionally larger in general."

"So, we've yet to see the worst of it?" Skye softly sighed. "Lovely."

The red-maned white pegasus nodded, gazing back through his binoculars. "If the Captain's theory truly is correct, perhaps it would be best if he leads the pack at once."

"Tell him that?" Skye asked, met with a nod for a response. "Right. What about you?"

"Where he moves, I move, too. Step on it."

Nodding twice, Skye leaped off the edge of the tower's roof, gliding gently to the ground and coming to a halt near Night, striding towards him.

"No sign of them anywhere, Captain. Zipline advises we get moving immediately," he said, stopping feet before Night.

"Thank you, Skye," Night nodded his head once, breathing in and out deeply, then turning to his father. "Let's hope this works."

"If you believe it will, then I shall trust your judgement, son," Skywatcher replied, setting a hoof on Night's heavy shoulder plate.

"Remember the plan, Dad?" Night sternly asked.

"For the most part," Sky gave a half-confident nod-shrug gesture.

"Good enough for me," Night nodded, exhaling deeply and spreading his armor-plated wings.

Leaping into the air with the aid of springs in his hoof guards, Night took to the steadily-becoming overcast skies, gaining altitude rapidly and soaring far over the height of the clock tower. Guards, soldiers, and his own Zodiacs observed his takeoff, as did Zipline when Night shot upward past the spire ledge.

On the ground, both Norealis and Skywatcher took the reins, barking orders at their respective companies—the Zodiacs included—with ponies scrambling to move to Night's selected attack point, a bit of a distance from Hollow Shades and a safe distance from the terrified civilians in the guard outpost's bunker.

A large portion of guards under Norealis' command repositioned to the outpost. Those who joined the fight tagged along, ordered to remain behind the closed doors for their own safety under the guards' supervision while a new barricade was hastily constructed around the only entrance to the hillside concrete structure, lined with tens of armed bat ponies.

***

Creating as much distance between himself and the town as possible, Night flew low to the leafless treetops, scanning the region in his line of sight for a large clearing as pictured in his mind.

A shiver ran up his spine, causing him to briefly drop and graze against small branches. He shot upward ten or fifteen feet, panting heavily in a shock. His chest thumped rapidly to his heartbeat, a sure sign that he was close.

Night took deep, soft breaths in attempt to calm himself, seeing no real reason for fear—not yet, at least. Yet, just as he returned to a relaxed state, a massive headache knocked him off, wings folding to his sides. Immediately, he dropped toward the ground, crashing through numerous branches on his way down.

He shielded his unprotected muzzle from the impacts, eventually slamming down with enough force to carve shallowly into the earth. What ever had been put into this armor evidently also worked as a bumper, as the force of the impact absorbed itself into the armor, and shielding Night from any injury.

Groaning softly, Night shifted, pressing himself up on all fours with bits of dirt and rock rolling off of him. He glanced over his shoulder and up, staring through the downward carving in the trees in which he fell through leading up to the long, narrow deepening depression in the dirt.

Night reached a hoof up, popping off the helmet and dropping it into the snow. He panted, chest heaving, raising a hoof over his heart and feeling a gentle pump through the armored suit, reduced by the exact shock absorbers that broke his fall.

The sudden migraine eradicated itself, having only popped up for no more than three seconds—enough time to knock him off much like it did just moments ago. Above all, Night recognized this pain, being no ordinary headache caused by dehydration or sickness, rather being magic-induced. Topaz's magic.

Just when the source popped up into his head, the pain returned, more excruciating than the first time. Night grunted, grabbing his temple with his hoof and squeezing, teeth grit and eyelids clenching shut. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, only made louder by genetically-passed down enhancements in his hearing.

What seemed like minutes of pain echoing throughout his head faded after merely six seconds, finally allowing Night's mind to work once more, having gone through a lengthy fog preventing any sort of thought to process properly.

Opening his eyes, scanning about the cold, colorless landscape, Night exhaled softly, breath steaming and blowing off to the side in the breeze. He snatched the helmet out of the snow, slipping it snugly onto his head and mumbling to himself. "Where are you, you son of a—"

Another sharp, yet brief pain struck him in the temple like a bullet. He winced, jerking a hoof up in response, but slowly lowered it. A chilling, sinister voice rung in his head, perking his ears.

"I am right here."

He spun halfway around, dropping into a defensive stance, expecting to meet the evil gaze of a taller cloaked unicorn. Much to his surprise, nothing stood directly in front. Rather, empty space, with only trees and his own impact crater within his view.

"You know how to get my adrenaline pumping, I will give you that, Topaz," Night said aloud. If another pony accompanied him, they would assume he'd gone crazy and now talked to himself.

The voice chuckled softly. "Most, if not all, would agree. While I cannot see you, nor see where you are, it truly is just grand to hear your voice again."

Night glanced around himself slowly, just to confirm he was not hidden in plain sight, before straightening his neck. "Is that so? I cannot say the same for you. If anything, I would have preferred never to hear your voice, or your name in general, ever again."

"Oh, Captain, you broke my heart. How callous of you. Yet, despite all of this, you do seem rather anxiously eager to see my face for a second time."

"How are you in my head?" Night shook, blinking, attempting to make it disappear.

Another chuckle, the voice echoing about his mind. "Oh, Captain, I have always been in your mind. Call me your secondary conscious, if you will. For this long, I have been your mental influence. When Paladin Redflare rescued you in the cave, little did he know, my magic remained."

Night sat in the snow steadily, grunting as another sharp pain struck him.

"You are the true cause of my escape, Night Shadow. Without a secondary vessel, I could not have overpowered the rings they put on my horn. All it took was a constant flow of magic, the slightest of energy, to have the rings absorb it while keeping my control of you dormant."

Tossing off the helmet a second time and grabbing his temples, Night fought against a returning migraine, steadily intensifying the longer Topaz spoke.

"You have helped me in numerous ways you could never believe were possible, Captain, and I should rightfully thank you for that. You led yourself, your Zodiacs, your friends, your family... all of them. You led them to their demise."

"Grrrh, no!" Night shouted, tucking into a ball slightly, squeezing his head and teeth clenching, battling the immense pain that now threatened to kill him.

Then, it all went away, just like that. Releasing his head, Night heaved, eyes shooting wide open with marble-sized pupils.

"For how much you try, Captain, so little is accomplished. Perhaps... you can change that today."

Night continued to huff, heart rapidly beating in his chest. Something warm began to run from one nostril, reaching up a hoof to wipe away and finding a streak of blood across the armor. "You're offering me a chance to kill you?"

"Of course not. I am offering you a chance to kill everypony you know."

"If you physically could, I would tell you to look me in the eye and come around a second time with that question," Night said with a grunt as he weakly stood back up.

"Your wittiness is admirable, Captain. If only your plans of attack were up to par with your jokes. You should keep your eyes peeled. I hear the forests of Hollow Shades can be quite... violent."

Half-reluctantly, Night threw up a hoof, striking himself in the side of the head. The force of his hoof's momentum, enhanced by the armor, threw him directly through a tree, snapping it like a twig and crashing to the ground.

Night sat upright onto his elbows, shaking his head and groaning. The voice stopped, at last. Despite the preferred outcome, he determined never to punch himself again—at least, not while wearing the Mark III suit.

He rolled upright, glancing at his surroundings. He scanned around, coming to the conclusion that nopony watched, not even from afar. That, or they were remarkably well-camouflaged.

In order to avoid further unexpected landings, Night continued on hoof, taking a good minute to recognize his bearings and follow a similar path than in the air.

Regardless of his viewing angle, these forests seemed to go on forever. Of course, they didn't. Yet, remaining on the ground proved no aid in his search. Part of him regret not taking back off, despite the risks. The armor would have protected him, anyway. Still, his decision stood.

Beneath his hooves, the soft layer of snow silenced his steps, a great advantage had he been sneaking up on somepony from behind. Heck, he could have done just that while running from afar and still would catch them off guard with how little to no noise he currently made while simply striding along, winding around trees thick and thin in their trunks.

Suddenly, the steel of an arrow's head struck him in the chest—only to bounce off and fall to the ground. He jumped with surprise, snapping down toward the arrow, bent and laying in the snow at his hooves.

Night's eyes shot wide open, glancing up to now see numerous bat ponies—the majority of which particularly larger than himself—with their weapons drawn or aimed in his direction, standing feet away and some steadily approaching.

Had he not been alone, Night would have taken them on along with whoever accompanied him. This was different. Now, all he had was a sword, his armor, and his senses. It was his senses that told him to run, which was exactly what he did.

He shot off to the right, galloping away from the hostile thestrals. Numerous arrows flew after him, raining down all over him like stinging bees. Thankfully, the armor served its exact purpose, fending off the arrows from piercing into Night. For how many bounced off of his armor, it would only take two to end his life, or severely injure him.

The group of bat ponies chased after him, some flying low to the ground and rapidly gaining on him, dodging past tree after tree with remarkable agility even Night couldn't beat.

One armed with an automatic-reloading crossbow took numerous shots closely behind, narrowly or entirely missing each time as Night weaved side to side in order to avoid running into a tree.

He snapped back briefly at the pursuing stallion, fiddling to load new arrows and distracted away from his target. Night faced forward, eyes widening as a low-hanging tree branch came racing toward him. He stopped galloping, yet his hooves slid across a narrow trail of ice left behind after a small creek froze over entirely, causing him to skid across the ground with the inability to halt himself.

With the branch still coming up fast, Night dropped backwards, sliding across his flank beneath the branch. His armor screeched against the ice surface, further distracting his pursuer with an ear-piercing noise.

Passing beneath the branch, Night reached a hoof up and took hold of it, bending it in his direction with his momentum as he slid past, then released it. The branch flew up, smacking the bat pony in the chin and knocking him flying backwards into an oak trunk many feet to the side, smashing the crossbow in his hoof.

Laughing at the sight, Night faced forward, still sliding against the ice. He scrambled up to his hooves, only to tumble forward as his forehooves dug into a foot-high lift in the ground at the end of the creek. He tumbled a good thirty feet, finally coming to a stop off the edge of an embankment, landing in a snowy knoll surrounded by the forest.

A ring of stars orbited his forehead, eyes rolling in circles as he lay in a daze, at rest in a self-made depression with his hooves splayed out in shape of a cross on either side. Night shook his head rapidly, dispersing the imaginative stars and grabbing where his forehead would be on the helmet. Part of the attached visor on the lower edge cracked, some even chipped away and jagged where it used to be complete.

Yet, aside from the visible damage to the glass, minor scratches nicked the paint, leaving the steel showing in some places along his shoulders, flank, and head. On top of it all, he remained unharmed, thanks to the shock absorbers within the suit.

As Night shifted to push himself up, a large, looming figure landed above him, hooves on either sides of his body. His gold pupils shrunk to pinpricks, snapping up to meet the evil gaze of the pitch-coated bat pony with sinister intentions, a freshly-sharpened blade between his fangs.

Having his hinds pinned by the stallion, Night grasped the handle of his sword and swiped it out, swinging once blindly and closing his eyes as the pony lurched to stab into him.

A solid ten seconds went by, all before he came to the realization that he must have knocked the pony away, or killed him. Night blinked his eyes open, turning to where the figure remained on top of him, but... frozen?

He jumped with surprise, managing to yank his hooves free in the process. He took many steps back from the taller stallion, his sword driven directly into his chest. What hit Night as confusing was the lack of blood, more so, the lack of a proper wound around where his blade pierced his chest through the heart.

Night's head cocked, bewildered with the sight before his eyes. With much caution, he stretched out a hoof, taking hold of the handle a second time, and yanking the sword from the pony's chest.

Instantaneously, what was a black-coated bat pony stallion, preparing to drop a dagger on Night's head, burst into a puff of smoke and sending out a small shock wave that created a blast of snow around them, and knocking Night onto his flank.

He breathed heavily, gaze set on the ground as he held the upper portion of his body narrowly off of the ground. Rolling over so he held himself up behind his back, Night stared down toward his hinds, where only the dagger remained. A ten-foot circle surrounding him now showed the grass, having the snow coating blown away and collecting elsewhere.

A solid two minutes were spent staring at the dagger as Night struggled to process what just happened, and the longer he stared, the more confusing it became.

"He... wasn't real?" Night mumbled to himself, over and over, until he shook his head to escape his trance of shock.

Night rolled back over, pushing himself to his hooves and turning to the dagger, lifting it off of the frozen grass it sat in. He examined it carefully, all while returning his sword to the armor-attached scabbard beneath his wing.

"This is... but he wasn't..." Night muttered, running a hoof down the side of the blade, stopping when his eyes caught something.

He squinted, bringing the dagger closer. In small print engraved into the blade, it read: Forged by Kas, Armor, Spears, & Swords, Canterlot.

"No...!" he dropped the knife, stepping back and staring at it with wide-eyes. His ears steadily pinned back, jaw open as if he were about to speak, but no words came out.

Behind him, numerous clicks, and the low metallic noises of swords unsheathing. Night's heart immediately sunk, muzzle wrinkling.

"Turn around..." said a low, roughened voice behind him. "Now!"

Gradually, Night began to turn around, the sight further confirming his fears. Numerous bat ponies surrounded him, with more flooding in from over hilltops in his direction, all with their weapons drawn.

"Drop your sword, and keep your hooves where we can see them!" said a mare, steadily approaching with a knife in her hoof.

With much hesitation, Night took the handle of his sword and unsheathed it, holding it outright, then dropping it onto the ground, the mare rushing up to grab it out of his reach, leaving him unarmed apart from his fangs.

Slowly, Night raised his hooves, having no other option but to surrender at this point, and with none of his squad mates or fellow guards in sight, there would be no easy escape.

***

"You are certain this is the spot, Major?" Norealis asked, flat on his stomach, overlooking the clearing beside Skywatcher through binoculars.

"This is the only clear spot for miles, as marked on the map. I don't understand," Sky responded, glancing over the map from the file given to Norealis earlier that day.

"I don't see him, Major. Where is he?"

"He can't be far," Skywatcher looked up, puzzled. "He wouldn't have—"

"Contact!" Thunderblast shouted from behind, whipping out his sword as enemy thestrals dropped from above to ambush the pack of guards and soldiers gathered on top of the hill.

***

Through thick brush, Night strode steadily through the forest, surrounded on all sides by armed bat ponies and chains looped around his hooves, though still allowing him to walk on his own with little restraint. They took brief glances at him intermittently, noting his posture for the slightest suspicious movement in the way he walked.

He faced forward, keeping his neck straight and stood tall, similar to marching, but doing so to keep himself alive just a little bit longer. By now, he knew just where they were taking him, the very place where they have held on to Duskbloom for this long.

They approached a small clearing, in center a four story-high abandoned mill, swarming with more of Silver Mage's army. To say Night was impressed by the amount of magic put in to create as many of these ponies as Topaz did would be an understatement. On the contrary, it only made sense, knowing just what Topaz was truly capable of after their first encounter in Canterlot.

Those on higher-up ledges on the structure scanned over the captured bat-pegasus as he passed below them, Night returning the looks, then facing forward once more as his captors brought him into the darkened, weathering mill. In very few particular spots was the interior lit by hanging steel-bar-encased factory bulbs.

Along some of the walls, vines and tree branches grew through cracks in the old concrete, stretching up to windows a whole second story above the ground in the open room. Many of the windows sat broken, allowing for snow to occasionally blow inside and leave a dusting in unprotected spots.

Only did the thestral ponies surrounding him come to a halt when an ominous voice filled the room. "Unchain him at once, my minions."

The mare to his left pulled out a key, inserting it into the lock on one of his hooves and removing the chains carefully, her cold, plastic eyes meeting Night's.

"Come to me, Captain," the voice said collectedly.

"An idea of where you are would be nice, too," Night spoke up, voice echoing.

Before he could take a step forth, a blue glow surrounded Night entirely, lifting him up off of the ground. His hooves flailed just slightly, only relaxing when he was brought up to a balcony above what remained of a former cutting-saw conveyor belt on ground level.

Night was gently placed onto the floor beside a curving staircase, which he glanced to, then to the dark figure at the end of the room, staring out where a large glass pane used to be.

"You know, I could have just used these," he gestured a hoof, met with a lengthy silence immediately after.

This silence continued, the entire building eerily silent aside from the wind whistling against jagged, shattered glass, open doors, and holes in the roof with narrow rays of light flooding inside.

"And here you were, Captain, mind solid on the belief that we should never meet again for month after month. It not once occurred to you that perhaps I have been the one behind your nightmares, your lack of sleep, and every little thing in your life. Most intriguing."

"Get to the point, Topaz. What do you want with me?" Night narrowed his eyes onto the cloaked figure.

"For a pony of your perception, your intellect, it should not be too difficult to fit the pieces together," Topaz responded, keeping his tone level.

"I get the revenge part, I got that a while back. What more could you want?"

"What should have been mine long ago, Captain. The heads of the princesses, all four of them, and the recognition I deserve."

"If by recognition, you mean the widespread acknowledgement that you are a tyrant, an evil, blood-lusting maniac, I presume."

"You flatter me, Night Shadow. Truly, you do. If it were up to you, I would take your position and rearrange it to make you captain of my army and lead us to victory. Although..." Topaz turned around slowly, facing Night from the side, his horn glowing a faint blue.

"After observing your little exercise, I question whether that would be a wise choice. You allowed my ponies to kill one of your own, and drag off another. Of course, on our end of the spectrum, that is a good thing. I am most disappointed that it was not you instead."

"Where is Duskbloom, Topaz? I know he is here. You wouldn't kill him just yet, I know that much," Night took some steps closer.

Topaz chuckled lowly. "He is downstairs, with the others, a fine addition to the collection, I must say. It was difficult getting him in the chains for my soldiers. One shot of morphine was not enough. I suppose it is true that terror adds drive to ponies."

"Let him go. I would rather him be spared than myself, if I truly am your prized target. Him and the others."

Topaz cocked his head slightly. "What others?"

"Norealis' guards. You took them, too."

"Oh! Them," Topaz chuckled more audibly. "I suppose Norealis would not have much use for a pair of corpses, now would he?"

Night's ears pinned back, teeth clenching and fangs showing. His eyes glassed up. "You killed them..."

"Yes, I did. Slowly and painfully, too. I had no use for them. You, on the other hoof," Topaz replied, encasing Night in a blue aura, lifting and pulling him closer, now face-to-face. "I have many uses for you, and your suit."

"What about my suit?" Night huffed out angrily.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Topaz gave a toothy grin, turning to face the window. "Picture it. The one and only super soldier of my army, fitted with a suit of armor not even the Lunar Marine Corps are capable of constructing. Not for ten more years, that is. The only thing stopping you would be a combined beam by all four princesses, or the Elements of Harmony."

"Sounds like that wouldn't be the best decision to go head to head with them, would it, Topaz?"

"Of course not. You would individually take them out. With the princesses and the Elements of Harmony out of the way, nothing, not even the most powerful cannon in the Navy can stop me."

"And all of this—this entirely plan you've conjured up—it's a plan of revenge? For your parents locking you away for practicing dark magic?"

Topaz whipped around. "They made the mistake of ignoring my potential when I could have helped thousands!" he boomed, Night recoiling. "They abandoned me when all I ever wanted was some encouragement for once in my life, a little spark to make me confident!"

"What do you mean?" Night panted softly, straightening his back.

"They never believed in me, not once. When Celestia came to my door, sat down for tea, and read the letter of recommendation to my parents and I, it hit me that the only pony believing in me... was myself. Celestia saw something in me, and I took her word to rub it in to my father's face when he told me I only deserved to work in a coal mine, like him."

"Betrayed by my own parents at twenty-three, locked in the coldest, darkest dungeon beneath the Palace for two decades. Then, you come along, you and the red giant, all before I can end the miserable tumor in Equestria known as Canterlot."

"Thousands would have been killed, Topaz, all for the sake of two family members!" Night stomped a hoof, creating a hole in the cement beneath his hoof.

"Vaporized, yes, followed by thousands more in the ensuing dust and debris falling from the heavens to rain hell across the land. Without primary leaders, Equestria falls into chaos. The military, and what ever is left of the Royal Guard, scrambles to fight back, but without anypony to take orders from, they are as good as minced meat."

"Do you hear yourself?" Night began, head tilting, voice echoing around them. "You want to bring the world to its knees over something your own parents did in your foalhood. Your foalhood, Topaz, something you've left behind years ago! Why must you continue to linger on the worst of the past?"

"I get it. You're emotionally distressed because your parents refused to take your side. Do I blame them? Quite frankly, no, I do not. They did what they believed was right. But, you know what they didn't do?"

Topaz did not respond, instead gazing out the window he stood in front of.

"For all that you did, they chose not to give you the death sentence. They knew they could never forgive themselves if they gave Celestia the right to end your life on a bit. They fought and fought the courts day in and day out to save your life, because they had hope that just maybe you would turn everything around."

"They loved you, Topaz. Deny it all you want, but, it is the truth, and it cannot get any closer than that. You must understand that—"

"I've had enough of that," Topaz turned around slowly, horn lighting. Soon, it became engulfed with shadows, his eyes glowing all-white. He began to speak, but in a language Night did not understand. It didn't even seem to originate from any place Night has ever heard of. It seemed... alien.

A bright flash filled the room, blinding Night temporarily. He brought a hoof up to shield his eyes, shutting them tightly, long enough for the light to fade, then lowered his hoof and turned to Topaz, squinting. "What was that?!"

Weakly panting, Topaz grinned sinisterly toward Night. "Shieldhunter, destroy him."

Night's eyes shot wide open, freezing in his tracks as a white pegasus donning Zodiac armor emerged from a corner between him and the evil unicorn, stopping, with his eyes glowing a reddish hue, locked with Night's.

"It... can't be. You're dead. You were dead!" Night shouted, followed by eerie silence. He lowered into a defensive stance, fangs showing. "You aren't the real Shieldhunter. He wouldn't comb his mane five times a day, nor are his eyes red. Enough of the mind games, Topaz. I know what they are."

"If that is the case, then you should have no problem fighting one of your own," Topaz responded with a chuckle, then frowned. "Kill him."

Shieldhunter lunged at Night, unsheathing a sword mid-air and thrusting downwards. Night spread his wings and flapped hard, rearing onto his hinds and moving just out of the way as the sword drove itself into the concrete halfway.

With little effort, the white pegasus forcefully ripped the sword out, bringing a chunk of the floor with it, swinging vigorously at Night, whom dodged or blocked the shots with his hooves, the blade simply bouncing off of the armor and scraping against it, causing the three of them to wince at the metallic screech.

Shield swung swiftly at Night, only for his sword's blade to be caught between Night's hooves, pressing them together to hold the sword in place while narrowing his eyes onto his opponent. The white pegasus struggled to jar the blade free, grunting in effort, when Night ripped the handle from his hold and spun it around, thrusting it through the layer of armor into his chest.

Night panted heavily, head lowered with his eyes not removing from Shield's, who stared down at the sword in a state of shock. He lifted his gaze, ears falling back.

For the first time, his clone spoke.

"You would kill me again?"

"If it meant saving the world, I would do it a thousand times over," Night lowly responded, ripping the sword from his chest, Shield gasping, as if he were actually dying. "Because you can't replace the original."

Night lifted his hoof to eye-level, a burst of wind rushing past him and a cloud of smoke expanding outwards, dispersing moments later.

"You are resilient, I shall give you that," Topaz said, slowly clapping his hooves. "I almost expected the outcome to be quite the opposite. Allowing your fellow squad made to kill you would be most entertaining."

"I knew it was too good to be true, Topaz. I've had enough with the illusions. Your army stands no chance anymore."

"While that may be so, are any of your friends aware?" Topaz half-smirked.

Night grunted at that, ears no longer perked. "They'll find out sooner or later."

With no hesitation, Night charged towards Topaz, sword drawn. He clenched his teeth, leaping upwards to strike. Immediately, Topaz shot a beam in his direction, but rather than striking him, it came back around, opening a portal just to his side, standing by as Night began to fall into the sudden opening.

However, Night reached his hoof out to the side, grabbing Topaz by the neck, dragging him into the portal along with him.

The two tumbled onto the cold asphalt, Night rolling up onto his hooves and flaring out his wings, still gripping the sword. Around him, ponies watched in shock, with numerous carriages on the street coming to a halt.

Night looked around him in all directions. City streets, tall buildings, a strong breeze blowing against them. He snapped back to Topaz. "Where did you send us?!"

The cloaked unicorn pushed himself up slowly, glancing back to the portal as it closed in a brief flash of white light behind him. He turned to Night, feet across from him. "It is commonly referred to as The Whinny City."

Night's eyes opened. "Chicoltgo... why here?!" He quickly realized how stupid of a question that was. "Right, collateral damage. Take us back!"

Topaz smirked, horn glowing, an orb of energy steadily growing above it. "Why don't you come over here and make me, Captain?"

Digging his hooves into the ground, Night lunged at Topaz, sword above his head. The orb above Topaz's horn transformed into a powerful beam, making direct contact with Night and thrusting him backwards, smashing through a window and landing on the tiled floor of an office lobby.

Night groaned painfully, the suit unable to deflect that sort of attack. He coughed twice, slowly pushing himself back up and grabbing his sword. Around him froze frightened workers and civilians, the receptionist staring flatly.

"If that isn't the weirdest thing I've seen all day..." the receptionist said.

Night turned to her, glancing around at the others. "Get out of here, it isn't safe."

Gladly at his word, ponies throughout the building's lobby scrambled to the shelter, led by the bored receptionist. Night faced forward, instantly circled from head to hoof in a blue aura, then tossed upwards into the ceiling along with his sword, pinned to it and steadily cracking the boards.

Striding through the revolving door with a sinister grin, Topaz pressed harder on Night, shoving him through the ceiling entirely and, with enough force, crashing through ten more floors until he could escape the magical hold.

Ponies in the building scrambled in every which direction as the armored pony created direct holes that led to ground level, where Topaz stared up through, smirking, heading back outside into the chaotic streets.

Regaining his bearings, Night grabbed the sword again, racing through the nearest window and downwards, landing heavily on his hooves feet before Topaz, huffing furiously with his fangs shown.

"I sense your fear. Almost taste it, even. Why are you so afraid of me?"

"I don't fear you, I fear losing to you," Night replied between breaths.

"Are you ready for more?" Topaz coldly said, preparing another spell.

"I was born ready."

"Then we shall make this a fair fight. No weapons."

"And no magic."

Topaz's head cocked slightly, then he nodded slowly, dropping the magic. "Very well."

Night straightened his posture, sliding the sword into the leather sheathe, locking on to the unicorn as he powered down his magic, waiting for his next move.

Topaz bounded forward, dropping his forehooves into the ground and spinning, driving one of his legs into Night's chest. The armored bat-pegasus did not fall, but rather slid backwards, the steel on his hooves sparking against the asphalt beneath them and eventually came to a halt, leaping back towards the cloaked stallion.

Night kept his wings spread, managing to hold level as he swung a hoof into the taller unicorn's jaw, knocking his head sideways. Out of reflex, Topaz threw up his right hoof, grazing through Night's feathers and throwing him off, Night sliding against the ground, only to jump back up.

"You fight like a mare, Captain!" Topaz grunted out, wiping some blood from his nose.

"Funny you should say that, some of the best guards I've seen are mares. Better yet, they're my guards," he responded, charging in Topaz's direction.

"Graaah, stop dodging my insults!" Topaz growled, running towards Night.

"Perhaps if you threw them and your punches smarter, you'd win at something for once!" Night jumped up, slamming his hooves into the street, cracking the asphalt downwards in a circle around him.

The brief shaking in its wake made Topaz stumble, granting Night the opportunity to attack. He lunged a second time, intent on tackling Topaz to the ground.

Mere seconds made the difference, as Topaz regained his stance and threw a sideways uppercut, slamming into Night's chin, sending him sailing down the street. Ponies unaware of the events unfolding were met with surprise as Night struck into the side of a stone high-rise, grinding along the narrow face and raining debris onto the unsuspecting ponies below, whom now ran in a panic.

Pulling away from the side of the building, Night shook his head, glancing to his hoof, where a shard of glass pierced between the narrow gap in the armor plates. He grasped the piece, yanking it out with a painful grunt.

He examined the bloodied piece of glass briefly, caught off guard by the sudden force of Topaz shoving into him at high speed, pushing him through the air tens of feet above the bustling streets.

"Since when can you fly?!" Night shouted, swinging his hinds upward, kicking Topaz in the stomach and knocking him over his head.

The unicorn did not fall to the ground, rather floating with momentum as if gravity no longer affected his body. Topaz flailed, upside down with no means of stopping himself at that angle, prompting Night to take this advantage.

Night gave a hard flap of his wings, propelling him toward the unicorn. He drew back his glass-cut hoof, powered up by the suit's unknown energy source, and throwing it forward into the unicorn's gut, knocking him backwards at even higher speeds.

Without stopping, Night recoiled his other, uninjured hoof, striking Topaz a second time in the face to throw him even farther as they raced narrowly above Chicoltgo.

Finally rolling himself upright, Topaz smashed into the side of another office building, tumbling along the floor in the aisle between cubicles, then crashing through the glass on the opposite side of the high rise, this incrementally slowing him down mid-air.

Enough was enough, as Topaz reignited his horn to use magic as his aerial aid, engulfing himself in his own aura.

Night flew through the hole in the building created by the out-of-control unicorn, coming to a halt a distance away, noticing his use of magic.

"All right, deal's off!" he yelled, grabbing his sword in both hooves.

Writhing in stinging pain, Topaz opened his now-swollen eye to focus on Night much more clearly. He grit his teeth, shooting off a sudden narrow beam that whisked just over Night's head, striking the building behind him.

Night raised a hoof to his mouth, shouting. "You missed!"

"I hit what I aim for!" Topaz responded, grinning, beginning to float away quickly.

The guard's head tilted in bewilderment, when suddenly a rather large piece of debris dropped beside him, startling him. Night turned around, lowering his sword, eyes widening at the sight of one of the two massive white antennas atop the skyscraper tilting over in his direction with much of the two stories beneath it giving way.

Night flapped his wings hard, rushing just out of the way of the antenna, the downward draft caused by it falling past him throwing Night into a small spin that he quickly corrected. He looked straight down at the antenna, watching as it smashed through some smaller buildings below and creating a cloud of dust that engulfed numerous blocks around its impact point.

His mindset shifted immediately, his thoughts on aiding the civilians on the ground. Yet, glancing in the direction Topaz raced off towards, another decision came to mind. Rescue the injured, or go after Topaz. On any normal day, the first option typically settled in his mind.

But, today was no ordinary day. Night took one final glance toward the ground, observing the dust settle around the mangled antenna and the buildings it crushed, sighing deeply, before flying after the escaping mage.

Night let go of the sword he held, outstretching all four hooves to pick up speed in the air. At an increasing rate, he caught up with Topaz, who prepared to open another portal, and shot ahead of him, opening the hole in mid-air.

Just as Topaz began to cross through the portal, Night tackled him through, knocking him to the ground the second they emerged and cracking it with mere force.

Now, Night sat atop the robed unicorn, drawing back his hood to reveal his all-silver brushed mane. Topaz yelped in surprise, throwing hoof after hoof to swat Night off, but to no avail.

Around them, ponies gathered, watching with shock and awe at the two wrestling on the cobblestone path, overlooking a hilly oceanside city, a spire-shaped building topping the skyline off in the distance.

Blocking Night's punches, Topaz glanced around him, grunting, and eventually eyeballing the distant skyline, his eyes briefly glowing an ice-blue.

Night was met with a sudden kick to the stomach, throwing him off of the unicorn. The longer their fight went on, it seemed the less the suit would absorb at every hit, for he now laid on the ground, wheezing.

Topaz weakly stood, the crowd backing away fearfully. Not once did he notice them, rather focusing on the city from that vantage point, an open-mouthed frown visible on his muzzle.

"So, this is where my parents fled to... San Prancisco," he mumbled just audibly for Night to catch on.

Gradually, Night used his wing to roll him upright, trembling as he lifted his torso and moving his gaze up to the unicorn, staring off into the distance, partially zoned-out.

Night also glanced to the left, spotting the distant downtown buildings. His focus retracted to Topaz, running towards him, only to be zapped by a brief burst of magic energy to knock him into the dirt again, prompting the ponies surrounding them to run off in a frenzy.

"Twenty years... two decades too long," Topaz grimly said, closing his eyes to conjure a spell, one that would track down his parents. "Now, to find where you are..."

Coughing heavily, Night stood back up, body trembling with weakness. He panted softly, watching an intensifying light form at the tip of the unicorn's horn, preparing to shoot a beam up into the sky.

Night pressed all of his weight into his hooves, lurching upward, and landing on Topaz's back. He looped his hooves around the stallion's neck tightly, though not nearly enough to cut off his air supply. The spell dropped as Topaz lost concentration, further angering him.

"You do not know when to quit, do you?!" Topaz grunted and growled, jerking his head back at Night, but hitting against the helmet he wore that only caused him a headache.

"Take us back!" Night huffed, wrestling against the pinned unicorn. "Take us back right now, damn it!"

"You cannot control me, graaah!" Topaz cried out, concentrating magic into opening another portal, this time with sudden suction that steadily dragged them towards it.

Topaz dug his hooves into the cobble, his body turning around as the force pulled against him, with Night struggling to latch on. He only further tightened his grip around the unicorn's neck, causing Topaz to hack and choke.

"Let... go!" he winced out, gasping for air. Night simply refused, continuing his hold around his neck, until finally, the portal collapsed under its own gravity, dispersing outward in a breeze that kicked up dust in all directions.

No longer being pulled toward the hole, Night released his grip just slightly, Topaz gasping heavily as the darkness faded away, returning him to reality from quite nearly falling unconscious.

Shouting out furiously, Topaz lurched onto all fours, attempting to shoot magic back at Night and throw him off, only to miss each time. Like riding an angry, bucking bronco, Night bounced across Topaz's back while gripping his neck to hold on.

"Take us back to Hollow Shades, right now!" Night screamed at the top of his lungs, rearing one hoof and punching the back of the unicorn's head.

"You can't make me!" Topaz shouted right back, now kicking his hinds in the air in another attempt to forcefully remove Night, yet still to no avail.

Steadily, Night began to weaken, tired from the ongoing fighting. His grip loosened incrementally, threatening to let Topaz knock him away and escape again. He was not yet willing to let go, and rather held on with one hoof, reaching up steadily to Topaz's horn. "Take... us... back!"

Upon merely touching his horn, a portal opened, catching Topaz off guard and unable to prevent himself from being pulled in with Night tightly holding on. They reappeared atop a mountain range, still flying with momentum from the portal's suction, when another rip appeared, dragging them into a humid rain forest.

Night held his hoof onto Topaz's horn, who grunted and grit his teeth as the magic output weakened him severely. Through portal after portal they traveled, reappearing in numerous locations in the desert, villages, the Ghastly Gorge, Mount Everhoof, and just about everywhere in between, rapidly picking up speed without a moment to process each place they have passed.

At last, Topaz let out a pained cry, depleting of energy far rapidly and threatening to give in. Even now, they flew through a tube within what appeared to be space itself, much less of time, nearing the end of the tube at a high rate of speed.

Cracking open his eyes, just narrowly able to see the end in front of them, Night made out the image of where they would come out, glancing down to the unicorn in his grasp, releasing his horn. "You lose, Topaz...!"

The two crashed through the end of the vacuum-like portal tube, landing on the concrete floor of the mill as Sharpblade, Valiant Charge, and Harmonic Percussion raced up the staircase to them, along with the other guards.

Night jumped up, the portal closing with a bright flash behind them, hastily moving off of Topaz while shouting, "Now!"

Lining up beside one another, the three unicorns charged their horns, mixing their beams to form a single energy pulse, all aimed directly at Topaz.

Sitting upright quickly, Topaz opened his eyes, mere moments before the combined energy of the unicorns struck him. He struggled to retain his ground, grunting with tightly-shut eyes and clenched teeth. The force put into the magic forced him backwards, Topaz screaming out loudly, echoing throughout the building and for miles around.

"Put everything you've got into it!" Harmonic ordered, focusing the majority of his energy into the beam, as did Sharp and Valiant.

At long last, Topaz met his match. With the beam of magic locked directly onto him, he gave in to its power, falling unconscious as cracks formed across his horn, steadily spreading across it until they met one another full-circle. His horn shattered violently, its remains turning to vapor instantaneously as they came in contact with the beam.

From the sheer force of the beam, it tossed Night into the side of a small steel silo, shouting painfully, before falling to the ground. His visor broke, but thankfully did not blind him with the flying pieces of glass.

Night fell to the ground on his side, as all fell pitch black and silent around him.